Make Your Credit Cards Work for You Instead of You for Them

Gregory Karp

Credit Cards: Play the Game Right

Credit card companies are masters at separating you from your money. But you have power too. For example, did you know credit card companies will take a little less money from you—and all you have to do is ask? You just have to know how to play the game.

A secret of the credit card industry is this: If you’ve been a long-time customer and have paid on time, a card issuer will bend over backward to keep you—even if it makes less money. That’s because it’s cheaper for card issuers to cut you a break than lose your business and have to find a new customer, which involves marketing and other expenses.

Periodically, you want to call your card ...