0 Balance Transfer Credit Card Are They Worth It

April 8th, 2010 - 
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It’s a plastic ocean out there with numerous banks and financial institutions scrambling to sell you their 0 balance transfer credit card. And there are so many kinds of credit cards available in the market that a credit card user gets intimidated and perplexed about which card to choose.

The result is that he often chooses the wrong card and then regrets his decision when he’s already neck deep in problems with his credit card account.

So, never pick up a 0 balance transfer credit card without considering some crucial factors. Here is a small guide that can help you decide which type of credit card you must pocket.

Guidelines to choosing a credit card

Ask yourself, “Why do I need a new credit card?” Is it because your current credit card carries a higher rate of interest, or is it because you want to use it exclusively for your business, or is there any other reason? Zero in on the reason why you need a new credit card.

Once you have the reason, you must check out what kinds of credit cards are available in the market. Here is a brief dossier:

(i) Regular cards/Business cards are cards that give you a spending limit based on your income tax papers. The business card is just like a regular card, except that it comes with some schemes that dangle carrots before you.

(ii) Charge cards are cards that are linked to your bank account and they charge your account the minute you swipe the card. You cannot carry forward a balance with a charge card.

(iii) Reward cards are credit cards that earn you points every time you swipe them and such points are redeemable for some goodies (air tickets, supermarket goodies, etc.) at selected establishments.

(iv) Then there are cards for people who have a bad credit history. These cards carry a low spending limit and a higher rate of interest. (v) Prepaid cards are another type of credit card that are mostly used by teens and some kids too. The parent makes a deposit and the card is valid until the deposit is used up.

(vi) Secured credit cards require that the cardholder deposit a certain percentage of the credit limit upfront into their bank accounts.

Once you have decided what kind of a credit card is right for you, do a comparison between different brands of cards. Compare their rates of interest (APR = Annual Percentage Rate) and also check whether they carry an annual fee.

What grace period or no-payment period they offer you, how do they calculate the interest, whether the rate of interest is an introductory rate, whether rates of interest will vary on cash withdrawals, billing cycles, penalties on balance transfers, and so on.

Voila, there you are! If you follow these basic guidelines, you will be successful in pocketing the right 0 balance transfer credit card that suits your needs. And that is the easy part,the difficult part lies in maintaining a credit card and keeping your credit history clean.

But, that’s another story!

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0% APR Credit Cards

0 Apr Credit Card Is It Really Zero For

March 17th, 2010 - 
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0 Apr Credit Card Is It Really Zero For Trouble?

In the financial industry, the number zero can be something thats either totally goodor totally bad. As for 0 APR credit cards, companies are primarily cashing in peoples interest for 0% interest (pun intended). But is everything good and nothing bad about 0 APR credit cards?

The Advantages of Using a 0 APR Credit Card

Balance Transfer You can make use of your new 0 APR credit card as a way of reducing payment for your other credit card debts. You can do this by transferring the balance of your old credit cards to the new one. Of course, make sure that you do get to pay off your debt within the allotted time!

Saving on Purchases Of course, the most obvious benefit in having a 0 APR credit card is being able to purchase anything for zero interest. You can even opt to pay the minimum amount required for several months if you wish, just as long as you do settle your credit card bills before the promotional period ends.

The Disadvantages of Using a 0 APR Credit Card
If youre not careful with the way you swipe your 0 APR credit card, your latest plastic money might just be your downfall.

Zero isnt Forever No-interest-offers dont last forever; when the promotional period ends, your card will just be like any other credit card in which youll be required to pay standard interest rates once more. It could even be worse if your 0% ends up with an interest rate thats twice as much as what youre paying for your other credit cards.

No to Balance Transfer You might belatedly realize that your intention of balance transfer is actually not allowed. Or, it could charge you with very high processing fees before you can be allowed to transfer the balance of your old credit card to your new one. To prevent this from happening, you should read the terms and conditions carefully before applying for a 0 interest credit card.

High Penalties Many 0 APR cards charge you high penalties if youre a delinquent payer. Worse, they can even cancel the zero interest offer at the slightest infraction you commit.

Uncontrollable Swiping Many individuals, upon getting their hands on their new 0 APR credit cards, are struck with swiping fever and end up shopping more than they need and certainly more than they can afford.

Tips for Choosing and Using a 0 APR Credit Card
No credit card is perfect. You need not feel bad just because you now know the limitations and problems you might face when using a 0 APR credit card. With the right attitude, youll still be able to take full advantage of a 0 APR credit card without having to suffer any of its disadvantages.

READ the terms and conditions carefully. Know what its interest rate would be when the promotional period ends. Know if youre allowed to make balance transfers and what repercussions youd face if you unintentionally fail in paying on time.

CHOOSE the 0 APR credit card that best fits your needs and budget.

DISCIPLINE is the key to beating the temptation of overspending. If you really want to indulge yourself with your new credit card, at least make purchases that are necessary, useful, and will last for a long time.

Hope you enjoy yourself with your new credit card!

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0% APR Credit Cards

0% APR Credit Card Offers: Saving Money

December 3rd, 2009 - 
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In today’s economic situation, almost all items and services are getting more and more expensive everyday. This is why people go to any lengths just to save money. Some people try to save money by purchasing cheaper goods and some try to save on utility expenses, like electricity, gas, and water.

Credit cards are one of the most popular ways to purchase goods and services. It can even be used to pay for your utility bills. With a credit card, you don’t have to carry a lot of cash in your wallet to purchase the things you need in your everyday life. With a single swipe of the credit card, you automatically purchase the items you need.

However, credit cards also have its disadvantages. With a credit card, people tend to lose control in spending their money. People tend to spend more than they can afford. This is why credit cards are only recommended for people who know how to manage their money.

But, more and more people today are applying for a credit card as a way to purchase the items they need even if they still don’t have the cash for it.

There are available banks and lending companies that offer 0 percent APR credit cards. You now wonder what 0% APR credit cards are and what it can do to benefit you.

APR or Annual Percentage Rate is used by credit card companies to calculate the total cost of borrowing. The APR is used by credit card companies to make it easier for them to compare loan options and also to compare lenders.

Today, there are a lot of credit card companies that offer 0% APR on their credit cards. So, you now ask, “What’s in it for me?” Since the APR determines how much you have to pay on interest, a no interest credit is obviously the best. A credit card with 0% APR means that you don’t have to pay for interest, you only have to pay the amount you borrowed with no additional fees.

For you or someone who is looking for a way to save money on credit cards, this offer can be very attractive and you would try and apply for it immediately after the bank offers this kind of credit card to you. However, before you make any decisions, you have to consider a few things first.

First of all, 0% APR credit cards are only available on a limited time only. Sometimes, these offers last for only 6 months to a year. People who are unaware of these things tend to pay more than they have to because of not considering that this offer is only introductory and they find themselves using the credit card way past the introductory period.

For this, you have to find out how long the 0% APR promo will last and also how much the interest rate will be after the introductory period expires. There are times that interest rates can go from 0 to 20% in a single billing period.

0% APR credit cards are great for making balance transfers. A balance transfer is what people do to carry out payments from one card to another. It is a great way to pay off your debt from another credit card. For example, if you have a remaining balance from one credit card with 20% monthly interest rate, you can manage this debt more effectively by transferring it to a card that has 0% interest. This means that you will pay off the debt instead of paying off the interest rate.

Before you do this, however, you need to make sure that you can pay off the debt during the 0% introductory period. Always remember that interest rate can really go up after the 0% interest rate introductory period expires.

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0% APR Credit Cards