Credit Cards: Annual Fees
The simplest way to bypass annual fees—which often run between $50 and $100 but can go much higher—is to choose cards that don’t charge them. Plenty of great rewards cards, which offer cash back, miles or points on your purchases, come with no annual fee; Citi Double Cash Mastercard and CreditCards.com survey showed that 70% of those who asked had the annual fee lowered or waived. Some cards waive the annual fee the first year, so you can try out the card free.