Welcome to Mommysavers Forums.
Go Back  

Money Matters Personal finance, managing debt, saving and investing

Register FAQ Members List Calendar Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Gallery iTrader

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes

Old 02-15-2007, 11:36 AM   #1
Default credit cards...
lovindj25
Mommysavers Diva
 
lovindj25's Avatar
 
Last Online: 06-22-2008 10:26 AM
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: ILLINOISY
Posts: 618
iTrader: (0)
how many credit cards does everyone have? including store ones too, like Jcpenney, Kohls, etc...
I alone have 10...yikes...but not all of them have balances on them.
__________________
Jaime

"Live each day like its your last"
lovindj25 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-15-2007, 11:50 AM   #2
Default
Cookie2
For Richer or Poorer Mod
 
Cookie2's Avatar
 
Last Online: Yesterday 09:00 PM
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,253
iTrader: (0)
How many credit cards? Way too many.

Ever pull your credit report and try to wade through all that information? I finally started a file drawer of JUST credit card or loan numbers so I could research a problem on my credit report if I had to. The files are sorted according to the number, not the vendor. I learned long ago that vendors change hands (like when The Bon became Macys, etc) or the credit line isn't issued through the store name (like a flooring store who offers a payment plan through a larger credit company) so sorting the files by vendor name was no help. The only things I keep in the file folder is the originating paperwork from when the credit line was opened and the final paperwork from when the credit line was closed.

Just because the credit line was paid off, that doesn't mean the account was closed! For instance, we purchased some flooring years ago on a delayed payment plan (12 months, 0 interest) and paid it off before the balance was due. Years later that account showed up on our credit report with a 5-figure credit line still open! Of course, there was no balance but anyone checking to see how much credit we COULD rack up would still take that figure into account. Plus an open credit line could easily be defrauded. To make matters worse, the flooring store had gone out of business so there wasn't really anyone to contact to close the account. Luckily, I was able to look up the originating paperwork and contact the larger lending company to get it straightened out. Because the open account wasn't a 'negative report', the credit reporting agency wasn't doing anything to help me.
__________________
"I've been rich and I've been poor but independently wealthy is where it is at."
Cookie2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-15-2007, 12:14 PM   #3
Default Just enough credit
christine525
Senior Mommysavers Member & Approved Trader
 
christine525's Avatar
 
Last Online: 07-17-2008 12:04 AM
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Long Beach, CA
Posts: 204
iTrader: (0)
I have a Discover, a couple MCs and a couple Visas. One of the first financial lessons I learned was that store credit cards charge a higher interest rate than some MCs or Visas. And with all these major stores accepting MC or Visa, why carry a store credit card? So I cancelled all of them. Plus, like Cookie2 was saying, open accounts still show up on your credit report. That can harm your FICO score. Too much debt or too much credit and not enough debt or paying late on a debt all can affect your FICO score. And having just a few cards simplify my finances.
christine525 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-15-2007, 12:19 PM   #4
Default
Midwest Mom
Senior Mommysavers Member
 
Midwest Mom's Avatar
 
Last Online: 08-20-2008 03:41 PM
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Nebraska
Posts: 217
iTrader: (0)
I use to have tons, for every store, but paid them off and canceled them. My husband has one Visa card and a Dell card (from the laptop he bought for school with 0% until it's paid off. I have a MasterCard from college that I am paying off and a Visa that will be paid of with our tax refund. So in all we have four cards. After they are paid, no more!! We will keep one and that's it. I HATE THEM!!
Midwest Mom is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-15-2007, 12:19 PM   #5
Default
MegNAbbysMom
Coupon Moderator
 
MegNAbbysMom's Avatar
 
Last Online: Yesterday 11:38 PM
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Toyland
Real Name: Amy
Posts: 5,279
iTrader: (0)
Hmmm, I have Penneys, Sears, Macys, Peebles, Home Depot, Elder Beerman, and one Master Card. No balances on any except the MC and it is paid off each month - I put my gasoline on it. I should cut up the dept store ones I don't use them at all (anymore LOL)
MegNAbbysMom is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-15-2007, 12:47 PM   #6
Default
momof2boys
Chit Chat, TV, Coupon Mod
 
momof2boys's Avatar
 
Last Online: Yesterday 08:38 PM
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 11,794
iTrader: (4)
We have a Discover and a Visa, Gave up the store cards years ago.
momof2boys is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-15-2007, 12:50 PM   #7
Default
Sun11598
Mommysavers Diva
 
Sun11598's Avatar
 
Last Online: 12-29-2008 10:18 PM
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 722
iTrader: (0)
I think my lane bryant is still open so...2 store cards, and 5-6 credit cards between dh & myself. None of the store cards have a balance - and 1 of my cc's has a balance of $36 that I plan to pay off, 1 is empty, and 1 has a high balance that we're working on.
Sun11598 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-15-2007, 01:05 PM   #8
Default
Happymom
Super Mom Moderator
 
Happymom's Avatar
 
Last Online: Yesterday 09:05 PM
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 20,394
iTrader: (0)
I have a MasterCard, a Visa and a Lowe's card.
__________________
~Happiness is a large family~


Happymom is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-15-2007, 01:10 PM   #9
Default
Kathryn
Simple Living & Money Mod
 
Kathryn's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: The Great White North
Posts: 5,415
iTrader: (3)
I have 1 Mastercard.

DH has 1 Mastercard.

It's so easy to pay bills this way. :D
__________________
Kathryn is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-15-2007, 01:38 PM   #10
Default
stacia
Mommysavers Goddess + Approved Trader
 
stacia's Avatar
 
Last Online: 01-03-2009 10:00 PM
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Northern VA
Posts: 4,034
iTrader: (1)
I used to have only one, but went and got the Target, Kohls and Gymbo cards for the discount. I know I know bad me! But they are all paid off now and I'm going to only keep the one gymbo visa and get rid of the rest.
My husband has two but his are paid off and in the envelope with mine in our safe.
__________________

A woman is like a teabag. You never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water.-Eleanor Roosevelt
stacia is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off

Members
 

Sponsors

 


Advertisement

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:25 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2009, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
SEO by vBSEO 3.0.0