Seven Credit Card Company Secrets

Dolan Smart Money Move: If you sign up for a card with an introductory rate, mark your calendar for the day that the low rates expire. Then, make sure you flag the day one week before to make your payment; pay the entire balance off if you can.

Also, read the current cardholder agreement and ALL inserts that accompany your monthly statement. DON'T BE TOO BUSY TO AVOID BEING RIPPED OFF!

Secret #2: Applying for a lot of different credit cards may injure your credit rating.

Didn't know that, did you? That's because the credit card companies want you to carry as many cards as they can get you to sign up for. It's more money for them.

Here's the problem: One of the things potential creditors look at is your potential debt. If you have a lot of credit cards, you have high potential debt with a credit line on every card. You may have no intention of using anywhere near the limit on each card, but the creditor knows that you could!

That makes you a higher-risk customer, which means the company will likely try to charge you a higher interest rate. But if you look at the fine print, you may not find out what your exact rate will be until after you apply. The more you apply, the higher the rate you'll pay. Tricky business!

Dolan Smart Money Move: The solution here is simple: Don't fill out all of those "pre-approved" unsolicited credit card applications. Be aware of your potential debt… do your homework, check out the deals, and only apply for the cards you need.

Secret #3: Credit card companies want you to pay as little as possible each month.

Over the past five years, some companies have quietly lowered the typical minimum payment from 4% to 2% of your balance. That way you don't have to pay as much every month. Isn't that nice of them, trying to make things easier for you?

Yeah, GREAT deal…for the credit card company.

Here's why they do it: If you pay just 2% on even a relatively modest $1,900 balance at 18%, it will take 23 years to pay off the balance…seriously! And what's more, you'll pay more than $4,000 in interest. That's more than double the original balance!

Dolan Smart Money Move: Pay more than the minimum every month and save big $$$ in interest. Ideally, you want to pay off the entire balance every month. But if you're absolutely unable to do that, pay as much as you can possibly afford.