Month: April 2021

Categories
Financial Insurance

How Much Does Homeowners Insurance Cost?

How Much Does Homeowners Insurance Cost

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners says that the national average for a homeowners insurance premium is $1,200 per year. However, that cost can differ depending on location, the size of your home, credit history, and so many other factors.

In this guide, you’ll learn more about these factors and how they impact your homeowner insurance premiums. You’ll also learn more about ways you can lower your homeowners insurance rate without compromising on your coverage. 

How Location Impacts Premiums

Not only do homeowners insurance premiums vary from state to state, but they can also vary drastically from city to city. For example, a home in a dense city will have much higher rates than the exact same home placed in a rural setting. If you are planning to move to a new state or city, you should do your research and see how your homeowners insurance will be affected.

Many states fall around the $1000 to $1,300 range. There are some outliers on both ends of the spectrum, though. For example, Oregon, Utah, and Idaho offer average premiums under $700 a year. Their mild weather makes them safer places to live.

Coastal states, such as Louisiana, Texas, and Florida sit on the other end with premiums exceeding $1,900. Oklahoma and Kansas are also expensive because they sit right in Tornado Alley. If your home is more suspectable to damage, theft, or vandalism, there is more risk involved for your insurance company. Therefore, they charge you a higher premium to offset that risk.

How Premiums Vary by Provider

Along with the location, premiums differ from one insurance provider to another. Some insurance companies specialize in high-value homes with personalized service. They tend to market more towards wealthy homeowners. As a result, they have average premiums as high as $6,000 a year.

Some companies also carry different risk. If you choose insurance from a provider that covers homes threatened by natural disasters, you’ll pay a higher rate to help cover their risk. For that reason, we recommend that you don’t choose an insurance company that insures coastal areas if you live in a mild-weather state.

If you have a standard home, a standard insurance company will provide adequate coverage for more affordable rates. Most standard carriers have an average annual premium between $1,100 and $1,400.

Other Factors Influencing Insurance Premiums

There are so many elements that go into building a home, so it can be difficult to calculate the exact replacement cost. However, you can come up with a close estimate when you consider: 

  • Coverage Amount: Much like with any other insurance, a higher coverage amount equals higher premiums. If you have an expensive and personal property, you can expect to pay much more than a neighbor in a less valuable home.
  • Credit History: Insurance companies are allowed to check your credit history in many states. Therefore, you should work on raising your credit score if you want lower rates.
  • Home Age: While beautiful, historic homes have old wires and plumbing, they put you at a greater risk for water damage and fires. As a result, they tend to have higher premiums.
  • Attractive Nuisances: If your home has any extra features that increase your personal liability, you can expect to pay more. Examples of attractive nuisances include trampolines, swimming pools, and playhouses.
  • Deductible Amount: You can lower your premium by raising your deductible, but you should try to find the balance. If you can’t afford to pay your deductible, then the lower premiums won’t have saved you anything.

Homeowners Insurance Discounts

If you’re looking for more ways you can lower your homeowners insurance quote, then we recommend asking your provider about their discounts. You can often bundle your other insurance policies for savings, or you can consider decreasing your risk by:

  • Installing Fire Safety Features
  • Adding Deadbolts to Your Doors
  • Investing in Wind Protection

Find Out Your Homeowners Insurance Cost

If you want to know more about the cost of homeowners insurance in your area, we suggest that you request several quotes from local providers. To start, you may need to calculate your coverage amount. You can check out some of our other homeowners insurance articles to learn more about that process.

Categories
Financial Insurance

How Long Should My Life Insurance Last?

life insurance how long should it last

When shopping for life insurance, you have to make a lot of decisions. One of those decisions is choosing a policy length. Many life insurance providers offer coverage until your death or for a set period. In order to choose the best life insurance policy length for your needs, you must consider three things:

  • The Amount of Coverage You Need
  • Your Budget
  • How Much You Qualify for Based on Age and Income

Life Insurance Lengths

Once you select the amount of coverage you need for your life insurance policy, you must start to consider all of the options you have for the length of coverage. As we mentioned earlier, different companies offer different lengths. You may find one company that offers permanent life insurance, which covers you until death. Some permanent policies max out at 100 years, however.

Other Insurance providers offer term life insurance, which provides you with coverage for a set term. Most of these term policies are good for 10, 20, or 30 years. You may see some that offer other increments of five or 10 years. In fact, some offer up to 35 or 40 years of coverage.

How to Calculate Your Life Insurance Coverage Length

With all of the different term options, it can be difficult to choose a length for your policy. Therefore, it’s important that you remember why you are getting the policy. Life insurance is designed to pay death benefits to your beneficiaries if you die during its term. These death benefits protect your family from financial burdens resulting from your death.

What kind of financial burdens are we talking about?

Mortgages, bills, and every day costs of living don’t stop just because you die. If your income contributed to your household, life insurance makes sure that surviving members of your family can continue to pay for their lifestyle. It also ensures that a roof stays over their heads by paying off a mortgage completely or contributing to monthly payments.

With that in mind, you can better calculate the length of life insurance coverage that you’ll need. New parents may want 20 to 30 years of coverage to cover the length of time that you’ll have children depending on your income. A longer term can also help pay for college!

Homeowners should plan for a policy that covers the length of their mortgage. 30-year terms are the most popular length for that reason. With this coverage, you can have peace of mind knowing that your family won’t lose their home if something happens to you.

Determining Term-Length Eligibility

Even if you decide you need and can afford a certain term length, you don’t have the final say in the matter. Your life insurance provider ultimately determines how long you can be insured. They typically base your eligibility off of your age and income. In most cases, older people have more limits, but there are some companies who are willing to offer their longest term length to older applicants. It’s important that you speak with a life insurance agent to see how many years of coverage you qualify for.

Learn More About Policy Lengths for Life Insurance

Are you interested in learning more about policy lengths and how they affect your life insurance? If so, we recommend that you get in touch with several different providers. Though this guide serves as a basic guideline, they can give you all of the information you need to make an informed decision for you and your family.  

Categories
Family Financial Insurance Senior

Medicare Insurance: What to Know About It

medicare insurance guide

As you start to approach retirement, there’s a lot of things you have to plan for, and your health insurance is one of them. Many Americans enroll in Medicare insurance every year, but few understand it well.

It can be overwhelming when you see all of the different coverage options, but you don’t have to struggle through the decision-making process. With this guide to Medicare insurance, you can learn more about eligibility, coverage options, and costs.

Who is Eligible?

In most cases, you become eligible for Medicare upon turning 65. You can sign up as early as three months before your 65th birthday, or you can sign up any time in the four-month period that follows your birthday.

While Medicare is typically reserved for seniors, there are some exceptions. Younger people with disabilities may be deemed eligible for coverage. It is also available for individuals with End State Renal Disease, which is a permanent kidney failure that requires a transplant or dialysis.  

How Much Does It Cost?

The cost for Medicare depends on several factors, including your income. It can also depend on the plans you enroll in:

  • Part A: In some cases, your Part A coverage may be completely free! If you or your spouse have paid Medicare payroll taxes for ten or more years, you shouldn’t have to pay any premiums. Others who didn’t pay the taxes could pay several hundred dollars for their monthly premium.
  • Part B: Your Part B coverage comes at a standard rate. It is currently $144.60 each month, but it is expected to increase by a few dollars in 2021. You can easily look up the standard rate for your coverage at any time.
  • Part C: This all-in-one plan is offered by private companies, so the cost of your monthly premium depends on the plan you choose. You can find a variety of options to fit any budget.
  • Part D: The cost of part D coverage also depends on which plan you choose. The most basic coverage starts at $30 per month, but you should keep in mind that there are additional costs for copays, deductibles, and out-of-pocket expenses.

What Does it Cover?

Different parts of Medicare offer different coverage options. Part A is more for hospital stays and short-term nursing home stays. Part B is what most people consider a standard health insurance plan. It covers your doctor visits, preventative screenings, flu shots, and more. Part D covers your prescriptions drugs. Part C is also known as Medicare Advantage, and it offers all-in-one coverage.

How to Get Additional Coverage

If you didn’t get a Part C policy, you may find yourself needing to supplement your Part B Insurance with a Medigap plan. These plans are lettered A through N, so there are plenty of different options from which you can choose. We recommend that you speak with an insurance agency to find out which Supplement plans best fit your needs and budget.

Request a Medicare Quote

Whether you are using private or public Medicare insurance, there are many different prices and plans available. The best way to find the policy that best fits your needs is by requesting different Medicare quotes. You can also visit medicare.gov to learn more about Medicare coverage, costs, and supplements.

Categories
Legal Personal Injury

Can I Sue My Employer For Negligence?

Can I Sue My Employer For Negligence?

When it comes to the relationship between an employer and their employee, things are usually great for a while. In the event that things go wrong, however, it is important that you know what your rights are as an employee. The law sees this relationship and does its best to keep all parties involved covered and rights protected.

So, if you are injured at work and your employer is at fault, what are your options? Are you able to file a negligence lawsuit against them? The short answer is no. Let’s take a closer look at what you need to know about your rights and seeking financial repayment for workplace injuries.

Suing Your Employer for Negligence

If you are injured at work and the accident was your employer’s fault, suing your boss for your medical expenses may seem like the logical thing to do, but it isn’t necessarily the right answer. Most states across the country have workers’ compensation laws in place that were made specifically to help employees seek compensation after a workplace injury.

Because of the workers’ compensation system, you cannot sue your lawyer unless the negligence was intentional. Businesses have workers’ comp insurance set up to cover employee injuries and it protects them from having to deal with lawsuits.

Workers’ Compensation

Workers’ compensation was designed to keep the employee and employer protected. In order for an employee’s accident to be covered, there are some strict rules that must be followed. First and foremost, the injury has to occur while the employee was following their company’s rules. However, if not, they may not be eligible for financial help.

If you work in a factory and one of the safety rules is that protective eye gear must be worn at all times, then you need to be sure to wear them. If you aren’t wearing them and a large piece of metal is lodged into your eye socket, then you are on the hook for your own negligence.

When Can You Sue Your Employer for Negligence?

Generally speaking, in most cases, you cannot sue your employer for negligence. However, here are a few circumstances in which you may be able to file that lawsuit:

  • Your employer is without workers’ compensation insurance
  • Your employer hurt you intentionally
  • You are not technically employed by the company

Returning to Work Following an Accident

If you suffered severe injuries at work, returning to work can feel overwhelming. In order to claim worker’s comp benefits, it is important that you return when your doctor releases you. Otherwise, you may miss out on the workers’ compensation benefits.

Workplace injuries that leave you missing shifts are expensive in multiple ways. Not only do you have medical expenses you weren’t expecting but now you are several days short on your paycheck. If you were hurt at work and are in need of assistance with your medical bills and missed wages, a work injury lawyer can help.

Categories
Financial Loans

Best Personal Loans for Excellent Credit

personal loans with excellent credit

Introduction

Personal loans come from a bank, online lender, or credit union that you pay back at a fixed rate in installments. This usually spans between 2-7 years, and they are best used for large personal expenses (ex. medical bills, home improvement, weddings, or exceptionally expensive purchases, such as a car or boat) or debt consolidation (lumping several debt payments into one).

They are meant to advance towards financial milestones, not add to debt.To qualify, lenders will look at your credit score, credit report, and DIT (debt-to-income ratio). Borrowers with excellent credit—defined as having a FICO score of at least 690—earn the lowest interest rates, receive the largest amounts, and have the most options when it comes to loan selection.

Important Things to Consider When Picking a Loan

Because you have so many options with excellent credit, you have to do some research to pick the best loan service for your intended purpose. Important things to consider would be:

  • Interest rates (how high and fixed/variable)
  • Repayment options (time period, minimum/maximum amounts)
  • Fees (including prepayment, late, and origination)
  • What you are using the loan for
  • Timeliness (how long is the application process and when do you receive your money after you’ve been approved)

Even with excellent credit, your personal loan can still be denied—do not take it as a given. Sometimes, the lender may be backlogged or have insufficient funds to issue out a loan. This will unfortunately result in denial.

Because of COVID, many banks and lenders have offered new products and lower interest rates, though you need to meet extra criteria to qualify.Some may even offer deferred payments or waived fees.

This Year’s Top Personal Loans for Excellent Credit

There are countless loan companies to choose from, and sometimes it can be difficult to find the one that is right for you. The process is tedious, but do not rush through it—you may end up paying much more than you need to.

A couple of this year’s top personal loans for excellent credit are:

  • SoFi
    • Digital lender that offers many products, including personal, home, student, and insurance loans from $5,000 to $100,000
    • Beyond the loan itself, it offers protection programs (ex. if you lose your job and can’t pay), referral bonuses (if a friend signs up), personalized financial planning, and more
    • To top it all off, the loans are fee-free and there is no minimum annual income
    • Their fixed-rate loans range from 5.99% to 20.69% APR
  • Lightstream
    • Offers loans up to $100,000 for almost anything (including medical bills and education loans)
    • Has generous repayment terms rivaling SoFi at 2-7 years, which means lower monthly payments
    • Does not have fees or prepayment penalties
    • Offers discounted interest rate when you sign up for autopay (your credit card has a set minimum amount it pays each month automatically)
      • With the autopay discount, their APR is slightly lower than SoFi at between 5.99% and 19.99%

Conclusion

When applying for a personal loan with excellent credit, you should put yourself through a rigorous process to assure you make the right decision. Comprehensive research into different loan companies and types of personal loans is the most important. Remember that with excellent credit comes excellent selections—the world is your oyster!

Categories
Credit Financial

Here Are The Best Credit Cards of 2021

best credit cards of 2021

There is a literal sea of credit cards out there, with hundreds of different features, rates, cashback perks, and discount programs spread across the entire spectrum of credit providers. There are cards to fit just about any type of lifestyle from active to digital to anything in between. But sometimes the research needed to come up with the best cards can be difficult.

While there are cards for any and every niche you can think of, we’re going to stick to some of the best cards. Most people can get some use out of the ones we have listed. There are going to be some similarities and some differences, but there should be something useful to almost everyone.

Chase Freedom Unlimited Card

The Chase Freedom card is one of the best cashback cards out there for this year. Customers can earn 5% back on all travel purchases through Chase Ultimate Rewards. As well as, 3% back at drugstores and restaurants including takeout. They can even earn 1.5% on all other purchases. They even offer a $200 cashback reward if you join and spend $500 in the first 3 months.

American Express Gold Card

Not only is the American Express Gold one of the best travel cards out there, but it is also one of the leading rewards cards as well. It earns 4x points per dollar at all restaurants worldwide, as well as US supermarkets and grocery stores. Travelers also earn 3x points from flights booked through the AmEx Travel portal, or directly with the airlines. The downside to this card is the $250 annual fee.

Discover it Secured Credit Card

Too often when looking at the best credit cards available, the consumers needing some credit help are left out. Well, we see you, and if you are in the market to start rebuilding your credit this year, the Discover it Secured credit card is an ideal way to do that. Like most other secured cards, there is the minimum requirement of a $200 deposit. However, after 8 months there is the chance to move to an unsecured card and have the deposit returned.

Consumers can earn 2% cashback at all gas stations and restaurants up to $1,000 per quarter, reduced to 1% after that. Additionally, you earn 1% back on all purchases no matter what. Discover also provides a “welcome bonus” of a dollar-for-dollar matching of your cashback for the entire first year of new cardmembers. Another downside is the relatively low limit compared to other cards.

Titanium Rewards Visa Signature Card from Andrews Federal Credit Union

The Titanium Rewards Visa® Signature Card from Andrews Federal Credit Union offers a variable rate as low as 8.49% and up to 15.49%, which is a pretty amazing spread compared to some other similar cards. They also offer a balance transfer, but they cost a 1.5% fee per transfer. While you are required to join the credit union in order to qualify for this card, the membership is free.

Categories
Career & Education Credit Education Financial Loans

Can You Pay Off Student Loans with a Credit Card?

paying off student loans with a credit card

Introduction

Though it may sound tempting, as the average person with student loan debt has about $30,000 of it, paying with a credit card is a bad idea long-term. It is technically possible to do this, but it comes highly unrecommended by any financial professional.

What Happens When You Try to Pay Loans with a Credit Card?

First off, federal student loan services don’t let you pay directly with a credit card; you must use an intermediary, which is essentially a middle man for lenders and buyers. The private loan services let you pay directly, but there is often a sizeable fee for doing so.

When you pay student loans with a credit card:

  • You give up student loan protections
    • Includes consolidation, deferment, forbearance, or loan forgiveness
  • Potentially move your debt to a credit product with an even higher interest rate than your student loans
    • Credit card rates sun substantially higher than student loan insurance rates—sometimes by 20% or more
  • You will likely be charged a fee (with interest)

Credit card companies do not design plans that let you pay off debt quickly because it is not lucrative. If you make a student loan payment and don’t pay it off by the time your credit card bill comes, you’ll be charged for interest both through the card and the student loan service.

What are the Best Ways to Use a Credit Card to Pay off Student Loans?

Some cards offer cash back rewards points that you can then use towards your student loans:

  • Look for cards with long-term cash back benefits (these are best for people with excellent credit)
  • If you are paying through an intermediary, make sure your credit card’s rewards program exceeds the intermediary’s fee
    • For example, Plastiq has a 2.85% fee for every transaction, so your card’s rewards program would need to be greater than 2.85% of your total payments
    • As most cards only give 1% to 2% on your purchases, this is fiscally unwise

You also have the option of making a balance transfer, which moves your payment over from the student loan lender and the credit card company.However, you do not often earn rewards with balance transfers.

  • Though you could get a temporary 0% interest rate, it often just buys time until you would have to pay even higher interest
  • Another downside to doing a balance transfer is that there is, of course, a fee—usually near 5%!

If a balance transfer isn’t an option, another is to use a convenience check:

  • These are drawn against your credit limit instead of your bank account
  • The student loan service processes this similarly to any other payment
  • But, you’ll still have to repay the money, and fees start at 3% to 4%

Conclusion

The only time it makes logical sense to pay your loans with a credit card is if you are, beyond a shadow of a doubt, able to pay off your balance in full every month. Or, if you find a card with a no-fee balance transfer that starts off with a 0% APR (annual percentage rate; the amount you pay each year to borrow money) financing, you may also benefit from this practice.But again, this must be paid off immediately lest the costs outweigh the benefits—make sure to stay on top of your loans and credit to avoid paying even more in the long run!

Categories
Legal Personal Injury

Why Get a Lawyer For a Car Accident That’s Not My Fault?

car accident not your fault personal injury lawyer

Have recently been in an accident that you did not cause? Well, you have the right but not the obligation, to hire legal counsel. Since you did not cause the accident, you may think that it will be easier, quicker, and least costly to file your claim yourself, rather than working with an attorney. Many people think that since the accident was not their fault, that they will have an easy case. However, this is not always the way things work out. Sometimes you will need to defend against allegations of contributory negligence.

While you certainly can file your claim without representation, you may be limited to only what the insurer feels is a fair offer. Without legal help, you may find yourself with a settlement check that does not even cover all of your medical costs. By working with a personal injury lawyer, you can concentrate on recovering from a painful and traumatic accident, as they take care of the case and the filings.

How A Lawyer Can Help Your Case

If you have suffered damages and losses both economic and non-economic, from an accident that someone else caused, you should not be responsible for the financial burden that their negligence placed on you. By working with a qualified attorney, you have access to a wealth of knowledge on the claims process and answers to any questions you may have. You will also benefit from their priceless professional expertise.

Your lawyer will do the difficult job of finding and obtaining evidence that helps strengthen your case. They will often get a copy of the official police report to begin. They may also speak with witnesses and gather admissible testimony. In some cases, your attorney may consult with experts and accident reconstruction resources. Doctors and other medical professionals may be consulted regarding your records, do ensure accurate case valuation.

What Types Of Damages Can I Seek?

Each case is different, but generally speaking, you will be able to collect multiple types of damages with your claim. Common damages will include:

  • Medical costs – Both current expenses and projected future costs can potentially be recovered.
  • Lost wages – If you needed to miss work, work at reduced capacity, or now have a reduced capacity to earn as a result of the accident, you may be able to seek lost wages.
  • Pain & suffering – Your injuries likely caused you significant psychological trauma. Your lawyer is experienced in adding a component for pain and suffering in monetary terms.

Your Lawyer Is Your Advocate

When you work with a lawyer, you gain an ally that fights hard for you. They are with you at each step of the claims process. They will take care of the paperwork, the filing, and the stressful phone calls. While you are concentrating on physically and emotionally recovering from your injuries, your attorney will be managing your case and negotiating with the insurer for you.

Categories
Legal Personal Injury

Personal Injury Law: Learning the basics

personal injury law

If you are injured in an accident, and the accident was not your fault, you may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit. Personal injury law, also known as tort law, is the branch of law that helps injured parties seek compensation for their injuries and damages. The overall goal of these claims are to help the injured party recover financially after suffering harm that resulted from negligent or reckless behavior.

Common Types Of Personal Injury Cases

Accidents

If someone acts with negligence, and subsequently causes injury to another party, like in car crashes, slip and fall accidents, or even cases of medical malpractice, then personal injury laws may apply.

Defective Products

If someone suffers an injury from a defective medical device, consumer product, prescribed drug, vehicle part or component, they may be able to file a lawsuit against the product creator, designer, manufacturer, or distributor.

Defamation

Personal injury laws may apply if someone causes injury and damages by making defamatory statements about another party.

Intentional Acts

If someone intentionally harms or causes harm to come to another person, they may face a personal injury lawsuit. This even includes violent crimes like assault.

How Do Personal Injury Cases Progress?

While no two cases are going to be identical, they will often have many commonalities. There are standard steps and processes that personal injury cases generally follow, and they will often include:

  • Plaintiff is injured by defendant: This can consist of nearly any act or inaction on behalf of the defendant that causes injury to come to the plaintiff.
  • Plaintiff identifies breach of duty: The duty of the defendant will often vary depending on the situation. Drivers have a duty to drive safely and follow the rules of the road. Medical professionals have a standard of care to adhere to. Management of a retail business has a duty to keep the premises clean and safe.
  • Settlement talks: This is where most cases end. If all parties agree that there was a breach of duty, the insurer of the defendant may make a settlement offer. This can often require negotiations. However, all parties are often able to reach an agreement where they are able to settle without proceeding to litigation. Settlements often include stipulations that the plaintiff cannot open further lawsuits for the same matter.

How Are Personal Injury Laws Created?

The majority of personal injury and tort laws have a history that goes back to common law. Common law is law that is created not by legislators but by judges. Frequently this happens by precedent, meaning that when a judge rules on a case, that ruling then becomes the basis for other courts to follow.

This is often seen in lower courts following the ruling of a higher court. This is not to say that common law is the only source of laws dealing with personal injury. Many legislators and states have passed laws dealing with personal injury and workers’ compensation.

Categories
Credit Financial

8 Tips to Make Credit Cards Work for You

credit cards work for you not against you

Your credit cards can be some of the most powerful tools in your financial tool belt. But if you don’t use those cards carefully, they can do a lot of damage. Knowing how to use those tools properly can be a great way to prevent damage that can take years to undo. Following these eight tips can give you an excellent foundation for using your credit responsibly.

How to Take Full Advantage of Your Credit Cards

1.     Pay the Bill in Full

Don’t be tempted to skimp on the payment no matter how appealing the minimum payment looks. Using too much of your available credit can quickly lower your credit score. 

2.     Use it With a Budget

Now that you are paying your bill in full each month, it’s time to keep your spending within a manageable budget. Small totals can add up quickly and even make it difficult to pay the total bill. However, if used properly, they are a great way to track and control your spending in specific areas.

3.     Check Your Accounts

Seeing how much you are spending and where you are spending it will make it much easier to stick to that planned budget.  Use online tools to check your credit card’s accounts weekly.

4.     Take Advantage of “Perks”

Most credit cards these days have some extra protection built into them. While all cards should be protecting you against fraudulent charges, others will offer you bonuses such as extended warranties on certain items. Knowing what those perks are is a big help when deciding which card to use and when to use it.

5.     Use Your Rewards

Do any of your credit cards offer cashback rewards? Be sure you are taking full advantage of those. Like other perks, these can vary a lot from company to company or card to card. One card might give you 3% back at restaurants, while a different one gives you 2% back with hotel stays.

6.     Save Them for Big Purchases

Saving your credit for big purchases can be a huge help when an emergency happens. Everyone is eventually going to face an unexpected problem sooner or later. This advice isn’t just for emergencies, however. Rather than paying cash, use a credit card with a great cashback rate. The reward can shave some of the cost off the purchase.

7.     Stay Under Your Limit

Not only should you take extra care to stay well below your credit limit, but you should also be aware of what all of those limits are. If you’re not sure you can handle the temptation that can come with a high credit limit, you can always ask for a lower limit.

8.     Don’t Pay the Bill Late

Late payments are another item that can potentially wreck your credit score. They can also cost you a lot. Many cards charge steep fees anytime your payment is late.

Overlooking something that affects your credit score can have lasting consequences that can make your financial life far harder than it needs to be. It’s never too late to develop better habits with all of your accounts.