 TITLE: How Many Credit Cards Should a College Student Have? CONTENT: How to Manage Multiple Credit Cards\n-----------------------------------\nOnce you've decided to take on multiple credit cards, follow these tips to handle them responsibly.\n*   **Pay your credit card bills on time.** Keeping track of due dates for multiple cards can get tricky. Use calendaring apps, alerts and reminders to stay on track, and set up auto pay to keep you on schedule.\n*   **Check your credit activity regularly.** Go online to look at your statements at least once a month and check for anything unusual. The faster you catch a fraudulent charge, the faster it can be removed from your record.\n*   **Spend only what you can afford.** Don't carry a balance; charge only as much as you can pay in full each month. Using a free budgeting app like Mint.com or PocketGuard can help you keep track of your spending.\n*   **Use all of your cards.** If you have three credit cards but only use one of them, you're not improving your credit scores as much as you could be. To keep all your cards active, alternate purchases from one card to the other, or put a small, recurring charge (like your Netflix account or cell phone bill) on each card.\n*   **Know the terms of your credit card agreements.** These include:\n    *   **Balance**: the total amount you owe at any given time. If you don't pay off the balance in full, you'll be charged interest on the remaining amount.\n    *   **Annual percentage rate (APR)**: indicates the interest you'll pay on balances. The same credit card can have different APRs, such as a lower APR for purchases and a higher one for cash advances. Learn more about APR.\n    *   **Minimum payment**: the minimum amount you must pay that month to remain in good standing.\n    *   **Late fees**: fines for late payments. Your APR may also be adjusted upwards if your payment is late.\n    *   **Annual fees**: Cards that offer rewards, such as airline miles, often charge annual fees.\n    *   **Grace period**: The amount of time you have to pay off a purchase without incurring interest. END