Hi everyone and welcome back to Money Girls Quick and Dirty Tips for a richer life.

I'm Laura Adams. Having a rewards credit card in your wallet can be a powerful tool to

maximize your spending. But how do you know if you're getting the most rewards possible?

In this post I'll tell you what the best rewards credit cards are and I'll give you tips for

using them to your advantage.

I'm a huge fan of rewards credit cards. I use one to pay for just about everything from everyday purchases to household bills.

When you use a rewards card responsibly and pay off your balance in full each month.

You get to take full advantage of the rewards without having to pay any interest charges or late fees.

The idea of using rewards credit cards is to get benefits for purchases that you're going to make anyway.

Not to buy more than your budget allows or to buy extra stuff just for the rewards.

So my advice is not to change your spending habits.

Just change your payment habits.

Want to know the real secret to getting the most out of a rewards credit card?

It's simple. Get a card that matches your spending. Where

you shop what you buy and how much you spend are all factors to consider when

you're choosing a rewards credit card. The more qualified purchases you can rack up,

the more cash or points you'll get back to spend. On average you can expect to get a reward

that's about 1 to 2 percent of what you charge on a rewards credit card each year.

For example, if you spend $1,000 a month or $12,000 a year, you might get a total reward

that's worth $120 to $240. But it varies depending on the card program, how

much you charge, and how savvy you are about redeeming your rewards. It's

really important to clearly understand all the benefits of a rewards program

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