Posted by Fred Jones | Posted in personal finance | Posted on 13-11-2009
Anyone who has experienced the paycheck to paycheck roller coaster knows and despises the term past due charges. The true irony of the term is that people usually don’t see it until it’s too late. Remembering and saving enough money to pay expenses on time can be hard, especially to those with new bills to pay. It’s important to get around paying late, though, as it will hinder your bankbook now, and leave you with a lower credit score down the path.
Every account has a late penalty. If you pay your rent past due, you have to pay an another processing fee. If you pay your phone bill late, you may have to pay an additional charge to have it turned back on. Credit cards are the worst, though, because one past due payment can result in astounding late penalty and a higher interest rate immediately. With that in mind, here are some info on how to keep from paying late and paying more.
Following all the insight is especially important when it comes to paying credit card expenses. All the detail print on the reverse of your bill tells you exactly how they want the bill to be paid and when – down to the very minute. If you don’t follow those info precisely, it can take longer to process your payment, thus making it past due.
Instant online payments are a good way to prevent a late penalty. Most credit card businesses and other bill receivers allow you to set up an automatic monthly charge from your account. You can set it up to pay the minimum due each month. You can always make an extra payment during the month, but you won’t have to worry about getting stuck with a past due penalty. This way you don’t have to remember the pay date or even buy a stamp to mail your bill. You just have to remember to have enough cash in your account to cover at least the minimum amount due. Which brings us to our next point…
If your expenses are due at a time of the month when money is short, you can always change the date your charges are due. Not everyone gets paid on the first of the month. Change your bills to fit your life.
Late penalties aren’t just a nuisance for the time being, they affect you over the long run. Poor credit scores can keep you from securing lower interest rates, which is especially significant when it comes to mortgage payments. When asking for any loan or credit card, your credit score will be assessed to determine what your monthly payments will be, your interest rate, or whether you will receive the loan or credit card at all. If you don’t want to set up payments online, you can also pay by phone. This is a great way to pay immediately with no fears of the mailed payment arriving late. There may be an extra penalty for phoning in the payment, so watch out for that.
There Are Bonuses to Paying on Time
If you become an good bill payer, you can get rewards from your credit card. Credit card companies often let a few late payments slide in without the late charge if you have a history of good behavior. Just make sure you ask. Keeping you as a punctual customer is more important to them than getting one late charge. So, keep on top of the bills, and remember, there’s nothing wrong with paying on time.
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