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Building a Budget
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Credit Cards
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Understanding Credit Cards
The Cost of Credit Cards
How Does Your Credit Card Calculate Interest?
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Choosing the Right Credit Card
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 Understanding Credit Cards

A credit card allows you to make purchases up to the limit set by the issuer. You then pay off the balance in installments with interest payments. Your monthly payment can range from a minimum amount, set by your bank, to your entire outstanding balance. The longer you wait to pay off the entire amount, the more your interest charges add up.

Most adults use a credit cards because they are convenient. You don't have to have cash or checks when you have a credit card. But credit cards also come with the temptation to buy something that you don't have the money for. Before you begin to build up credit card balances, know what you are getting into. Credit cards used wisely are a great help in budgeting. Used unwisely, they create a nightmare of debt.