| How to Cancel a Credit Card Posted: 22 Oct 2020 05:00 PM PDT If your credit card is costing you too much money or you just have too many of them, you may decide that it's time to close the account. This is a relatively easy process that can be done almost entirely over the phone. Because canceling a credit card can affect your credit score, it's important to be strategic about it and do whatever you can to defend your credit. [Edit]Contacting Your Credit Card Issuer to Cancel the Card - Pay it off first. Before you cancel your credit card, it's a good idea to make sure that you pay off the existing balance and stop using the card. If you can't afford to pay it off, you can transfer the balance to another card that you do not plan on canceling.[1]
- When you call to cancel your card, confirm that there is no balance on it.
- In addition to paying off your balance, you should also make sure that you cash out all of your rewards. If you forget to do this, they will likely be lost forever.
- Call the customer service department. In order to cancel your card, you will need to contact the issuer's customer service department. The number can usually be found on the back of your card, on your bill, and online. Once you are connected to a customer service agent, let them know that you would like to close your account.[2]
- Have your credit card and a bill in front of you when you call. This will ensure that you will have all of the information you will need.
- The representative may ask you why you want to close the account. You can give any reason you like, including that you do not use the card. It is your right to close the account for any reason at all.
- If possible, get the representative's name or ID number and write it down, just in case you have problems later.[3]
- Consider the counter-offer. When you call to cancel your card, the issuer may offer you something, such as a lower interest rate or more rewards points, to keep you as a customer. It may or may not be worth it to consider this offer, depending on why you want to cancel the card in the first place.[4]
- It's a good idea to think about what it would take to change your mind about canceling before you call. This will make it easier for you to stand your ground if the offer isn't good enough.
- If the offer is good, you may want to consider canceling a different credit card instead.
- If you're on the fence about closing the card, you can try calling the customer service department and bargaining with them for better terms. For example, you might say, "I plan on canceling this card unless you can lower my interest rate to 15%."
- Confirm the cancellation in writing. If you end up canceling your card over the phone, it's always a good idea to send the company a letter as well. This will help ensure that the account is really canceled, even if the customer service agent you spoke to makes a mistake.[5]
- The letter must include your name, address, and credit card account number.
- Include the date that you canceled the card and the name of the representative you spoke to in your letter, and request that the company send you a written confirmation letter indicating that the card has been canceled.
- You may want to include proof of your final payment, such as a copy of a check.
- Send the letter by certified mail with a return receipt.
[Edit]Protecting Your Credit Score When You Cancel a Credit Card - Pick the right time to cancel. Since canceling a credit card can influence your credit score, it's important to be strategic about when you do it. Avoid closing any accounts if you are in the process applying for new credit.[6]
- If you are planning to buy a house or a new car, wait until after the loan is finalized to cancel your card.
- Consider off-setting the cancellation. In order to avoid hurting your credit score by canceling a card, you may want to off-set it by increasing your credit limit in another way. This will keep your credit utilization rate constant.[7]
- You can do this by opening a new card or requesting a balance increase on an existing card.
- If you have good credit and low balances on your cards, this is less important. Closing a credit card should only have a small impact on your credit score.
- Choose the right cards to cancel. If you want to cancel a credit card simply because you have too many of them, it's important to think carefully about which one you should cancel. Canceling the wrong card could end up costing you more money or damaging your credit score unnecessarily.[8]
- Cards that charge annual fees or have very high interest rates are usually the best options (unless these cards come with benefits that outweigh the high costs).
- Canceling the credit card that you have had for the longest is usually a bad idea because continuous credit looks good on your credit report.
- Look at your credit report after canceling. After you cancel your credit card, it's a good idea to request a copy of your credit report and look at it carefully to confirm that it reflects the fact that you have canceled the card. It should not say that the account was closed by the issuer, as this will look bad to other creditors.[9]
- If your credit report is inaccurate, you will need to contact the credit card company's customer service department again and ask them to correct the way in which they reported the closure of the account to the credit reporting agency. Be sure to check your report again to make sure they fixed the problem.
- Once you've canceled your credit card, you can dispose of it by shredding it or cutting it into small pieces and putting it in the trash.
- There's no way to predict exactly how much of an effect canceling a card will have on your credit score, as it is considered along with many other factors. This is why it's best to avoid closing any accounts right before you plan on applying for a big loan.
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Make a Knitting Pattern Posted: 22 Oct 2020 09:00 AM PDT A knitting pattern is what you might follow if you're creating a specific project, and it gives you all the details you need to knit the item perfectly. Making your own knitting pattern is fairly simple and can be done several different ways depending on which method you like best. The most important things are to choose a project, sketch out your idea, and use something like graph paper to design your stitches. [Edit]Choosing a Project - Choose an item that you'll base your pattern on. Decide what your project will be, such as a scarf, sweater, hat, blanket, or any other type of project you can think of. Deciding what your item will be is important so that you can focus on planning a pattern designed just for it.[1]
- For example, you might look for knitting projects or patterns on Pinterest.
- If you're not sure yet what you'd like to knit, look at inspiration in magazines or online.
- Select yarn that's right for your project. Pick out a yarn that coincides with your project and makes sense for the item you're designing. For example, if you're knitting a winter hat, you'll want a thicker, warm yarn. If you're making a summer shawl, you'd pick out a lightweight yarn in a color like white, yellow, or bright pink.[2]
- Yarns come in lots of different textures, from super soft to more rigid.
- Make sure the type of yarn you use for your project is machine-washable if needed.
- Create a quick sketch to help you envision your idea. Get out a pencil and paper and start drawing your idea, both how it would look in its final form and some ideas for stitches you'd like to use. This will help you brainstorm and create a rough pattern.[3]
- For example, you might sketch the silhouette of your project first and then fill it in with more specific details and stitching.
- You might sketch out several different pattern options, too.
- Write down the planned measurements of your project. Decide how many inches or centimeters you'd like your project to be, even if it's just an estimate. Use a measuring tape to help you decide and jot the dimensions down on a piece of paper to refer to later. This will help you figure out how many rows and stitches you'll need for your project.[4]
- For example, you might decide how long you'd like a scarf to be or what size shirt to knit.
[Edit]Making Test Swatches - Knit swatches to test out your pattern ideas. Create two swatches: one made of all regular stitches so you get an idea of the sizing, and another that helps you test out your specific pattern. A swatch is a little sample of your project that you can use for measuring and experimentation. Make swatches that are at least so they're wide enough to be useful.[5]
- The swatch will tell you how your yarn works with the specific stitch and knitting needles you're using, and you can use the swatch to determine how many rows and stitches you'll need for your project.
- Keep all of the swatches you make so you can refer to them later if needed.
- It's best to repeat your stitch pattern at least twice on the swatch for an accurate test.
- Block your swatches to learn what happens to them in water or steam. Blocking is when you wet, steam, or iron your swatch, depending on what the item will be, so you can test the yarn and see how it reacts. Once your swatches are finished, wash and dry them so you know how your project will turn out once it's being used. If your yarn ends up shrinking or expanding, you'll know that you need to adjust your pattern to add more stitches or take some away.[6]
- Treat your swatch just like you'll treat your final knit item.
- Measure your swatch's stitches and rows to plan your project. Use your swatch as a gauge for your actual project. For example, use the regularly knit swatch to find out how many stitches are in , and then multiply this by your project's expected length to find out how many stitches total that you'll need.[7]
- If you're measuring in centimeters, it's easiest to measure the stitches per .
[Edit]Designing the Pattern - Give a brief description of the project. Write what the pattern will create and give a few more details to help the person using the pattern decide if it's right for them, like what the item can be used for. Tell them how difficult or easy the pattern is and how long it takes to make the item as well.[8]
- For example, you might write, "This pattern creates a baby blanket that's . It's a great pattern for beginners and only takes 3 hours total to complete."
- Add any tips that might be helpful when they're using the pattern too.
- Tell what kind of yarn and needles to use. Be specific when you list the type of needles, putting the exact size that you recommend for the pattern. Write down the type of yarn you used as well, noting the specific brand and how much yarn it'll take to complete the whole project.[9]
- You could even suggest a few alternative yarns that would work well with the project too.
- You might say, "Use a long needle with a width of .
- Explain how many stitches to knit per row. Write each row number and how many stitches the row has right next to its number. This is one of the most important parts of the pattern, so make sure it's as accurate as possible.[10]
- For example, you might write, "Row 10: 17 stitches."
- Note what kind of stitch to use for each row. The simplest stitch is the knit stitch, but your pattern might include others like a rib stitch, cable stitch, or purl stitch. Write the specific type of stitch right next to the row number. If the row has several different kinds of stitches, write how many of each stitch is on each row.[11]
- Draw your pattern on graph paper for a visual representation. Pretend like you're knitting using the graph paper and have each box on the paper represent a stitch. Start at the bottom of the paper and mark each box going across in a horizontal line to show the number and type of stitch that's used in the pattern. For example, if a row has 14 stitches total, start at the bottom left of the graph paper and mark 14 boxes across to show the stitches.[12]
- You might draw an 'X' in the box to represent a knit stitch in the pattern, or a dot in the box to represent a crossover stitch.
- Mark your next row of stitches on top of the first row.
- Use an online program to design the pattern quickly and easily. Using an online knitting pattern website is similar to using regular graph paper in that you mark a grid to show your number of stitches and rows. Instead of marking each box with a pencil, fill in the boxes online using a keyboard.[13]
- There are several different websites you can go to that will create your knitting pattern for you this way.
- It's also easy to mimic graph paper in a regular online document to create the pattern yourself.
- Doing your pattern online makes it easy to change if needed.
- Describe your pattern in words row by row for a detailed approach. If you decide to write out your entire pattern instead of show it in a graph form, be super detailed and explain each stitch that you use as well as how many. Make it clear how the knitter begins and walk them through every step and every row. For instance, you might say, "Cast 20 stitches and knit using a regular stitch for 7 rows."[14]
- Look at professional knitting patterns for more examples of this.
- Test the pattern out by knitting it completely. Once you've sketched your idea and written out the pattern, it's time to put your plan into action. Knit the entire piece until it's finished, taking notes as you go of things you might do differently or things that worked well. Once you're completely finished, you can critique your piece to see if your pattern was helpful enough.[15]
- Expect to find things you'd like to change as you're knitting, and even when you're done, to make your project even better.
- Take pictures of the project once you're finished to include in the pattern.
[Edit]References |
| How to Work Out at Home As a Beginner Posted: 22 Oct 2020 01:00 AM PDT Fitting in a proper workout can be difficult, especially when you're stuck at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thankfully, you don't need a gym membership or any fancy equipment to do a well-rounded workout. Experiment with different cardio and strength training exercises so you can stay fit and healthy from the comfort of your own home! [Edit]Planning Your Workout Routine - Fit in 150 minutes of aerobic exercise each week. Think about your weekly work schedule, along with any other obligations you have. Aim to get at least 150 minutes of aerobic exercise each week, which evens out to five 30-minute workouts each week. Try to find time throughout the week where you can fit in some aerobic exercise at home.[1]
- For instance, you can fit in a workout when you first wake up, or work out after dinner.
- You can alternate workout focuses depending on the day. For example, you can dedicate Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to cardio, and dedicate Tuesday and Thursday to strength training.
- Focus on strength training 2 times each week. Incorporate some kind of weight lifting or other strength training into your workouts, like deadlifts, bench presses, or another exercise of your choice. Focus on doing 1 set of 12-15 reps for all of your main muscles, like your legs, arms, back, glutes, and abdomen.[2]
- Choose a weight that provides a good workout without completely exhausting your muscles.
- For instance, you can do strength training on Tuesday and Thursday, or Wednesday and Friday.
- Warm up for 6 minutes before you start working out. Stretch and warm up different parts of your body before you really dive into your fitness plan. Start by walking in place for 3 minutes, then transition to a round of 60 heel digs in 1 minute. Switch to 30 knee lifts in 30 seconds, and 2 sets shoulder rolls. As a finishing touch, complete your warm-ups with 10 reps of knee bends.[3]
- Heel digs are when you kick your leg and place your heel on the ground.
- Knee lifts are when you raise 1 knee and touch it with your opposite hand.
- Shoulder lifts are when you roll your shoulders forwards and backwards for 10 reps in each direction.
- Knee bends are when you lower your body up to and lift yourself up again.
- Stretch for 5 minutes once you finish a workout. Don't immediately clock out once your workout is done. Instead, take a few minutes to stretch out different parts of your body, like your hamstrings, and inner thighs. Take care of your legs with calf and thigh stretches, which help you feel loose after your workout. Try to hold each stretch for at least 10 seconds to get the maximum effect.[4]
- You can stretch your hamstring by laying flat on your back and pulling your leg up so it's perpendicular to your back.
- To stretch your inner thighs, sit on the ground with your legs pointing outward and your feet touching. Then, start pulling your knees toward the ground.
- Perform a slight lunge to stretch your calves.
- To stretch your thighs, lie on your side and pull your foot towards your glutes. Check that your knees are touching when you do this.
[Edit]Beginner Cardio Workout - Perform 2 sets of rocket jumps. Stand in an open area with your feet spread shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees, placing your hands on your thighs, then jump up towards the ceiling with your arms lifted and extended. Repeat this exercise for 15-24 reps to really get your blood pumping. Then, do another set.[5]
- After doing this exercise, you can recover by walking or jogging in place for at least 15 seconds.
- Mix things up with 2 sets of star jumps. Bend your knees slightly and jump off the ground, moving your arms and legs outward to create a star shape with your body. Repeat this exercise for at least 15 reps and do one more set before switching to another activity.[6]
- Try to keep your abs as tight as possible while you jump. Additionally, it helps to keep your back straight throughout each star jump.
- Get your blood pumping with 2 sets of burpees. Start by standing up with your back straight. Quickly lower yourself into a squatting position, then quickly extend your legs backwards, creating the push-up position. Without actually doing a push-up, jump back to the original squatting position. Push off from your feet and jump into the air with your arms pointed upwards to complete the rep.
- Try to do at least 15 reps of burpees in each set before switching to another activity.
- Walk in place as a simple workout option. Choose a place where you can move around comfortably, then start marching in place. Bend your arms at a 90-degree angle and swing them back and forth as you walk. To change things up, you can take a few steps forward or backward, or widen your stance while you walk in place. As you move, focus on keeping your abs engaged.[7]
- You can do this exercise in front of the TV, if you'd like.
- For a more challenging workout, pick up the speed while bringing your knees up higher as you walk.
[Edit]Beginner Strength-Training Workout - Work out your quads and glutes with a simple squat. Find an open area to exercise where you can stand comfortably without colliding with anything. Squat down and keep your back straight, bending your knees like you're about to sit in a chair. Pause and stay in place once your glutes are a little above your knees, and knees are slightly tracking over your toes. Slowly lift yourself up and repeat the exercise for 8-10 reps.[8]
- You can spread out a yoga mat to give yourself a little extra cushioning while you squat.
- Focus on your back muscles with 8-10 reps of a bent-over row. Find a flat, sturdy surface that you can lean on, like a weight bench. Kneel your right knee on the table while keeping your left leg planted firmly on the ground. Bend forward so your back is parallel with the surface, and extend your lower right leg on the surface for support. At this point, hold a weight in your left hand, extending your arm down and limiting it back to your chest to finish out 1 rep.[9]
- Switch to your other arm once you've completed 1 set of reps.
- Engage your arms and core with 10 reps of push-ups. Get into a regular push-up position with legs extended behind you and your arms separated at least shoulder-width apart. Push down, extending your elbows out as you lower your body. Immediately afterwards, push yourself back up to your original position.[10]
- Push-ups can be tricky, especially if you haven't done any for a while. You can modify this exercise by placing your weight on your knees instead of your toes.
- Work your core with 10 reps of supermans. Lay face-down on the floor with both your arms and legs extended. Start by lying flat on the ground, then raise your arms, legs, head, and chest up like you're flying through the air. Bring yourself back down to the ground slowly, and repeat the exercise again.[11]
- It may be more comfortable to do this on a yoga mat.
[Edit]Following Workout Videos and Apps - Watch some videos made by personal trainers online. Search on Instagram or YouTube for videos uploaded by fitness experts. Look for content that really piques your interest, like Pilates or yoga. Follow along with these videos during your next workout.[12]
- For instance, you can search for something like "personal trainer dance workout" or "personal trainer yoga routine" to get started.
- Channels like Criticalbench and Bodybuilding.com offer a lot of different workout videos.
- Download fitness apps that offer guided workouts. Look online or on your phone or tablet for workout programs that you can follow, instead of doing a workout from memory. You can focus on free apps and programs, or pay a small subscription fee for certain programs, like Down Dog, Aaptiv, Peloton, or Fitbit Coach.[13]
- Nike Training Club, Nike Run Club, and C25K are all free options you can look into.
- Seven, Fightcamp, TRX, and Pure Barre are other paid options you can check out.
- Find workout videos on streaming services. Search sites and apps like YouTube, Hulu, and Amazon Prime for on-demand workout videos that you can follow along with. Look for programs that suit your personal fitness goals and needs. For these workouts, you'll just need a tablet, computer, or TV that you have close by while you exercise.[14]
- Services like Amazon Prime offer Zumba classes and programs like "21-Day Transformation from Gym Ra."
- It can help to choose a specific workout goal for yourself before you get started.[15]
- Write down your progress in a planner or notebook so you can see how far you've come.[16]
- You'll see more positive results if you follow a consistent exercise schedule.[17]
- Invest in special equipment to take your workouts to the next level.[18]
- You can always mix and match some of your favorite exercises while you're strength training.[19]
[Edit]Warnings - Before starting a new workout regimen, talk to your doctor about any health concerns you may have. Your doctor may be able to offer advice, suggestions, or alternatives for you.[20]
[Edit]References |
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