"We want Britney Spears to fall and rise again. She represents the hope in all of us for when we went through some dark times. In addition to already being addicted to the media and whatever it feeds us, a story of overcoming obstacles is what we subconsciously seek through all that bad stuff. Why do we love rags to riches stories? BECAUSE they give US a sense that they are mortal, not immortal; they are people like us, not icons. I honestly believe that Britney was that universal girl that EVERY girl wanted to be, while she was also that girl EVERY guy wanted to be with. I’m a Britney Spears fan. I was then, still am, and will be for years to come. =)"
-Me (012708)Disney Inspired Custom Engagement Ring Boxes »
I really love love love what an engagement signifies. & I love that a guy has come up with a creative way to make his engagement to his special lady different from all the rest. Tip to the boys: girls don’t like being treated like every other girl, your woman wants to be shown that she’s different from the rest and that you know her better than anyone else. You show her that, she’ll say yes.
The Hyprocrite.
Do you want to know why I can’t take my own advice? Because when I give advice, I’m using my head. But when I take advice, I’m using my heart. I think that’s how most people are. We know what’s going on, but we rather NOT feel the effects of it.
So let me give you a heads up, if I bring up my own situation, I’m not trying to make it about me, I’m trying to relate. I’m trying to let you know, I’ve been there. I’m trying to say “Babygirl/babyboy, I was just like you, but I am okay NOW. Someday you’re going to be giving this same advice to someone else. And that’s how you know you’ve grown.”
<3
My New Citi Forward Card.
I didn’t want to post my actual card, for obvious reasons, so I went with the picture Citibank gave. Anyways, so I just got it and I’m excited. After last year, when Wamu screwed me over by becoming Chase, they closed out my Secured Credit Card. And being a college student, that was my ONLY credit card, and they closed it after only a few months. It sucked because I was never late, and I always paid in full, but my limit wasn’t high and it was closed out, beyond my wishes.
Anyways, so I had a few attempts at getting another credit card, one with my actual bank, Chase. That didn’t work, you have to have like a 850+ FICO score or something. (I’m exaggerating, obviously I don’t know actual requirements.) Then about six months later (you should always wait at LEAST 4 months before applying again - Chase Bank Financial Advisor), I tried again with Discover. And with them, because I was a student, my income wasn’t high enough. So after I waited a few more months in between each one, I went with Citi because I knew that it was also a major bank. Citi was my last shot at a large bank, cause if it didn’t work out with Citi, I would have went with a gas card. So finally, I got my approval letter and my new card. I was surprised at my unsercured credit line limit, and the benefits that came with the card. I made my first purchase already, and it was to pay for my first iPhone bill.
I’m super esctatic because I’ve been without a credit card for a long time. And I don’t mean it in the way I needed one, I just wanted to build up my credit once again. My credit score was suffering without one. ): But anyways, if you’re reading this, and if you don’t already know, here are some tips on building credit, maintaining good credit, etc. I’ve talked to several financial advisors, and researched on numerous bank websites, Mint.com (a highly trafficked, and credible financial website), and several credit card websites to get the same tips, over and over and over.
1. Always pay your bills, on time, and in full. I’ve been told before, to only pay a certain part of it, to leave money in the account, but that’s not good, at all. I think they were confused with only using a certain portion of your credit line. Why would it look good to not pay your bills in full? That’s just ridiculous and illogical thinking. Then you just build interest on your balance, and now you’re paying back MORE than you borrowed. So pay in full, if you can. And if you can’t my general rule is to at least pay double the minimum. Some banks say at least pay the bare minimum, but I don’t ever want it to get that. So pay at least double minimum, as a last resort. If you have a late payment, that will stay on your account up to seven years. So don’t do it.
2. Use less than 30% of your credit card limit. It doesn’t look good if you go crazy and use 99% of your credit line. If you do spend a lot, try raising your limit. This makes you look like a wise and controllable spender. At most, use less than 50%, I say. That’s my absolute top top. This also makes it easier for you to make payments, if the balance isn’t too high.
3. After six months to a year of responsible credit card behavior, open a new credit line, but DO NOT CLOSE AN OLD ACCOUNT. If you’ve been stellar on your credit card, think about opening a new account. Hopefully by this time, your credit has established, and it’s time to show that you can handle a budget and multiple payments at the same time. This will increase your FICO score, if you’re able to. If you think you can handle it, try opening another one at six months. Remember, always apply for different cards with at least four months in between. However, if you’re unsure if you’ve established enough credit, I’d wait toward the one year end mark. As for closing old accounts, if you’re just rebuilding or trying to build from scratch, closing out accounts that haven’t been around too long looks unappealing to prospective lenders. I say, close an account if you already have multiple credit cards, and you’ve had that account for 20+ years.
I call this the 1-2-3. This is the general guideline to when you start out with your new shiny card. There are obvious different routes to getting a credit card, and I can blog about that another time. But I hoped my story and tips helped you! (: Although Finance and Accounting is my major, if you’d like some more credible tips, you can go to Mint.com, Credit.com, or any major bank website. Good luck!
