In Plastic We Trust: 4 Keys for Smart Credit Card Use Pt. 3

(continued from part 2)

3. Research and Choose Wisely

Shop around; know the terms and conditions before accepting a credit card offer.

I’ve come to the realization that a lot of times people don’t know what’s going on and they don’t want to know what’s going on… until it’s too late. As long as it’s easy and they can have what they want, that is good enough… until there’s a discrepancy.

Therein lies the self-imposed problem when it comes to credit cards. You have to know what’s going on if you’re going to get the best rates, be able to use your card to your advantage, and not get smacked with all kinds of fees you didn’t know about.

Did you know…

Delayed Gratification – The Lost Art

In Plastic We Trust: 4 Keys for Smart Credit Card Use Pt. 2

(continued from part 1)

2. Delayed Gratification and Impulse Control

Practice delayed gratification and impulse control to develop your money smarts.

We live in a “broadband” society. Everything is about high speed. Everything is about “now”. (Except for hard work- people always want to delay that, right?)

In Plastic We Trust: 4 Keys for Smart Credit Card Use Pt. 1

With a credit card here and a credit card there…here a card, there a card, everywhere a credit card. Old MacDonald had a card. E-I-E-I Oh my God! This has gotten out of hand. Most people, especially college students, are constantly being swarmed with credit card offers.

When is the last time you received a credit card offer? Yesterday? Last week? Or maybe it was sometime within the last month.

Did you know…

A Lesson on Failure from Alfred H. Duncan,Sr.

“Happy first Father’s Day!”

A warm, tingling sensation filled my chest as I responded to my father’s words of congratulations: “Thanks, Dad. Happy Father’s Day to you, man.”

After being on the phone for a few minutes longer, my father and I said our good-byes. As I stood there, in the middle of our kitchen, looking down at the bundle of endless potential in my arms, the sensation in my chest started to get more intense.

“I promise with all that is in me to be a good dad and to show you how to be a good man.”

Unable to really focus his eyes, Mekhi Eli, my one month old son, looked up at me as if to say: “You had better. I’m counting on you to lead the way.” Then with a stretch and a yawn, it was back to sleep for my little man.

As I contemplated various things to teach my son, I thought about how grateful I am for the myriad of lessons my father taught me. I wouldn’t be half the man I am had it not been for him. But there is one lesson, for which I am extremely appreciative, that stands apart from the others.

A Lesson on Leadership from Jackie Robinson

“A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.”-Jack Roosevelt “Jackie” Robinson

Yesterday, Sunday, April the 15th, was the 60th anniversary of an exceptional act of leadership that has left an indelible mark on history. Jackie Robinson became the first African-American major league baseball player.

Drifting into reverie while watching the ball games on Sunday, I wondered what it would be like to be a trendsetter of that magnitude.

How would it feel to be a leader that has affected the lives millions and millions to come? What do you say to yourself when you know you’ve taken a swing at history, caught a ball for the future, and rounded the bases for the ages?