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The Bad and the Ugly
One of the leading credit card companies, Sears has had a massive list of defectors based on its unexplained penalty rates on late payments. Like many credit card companies, it has become a nasty trend to increase interest rates due to late payments, without any particular due process. Granted, these credit cards are useful, and highly necessary, but taking advantage of its clients is in really bad taste. A sears employee confessed on how an applicant applies for one card then ends up getting three, all in the name of boosting sales. Its a nasty trend which essentially moves to caution on the risks of taking credit cards without proper consultation.

A sears card holder does have a bunch of perks to look forward to though, occasional promotions, zero interest rates, plus other perks that come with the card. These are the kind of things that a sears card holder can take advantage and pounce on. It’s not all doom for card holders, seeing as it does have its fair share of purchasing advantages. The problem only comes in when you’re let on a payment, in which case it’ll cost you, big time!

So what are we looking at here? The idea is to know the specifics before you sign anything. Don’t pull up monthly payment plan that you can’t keep up with, and before you get a card, make sure you specify to the sears employee that you want one and not three. Be extra attentive to the fine print, that’s how you end up digging your own grave. The plan is to be constantly aware of your financial health, and your ability to keep up with your payments. Also keep in touch with any of the sears employees to know if and when they change the due date for your payments. A late payment, even if you weren’t informed of the change in due date, may cost you from around $25 to as much as $39.

Avoiding late fees is a full time job, even for the ones who are never late! The plan is to keep reminding yourself that if you’re late Sears will screw you over! If the given due date is giving you a hard time, then change it to one that is more convenient and that coincides with your pay plan. Then keep a low balance, an average late fee is about $26, keeping a balance of under $100 significantly reduces that figure.
So why is it important to pay in time?

After two or three late payments, your sears card interest rate goes up.
If you fail to pay up then you automatically become high risk, then they’ll ultimately reduce your available credit.
Decreased credit means decreased credit score. This means your likelihood to get credit goes lower with each penalty you incur.

Sears is no different from other card companies; it’s a good investment, as long as you pay up in time.

Not just a hassle free mode to carry large amount of money but an easy way to make payments, take credit from banks and other organizations, credit card is a great financial tool.

Though the card comes with many advantages yet its benefits and defects are more user based. In other words, the positive and negative effects of a credit card vary with credit card holder. If an individual uses his card judiciously, the advantages are incredible and if not, he can very well land in trouble.

Since credit card provides convenience to spend anytime and anywhere, people usually end up spending excess of money. The option of keeping the minimum amount to keep your credit going stretches your budget even further. For every balance that remains unpaid each month adds to your interest and as a result after few months you find yourself burdened with credit card debt. For instance if you buy a sofa-set for $1000 and make only the minimum monthly payment of $50, you still have to pay $950. This amount will then be clubbed with interest too. If your credit card interest is 15%, the next month you will have to pay not just $950 but an additional amount of $142 as interest.

But if you have already made senseless use of your credit card and are running into debt and can only make monthly payments, there are several ways to manage your debt and so to relive yourself from the mounting tension of credit card debt.

The foremost technique in debt management is of debt consolidation. Debt consolidation is not a loan. It is a process where you work with a debt repayment representative who negotiates with your creditors on your behalf. The managers are able to reduce your interest rates to a considerable extent and may even be able to have fees and penalties checked and reduced. With your accounts all brought up to date, you will begin making monthly payments that will allow you to pay-off the debts in a span of just 3-6 years. Thus with debt consolidation you have to pay less and soon get out of the debt. Though the credit card debt consolidation will not improve or renew your credit ratings yet it can better your payment history and put you on the part to a debt free future.

Debt consolidation should not be equated with debt consolidation loans. Debt consolidation loans are also different from debt management service. Debt consolidation loans are taken in order to clear the debt of your credit card. The loan is taken with the assistance of credit card consolidation service providers or credit card consolidation help centers. With the use of credit card consolidation calculators, the credit card companies will calculate your loan amount and prior to approving your application, the credit card companies will take care of all your possible credit card consolidation scams.

However most consolidation loans come with high rate of interests that will only add to your debt. So it is better that you stay away from the loans till the time all other good options such as debt consolidation are not closed for you.

Many people consider that credit card is a symbol of wealth and it can be a wonderful financial tool that offers great benefits for those who utilize it to their advantage. If you have strong self discipline to clear off your outstanding every month, holding a card makes a great financial sense to you. However, temptations to overspend and live beyond one’s earning ability are the main risks that cause the card holders to be burdened by deep debt.

Purchasing online and swiping the credit card during shopping are really easy tasks and you are definitely enjoying the moment. However, if you don’t have the ability to pay for the amount you swipe based on your current income, within a short period, you will find yourself drowning in debt. Not being able to pay back on time can lead to the damage of one’s creditworthiness and it is hard for obtaining other loans in the future. Although you won’t be sued for bankruptcy by the banks as credit card debt is an unsecured debt, it is hard for you to obtain any financial aid for other important purpose and the possibility to be blacklisted by the banks and financial institution is high.

Besides, you may also face the risk of identity theft. This happens when someone may obtain your credit card details and use them to make purchases online on your behalf. The purchases may be huge amount and you will be facing difficulty to prove that you never make the purchase. Normally in this type of situation, you will not be able to use your credit until the detailed investigations are done by the bank or credit card companies. Although the banks will not hold you responsible for such transactions, it is troublesome and time consuming for you to settle the case.

To sum up, there are some risks you need to bear when you are holding the credit card. It is important for you to handle the usage in a careful and responsible manner.