辦信用卡的優缺點

There are people who love credit cards and people who hate them. People on both sides of the credit card fence have a point. If you're trying to decide whether to get a credit card or whether to nix credit cards altogether, consider these pros and cons.
有的人喜歡信用卡，也有的人討厭信用卡。信用卡交易雙方的人都有自己的觀點。如果你正在糾結是辦還是不辦信用卡，請參考一下這些優缺點。

The Pros of Credit Cards
信用卡的優點

#1. Faster to use.
#1. 使用起來更快捷

Compared to cash, credit cards are much faster to use. Swipe your card and you're done in seconds.
與現金支付相比，刷信用卡的速度要快得多。刷卡，幾秒鐘就可以搞定了。

#2. Ability to pay in installments.
#2. 能夠分期付款。

While it's best to pay your credit card balance in full each month, you do have the ability to pay off your balance over a period of time.
雖然你最好每個月都付清你的信用卡賬單，但你也可以選擇在一段時間內分次還清。

#3. The credit boost.
#3. 信貸增長。

If used correctly–making your payments on time and keeping your balance low–credit cards help you build a good credit score that you can use to qualify for a mortgage or auto loan.
如果使用得當——按時還款和保持低餘額——使用信用卡可以幫助你建立一個良好的信用評分，你可以用它來申請抵押貸款或汽車貸款。

#4. Funding for emergencies.
#4. 爲緊急情況提供資金

While not the best option for covering an emergency, a credit card can help you cover an unexpected expense if you can't afford to pay it from savings.
雖然信用卡不是應對緊急情況的最佳選擇，但如果你實在無法從存款中支付，信用卡可以幫助你應付意外開支。

#5. Ability to earn rewards that can be used for cash, gift cards, miles, or other merchandise.
#5. 能夠賺取現金獎勵，禮品卡，里程，或其他獎勵

The more you use your credit card, the more rewards you earn. You can redeem your rewards as you go or save up for a bigger redemption.
你信用卡用得越多，得到的獎勵就越多。你可以隨時兌換你的獎勵，也可以存起來換取更大的獎勵。

#6. Ability to finance items for free when you take advantage of interest promotions.
#6. 當有利息優惠的時候你能提前購買更貴的東西

Many credit cards come with 0% interest on purchases and balance transfers for an introductory period of at least six months. This gives you the convenient ability to pay off your balance over time without incurring an extra cost for the convenience.
許多信用卡在至少六個月的免息期內，買東西和餘額轉賬都不用利息。這使你能夠在不增加額外費用的情況下，延後一點還清賬單。

#7. No need to carry cash.
#7. 不用隨時攜帶現金。

The majority of places accept credit cards, which means you don't have to stop by the ATM to pull out cash before going out.
大多數地方接受信用卡，這意味着你出門前不必刻意在自動取款機前停下來取現

The Cons of Credit Cards
信用卡的缺點

With all the benefits that come along with using credit cards, there are some downsides that may turn you off.
使用信用卡有很多好處，但也有一些缺點可能會讓你失去興趣。

#1. Temptation to spend more than you can afford.
#1. 誘惑你花錢致使超出你的承受能力。

Credit cards open up additional purchasing power and give you the illusion that you have more money than you really do. Studies have shown that people are more willing to spend with credit cards than other forms of payment.
信用卡增加了額外的購買力，讓你產生一種錯覺，覺得自己的錢比實際的多。研究表明，與其他支付方式相比，人們更願意用信用卡消費。

#2. They reduce your future income.
#2. 他們會減少你未來的收入。

Each time you use a credit card–or any form of debt–you're borrowing from money that you haven't earned. A portion of your future income has to go toward repaying your credit card balance if you want to protect your credit.
每次你使用信用卡——或者任何形式的債務——你都是在從你還沒有賺到的錢中借錢。如果你想保護你的信用額度，你未來收入的一部分必須用於償還你的信用卡餘額。

#3. The terms can be confusing.
#3. 有些條款可能會讓人困惑。

A person who's not used to reading credit card agreements can easily be confused by the phrasing and the jargon. Understanding credit card terms is important to use the credit card in a way that doesn't put you at risk of fees.
一個不習慣閱讀信用卡協議的人很容易被措辭和行話弄糊塗。瞭解信用卡條款對使用信用卡來說是很重要的，能夠幫助你規避風險。

#4. Fees and interest can be expensive.
#4. 費用和利息可能很貴。

Depending on the credit card and how you use it, your credit can cost hundreds of dollars over the course of a year. This is why understanding the credit card terms is so important – so you know how to avoid credit card fees.
根據信用卡的不同以及你使用它的方式，你的信用卡在一年的時間裏可能要花費數百美元。這就是爲什麼理解信用卡條款是如此重要——這樣你就知道如何避免信用卡產生的費用。

#5. Potential for debt.
#5. 潛在的債務。

You create debt each time you use your credit card. You can keep the debt from growing by paying off your balance each month, but if you only pay the minimum and keep making purchases, your debt will grow.
每次使用信用卡都會產生債務。你可以通過每月還清你的債務來防止債務的增長，但是如果你只支付最低限度的金額並繼續使用，你的債務就會增長。

#6. Misuse can ruin your credit score.
#6. 誤用會毀掉你的信用評分。

Your credit score is tied directly to how you use your credit card. If you run up big balances and pay your credit card late, your credit score will be impacted.
你的信用評分與你使用信用卡的方式直接相關。如果你積累了大量的餘額，並且逾期支付你的信用卡，你的信用評分將會受到影響。