By Mike Paetzold

Using credit cards is a necessary part of everyday life. Without them, some things would be difficult or downright impossible to obtain, and with the ever-growing presence of internet shopping, travel, insurance and numerous online products, having credit cards is essential. Unfortunately, our little pieces of plastic are a virtual payment method, and we often overspend without too much thought as to the growing amount of the credit cards bills at the end of the month! If you fail to pay off the full amount each month, interest is added to your credit cards statements and the balances accumulate as the months go on.

Interest on credit cards.

By paying off your credit cards, you’re not only reducing the balances, you’re also bringing down the total of accumulating interest each month. Think about it, you purchase something costing $100, and pay the minimum amount when the bill comes in. Interest is added to your credit cards statements, varying from anything around starting rates of 5% right up to a whopping 40%. For each month that you don’t pay the full balance, the interest on your credit cards keeps getting added on. That $100 purchase you made a few months eventually ends up costing you twice as much!

Reducing the balance on your credit cards.

If you can, pay your full outstanding amount at the end of each month. Since this might not be an easy option for many people, there are various other effective ways to reduce your credit cards balance:

Use your savings. It’s highly likely that the interest rate you are receiving from your bank is much lower than the interest being applied on your credit cards. By moving cash from your savings account to pay all or part of your credit cards balance, you’ll be making a wise move and your bills will be much more manageable.

Transfer your balance. Credit cards companies offer a wide varying range of products, some even give you a 0% APR for a fixed period if you transfer your credit cards balances. It is a good idea to shop around first though, to get the best option.

Don’t pay the minimum amount. Even if you can’t afford to pay off the balance each month, try to pay a bit extra towards your credit cards bills. Although it will still attract interest, this will help to reduce the balance.

Use your credit cards for essentials only. If you don’t have enough cash to buy something, you shouldn’t use your credit cards just because you see a bargain! Remember, that $100 bargain in the sales will cost you double after a few months.

Get a loan. Consolidating your debts is not always a good idea and can often make things worse if you end up with loan repayments and credit cards bills. However, it can help if you’re strict with yourself about paying off your full credit cards balance every month and only using them when you have the money to pay them back.

If you are in trouble with your credit cards bills, you must seek help immediately. Ignoring the bills will only bring you more financial problems, and there are many excellent organizations who can give you advice on handling credit cards debt, and indeed other related money problems.

About the Author: Mike Paetzold is the webmaster at www.financeandcreditreports.com. You can find much more information here on credits cards

Source: isnare.com

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byAlma Abell

If you have crooked teeth or your bite is improper and as a result you cover your mouth with your hand when you smile, it is time to see an orthodontist. An orthodontist in Bloomingdale is a specialist dentist that has the training and skills that are necessary to realign crooked teeth so that you can smile without embarrassment.

What does an orthodontist actually do?

In the past it was rare to see an adult wearing braces, this is no longer the case. People today get orthodontic treatment regardless of their age.

Orthodontists, with the help of braces and aligners straighten teeth and improve the bite. Although many people profess that they see an orthodontist in Bloomingdale to straighten their teeth, it actually is equally important to deal with the way teeth fit together. Crooked teeth and teeth with an over or under bite are difficult to clean and maintain properly, as a result these patients will be plagued with tooth decay which in turn can lead to the loss of one or more teeth.

Orthodontics has come a long way:

There is evidence that orthodontics has been practiced since the days of the early Greeks although it wasn’t until the late 1920s that brackets and wires were first introduced. Up until the year 2000, braces were the only solution available for straightening and realigning teeth, in 2000 clear plastic aligners were introduced.

Plastic aligners are invisible, today even traditional braces are almost invisible as they use tooth colored or clear brackets; some are even attached to back side of the teeth.

Children should see the orthodontist at the age of seven. At this age the jaw is still growing and developing and early intervention is extremely helpful. There is really no age limit for adults although most adults will have completed the process by the time they are 40.

There is no need to be ashamed of your smile; a visit to an orthodontist in Bloomingdale is all you have to do to start the process of straightening your teeth. You are invited to make an appointment with Pure Dental Spa. Visit them online at www.puredentalspa.com/orthodontist