A Brief History of the Credit Card [Infographic]

The year was 1899. The Great Blizzard of 1899 hit America with snow, ice, and bitter temperatures falling as far south as Florida. Gold discovered in Nome, Alaska, kicked off the Klondike Gold Rush. In the White House, President William McKinley continued to deal with the Spanish-American War.

As credit scores have become more available and accessible, consumer interest in them has grown—but so has consumer confusion. Most people don’t understand the differences between credit scores, and many don’t know the difference between credit scores and credit reports. Throw in credit reporting agencies, and it gets even more confusing.

Credit cards can increase your purchasing power, but how many credit cards are too many? There are both pros and cons of having multiple cards.