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Breaking the Cycle of Debt, Part IV: How to Avoid Summertime Credit Card Problems

The weather’s getting warmer, school’s almost finished for the season, the pool’s open, and the BBQ’s all fired up. And that can only mean one thing — summer is just about here. Sure, you’re going to relax and take it easy this summer, but don’t be so loose with your credit card usage. In fact, summertime can be one of the most common times of the year for people to fall behind on their payments, mortgage, and other responsibilities, leaving their credit in shambles.

At Quality Credit Repair, we’re one of the top-rated credit card counseling agencies serving Bucks County, and we want to help you protect your credit this summer. In this latest installment of our “Breaking the Cycle of Debt” series, we’re examining some of the most common summertime credit card mistakes. Let’s take a look at how you can keep your credit from taking a dive this summer.

Vacation

Perhaps you’ve been dreaming of that getaway for months now, especially if you’re hearing about your friends’ and coworkers’ own excursions. However, resist the urge to max out your credit card to join in on the fun. You’ll likely do some serious damage to your credit score. Remember, 30% of your score is determined by your credit utilization ratio, which is how much credit you’re using relative to the amount of credit you have. Once you hit the 30% mark, the credit bureaus will start docking you points on your score.

Home Renovations

It’s true that summer might be the perfect time of year to work on that home improvement project you’ve been looking forward to, but make sure you’re not going to open too many retail store lines of credit to get it accomplished. Even new credit inquiries can lower your score, so every time you apply for credit, you’ll lose some points. And not only that, but if you’re trying to apply for a number of cards within a short duration, then you’ll lose even more points, because credit bureaus view this as a sign that you’re in financial trouble. No matter how good the deal at the home improvement store is, use your credit wisely and carefully.

Forgetting to Pay Your Bill

It seems unlikely, right? Wrong. Even though you might always pay your bills on time, the summer makes it easy to forget all about these responsibilities. Perhaps you’re on vacation and got caught up in the fun. Or maybe you’re on a remote vacation with little-to-no internet access to pay your bills. Whatever the case, it’s crucial to remember that paying your bills on time makes up 35% of your credit score, so make sure to meet your monthly obligations in a timely manner. Use calendar reminders or consider setting up automatic payments to avoid this potential issue.

Want to know more about how to maintain and build up your credit score? Call us today at  888-399-3898 for more information or credit tips in Montgomery County and the surrounding areas.