You may be one of those folks who have been managing your debt responsibly and basking in the glow of a good credit score. Possibly you\'ve even been feeling a little smug as life goes on without a hiccup.

Well, times change. As a result of the uncertainty in global finance, banks, lenders and credit card companies are getting tough. The rules of the game are changing. Here are some things you can do to protect your fortunes.

These days it is not a good idea to carry credit card debt. It was never a good idea, and this is especially true today. It is not, however, a bad idea to have a few credit cards, especially if they are with varying companies.

Make it a habit to use your older credit cards in order to keep them active and in the loop. This is most important with cards that have a high limit. Just buying something inexpensive every month, or running the payment of your regular household expenses through your various cards will do the trick. This way you will have access to more credit if the need arises.

If you have better things to do than monitor the management of your various cards, arrange to have the monthly amount owing deducted from your bank checking account automatically. No fuss, no muss.

All this effort will pay off handsomely in the event of an emergency such as job loss or an illness that impacts your ability to earn money. Having available lines of credit when circumstances require it will stand you in good stead.

If you can do all this and keep making your payments on time, all will be well. The crunch will come for some folks who start being irregular or late when sending in their checks. When they rip open their next statement they will be surprised to find that, without warning, their interest rate has dramatically shot up.

In addition to increased interest rates, issuers have begun to reduce limits of available credit, and even close accounts that are rarely used. With less options and more interest to pay, customers are in danger of falling even more behind, and that really can impact credit scores.

If you have been carrying a balance on a card and do get hit with a sudden increase in your interest rate, here is something you might like to try. Investigate the possibility of transferring the amount to another of your cards that offers an attractive low rate transfer offer.

Usually these offers come have a time limit, so make it a priority to pay the debt off before that happens and the rate goes up again. Also, and this is very important, avoid the temptation to continually move debt from one card to another. This will only attract attention and raise red flags that may up derailing your strategy.

In light of the new way that credit card companies and other lenders are adjusting to the tough economic situation, it only makes sense to protect yourself and your finances in every way possible.