Low APR Credit Cards – Selecting the Best

Filed Under (Best credit card deals) by admin on 14-01-2011

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Hunting for and selecting the very best low APR credit cards has become easier with the advent of the Internet where you can do easy comparisons (from the various options available to you at the click of a mouse) as to which low APR credit card will be the best for your needs.

Simply put, low APR credit cards charge you an interest rate even lower than the standard APR offered by most traditional credit cards. The lower the interest rate or APR, the cheaper the card is to carry and the more money you’ll save on it. Easy enough, right? So if you carry a large monthly card balance, a low APR credit card could be very beneficial for you.  In some cases, low rate credit cards can help cardholders save a lot of money. But what’s an APR anyway?

The Rationale of Low APR Credit Cards

The Annual Percentage Rate (APR) is the cost of credit; it is the amount of interest rate that is chargeable to any outstanding balance on a credit card. If you don’t make the full payment within the grace period certified by the credit card company, the card issuer has the right to charge you an interest rate for the service, a fee known as the APR. For a credit card to be considered a “cheap” credit card it should have a low APR.

With a low APR credit card, there is always fine print in the terms and conditions to take note of. Commonly, consumers fail to read the fine print that might include the following:

1) Annual Fees: Many low APR credit card offers might provide a low interest rate or APR but require you to pay a substantial annual fee. If the effective interest rate (after counting the annual fee) is indeed higher than the actual rate, then this credit card is obviously masked in the garb of a low APR credit card.

2) Low Introductory Rates: Credit card companies know that low introductory rates are a great incentive. So when suddenly, the initial period ends, and your monthly minimum payment increases dramatically, you know something definitely smells fishy. Check it before you fall prey.

3) High Balance Transfer Fees: Another trick in the trade is that some amongst the low APR credit card fraternity offer low balance transfer rates that come with a high balance transfer fee (which would be mentioned in the fine print).

The moral of this story:  Read and re-read the fine print associated with any low APR credit card before you apply.

Want Low Rate Credit Cards?

Follow these simple steps:
-Call the institutions in which you already have a bank account or credit card account. Discuss with them the possibility of converting your existing account to a low rate account.

-If your existing credit card company cannot provide this request, seek out an offer and a card issuer that does.

-Get in touch with the companies you are interested in applying for low rate credit cards.  They might be able to provide information about existing card offers that you might not be aware of.

-Fill out the card application and return as per the instructions. Make a follow-up call to the credit card company if you have not heard from them within the next 10 to 15 business days.

-You have the right to obtain an explanation if the credit card company has turned down your application. The denial letter must explain how you can obtain your credit report.

Keep in mind, however, that credit card issuers reserve the lowest possible interest rate offers for customers with the strongest credit histories, so maintain a good credit history is essential when trying to secure all types of low APR credit cards.

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.