Finding the Right Credit Card.

Filed Under (Best credit card deals) by admin on 21-07-2010

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There are so many credit cards out there to choose from that deciding which one to get can feel really daunting. What makes one offer better than the hundreds of others you’ve seen? Take this little quiz to find out what you should look for in a card.

First, Are You a Student?

If you are, then you’ll be best off with a student card – you’ll probably have trouble getting accepted for anything else. It would be best to contact the bank where you have your student account before you do anything else.

Do You Have a Balance to Transfer?

If you do, then you need to be looking for a card with a low APR on balance transfers – preferably one that stays low for more than a few months, unless you intend to switch often.

Are You Planning to Make New Purchases?

If so, then pay more attention to the APR for purchases, which is usually entirely different to the one for balance transfers. You should also look at what kind of grace period different cards offer, so you don’t end up paying interest on your purchases straight away.

Do You Pay Off Your Balance In Full Every Month?

If you have a lot of money or you only keep a credit card for emergencies, then you might just pay it all off each time you get the bill. If you do, then you’re in a position where you obviously don’t need to worry about the interest rate much at all, since you won’t be paying any interest (make sure there’s a grace period, though).

Many people don’t realise, but the credit card company still makes money from you even if you pay no interest – the money shops pay to be able to accept credit cards. The credit card companies want to give you some kind of reward for letting them make this money without causing them any trouble, and you basically have a choice of three things:

Get cashback. For always paying everything off, they’re quite willing to throw a few dollars your way. If you spend much with the card, this can add up to a tidy sum.

Take vouchers. You might, for example, be able to earn points as you spend that get you money off flights, or other rewards.

Give it away. If there’s a charity or other cause you support, the chances are that you can donate money to them using an affinity card. This is a credit card that gives a very small percentage of each transaction to your chosen cause, and over time it adds up to a pretty decent donation for them.

Take Your Time…

Don’t let anyone pressure you into making a decision before you’re ready. Any offer that says it’s for a limited time only is one you should ignore, as there’s no reason to do it other than as a sales tactic. Think hard about your spending habits and what you want the card for, consider all the options you can find and then, once you’re sure, go for it.

Credit Card - Suggestions

Filed Under (Abbey credit card) by admin on 21-05-2010

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Suggestions of cards that are created and maintained for people with an imperfect credit history. Numerous cards that allow those with no credit to apply and successfully be granted a credit card in order to begin building up and improving their credit card history.

The first card offered is the Orchard Bank Gold MasterCard. This card comes with all the privileges and benefits of a normal gold card and reports to all 3 credit bureaus monthly.  This monthly reporting can help improve your credit score.  The annual fee is $79 and the late fee is $35.  The card offers a 25 days grace period and an overlimit fee of $30.  Thee APR is on the high end at 14.9%.

The next card on offer is the First Premier Bank Gold MasterCard. This card offers instant notification of approval and 24 hour access to their premiere quality customer service.  There is a low APR on purchases, a 25 day grace period, a $25 late fee and a $25 overlimit fee.  As with the Orchard Bank Gold MasterCard, a consumer needn’t worry about his or her credit history in order to be considered for this card.

Another card suggested by Credit.com is the Centennial MasterCard.  This card offers a low APR on purchased and quality customer service.  It also has a 25 day grace period, a $25 late fee and a $25 overlimit fee.  The site also recommends the Total Visa Card.  This card offers an instant online decision as to acceptance and monthly reporting to all the major credit bureaus.  You can access your account online for free 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  The annual fee is $48, the grace period is 25 days, the late fee is $29 dollars and the overlimit fee is $25.

The last two cards are the First Premier Bank MasterCard and the New Millennium Bank Secured Platinum Visa or MasterCard. The First Premier Bank MasterCard reports to all the major bureaus, has a low APR on purchases, a 25 day grace period, $25 late fee and $25 ‘overlimit’ fee.  The New Millennium Bank Secured Platinum Visa or MasterCard does not require a credit check, will approve you regardless of your credit history and has credit limits up to $10,000.  The annual fee is $59, the late fee $20 and the overlimit fee $25.  However, the APR is an astounding 19.50% so if any of the other cards are available to you, it may behoove you to seek them out before you apply for The New Millennium Bank Secured Platinum Visa or MasterCard.

Choosing the right credit card to avoid debt management troubles

Filed Under (Abbey credit card) by admin on 23-11-2009

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Credit cards are considered as a blessing to those who can use it properly. But to those who are having debt management problems because of undue usage of credit cards, it can be an excruciating curse because it can also give you a bad credit history if you don’t use it well.

In order to avoid debt management problems, people must know how to choose the right credit card for them. The following tips can help you choose the right credit card, which can veer you away from debt management problems. If you are getting your first credit card or you would want to avail of another, you must always:

- Consider interest rates. In most credit cards, interest rates come as “fixed-rate” or “adjustable rate”. If you opt not to choose low APR credit cards, you may consider choosing fixed rate credit cards. Many people—especially those who pay off their balance monthly or those who only use cards for small purchases-opt to use cared that has a fixed rate. Even if the rate is a point or two higher than the usual, it ensures that they can pay off their loan quickly without even noticing the difference.

- Conduct an extensive research on credit card fees, transaction fees, and other charges. Fees can be considered one of the bloodlines of most credit card companies. Since numerous companies are infamous for charging their clients fees that add up quickly, one should make sure to check the fees section of the credit card disclosure section before fully indulging into it. Some of the known fees collected are annual fees and cash advance fees.

- Check the length of “grace period.” The term “grace period” or “interest-free time” refers to the amount of time between the date of a purchase and the date interest starts being charged on that purchase. Majority of credit cards offers a standard grace period, which means that as long as the person pays for his/her bill monthly, there will be no finance charges. Since not all credit card companies offer a grace period, be careful not to choose them because they might charge interest immediately on every purchase you make.

- Avail of other benefits. Aside from convenience, other the additional benefits when one applies for a credit card include insurance, credit card protection, discounts, rebates and special merchandise. Other benefits also include rewards programs that lets you earn points that can give you cash back, free gas, gift certificates and free plane tickets. Before choosing the right credit card for you, you must consider whether or not these offers can make positive impact on your financial management.

- Take note of the credit limit. Basically, credit limit is defined in dollars as the total amount of credit a credit card holder is authorized to use. Apart from clearly identifying credit line and the size of the credit line, credit limit encourages and helps the holder to decide how reliable he/she can be when it comes to paying on time and keeping him/herself under the card’s limit.

- Make sure to understand all necessary and additional terms. While it is very important for you to identify first your credit card needs, it is equally important for you to understand almost all the underlying terms in credit card application and acquisition such as “amount due,” “minimum monthly payments,” and “prime rates” because many people are having a hard time managing their debt because they did not take time to fully understand these simple terms and its underlying conditions.