Notes on cards, debt, and building Cardinate.
Field notes on credit card optimization, payoff strategy, and the building of Cardinate.
Pay Over Time Plans on Credit Cards: Pros and Cons
Most big credit card issuers let you split a big purchase into fixed monthly payments for a flat fee instead of interest, sometimes even $0, with no application or credit check. Here's how these pay over time plans work, the pros and cons, and the one downside I always watch.
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How Credit Card Utilization Is Calculated: Per Card vs Overall
Credit utilization is counted two ways: across all your cards and on each card. Here's how both are calculated, why one maxed-out card can hurt even when your total looks fine, and when your balance actually gets reported.
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I Tracked 10+ Credit Cards in a Spreadsheet. Here's Why I Stopped.
A credit card spreadsheet works great, right up until it doesn't. What I tracked, the columns that matter, when a spreadsheet is enough, and the point where I needed an app.
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Should I Close a Credit Card I Don't Use? (Read This First)
Closing an unused credit card can raise your utilization and cost you a little score. Here's when closing makes sense, when it doesn't, and the option most people forget.
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Is a Balance Transfer Worth It? The Fee Math in Plain English
A balance transfer is worth it when the fee is smaller than the interest you'd pay in the time it takes you to pay the balance off. Here's the math, two real examples, and the traps that cost me $135.
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Statement Balance vs Current Balance: Which One Do You Actually Have to Pay?
Statement balance, current balance, minimum payment. Here's which one to pay to avoid interest, and how paying before your statement date can lower your utilization.
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The $150 Annual Fee That Snuck Up On Me
I got hit with a $150 annual fee on a Delta SkyMiles Gold Amex I forgot I had. Here's what I should have done (retention offer, downgrade or refund) and how to never get ambushed by an annual fee again.
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What Happens When Your 0% APR Ends (and How Not to Get Wrecked)
When your 0% intro APR ends, interest starts on the remaining balance. Here's what happens, the deferred interest and balance transfer traps that got me, and how to beat the deadline.
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Why I Created Cardinate: Credit Card Tracker & Spending Management Tool
From wedding welcome bonuses to 10+ cards and a spreadsheet I couldn't keep up with. Here's why I built Cardinate, a credit card tracker and debt payoff planner.
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