Credit Card APR - What exaclty is APR?

Filed Under (Abbey credit card) by admin on 03-06-2010

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APR stands for Annual Percentage Rate. APR attempts to create a single figure of interest allowing the consumer to compare like with like when selecting the best product for their lifestyle.

Without APR it would be literally impossible to make this kind of quick comparison because the credit card companies use different calculations to compute their interest and other charges. Without APR it would be possible for a card bearing an ‘advertised’ interest rate of 12% (not APR) to be more expensive than one charging 16%.

Financial Regulators (such as the the UK’s FSA) have recognized this and as such have attempted to put in some safeguards to protect the consumer, making sure that there is at least some standard information allowing comparison between interest rates and other associated charges.

The main thing to remember is that APR takes into account not only the interest charges levied, but also any other costs that are also included. Credit card companies use different calculations to compute their interest and other charges, so APR makes it easier to make a good
credit card comparison between products. Generally speaking, the lower the APR, the less money you will end up paying back in interest to the credit card provider. It is very important to make sure you compare the APR of different credit cards when deciding which credit card to take out, as card issuers may offer a low rate of interest for an initial period but this will increase at the end of this period.

Any credit card deal will take the following items into consideration :
- the interest rate you must pay
- how you repay the loan
- length of the loan agreement (or term)
- frequency and timing of instalment payments
- amount of each payment
- fees associated with the product
- premiums for payment protection insurance (the lender may choose to make this compulsory)

Remember; if you are looking around for a credit card, you should try and get as low an APR rate as possible. However, be on the lookout for other costs; administration fees, legal fees or penalties you may encur for late charges. It is always wise to shop around for any deal involving finance, making sure that you consider all the options before signing on the dotted line. There are many ways to do this online, with many compenies offering comparison tables on each deal offered. These days you have no excuse not to, the information is freely available.

The law that covers credit agreements in the UK is the Consumer Credit Act (1974).

Credit Card APR - What exaclty is APR?

Filed Under (Abbey credit card) by admin on 28-05-2010

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APR stands for Annual Percentage Rate. APR attempts to create a single figure of interest allowing the consumer to compare like with like when selecting the best product for their lifestyle.

Without APR it would be literally impossible to make this kind of quick comparison because the credit card companies use different calculations to compute their interest and other charges. Without APR it would be possible for a card bearing an ‘advertised’ interest rate of 12% (not APR) to be more expensive than one charging 16%.

Financial Regulators (such as the the UK’s FSA) have recognized this and as such have attempted to put in some safeguards to protect the consumer, making sure that there is at least some standard information allowing comparison between interest rates and other associated charges.

The main thing to remember is that APR takes into account not only the interest charges levied, but also any other costs that are also included. Credit card companies use different calculations to compute their interest and other charges, so APR makes it easier to make a good
credit card comparison between products. Generally speaking, the lower the APR, the less money you will end up paying back in interest to the credit card provider. It is very important to make sure you compare the APR of different credit cards when deciding which credit card to take out, as card issuers may offer a low rate of interest for an initial period but this will increase at the end of this period.

Any credit card deal will take the following items into consideration :
- the interest rate you must pay
- how you repay the loan
- length of the loan agreement (or term)
- frequency and timing of instalment payments
- amount of each payment
- fees associated with the product
- premiums for payment protection insurance (the lender may choose to make this compulsory)

Remember; if you are looking around for a credit card, you should try and get as low an APR rate as possible. However, be on the lookout for other costs; administration fees, legal fees or penalties you may encur for late charges. It is always wise to shop around for any deal involving finance, making sure that you consider all the options before signing on the dotted line. There are many ways to do this online, with many compenies offering comparison tables on each deal offered. These days you have no excuse not to, the information is freely available.

The law that covers credit agreements in the UK is the Consumer Credit Act (1974).

Comparing Business Credit Cards

Filed Under (Abbey credit card) by admin on 20-04-2010

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When talking about business credit cards, you probably often hear that it is better to shop around and compare the different business credit card products. Perhaps you have been wondering what comparing business credit cards really entail. The task of comparing business credit cards involves an examination of all the factors and features and not only the offered rate of interest or the nature of rewards.

The reason that there are so many types of business credit cards on the market – even from within the stable of the same business credit card issuer – is that each of these addresses a different set of needs. Your particular business needs will therefore dictate the type of business credit card you should be applying for.

There are a number of established business credit card brands, each with a distinctive package of benefits that may be markedly similar in some ways, yet discernibly different in terms of their features.

Those who do a lot of traveling may be attracted to American express business credit cards. Bear in mind that you must have good credit ratings when applying for this business credit card brand as their standards for business credit card approvals favor only those with good to excellent credit. In exchange, you gain access to a fine range of travel benefits from a company that has catered for the needs of travelers for decades.

The more generally available business credit cards are Visa and MasterCard, because of the fact that these are issued by a plethora of member banks. These banks are seriously competing for your business, so you are likely to benefit from variations in rates and several rewards programs. The other business credit card brands — Discover and Diners — may not have as many banks issuing them, but they do have attractive features for business credit card holders.

In studying the particular needs of your business situation, you probably will want to look at zero APR business credit cards for balance transfers if you owe some money on your existing cards. Almost all the business credit cards offer the zero APR for balances transferred from other business credit cards within a specified introductory period. This can range from 6 months to 13 months. Those who want to save on interest would probably be inclined to those business credit cards that offer longer introductory periods. You should take note of the prevailing APR once the introductory period expires. Some business credit card issuers may impose higher APR than others.

Those who need to lower the effective cost of their purchases, especially for everyday items like gasoline, office supplies, courier expenses and the like, will probably prefer those business credit cards with favorable rewards and cash back rates. There are many business credit cards that offer 3 percent cash back on these purchases, but a few others will give as much as 5 percent. This could add up to substantial savings. Remember to compare your estimated savings from these cash back business credit cards against the annual fees charged by the business credit card issuer: some cash back business credit cards may have higher annual fees than others.

Those who are still trying to establish (or in some cases, re-establish) credit for their business should look for business credit cards that cater to those with bad credit. These offer special terms that enable you to rebuild your credit. Remember to try establishing your credit reports with business credit bureaus, like Dun & Bradstreet.