Enticing credit card offers fill the mailboxes of thousands of Americans every day. Accompanied by amazing offers of zero percent interest for six months and no fees for balance transfers, 15% to 20% off your first purchase, discount hotel rates and free movie tickets, the list goes on and on. And on impulse we fall to our knees and sign on the dotted line without thinking about just how much another credit card will affect our families, our credit histories, or our financial futures. Before you sign up for another card, ask yourself what is the rule of thumb for credit cards, just how many credit cards is enough? Do you know? Is there a magical number or is it just a matter of how you manage them? If your answer to all of these questions is I dont know, read on to find out.
Most Americans carry between five to ten credit cards in their wallets, with the average household owing $12,000 in credit card debt. Considering that the median U.S. household income is only $49,772, that is 24% of the income already committed with out considering mortgages or car loans. This is a bit alarming. Especially considering that future creditors prefer to extend credit to individuals or...