The first thing to remember about credit cards, and the most important thing, is to not spend more than you can afford. Once you refine that habit, credit cards make everything easier. You don't have to carry cash, you get receipts and a monthly statement so you know where your money went, you can build a good credit history, and you have a backup for emergencies. And you might even get reward points! The second most important thing about credit cards is protecting them from theft. There are so many ways that other can access your account, but there are also safeguards. For example,
Never Use the Same Password on Different Accounts
Upon waking up a few weeks ago to see that someone decided to take it upon themselves to break into my PayPal account and transfer $3000 from my bank account to PayPal, I was furious. Thankfully, they didn’t realize there is a processing period and I was able to fix the issue before the funds were deposited and anyone was able to steal them. But I had to change all my passwords to just about everything, because I always used the same password for all accounts (oh, don’t judge me. I have four kids. I need easy to remember stuff). My husband was horrified when I told him my passwords were all the same, and I’m pretty sure he momentarily wondered why he married such an idiot.
That's just the beginning of the list of tips for safeguarding your credit card accounts you'll find at SheBudgets.
(Image credit: Lotus Head)