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48 | | Fall 2016 Take your credit card usage to the next level. A re you using your credit cards to their full potential? And no, I don't mean maxing them out. I mean taking your credit usage to the next level by maximizing rewards, dodging fees and strategizing your purchases around statement dates. You might be thinking, who has the time? But once you start factoring in these considerations from USA Today, you might discover that it's worth your time. Here are a few habits of highly effective credit card users. They avoid interest and maximize rewards. Savvy credit card users pay less overall by avoiding interest charges. How? They pay their balances in full and on time every single month. Doing this boosts your overall credit rating, too. If you've already got this down pat, then make sure you're being rewarded for your good behavior. Find cards with rewards (points, miles or cash back) that cater to your lifestyle. They don't pay fees. Savvy credit card users rarely pay fees because they simply ask to have them waived. Remember, you're the client here, and your business is very valuable to card issuers — so leverage your loyalty. Take late payment fees, for example. According to a CreditCards.com report, asking your issuer to forgive the fee works 86 percent of the time. You can ask for lower interest rates, too. Two- thirds of the people surveyed successfully got their rates reduced after asking. They plan ahead. Even though the points and cash back deals are enticing, skilled credit card users know not to open new lines of credit — powered by Become a credit master SPOTLIGHT or carry high balances — right before a home purchase or refi nance. Why? Because both can lower your credit score, which helps determine both the rate and the conditions you receive on a loan. They're persistent. If you are rejected for a card by a card issuer's online system, then call and speak to a representative. Ask them to reconsider your application and come with ammunition, like extra information on your income or the willingness to re-allocate some of your credit line from an existing card. This is what the credit pros do. They also keep tabs on their credit scores, which you can do right here on savvymoney.com. Jean Chatzky is the Director of Education and Editor in Chief of Savvy Money. She is a personal fi nance expert and best-selling author. To get your own fi nancial checkup with Savvy Money today, visit SavvyMoney.com/aacu.