Be credit-smart in 2020

Credit cards can throw your finances off-balance when used carelessly. But, when used sensibly, they can be an excellent source of instant credit while also offering a host of other important benefits.

- Samke Mhlongo

If you are only working on your new year’s resolutions now, then I feel sorry for you because some of us gave ourselves a run-up to 2020. We were tired of constantly singing the same ‘this is my year’ song, and then dololo results come year end. For example, some people started hitting the gym in October in preparation for their fitness goals. Others booked sessions with life coaches in November so they could start the new year strong. I also took these actions because I realised that the future doesn’t hold some magic key that will make my dreams come true; I do. And, the same concept applies to your finances. The better you prepare for your decisions, the better the outcome. Take for instance credit cards, I’m sure you would agree that had you been better prepared (by your school teachers, parents, employers and banks) on how they work, you’d have a much better relationship with debt and money. It’s in this spirit that we decided to kickoff the year with a topic for first-time credit card users. We want to give you a chance to embark on this journey better prepared than some of us were. And, if you’re an existing user, you are also in luck. I’m sure you will find the tips from our experts very useful in helping you manage and settle the credit that you already have.

BUILDING YOUR CREDIT SCORE