(OPRAH.com) -- I know you've got the major risks in your financial life well taken care of: Your 401(k) is properly diversified to help you weather market volatility, and your reserve cash fund is on call to cover life's inevitable emergencies. Good work!





But I'm worried about your financial blind spots -- those pesky threats to your security that lurk behind seemingly sound decisions. Here are a few common traps, and advice to ensure that you won't get taken by surprise:





Perils of plastic





Good news: You've sworn off credit cards. Goodbye insane interest rates and fees! You're sticking with your debit card from now on.





Hidden risk: Debit card transactions aren't reported to the credit bureaus, so if you don't use a credit card, you'll have less of a payment history -- which hurts your FICO credit score.





How to stay on top: I love, love, love that you want to use your debit card. But to keep your credit score solid, you still need to keep a few credit cards and use them at least once every few months.





Even if you think you'll never need to borrow again, your FICO credit score has a big impact. It can affect your auto insurance premium and whether a landlord will rent to you, and many employers even check it when vetting a job application.





Cards issued by credit unions typically charge lower rates (generally limited to a max of 18 percent) and fewer fees. Check out CreditCardConnection.org to find the best options.





Oprah.com: How to deal with credit card debt





The bond issues





Good news: You're sleeping better than ever since you moved all your retirement money out of stocks and into bonds.





Hidden risk: You're approaching two land mines here. First up is inflation. Make it to age 65 and there's a good chance you'll live another 20 years or longer. (More on this in the next item.)





Over a 20-year period, a 4 percent average inflation rate (the historical norm since the '50s) will reduce the purchasing power of today's dollar to about 50 cents. That will make it very hard to maintain your standard of living in retirement.





Bonds aren't an ideal inflation hedge, since their historical returns are typically not much better than the inflation rate. Making matters worse, because of the financial crisis and the Federal Reserve's efforts to keep the economy growing, bond yields are at unprecedented lows.





This is not a permanent situation. Soon -- maybe this year or next -- interest rates, and thus bond yields, will start to rise. When rates rise, the market price of bonds falls. That hurts your portfolio.





How to stay on top: Every portfolio benefits from bonds; they provide a cushion when the stock market hits a rough patch. But avoiding stocks completely could mean your investment won't grow any faster than the rate of inflation.





As a general rule, your age is a good guideline for the percentage of bonds you want -- if you're 55, put 55 percent in bonds and 45 percent in stocks. If you're worried about putting money in stocks right now, stick with mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that focus on dividend-paying stocks.





The dividend payout is a steady stream of income, much like a bond, and right now the yield on some dividend portfolios is actually higher than the yield on a five-year Treasury bond. While dividend stocks have their own risk, if you have time on your side -- at least ten years -- you can pocket that nice dividend income today, ride out the volatility, and, over the long term, potentially earn inflation-beating gains.





Oprah.com: How to go green on the stock market





Live long -- and prosper? How to enjoy a long, comfortable retirement





Good news: You're likely to reach a much older age than women of previous generations. Today a woman of 65 will probably live 20 more years -- 60 percent longer than her life expectancy in 1900
( OPRAH.com ) -- I know you 've got the major risks in your financial life well taken care of : Your 401(k ) is properly diversified to help you weather market volatility , and your reserve cash fund is on call to cover life 's inevitable emergencies . Good work ! But I 'm worried about your financial blind spots -- those pesky threats to your security that lurk behind seemingly sound decisions . Here are a few common traps , and advice to ensure that you wo n't get taken by surprise : Perils of plastic Good news : You 've sworn off credit cards . Goodbye insane interest rates and fees ! You 're sticking with your debit card from now on . Hidden risk : Debit card transactions are n't reported to the credit bureaus , so if you do n't use a credit card , you 'll have less of a payment history -- which hurts your FICO credit score . How to stay on top : I love , love , love that you want to use your debit card . But to keep your credit score solid , you still need to keep a few credit cards and use them at least once every few months . Even if you think you 'll never need to borrow again , your FICO credit score has a big impact . It can affect your auto insurance premium and whether a landlord will rent to you , and many employers even check it when vetting a job application . Cards issued by credit unions typically charge lower rates ( generally limited to a max of 18 percent ) and fewer fees . Check out CreditCardConnection.org to find the best options . Oprah.com : How to deal with credit card debt The bond issues Good news : You 're sleeping better than ever since you moved all your retirement money out of stocks and into bonds . Hidden risk : You 're approaching two land mines here . First up is inflation . Make it to age 65 and there 's a good chance you 'll live another 20 years or longer . ( More on this in the next item . ) Over a 20-year period , a 4 percent average inflation rate ( the historical norm since the ' 50s ) will reduce the purchasing power of today 's dollar to about 50 cents . That will make it very hard to maintain your standard of living in retirement . Bonds are n't an ideal inflation hedge , since their historical returns are typically not much better than the inflation rate . Making matters worse , because of the financial crisis and the Federal Reserve 's efforts to keep the economy growing , bond yields are at unprecedented lows . This is not a permanent situation . Soon -- maybe this year or next -- interest rates , and thus bond yields , will start to rise . When rates rise , the market price of bonds falls . That hurts your portfolio . How to stay on top : Every portfolio benefits from bonds ; they provide a cushion when the stock market hits a rough patch . But avoiding stocks completely could mean your investment wo n't grow any faster than the rate of inflation . As a general rule , your age is a good guideline for the percentage of bonds you want -- if you 're 55 , put 55 percent in bonds and 45 percent in stocks . If you 're worried about putting money in stocks right now , stick with mutual funds or exchange - traded funds ( ETFs ) that focus on dividend - paying stocks . The dividend payout is a steady stream of income , much like a bond , and right now the yield on some dividend portfolios is actually higher than the yield on a five - year Treasury bond . While dividend stocks have their own risk , if you have time on your side -- at least ten years -- you can pocket that nice dividend income today , ride out the volatility , and , over the long term , potentially earn inflation - beating gains . Oprah.com : How to go green on the stock market Live long -- and prosper ? How to enjoy a long , comfortable retirement Good news : You 're likely to reach a much older age than women of previous generations . Today a woman of 65 will probably live 20 more years -- 60 percent longer than her life expectancy in 1900
What could not using your credit card do?
What could not using your credit card do ?
you'll have less of a payment history
you'll have less of a payment history