Within your financial diet, credit cards can be like junk food. They’re quick and convenient, but the aftereffects can wreck your financial health if you rack up a big balance—and big interest charges.

“When you use credit cards, use them responsibly,” says Patricia Ostruszka, vice president of bank marketing for Thrivent Financial Bank. She advises, “Don’t charge what you can’t afford. Pay off your balances promptly. Select cards that offer competitive fees and interest rates. And consider cards that give back, such as Thrivent Financial Bank’s FundraiserRewards^SM or WorldPoints^SM cards.”

Everyone needs a credit card. They’re invaluable in an emergency, and used responsibly, they’re a great way to build up a solid credit history. But you have to manage your spending, Ostruszka says. A sticky note on the back of your card can be a place to list purchases, helping you avoid spending more than you can pay each month.

“The only reason to go above that monthly limit is an emergency,” she says. But she warns to be careful about what counts as an emergency. “An emergency is not an inability to buy a new television. If in the dead of winter your furnace decides to give up the ghost, that’s an emergency.” Ostruszka also encourages building an emergency fund of at least three months’ expenses to help with such situations. “That nest egg can help you deal with financial surprises without resorting to credit.”

If you do have a balance that you can’t pay off immediately, make the largest possible payments to minimize interest charges. And if you often find yourself carrying a balance, consider limiting yourself to just one card. “If you run up balances on more than one card, then you’re really getting into a cycle of charging more than you can afford,” Ostruszka warns.

The card you keep should have no annual fee and a competitive interest rate—both qualities of Thrivent Financial Bank’s WorldPoints and FundraiserRewards cards. The WorldPoints card lets you earn points that can be redeemed for travel, merchandise, gift certificates or cash, letting you reward yourself for responsible credit card use. FundraiserRewards lets you reward your favorite charity. With this card, Thrivent Financial Bank gives one percent of your net purchase amounts to the participating charity you designate. “It’s a way to expand your charitable giving at no cost to you—and another way to manage credit responsibly,” Ostruszka concludes.

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You can apply for Thrivent Financial Bank credit cards online. It takes only minutes.

Bank products and trust services are offered through Thrivent Financial Bank, 2000 E. Milestone Dr., Appleton, WI 54949-0006 (Member FDIC and an Equal Housing Lender), a wholly owned subsidiary of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. Insurance, investment products, trust and investment management services and accounts are not deposits and may go down in value. They are not FDIC insured, are not insured by any federal government agency, and are not guaranteed by Thrivent Financial Bank.