So what exactly should you look for when looking for a credit or charge card?

Shop around for the credit card offer that best fits your needs. Don't pay high annual fees if your FICO credit score is good, as there are plenty of card issuers out there who want you as a customer and are willing to waive an annual fee. And if your credit score isn't so good, what are you doing applying for another credit card anyway? Stop that!

Make sure you take the time to understand a plan's terms before you accept the card. You need to read the fine print. You need to know what you are expected to be responsible for, as well as what the introductory interest rates will do when you actually begin carrying a balance on the card. Beware of the universal default clause many consumers are finding on their credit card agreements; this clause could mean that a late charge on one account could hike the interest rate you'll pay on another credit card -- even if you've never missed a single payment to that particular company in the past! Not all companies are doing this, but be aware of and stay away from those that do.

Hold on to all receipts -- no matter how small or trivial -- to reconcile your card charges when your monthly bill arrives. Use a large 9" x 12" manilla envelope to hold all receipts, and if there is a curious entry in your credit card statement, you'll have the proof to dispute the charge. If there are no inaccuracies, then shred those little receipts if they are not needed for taxes (check with your tax accountant or tax preparer for exact legal advice on this matter).

Always make it a top priority to protect your credit cards and account numbers to prevent unauthorized use. Identity theft is on the rise, and you've just got to get careful who gets ahold of your credit. It's a good idea to draw a line through blank spaces and/or lines in sales contracts so other charges cannot be entered there. Shred copies. Keep credit cards in safe place (wallet or purse).

If you hand your debit card to an employee in a business, watch that you are not a victim of "skimming" -- the practice of running your card through twice, and them pocketing that second charge with cash out of the register. The skimmer extracts private encoded data directly off of your card, everything needed to create a counterfeit card. A skimmer device can capture card data from multiple, perhaps a hundred, individual credit cards. After that information has been stolen by a skimmer, it is very easily downloaded into a computer and e-mailed to any other location. Experts point out that worldwide credit card skimming losses exceed $1 billion a year. And that figure is growing, so be careful you're victimized by such a scam.

These days, most stores now have the terminal facing the consumer so you don't actually ever let go of your credit card. And that could be good advice: Don't actually ever let go of your credit card! Period!

It helps in an emergency to have a written record, tucked away in a safe place, that contains all your credit cards, including account numbers, expiration dates, name and address and telephone numbers of the issuers, and credit limits and passwords on each. This allows you to report a stolen or lost credit card quickly and keep your money and your valuable credit safe and secure.

Only carry the credit cards you actually use. If you carry more than one -- perhaps one for work, one for personal uses -- that's probably more than enough to get you through the day. If you leave your department store charge card at home, then when you are at the shopping mall, and you find something that you're really not sure you want -- but if you'd had the charge card you would have bought -- you'll be saving money, and closet space, by leaving that item at the store!

Steve Johnson, publisher of http://www.FindHow2.com -- a growing collection of "how to" articles on topics like credit repair, debt consolidation and refinancing mortgage loans -- can be reached at fixyourcreditreport@gmail.com.