Some banks are eliminating the standard 25 or 30-day grace period within which you may pay your bill within being charged interest. This is the normal grace period before interest kicks in. But this is slowly changing. For example, some banks are offering extremely low fixed rates, but without a grace period. These cards will charge you interest from the date it processes your charge slip.

If you usally pay your bills in full within the normal grace period, it is best you avoid no-grace-period cards. The 25 or 30-day garce period is more financially significant for you than a lower interest rate. However, if you carry a balance each month, you're better off with a lower interest rate. In this case, a lower interest rate can save you more money than a grace period would.

Most banks and thrifts charge interest from the day they process your charge slip when you use your card to get cash. In addition to this, some cards are now assessing cash advanced service charges based on a percentage of the amount received. It used to be that service charges were based on a fixed fee, regardless of the amount of transaction.

If you avoid interest charges by paying off your bill each month, seek out a card that offer very low interest rates plus a grace period on purchases. Some institutions periodically offer cards with no fee for the first year as a promotion.

Don't be lulled into getting "premium" credit cards such as "goldcards" and Premier VISA. The only significant premium with these cards is the extra amount you pay in higher annual service fees. Besides the fancy finish of the card, the only other benefits you get with premium cards are travel insurance and the extra protection if your card is lost or stolen. Since by law, you are only liable for up to $50 if your regular credit cards are lost or stolen, the zero liability you are getting from premium cards is hardly worth the extra money.

IMPROVING YOUR CREDIT BY PAYING BILLS LATER, RATHER THAN SOONER!

Every business will get to the point where suppliers will offer terms on bills, rather than requiring payment up front or on delivery. Their bills will probably be marked "2/10, net 30." This means you get a 2% discount if you pay within 10 days, and the bill is due within 30 days. Many business owners will jump at the opportunity to save the 2% by paying early, and rightfully so. However, believe it or not, they can help their credit rating by paying at the end of 30 days.

How is this so?

It's all a matter of your business' CREDIT HISTORY. All of the companies who offer you terms will be reporting your history to various credit bureaus. These bureaus are who gets consulted by banks when they decide whether or not to give you a loan.

By always taking advantage of the 2% discount, a business establishes a paying pattern. Thus, if you've been paying a company's bills in 5 days for the past year, this is what they will expect from forthcoming bills.

Now, say one month has a tighter cash flow than normal, and you must take 20 days to pay that bill. This sends up a red flag for the billing company. You normally pay in 5 days, why are you now paying in 20? Even though you paid the bill well within the deadline, you have given a sign that you had a cash flow problem. This uneven paying pattern can show up on your credit rating. Even though all your bills are paid on time, an uneven paying pattern and jeopardize your future chances for more and larger credit limits.

Now, if you always pay your bills on the 25th day of the due period, even when you can pay them early, that cash poor month won't look any different to the billing company. Most companies would rather grant terms to a company that always pays on the 25th day, than one that sometimes pays early, sometimes pays later, as this reflects an image of disorganization and uneven cash flow.

Also, always paying toward the end of the due period will aid your cash flow. If you pay your bills consistently, at the same time every month, you will not be surprised by a sudden cash shortage.

For example, say you decide to pay a bill early one month.

Then, the next week, your main supplier calls to tell you about a closeout deal he has that would double your profits.

Only problem is he can't offer terms, it has to be cash.

Because you paid that bill early, you can't take advantage of the special deal. If you would have waited to pay it, your cash flow would have allowed the purchase, and the resulting higher profit margin would have yielded the cash to pay the bill.

So, you see, paying bills later, and not taking advantage of any early payment discounts, CAN work to your advantage. You need to consider your future plans and decide if saving 2% now is really worth it.

WOMEN AND CREDIT

Many women complain about not having any credit. Those complaining are those who REALIZE that they do not have credit, single women or divorced women, specifically.

However, there are many married women who have no credit because financial matters are handled by their husbands, and they are not even aware that they are without any type of credit rating. This is a large problem in Britain today.

Divorce seems to be the predicament that taunts women in search of their own good credit ratings. Either the wife did not have any of her own credit during the marriage, or the credit she shared with her husband took a bad turn during the divorce.

The key to your credit success, regardless of your marital success, is that you build your own "sole and separate" credit. There are many benefits to be gained.

First, in the event that the marraige does not work out, each spouse may part with their own credit. If the wife was always on time with her payments and the husband was poor with his payment schedule, they should be able to part ways with her credit intact.

Another good reason to have separate credit is in the event a financial tragedy comes your way, leaving you with no alternative but to file banckruptcy. It might be possible that one partner could file while the other remains clear.

If your husband currently has all the credit, have him place you on his accounts as a "sharer" of the account.

You want to be sure you share the account but not the contractual liability. This way you will NOT be responsible for his errors. If it does show as a negative on your rating, you will be able to dispute it as you did only share the account.

If the account is in good standing, work on getting it on your credit rating as you may take the responsibility for the good rating.

For men in similar situations, try the same method.

If neither the wife or the husband have any credit, then both would sign the account as "joint" in privileges and contractual liability. Continue this process until you both have enough credit to get credit singularly. Then, as your new sole and separate accounts begin to get established, start closing the joint accounts you once shared. The purpose of this is to establish your credit as "sole and separate".

Consider also the use of a joint checking account. A clean checking history is very helpful in building credit, however, be wary if your spouse is particularly neglectful when maintaining a checking account-the end result could cause more harm than good.

AND IF SOMEBODY OWES YOU MONEY...

If you are owed money and have not received any payment over a reasonable period of time, there are several steps you can take to collect, even before going to the expense of hiring a collection agency or lawyer.

While making these moves, you can collect evidence in case it becomes necessary to take the matter to court.

>> CALL THE DEBTOR

This method, handled properly, can have surprisingly successful results. For best results, have another person of the line to witness the conversation. In case the debtor denies the call, you have a witness who can testify otherwise.

>> WRITE THE DEBTOR

Write a letter that confirms and reviews all the pertinent points of the telephone conversation. The goal is to make your letter clear enough to make it stick in court.

>> IF THE DEBTOR IS A BUSINESS

File a complaint with the BBB or the trade organization in which the debtor is a member. Make sure you stick to the facts in order to avoid being sued for libel.