Best Credit Cards 2021 | GOBankingRates

GOBankingRates’ Best Credit Cards for Travel, Rewards & More

By Gabrielle Olya

Woman buying online with credit card and a tablet sitting in the garden at home in holiday, Online Shopping Concept.

The Best Credit Cards To Help Rebuild Your Credit

By John Csiszar

woman using a credit card for online shopping

How To Handle Day-to-Day Credit Card Mishaps

By Gabrielle Olya

Top Picks: The 10 Best Balance Transfer Credit Cards Available Now

By Gabrielle Olya

Two young women walking away from a helicopter with a glass of wine in their hands.

How to Use Your Credit Card Like a Rich Person

By Gabrielle Olya

MORE TOP CREDIT CARD PICKS

IF YOU WANT REWARDS

IF YOU LOVE TRAVEL

IF YOU FLY OFTEN

IF YOU WANT CASH BACK

The 10 Best Rewards Credit Cards Available Now

By Gabrielle Olya

traveler with credit card at coffee shop

The 10 Best Travel Credit Cards Available Now

By Gabrielle Olya

The 10 Best Airline Credit Cards Available Now

By Gabrielle Olya

on October 18, 2021

Mature woman baking from her home office.

The 10 Best Cash-Back Credit Cards Available Now

By Cynthia Bowman

Credit Card Use

Save For Your Future

CREDIT CARD QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Happy young girl with red hair paying with credit card at coffee shop.

5 Reasons Why You Need a Cash-Back Card in Your Wallet

With so many credit cards available, it can be tough to navigate all the different types. For example, hotel and airline credit cards offer great bonuses for those who are loyal to certain brands. On the other hand, travel rewards credit cards tend to come with fees, so they won’t be worth it if you don’t travel much. In that case, you may be better off going with a cash-back credit card, as they often have very few fees, among other benefits.See Our List: 100 Most Influential Money ExpertsFind Out: 3 Easy Tips To Turn Your Credit Woes Into WowsHere,…

By Bob Haegele

Close-up of unrecognizable customer choosing contactless payment using credit card while waitress accepting payment over nfc technology.

Why It’s a Bad Move To Use the Same Credit Cards Indefinitely

Although credit cards offer a high level of convenience, they’re not for everyone. If you have trouble paying off your balance every month, you’ll end up paying high interest charges and potentially damage your credit score. However, for those who can use credit cards responsibly, they can be a great financial tool. For starters, proper credit card usage can raise your credit score, which will potentially lower the interest rate on any future borrowings, from auto loans to home mortgages. Credit cards also typically provide a wide range of perks. Explore: GOBankingRates’ Best Credit Cards for 2023Find Out: 3 Easy…

By John Csiszar

stack of multicolored credit cards on black background.

Do Hybrid Rewards Cards Make Any Difference in Total Rewards Saved?

Update: Some offers mentioned below may have changed or are no longer available. View current credit card offerings from our partners at CardCritics here or on the issuer’s website. When it comes to opening a credit card, there’s almost a mind-boggling array of choices, including no annual fee, cash back, balance transfer, rewards, hotel, airline, store, student and business. And because a credit card is a financial tool, it’s important to be judicious when opening a new account. If you’re looking for a card that’s more flexible when it comes to rewards, you may want to consider a hybrid rewards credit card….

By Cynthia Measom

How Many Credit Cards Should You Have? And More Credit Card Questions Answered

There’s no universal answer when it comes to how many credit cards you should have. Like most financial decisions, the correct number of credit cards depends on your financial profile, which is based on your income and financial objectives. Ultimately, many different factors will help determine how many credit cards you should have, and when you should or shouldn’t open them. This guide covers some of the major factors to consider. Should You Have More Than One Credit Card? You should have more than one credit card if you are unable to cover your financial needs with only one. However,…

By Kathy Evans

How To ‘Erase’ Credit Card Annual Fees

Update: Some offers mentioned below may have changed or are no longer available. View current credit card offerings from our partners at CardCritics Here or on the issuer’s website. According to a Federal Trade Commission report, annual fees on credit cards have been increasing steadily over the years. The average annual fee in 2020 was $94 per card, according to the FTC report. Higher fees might be more and more difficult for some cardholders to justify. But despite the upward trend in annual fees, many credit cards come with some excellent perks. In fact, credit cards can have such lucrative benefits that…

By Bob Haegele

How Many Credit Cards Do You Need To Get a Higher Credit Score?

Your credit score is the product of a complex algorithm that factors in numerous variables. The number of credit cards you have is a portion of that mix, but it’s not one of the most important. In fact, the actual number of your credit cards is practically irrelevant compared to the big movers of your credit score, like how you use them. Here’s a look at what exactly goes into a credit score, along with an explanation of what you need to do to get or maintain top-tier credit. Get Started: Make a Debt-Free Future Your Reality Credit Score:90-Second Moves…

By John Csiszar

DID YOU KNOW

Young Asian woman having problems with her credit card and looking worried. Financial issues, banking, finance, credit card fraud stock photo

I Use These 3 Foolproof Strategies To Avoid Credit Card Debt

Some of my favorite things about credit cards are that they allow you to spend flexibly, to get rewards that range from travel to cash back and to avoid hardships associated with having a short-term financial shortage or emergency. Arguably one of the worst things about them, though, is how expensive it can be when that convenience becomes long-term credit card debt. Read: 10 Ways To Bounce Back From a Heavy Spending Month on Your Credit CardSee: What Not To Do While Trying To Get Out of Debt You can avoid getting into credit card debt by canceling all of your cards,…

By Andrew Schrage

A woman holds a credit card and her phone.

Jaw-Dropping Stats About the State of Credit Card Debt in America

Most Americans have some credit card debt. A recent Clever Real Estate survey found that 3 in 5 Americans (61%) are in credit card debt, owing an average of $5,875. In addition, 23% say they go deeper into credit card debt every month and 14% say they’ve missed a payment in 2023. Here’s a look at even more jaw-dropping stats about the state of credit card debt in America. Student Loan Debt: 33 Remote Work Companies That Will Help You Pay Off Your Debt Find Out: What To Do If You Owe Back Taxes to the IRS

By Gabrielle Olya

4 Discontinued Credit Cards That We Miss

By Andrew Lisa

Top Purchases You Should Always Make With a Credit Card

By John Csiszar

Young woman with braided hair sitting by the table, looking on her smart phone.

10 Things Most Americans Don’t Know About Credit Cards

By John Csiszar

Amazon prime boxes delivered to a front door of residential building. stock photo

Disney, Costco, Amazon & More: 7 Co-Branded Credit Cards Worth Considering

By Andrew Lisa

Should You Pay Off Your Credit Card Balance Every Month?

By Yaёl Bizouati-Kennedy

Save For Your Future

MORE ABOUT CREDIT CARDS

New Survey Reveals What Americans Hate Most About Credit Cards

Update: Some offers mentioned below may have changed or are no longer available. View current credit card offerings from our partners at CardCritics Here or on the issuer’s website. Credit cards have many benefits, from providing a financial cushion in case of emergencies, to helping build credit scores to accumulating rewards and perks. While there are endless cards to choose from, there is one aspect many Americans agree on: Annual membership fees are the worst, according to a new survey. Important: Why It’s a Bad Move To Use the Same Credit Cards Indefinitely The new GOBankingRates survey, which questioned over 1,000 Americans, found…

By Yaёl Bizouati-Kennedy

How To Cancel a Credit Card Without Hurting Your Credit Score

There are plenty of reasons to cancel a credit card. However, you should understand what canceling will do to your credit score, because canceling can have a negative impact. Canceling requires more than just cutting up the card and throwing it out to keep your score intact. The good news is you can minimize the damage or, in some cases, avoid it entirely if you decide to cancel. Here’s how you can make that decision and how to cancel a credit card without damaging your credit score. Reasons To Cancel a Credit Card Any number of circumstances might warrant canceling…

By Andrea Norris

Should I Contribute To My 401(k) or Pay Off My Credit Card Debt?

It’s been over a decade since the Great Recession swept through the nation, yet two-thirds of Americans said they still feel haunted by its effects in the way they work, live, save and spend, according to a study from Allianz Life Insurance Co. Many of the 2,000 baby boomers and Gen X-ers studied also said they had lower confidence in their ability to achieve financial security. This has only been worsened by the coronavirus pandemic and its affect on unemployment in the U.S. See: 20 Investments That Are Recession-Proof Important: Why It’s a Bad Move To Use the Same Credit Cards…

By Roger Wohlner

Close up shot of hands holding credit card typing message on smart phone for shopping online stock photo

Lesser-Known Credit Card Perks You Should Be Taking Advantage Of

All information about American Express card offers have been collected independently by GOBankingRates and have not been reviewed or approved by American Express. These offers are not available through GOBankingRates. Cash back and flight miles are some common benefits to having a credit card, but you could be missing out on some hidden perks that could really come in handy. Find Out: 9 Bills You Should Never Put on AutopayLearn: How To Build Your Savings From Scratch From travel insurance to shopping bonuses, there’s a whole lot having a credit card in your wallet can do for you. Travel Insurance…

By Brooke Barley

A beautiful young woman enjoying working at home on her laptop in cozy and bright apartment wearing yellow sweater and shopping online paying with credit card.

The Quickest Ways To Pay Off Your Credit Card Debt

Credit card debt is a financial scourge, as it can rapidly spiral out of control due to high-interest rates. However, sometimes it can be difficult to avoid going into debt. This has been particularly true for many Americans during the coronavirus pandemic, as unemployment, economic uncertainty, and job layoffs have created widespread financial difficulty. If you find yourself weighed down by credit card debt for any reason, take a look at these tips to help you pay it off more rapidly. Explore: GOBankingRates’ Best Credit Cards for 2023Advice: Get Your Credit Score On Track With These 3 Tips for SuccessRead…

By John Csiszar

How To Safely Get Back Into Using a Credit Card If You’ve Had a Bad Experience With Debt

When used responsibly, credit cards are a key ingredient of a healthy financial life. But when misused, revolving debt becomes financial quicksand. “Credit cards are a convenient, cash-free way to shop and they also offer a great opportunity to build strong credit,” said Trae Bodge, a shopping expert and founder of TrueTrae.com. “But they can also work against you with high balances, missed payments, etc.” Important: Why It’s a Bad Move To Use the Same Credit Cards Indefinitely See: 4 Credit Cards That Are Great for Day-to-Day Errands Millions of Americans have fallen into debt this way and many of them are…

By Andrew Lisa