The coronavirus pandemic's impact on consumer finances has led many Americans to rethink their money habits. For example, according to NerdWallet's annual Consumer Credit Card Report, 19% of credit card holders say card issuers cut their credit limits during the pandemic — and almost all of those people (93%) say their financial views or strategies changed because of it.

Some money lessons are worth holding on to. Here are four credit card habits to consider keeping as the masks start to come off.

Maintaining a dedicated emergency fund. At first glance, this may not seem like a credit card habit, but consider: Of the millions of Americans who saw their credit limits get cut during the pandemic, a quarter of them (25%) say they weren't able to cover an emergency that came up during that time because of it. Experts recommend that you have an emergency fund with enough money to cover three to six months' worth of expenses.

Keeping cards active. One of the most important factors in your credit score is credit utilization, or the percentage of available credit you're using. A reduced credit limit can translate into higher utilization — and a lower score. Utilization is measured both on a per-card basis and across all your accounts, so having a card account closed for inactivity can have a big impact on utilization, too.

Balancing debt payoff and saving. Accelerating your debt payments can save you a lot of money: U.S. households that carry credit card debt pay more than $1,000 a year in credit card interest, according to NerdWallet's annual household debt study.

That said, aggressively paying down debt shouldn't take complete precedence over saving for emergencies. You don't necessarily need to hit your emergency fund goal of three to six months of expenses before attacking debt — particularly high-interest debt — but aim to have some cash on hand before prioritizing your card balances.

Knowing your relief options. As incomes were disrupted during the pandemic, many cardholders enrolled in hardship assistance programs offered by their issuers. These programs can provide temporary help such as reduced or deferred payments, waived late fees or reduced or waived interest payments. Most of those who tried to enroll in hardship programs at the beginning of the pandemic were accepted, but a large majority of them faced some sort of consequence for doing so, including reduced credit limits.

This doesn't mean that you shouldn't ask for help if you need it. But it's important to go into a hardship program knowing the risks. If you can tap your savings or ask a family member for help, you can avoid the programs' pitfalls.

Erin El Issa writes for NerdWallet. Email: erin@nerdwallet.com.