Not only has the credit crunch made it more difficult to obtain practically all types of credit, but Fair Isaac, developer of the well-known FICO score, has also announced the biggest change to their credit scoring model since 1989. So, prepare yourself now, because it will be more important than ever in 2009 to understand how everyday financial decisions will affect your credit score.
Understand Your Credit Card's Grace Period
The average credit card provides a 20 to 30 day grace period. What that means is your credit issuer will not charge interest on your new purchases during this time period. It's probably as close to an interest-free loan as you will ever get. However, grace periods don't work the same on all credit cards, so it's important to read and understand your credit card's billing statement.