Three Essential Steps to Saving Thousands by Improving Your Credit Score with Credit Cards
The other day I called my bank on the way to work and asked for credit limit increases on a couple of my credit cards. This isn’t because I need to spend more, but because it’s a smart financial decision to improve my credit score.
Lenders use credit scores for lots of things, but mainly when applying for a mortgage or auto loan. Although I won’t be buying a house in the next year or so, asking for credit limit increases on your cards is a solid move to make early and often. To understand why, let’s:
- Talk about what a credit report is and who uses it,
- What factors affect your credit score and,
- How to improve it so that, when you are ready to buy a house, you’re able to get the best rate possible.
How to Pick (and Manage) Credit Cards for the Best Travel Rewards - featured on Lifehacker: Two Cents
Photo Credit: 401kcalculator.org
Note: this article was featured on Lifehacker’s finance sub-blog Two Cents here!
Everybody loves to visit foreign countries and exotic lands, but it can be tough to save up for the travel that you’d like to do. Luckily, credit card miles are a great way to find your way to Europe for the trip you’ve always wanted.
Rewards credit cards aren’t for everybody. If you carry a balance on your credit cards, tend to overspend with credit or don’t have great credit history you may want to hold off on rewards for now. Instead, focus on breaking the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle and revisit this later. If you pay off your credit cards each month, have good credit history or get expenses reimbursed through work you might want to consider rewards cards.
This guide will help you choose the right cards, learn some strategies to earn extra points, and figure out how to best manage multiple credit cards responsibly.
Five Techniques for Remembering Names (and what to do if you forget)
The day I started my entry-level job out of college, myself and three other new consultants sat in a conference room together for the full day. We had all sorts of orientation presentations on the company, on benefits, on methodology and on client relationships. I introduced myself to the guy next to me – we’ll call him Mark. The next day we came in for orientation day round two and Mark asked me my name again. No problem! Then he asked me my name every day for the next week straight, at which point it got a little bit awkward.
Remembering names is enormously important. Dale Carnegie says “remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” Whether it’s somebody you were introduced to at a party or someone you meet at work, it’s a sign of respect and of listening to be able to remember their name. It’s certainly not easy and lots of people have a hard time with remembering names, so here are a few strategies for you to try out next time you meet somebody so you don’t end up embarrassing yourself.
The Lesson of the CEO and the fisherman: passion, cost and the invisible rules
I really like the story of a Wall Street CEO who visits Mexico with his family.
The CEO is looking to have a really fresh meal so he goes to the docks in the town and finds a man unloading his fishing boat with his morning haul. He buys a great looking fish and starts talking to the fisherman. The fisherman says “every day I fish for a few hours in the morning, then I eat lunch with my family, take a siesta, visit with friends, have dinner and go to bed.” The CEO says “Well if you fished for a few more hours every day you could buy a bigger boat. Then you could manage a team of fishermen and buy more boats and then move to the United States to manage your company. Then you could build your business until you can sell it to a major company and retire!” The fisherman ponders that for a second. “What would I do after that?” he says. The CEO responds “It would be great! You could move to a tropical village. You could fish for a few hours, eat lunch with your family, take a siesta, visit your friends, have dinner and go to bed.”
I feel like I read this story in either The Four Hour Work Week or The E-Myth, but I love it and there are a few lessons we can take from it.
How to Dramatically Increase Your Productivity
Under an impending deadline? Feel like you’re falling behind at work? No matter what you do, it’s useful to be able to do things fast.
Let me start off by saying that it’s more important to do the right things well than to do the wrong things quickly. As your career progresses, your mechanical ability is definitely less important than your knowledge but for those of us in entry-level jobs who are relied upon to do this type of work, speed is invaluable. This article isn’t about producing better, it’s about producing more. Focus on what you need to do, and then use these tips and tricks to get it done quickly and effectively.
The Instant Way to Forgive, Feel Better and Live Longer
Think of a time when someone did something that upset or hurt you. When was it? What did they do? How did you feel about it? If you can feel your blood boiling, you’re not alone. But it’s important to know that this frustration affects you psychologically and physically.
According to the Mayo Clinic, people who are less forgiving are more prone to depression, anxiety and strained relationships with others. All of those affect your psychology every day. Although they’re psychological reactions, they cause long-term stress that can be damaging to your health. Interestingly, three researchers from Luther College, Duke University Medical Center and Harvard Divinity School studied the life-threatening effects of certain types of forgiveness (or a lack thereof).
The Guide to Dominating in Your Entry-Level Job
To the graduating class of May 2014 – congratulations, you’ve finished your degree! Maybe you’ve even landed a job that starts soon and you’re ready to climb the corporate ladder. You want to do a great job, get noticed for it and get rewarded. As it turns out, completing your job responsibilities is a good place to start but there’s a lot more to it. Here’s your guide to getting noticed and succeeding in your entry-level position.
What is Millennial Venture?
A generation or two ago, there was a plan. You graduated from high school, went to college, got a career job, got married and had kids. You might have joined the military for a few years. You’d usually stay at your job and pay into your pension until you retired. Remember playing The Game of Life as a kid? Go to College or Go To Career, get a spouse and fill up your little plastic car with little plastic children. Cool, right?