Using credit cards wisely

Credit cards are a convenient way of paying bills and covering daily expenses, but they make it far easier for the financially challenged to carelessly increase debt, cripple their credit rating or fall prey to identity thieves.In the book "On My Own Two Feet," Manisha Thakor and Sharon Kedar, both chartered financial analysts, offer seven guidelines for responsible credit card management:? Watch those interest rates! Credit card companies often lure clients by offering low interest rates in the beginning. But these rates tend to shoot up after the introductory period expires. Worse, sometimes you never even get the rate you think you signed up for because it's only available to those who "qualify," and unbeknownst to you, you didn't.