1) Do your homework. Applying for and getting approved for a credit card is nothing more than legwork. Credit card contracts can sometimes contain onerous terms that might make you sorry that you signed up for the new card that you did. Read the fine print carefully. If a deal looks to good to be true, it just might be. Credit cards can be a great way to finance your purchases, but make sure it's not at such an expense that you end up paying for a long time afterward.

2) Read about the APR. The APR stands for "annual percentage rate". Yes, the APR of a credit card is important no matter what people tell you. A low APR for a credit card is more critical than you think. When you sign up for your new card, you probably are thinking that "hey, all I never miss a payment so who cares what the APR is?" The fact of the matter is, expenses come up. Unexpected expenses that you have to pay for no matter what. If your credit card's APR is low and when those expenses arise, you will be in a better financial position when you pay it off. You would rather pay off your a credit card's 4% on $1000 than 15% on $1000. This can make a world of difference.

3) Compare offers. Not all credit card offers are made the same. All credit cards that you see will appear to be physically similar (made out of plastic), but these credit cards can often be worlds apart. Some offer reward points, sky miles, cash back, and bonus dividends, while most offer nothing at all. If you are going to pick a card, make sure you get the most out of it you can. Finding out later that you could have had 50,000 Sky miles when you actually got none can be quite a surprise. Compare offers, compare banks, and get the best credit card deal you can.

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