CNN has this report: Deadlines you can’t afford to miss.

A snippet:

With billing cycle dates subject to change at any time, and grace periods shrinking, keeping track of credit card billing changes can be a challenge.

There was a time when you got a 30-day grace period, says Curtis Arnold of Cardratings.com, a credit card information Web site. That was reduced to 25 days. And in the past two to three years, it’s more like 20 days.

I keep all my bills in a huge clip together in my “in box,” and my husband has a similar method with his bills, keeping them in a stack on his dresser.

The concept is that we’re keeping the mandatory bills separate from the stamps, address labels, charity requests, rebate paperwork and other paperwork that can clutter up what you really need to focus on when the paycheck arrives.

And here’s another clip from the story:

And don’t forget about scholarship deadlines, many of which are in the fall and the spring. Start applying as a high school senior, early in the semester, Kantrowitz says. Often, these scholarships have prerequisites, like writing an essay or getting letters of recommendation. Get your application in early, because missing deadlines is the best way to guarantee you won’t get a scholarship.

The busiest application season for most of the scholarships that are awarded to Monroe County students is in February of senior year. But yes, some programs have deadlines in fall semester of senior year. Given how the deadlines work, you have to be applying for scholarships months before you’ve made a final decision on where you will attend college!