Illustration : Jim Cooke

I have a handful of credit cards, all of which I keep for different reasons. There’s the one I use for my favorite airline, the one I use to rack up travel points, the one I got in college and keep for mostly sentimental reasons ... the list goes on.

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So when people ask me which credit card they should get, I usually don’t have a knee-jerk answer for them. Sure, I can tell you which cards I like, but that doesn’t solve anything for you.

The truth is, the best credit card depends on more than just which card is offering the biggest signup bonus or has the coolest design. It’s about your own financial factors: your spending habits, your credit history, your goals.

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In order to succeed with any financial tool, you need to use the one that fits your needs.

To make it a little easier to determine which type of credit card you should apply for, we put together a flow-chart to walk you through it. Instead of worrying about the name brands or new-customer offers, think about the facts of your situation. The right card for you might come as a surprise.

Illustration : Jim Cooke



The TL;DR: Don’t feel like you need to get the biggest, flashiest credit card because it’s what you see in commercials or promoted online. If you think of credit cards as a financial tool, you’ll remember you need the right tool for the job—and that job is making your financial life more convenient without landing you in debt.



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That’s why I make the final point up in the chart about spending levels before recommending anyone apply for a top-tier rewards card. The greatest benefit of those cards often comes from the lucrative signup bonuses they offer. But you also need to be a big spender to achieve the offer requirements without some creative math. If you typically charge $500 worth of expenses each month, signing up for a card that only gives you a basket of extra points if you spend $4,000 in three months makes no sense.

Have more questions about choosing the perfect credit card? I’ve included some resources below, but feel free to ask questions in the comments as well.

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Source: Lifehacker.com

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