Credit Simple
Can this card help me build my credit? Your first credit card is your chance to start proving you’re a reliable person to lend to. It’s your chance to show that you can pay what you owe, when you owe it. The more you can be trusted to do it, the better your credit rating will be. Build a good reputation with the card issuer, and that sets you up for them to consider you for some of their other…
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Rewards, travel and cash-back cards There’s no such thing as a free lunch. Basically, no-one’s going to be putting rewards and inducements your way unless you’re spending enough to make it worth their while to look after you. If you’re not spending at least $1,000 on your card each month, you’re probably not going to be earning enough to make it worth your while, especially once you factor in the annual fee, which can be quite a lot for a…
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There’s no doubt about it, Australia is a nation that loves to spend. According to ASIC’s MoneySmart, we spent over $20 billion indulging our love of fashion, $1.6 billion on our caffeine addiction and a surprising $450 million on pet pampering in 2016 alone. But with household budgets needing to stretch more and more just to cover the basics, there are simple strategies every Australian can adopt to become smarter spenders. So whether you’re a self-confessed splurger or bargain hunter,…
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Do you want to conjure money up from nowhere? It can be done. Cheapskates spend almost NOTHING. They pop to the toilet when it’s their round to buy the drinks and trawl local free sites for unwanted pet bunnies to eat. Well perhaps not bunnies, even though it’s been done. But here are some cheapskate ideas to ratchet down your spending big time before your debts affect your credit score: Become a Freegan. It’s amazing how much free food you…
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If you have a bad credit history or don’t have a clear score, you may be wondering if you can still be approved for a credit card. But how can you achieve a clear score and be sure you’ll get the green light? Getting approved for a card with a low credit score The good news is that credit card companies are often willing to approve your application when you are trying to get a credit card with bad credit.…
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Saving money and cutting corners is a thoroughly enjoyable way to pass the time, not only for the cash you get to keep but for the smug feeling of satisfaction at having outfoxed the system. Unfortunately sometimes corner cutting backfires. Our Scrooge-like urge to save a buck by doing something ourselves, instead of paying an expert to do it properly, actually costs us more – not necessarily just in money, but in time and effort. This makes me feel most…
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It is a truth universally acknowledged that birthdays require delicious cake with lashings of icing and a complete lack of regard when it comes to calorie intake. However, it is a fib, unfortunately universally acknowledged as a truth, that birthdays also require presents – the rationale being that the more expensive the present, the more you love or admire the recipient. I have pondered this matter deeply, and after accidentally smashing my annual presents budget in six months, I have…
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Zero waste saves money. Since I vowed to reduce my waste last year I’ve saved a bucket load of money. But let’s get this clear. ‘Zero waste’ is a philosophy/lifestyle goal of reducing the amount of rubbish you personally send to landfill. No-one will be 100 per cent perfect unless they’re a Buddhist monk or a hermit. The bonus is if you cut down on what you buy for environmental reasons you spend less overall. Yay! On a personal level…
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Don’t believe you have to have a credit card. Paying interest sucks and there are other ways to pay. It sucks the lifeblood out of your finances. That’s because unless you clear your entire bill within the interest free days, you pay interest. That interest means you’re paying as much as 20% more than your mates for the same things, which may have a detrimental effect on your finances over time. Other (sometimes better) ways to pay Thankfully there are…
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Credit card usage has become ubiquitous worldwide, even among those who want to get a clear score. In Australia alone, we have accrued around $32 billion in credit card debt to date. Statistics also show that from 2010 to 2017, the average credit card purchase went up from eight purchases a month to 13. With the increase of credit card usage in Australia, there has also come additional stress. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) conducted a survey about…
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