FINANCE FRIDAY: LATE PAYMENTS ON CREDIT CARDS

I know what you are thinking...I would never have a late payment on a credit card! That's so irresponsible! That was definitely me until life got a little overwhelming and a few details fell through the cracks.

When I was pregnant with my first child, my water broke a few weeks early and off to the hospital I went! I was sure that I would go late so it wasn't even on my radar that the baby would be born a couple of weeks before my due date. Anyway, the baby was born on the same day my credit card payment was due. I definitely wasn't thinking about that in the hospital. I called the company a couple of weeks late and they took the late fee off because of the circumstances and because I had never missed a payment before. 

This summer was so busy and if I didnt sign up for automatic draft or pay my card early (you can put in the date you want it to draft), then I risked missing my payment date. It's sometimes hard to remember especially if you are away on vacation or dealing with an emergency. I just called a credit card company this morning and they took the late payment fee off.

If you are a good customer, the companies can usually do a one time adjustment. This is embarrassing and I know that it sounds irresponsible, but if you are normally a proactive, on top of it kind of person, one late payment won't wreck your credit or financial status. I've had two missed payments in five years and was able to get them all taken off.

Bottom line: make the call.