Interest Rates - Make sure that you are not lured in by a low introductory interest rate Credit Card that will skyrocket after the initial period. Select a Credit Card that is going to maintain a consistent low interest rate.

High Late Fees - Check the Credit Card's late fees and when they take effect. If you are five minutes late are you going to get charged the same late fee as someone who is a week late? Also, how much are those late fees going to be?

Low Minimum Payments - Lots of Credit Cards offer low monthly payments--which means that you are mostly paying them the accrued interest and very little on the principle balance which could drag out that $5000 balance for over 20 years!

Selling you 'Theft Insurance' - Lots of Credit Card companies try to convince you that you need Theft Insurance on your Credit Card in case it gets stolen and the thief takes your card on a shopping excursion on Rodeo Drive. The truth is, even without insurance you may be responsible for $50 at most--much less than you will spend in insurance premiums.

Selling you 'Disability Insurance' - Much like theft insurance, this is another 'service' that the Credit Card industry would love for you to believe that you can't do without. If you should ever become disabled, the insurance would kick in and pay your credit card minimum payments for you. The hard part is trying to collect. And, even if you do get them to pay the minimum credit card payment, they are in fact mostly paying themselves the interest accrued and very little of the principle.