Guide to credit card minimum payments
Learn why it’s a good idea to pay more than the minimum every month, if you can.
5 min read
May 25, 2022
EXPERTISE
- Personal finance
- Habit formation
EDUCATION
- BA in Music, Theatre Minor, Miami University
- MFA in Theatre, Illinois State University
"The more you know about credit cards, the better equipped you'll be to make choices that work out in your favor – whether you're taking advantage of your credit card grace period to avoid interest charges, using a 0% intro APR credit card to fund a vacation or redeeming your credit card rewards at their maximum value. Credit is a powerful tool, when used wisely – and as a person who's been writing about personal finance for a decade, I hope to provide you with the tools to make as many wise decisions as possible."
— Nicole Dieker
Highlights
- Ten years of personal finance writing experience, with stories published on Vox, The Simple Dollar, The Penny Hoarder, Lifehacker and more
- Five years writing and editing The Billfold, a personal finance blog where people had honest conversations about money
- Author of Frugal and the Beast: And Other Financial Fairy Tales
Experience
Nicole Dieker has been a full-time freelance writer since 2012—and a personal finance enthusiast since 2004, when she graduated from college and, looking for financial guidance, found a battered copy of Your Money or Your Life at the public library.
In addition to writing for Bankrate, her work has appeared on CreditCards.com, Vox, Lifehacker, Popular Science, The Penny Hoarder, The Simple Dollar and NBC News. Dieker spent five years as writer and editor for The Billfold, a personal finance blog where people had honest conversations about money. Dieker also teaches writing, freelancing and publishing classes and works one-on-one with authors as a developmental editor and copyeditor.
Nicole Dieker’s debut novel, The Biographies of Ordinary People, is a Millennial-era Little Women that follows three sisters from childhood to adulthood. Dieker is also the author of Frugal and the Beast: And Other Financial Fairy Tales, in which she reworks classic fairy tales to highlight their hidden financial lessons.
"The more you know about credit cards, the better equipped you'll be to make choices that work out in your favor – whether you're taking advantage of your credit card grace period to avoid interest charges, using a 0% intro APR credit card to fund a vacation or redeeming your credit card rewards at their maximum value. Credit is a powerful tool, when used wisely – and as a person who's been writing about personal finance for a decade, I hope to provide you with the tools to make as many wise decisions as possible."
— Nicole Dieker
Nicole's Latest Articles
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What are contactless credit cards?
Contactless payments are becoming more common as consumers become familiar with the no-touch form of payment.
4 min read May 23, 2022 -
What do the 3 credit bureaus do?
Equifax, Experian and TransUnion are the three major credit bureaus that operate in line with the Fair Credit Reporting Act in order to collect and store data for consumer credit reports.
4 min read May 23, 2022 -
Credit for kids: How parents can help their child build credit early
Help your child build credit early and determine whether they’re ready for the responsibility.
6 min read May 20, 2022 -
How to teach your teenager about financial responsibility
Are you ready to teach your teens about earning, spending, saving and investing? Greenlight can make the process easy and fun.
5 min read May 20, 2022 -
How to maximize cash back with rotating bonus categories
Earn as much cash back as possible from your rotating bonus category credit cards.
5 min read May 19, 2022 -
Why I pay my rent with a credit card
Charging rent on a credit card has drawbacks. But given the amount Americans pay for rent, there’s a strong incentive to earn rewards.
4 min read May 19, 2022 -
5 credit card tips every college graduate should know
Establishing a positive credit history is an essential part of post-college life—and we’ve got a list of credit-building tips to help you get started.
4 min read May 17, 2022