October 2009

Believe it or not, a credit card is one of the most essential things you'll ever get your hands on. It's far more than a piece of plastic. The credit card represents not just your ability to make purchases now and pay later, but your entire financial future in a little plastic card.

In other words, the vast majority of your credit history is going to come from payments you make on your credit card. Given that, it's important to use that card wisely -- by following these tips.

If you do business online, you either started accepting credit cards for business transactions or wish you could. People these days don't enjoy sending checks and money orders, much less cash, for their purchases. They want instant results, which means instant payment. And they want security: no one wants to just hand over a bunch of financial information.

Companies who accept credit cards for business purposes are more successful than those who don't. That's true for both online and offline businesses, but online, whether or not you accept credit cards often makes the difference between success and disaster.

So if you don't accept credit cards, it's time to start. And fortunately, a number of very easy options exist.

If you're a high school student, credit card preparation may be far from your mind. If on the other hand your child is a high school student, you're probably well aware that before long, credit cards will become an important part of his life. And since it's never too early to start learning good habits, these credit card tips will help your kids keep their finances on track.