Would you like to know how to SAVE money and to understand how to make more with just some simple knowledge? No matter what your occupation, you will have to manage your money and knowledge is important to your financial success. Here are some basics for your financial freedom to start:
APR vs EAR:
Do you know the difference between the APR and the Effective APR? This is the rate or rates that you pay on your credit card balances. As you will see, it is best to make credit card decisions that have the lowest Effective APR if you plan on carrying a balance.
- The APR is the Annual Percentage Rate – the basic rate you pay on purchases.
- The Effective Annual Percentage Rate – is the rate you are charged that accounts for compounding when you carry a balance. Remember this rate is ALWAYS Higher!
- One more note on APRs, usually your credit card company has a few of these rates including the basic APR for purchases and the APR for Cash Advances, which is always higher.
Credit Card Balances:
Another Credit Card tip – pay off your balances or make payments that are more than the minimum.
For example, if you had a $2,000 balance and did not add to it, with a 20% APR and paying the minimum payment, it will take you over 15 years to pay it off and you will have paid $2,723!
Credit Score:
Another financial MUST Know is your Credit Score. This is the number that tells lenders how credit worthy you are. The better the score the more likely you will get your apartment or a new car! Scores range from a low of 300 to a high of 850.
This number is based on several factors including your payment history, amount you owe and the types of credit you have.
Check out your score for free at CreditKarma.com
