Best Credit Card Deals - Tips For Uncovering True Value

In the modern world, credit cards have become such an integral financial means that it is no wonder the financial market is overflowing with a vast array of these products. But with so many types and companies to choose from, it is quite easy to get lost and confused.

Not to mention the fact that many companies concoct different schemes to lure and attract customers to apply with them. So how does one succeed in finding the best credit card deals? Here are the factors that you have to know about to help you uncover the true value of the deals offered to you.

APR or Annual Percentage Rate

An APR refers to the measure of the cost of credit expressed as an annual percentage rate. The lower this rate is the less money you need to pay when you have a balance. Most cards come with an introductory offer of a 0% or low APR. While this sounds like a great deal, it is important to know how long this teaser rate will last and how much the real rate is when it expires.

Moreover, you also need to consider whether this rate is fixed or variable. A large percentage of companies today have variable rates that fluctuate with an index. And if you are not watchful, you can be surprised one day when you find out how much the rate has increased.

A fixed rate on the other hand will not fluctuate monthly or quarterly. However, it can still change after some time. The company, which issued you the card, should notify you at least 15 days before putting any changes into effect.

Annual Fee

This fee is flat, yearly fee that typically amounts around $25 to $50. It is a good idea to avoid cards that require such charges. Although there are some companies, which charge annual fees and offer prestige rewards and services in exchange. Consider carefully if these perks are worth paying for.

Transaction Fees and Finance Charge

Transaction fees are the amount charged to you for any cash advance, late payment, for going over the credit limit or for not using the card for a month. A finance charge on the other hand includes all interest costs and charges, and is what you have to pay for in order to use credit. When searching for the best credit card deals be sure to study all about these costs before you consider applying for any card.

Grace Period

Also known as the free period, this is the number of the days that the company gives you before they start charging you with interest rates. This time-frame is usually around 20 to 25 days. Avoid credit cards that do not provide grace periods.

More Tips

1. Be sure to shop around. Stopping at the first company you see even if you think it would give you an excellent cash back credit card application is not a wise move. There may be even better options out there.

2. Take into account how finance charges are calculated so you can get an accurate cost of your credit.

3. Always be on the look for low interest rates.

4. Be wise in choosing your credit limit. Be sure that you spend only what you can afford to pay.

5. If you are in a hurry, consider best instant approval credit deals.

Finding the best credit card deals is not going to be that difficult anymore now that you know what the things to watch out for are.


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Do You Need to Get Out of Credit Card Debt

Remember that the key to using credit wisely is to avoid unnecessary debt. Do not spend frivolously just because you have access to a credit card, and instead only use it when you absolutely need it and when you know that you will have the money to pay it back.

In situations where you are already in credit card debt however, one of the first things that you should do is immediately stop charging anything additional on your credit cards. A lot of people figure that they are already in trouble so what does it matter if they keep spending, but this is the absolute worst thing that you can do.

Start off dealing with your debt by finding out exactly how much is owed, so you know how much money you are dealing with here. Then you want to start by paying more than the minimum payment. They will tell you what the minimum payment is, which is the very least amount that they need, but you want to pay more than this.

This will show them your initiative and let them know that you are willing to pay and wanting to pay your debt off. Send in payments as soon as the bill is received, as every single extra day that you carry a balance, your interest charges are going to accumulate. You should really work on one card and then start on another, rather than trying to pay them all off at once because this is where it gets tricky and where people often find it impossible to get anyplace.

Remember that if you ever get a notice offering a minimum payment of zero or to skip a payment for a month, do not take it as a favor to you because it is more of a favor to them, as you will surely only end up getting behind and they will then be making money off of you. You can get out of credit card debt, just stay positive and remember this helpful advice and you should be fine.


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Get Your Student a Credit Card Today

Do you want to get a credit card student for your child to make sure he is well-provided and well-supported in his financial needs? The answer is just there in the internet. The application form for the newest credit card designed for college students can be found on-line through several clicks.

Well, everything should be made clear first so that you know all the advantages as well as the guarantees that can be granted to your child. This credit card student made available today features zero apr or zero annual percentage rate that allows you to be worry free at the end of the year for extra charges and fees. This feature is also backed up with a flexible installment plan assuring that you get low dues every month. With this additional feature you can be sure to afford your monthly bills and avoid debt accumulation.

If your child will apply today to be a card holder, he can enjoy high appraisal or assessment so that he can be granted good credit limit that can provide his needs in school and in his extra curricular activities. Once the card is released he can always have it in his pocket because it is widely accepted in most establishments in your area. Your child will get the spending power even without cash making him financially fulfilled. Through this simple way, by giving him the chance to have this credit card student, you can show him your support for his success. Your child will surely make more efforts to excel in his studies and reach the success that you always dreamed for him.


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How Does Credit Card Debt Affect You

The statistics are overwhelming and continue to get worse each and every year. In today's tough economic times it is anticipated that at least 1% or one in a hundred American families will be forced to declare bankruptcy at some point and that over 90% of an average family's disposable income will be spent paying back debts.

While definitely not a positive picture, as bleak as that sounds running won't change it but knowledge may and so, let's take a quick snapshot at a few of the current credit card debt statistics facing so many Americans today.

American consumers spend over 1 trillion dollars per year on credit card purchases. The problem is not how much people spend using their credit cards but the fact that nearly 57% of all Americans do not pay off their balance monthly. Even more disturbing is the fact that 12% of all credit card holders only make the minimum payment on their credit cards.

This means that consumers end up carry and paying interest on about $500 billion dollars in credit card debt. This translates into an average credit card balance of $4,000 to $6,000 per family, who pay about $1,000 per year in interest. In reality many people owe considerably more.

On average many Americans receive at least one new credit card offer in the mail every week. The amount of money being spent by the banks and credit card companies to sign up new cardholders is immense Card issuers spend billions of dollars administering, and marketing the various aspects of the credit card industry.

There are very few individuals or companies who can escape the consequences of large amounts of debt. The burden place on the court system by record bankruptcy filings and the cost to government of providing subsidized credit counseling, are just a two examples of how unsecured credit card debt affects the country and economy.

Debt is becoming increasingly more common; consumers with excessive debt loads have far less disposable income. The more money that is used to pay off outstanding debts means less money is being spent which causes the economy to slow or stall.

It wasn't very long ago that carrying any type of debt was considered unacceptable. The general view was if you wanted something you paid cash for it and only used your credit cards for emergencies. If you had bad credit it was almost impossible to get a credit card and your only option was to save up to make your purchase.

There are a number of reasons why consumer debt levels have reached dangerous levels, overspending is only a very small part of the problem. In reality, many people get over their heads in debt due to the loss of a job or using their credit cards to cover medical expense as result of an illness. As a result, many people end up trapped in a downward spiral of making payments on huge credit card debt levels.

Most people understand what they can afford and how important it is not to use credit cards to buy any and everything. High credit card debt is usually a combination of many things but the biggest problems result from leaving balances on their credit cards and not realizing just how quickly compounding interest and other service fees really affects their financial well-being.


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Credit Cards For Mortgages

With the credit crunch affecting more and more households in the UK, people are taking dangerous measures to keep up with their monthly bills. There has been a recent rise in the number of people taking out additional credit cards to help pay their monthly mortgage or utility bills. A debt management charity have released details of a survey stating that over half of the 8,000 participants have taken out a credit card to help pay for their monthly outgoings.

This is hardly unexpected due to the cost of fuel rising at a staggering rate of 27.7% which exceeded expert's expectations. The average household is left with just £270 a month to pay off any outstanding debts after their utility, transport, food, medical and mortgage costs has been taken from an average salary of £2,200.

The debt management charity stated that the average enquiry they receive from a homeowner owes over £40,000 in unsecured debts with the average renter owing a more manageable £27,000. This has seriously affected homeowners with the rate of inflation going from bad to worse.

A number of homeowners expecting to fall back on credit cards due to the increasing monthly bills will be in for a shock as lenders are becoming a lot more cautious as to who they lend money to.

An expert has said that "Small debts previously dealt with by juggling credit are now becoming unmanageable much faster."

Other ways to reduce household debt is to simply stop living beyond your means; cancel direct debits, store cards and other unnecessary credit sources.


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Finding the Right Small Business Credit Card Reward

If you're a businessman, having a business credit card is a must even if you are just starting and on the stage of trial and experimentation. You might need to apply for small business credit card reward that gets you paid percentage rebate on the money you spend each time on the card. You can build up a cash sum over the course of a year if you will always use your small business credit card reward for most of your purchases and routine expenditures.

With this type of card, you can enjoy up to 5% cash back on purchases at supermarkets, drug stores, and gas stations and 1% on all other purchases. An ideal small business credit card reward can offer you 5% cash back on qualifying purchases such as office supplies, ground transportation, computer and electronics, and other equipments used in the operation of your business. On the other hand, keep on mind that there are variations on the details of each program. A small business credit card reward is a great choice if you are capable of paying your credit card balance in full every month. This is your chance to obtain the most from cash back credit cards by paying off your balance in full every month. If you employ people to run your enterprise, it's advised that you also issue a card your employees as well.

To maximize the benefit of your card, you need to find out the card which gives the highest cash reward incentives on purchases you make the most. Have a good habit of paying your balance in full of your cash reward credit card each month if you don't want to pay high interest.


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What Could Make a Credit Card Provider Turn Down Your Application?

Whilst some people, such as those with bad ratings, may always have experienced problems when it comes to getting a credit card, over recent months a greater number of people may have found themselves being turned down for credit cards due to the current financial climate.

In some cases card companies reserve their best deals for those with excellent ratings, and they also have to be very careful about who they lend to because they could otherwise stand accused of irresponsible lending.

So, just what sort of factors can stop you from getting a credit card when you make an application? A number of factors that could be stopping you are listed below:

Failure to fit in with the lender's criteria: If your details do not fit in with the lender's profile or lending criteria then you may find yourself being turned down. The profile set by lenders could relate to anything from the credit rating requirements to the age group of the borrower. In order to even be eligible you would need to fit in with these requirements.

If you have already had a lot of searches on your credit file: When you apply for your card the lender will run a search on your file. However, if the lender sees evidence that there have been a lot of searches on your file in a relatively short period, indicating that you have been applying for a lot of finance in a short space of time, then you are unlikely to be successful. Each time you apply for finance a search is carried out on your file, and this is reflected on the file for other lenders to see.

If you have no credit rating or history: You may experience problems in getting a credit card if you have not taken out any finance in the past, as this means that you will have no rating or history or score, making it difficult for the card provider to determine whether you are an acceptable risk or not.

These days many providers would rather turn away the business than take a chance on giving credit to a consumer whose repayment habits they know nothing about.

If you've never had a credit card or credit agreement before, you can start to build a credit history with a bad rating credit card.

Having damaged credit: If you have damaged credit you will find that these days most card companies will not look twice at your application, as they do not want to get lumbered with a borrower that has had past problems. County court judgements, defaults, and a low rating will all go against you when applying for a credit card.

You can also compare bad credit rating credit cards, which are designed especially for people with damage credit to help rebuild and strengthen a poor history.

The electoral register: Another reason why you may find yourself unable to get a credit card is if you are not on the electoral register. This enables lenders to verify your name and address, so it is important to ensure that you are on the electoral register.

It is also worth considering how you can improve your rating before you apply for a credit card. Such as checking your credit file and keeping up with all existing payments and bills.


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Gas Mileage Paves Way to Gas Credit Cards

Gasoline is inevitably surging up causing us to cutback other expenses. But you need not fret because credit card is an excellent medium for gas mileage. They are not there to provide convenience for gas users but to give out rewards as well. Here is the list of credit cards that will help you on gas mileage:

• Discover Open Road SM Card- with this card, you get to avail the best gas rewards as you double your cashback! Grab the opportunity to avail the discounted cashback bonuses on gas and auto maintenance purchasers, top online retailers, and other purchases. Using this card gives you unlimited cash rewards. Plus, you can even double the value of your rewards when you trade in for gift cards from its 100 cashback bonus partners.

• Chase Perfect Card- one of the best credit cards on gas mileage that you can ever have! Using this card entitles you to earn rebates on all eligible gas purchases at any gas station for the first 90 days. You can avail rewards wherever the road takes you since rebates are automatically credited toward future purchases created on your card.

• Capital One- you get a travel bonus when you use this card. You get to avail 3 miles per dollar you spend on travel and gas purchases. No hassles on blackout dates, seat restrictions, and expiration date on miles plus unlimited earned miles.

• American Express' Blue Cash- earn unlimited cash back and 5% cashback with unlimited cash rewards.

• Citi CashReturns (SM) Card- this is one of the best credit cards on gas mileage that allows you to unlimited gas cashbacks! Avail the 20% bonus for every earned cashback on all purchases for the first 12 months.


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Credit Card For College Student

Parents should know how hard it is for their children to go on college. They should realize the challenges that their children are about to face as well as the multiple needs that are about to come. Nowadays, the credit card for college student is offered by banks as assistance for the students unexpected needs such as urgent school projects, contributions and tuition fees. If you care much for your child who is about to step into the university, you must get him this newest credit card especially made to provide his basic needs.

Getting your child a credit card does not mean that you are teaching him of how to make debts at his early age. Actually, though this you can impart to him how to become more responsible and accountable for his actions. You can teach him, proper budgeting of his allowance to maintain good credibility especially to the credit card insurer. If you will look deeper in the concept of this credit card for college student, you will never say no. The terms and conditions are made a lot better to ensure the payment convenience on the part of your child. A flexible installment payment plan was designed based on the student's convenience and capability to pay.

Also, with its zero APR or annual percentage rate feature, the credit card use is almost free. The risk of getting accumulated debts at the end of the year was eliminated. This is an assurance that this credit card is truly for the benefit of the student and not for the issuer's business interest. Don't think twice, today is the best time to get this credit card for your child so get the application through the internet right at this very moment.


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Why Every Restaurant Owner Can Use a Credit Card Advance

Food. We all eat it, we all love it. Whether we're vegetarian or vegan, prefer Italian or Chinese, like it baked or deep-fried, medium-rare or well done; food is a necessity of life, and we can all agree that one of the best places to eat it is in a restaurant.

If you own a restaurant, you know there's more to a restaurant than what your customers see. Customers come in to enjoy a good meal, good conversation and good service. But they don't see what goes on behind the scenes. They don't witness what restaurant owners go through to be able to provide them with a one-hour escape from life's responsibilities.

Ordering food, maintaining equipment, hiring staff, it all takes money, money that can be acquired through a credit card advance.

There are many reasons why a restaurant owner may want to use a credit card advance. Maybe your restaurant is going though a difficult time, and you need a little extra money to carry you through. Maybe you want to increase the number of seats that your restaurant offers, maybe you want to open another restaurant, or maybe your equipment needs an upgrade.

The credit card advance's unique characteristics make it an easy way for restaurant owners to get the funds they need. When a credit card advance is granted, the business owner does not have to repay the loan out of his/her own pocket. Instead the restaurant is responsible for making the payments. How is this possible? Whenever a customer pays for a meal via credit or debit card, a small percentage from that sale is automatically deducted and put towards your credit card advance repayment. With restaurants being one of the top things Americans use credit cards for, this could be a great opportunity.

Now, you can go on handling all of the things that a busy restaurant owner needs to handle, without worrying about making fixed monthly payments.

Getting a credit card advance is easy. You just have to take the first step. Contact a credit card advance lender, and get some extra cash for your restaurant.


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Credit Cards - Frequently Asked Questions

What Are The Differences Between Unsecured And Secured Credit Cards?

A secured card is a credit card that a cardholder "secures" with a deposit to ensure payment of the outstanding balance if the cardholder defaults on payment. Secured credit cards are targeted to customers with imperfect or limited credit histories who do not qualify for a traditional unsecured credit card. An unsecured credit card is not guaranteed by the pledge of any collateral. Most credit cards are unsecured debt and, therefore, have higher interest rates than other forms of lending such as mortgages that hold property as collateral.

Is Obtaining An Unsecured Credit Card Easy?

Criteria used to determine eligibility varies from card issuer to card issuer. Most banks and financial institutions will grant you credit if you meet the following requirements:

You must be a resident of the United States.

You must be at least 18 years of age.

You must make at least $95 a week.

You must have a valid Social Security number.

You must be employed for at least 6 months.

Are All Credit Cards The Same?

Credit terms vary among issuers. When shopping for a card, think about how you plan to use it. Do you expect to pay your bills in full each month or do you plan to pay off your purchases over time? Consider the annual fee, finance charges, interest computation method, whether or not there is a grace period for purchases and cash advances or balance transfers. It is also a good idea to look at the credit limit, how widely the card is accepted, additional services and features, and the Annual Percentage Rate (APR) and finance charges.

NOTE: Most credit card plans allow the issuer to "reprice" your current APR if the account falls into poor standing or becomes delinquent. Repricing is the act of increasing the APR.

What Is An Annual Fee?

Some issuers charge an annual membership fee or participation fees. These range from $25 to as much as $100.

"Gold" or "Platinum" cards sometimes reach as much as several hundred dollars. These fees may be charged whether or not you use the card.

Are There Transaction Fees And Other Charges?

A card may include other costs. Some issuers charge fees if you use the card to get a Cash Advances, make a late payment, or you exceed your Credit Limit. Often an issuer will charge a fee to transfer a balance from another creditor's account to their account. Fees are disclosed to you in your Terms and Conditions as well as in your Account Agreement. It is important that you read these documents in order to understand your responsibilities as an account holder.

What Is Credit Card Fraud?

One way to keep fraud under control is to closely monitor your credit report. A great way to do this is with a credit monitoring service. The cost of this service can range from $20-$50 per year. They give you unlimited free copies of your credit report so you can check it whenever you need to, online Monthly Monitoring Alerts to inform you of changes, black marks, inquiries and possible credit fraud signs on your report, information to help you deal with inaccuracies in your credit report, a newsletter with tips for managing your good credit, and articles to help you stay on top of your credit.

Is It Safe To Use Credit Cards Online?

It is much safer to use your credit cards on the Internet with a secure server than calling someone and giving your credit card numbers over the phone. However, people are still somewhat leery about using their credit cards on the Internet. When you use a secure server over the Internet, the data gets scrambled or encrypted and then put back together again once it reaches its intended destination. If you give your credit card numbers over the phone it is not in cryptic form. Furthermore, most credit card companies guarantee safe shopping on the Internet so you really have nothing to lose.

If you have a lot of credit card debt what should you do?

Debt consolidation is one way you can get yourself out of debt. If you have credit card debt and the bills are just piling up and you don't know what to do, debt consolidation is a way to get yourself out a debt. You make one low monthly payment a month which in turn is disbursed to you creditors. You can get yourself out a debt faster than trying to do it yourself.


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Credit Cards - Engines in a Crisis of Credit

I remember speaking to a financial counselor friend of mine who said she actually tells her clients that credit cards are "evil". When you consider the nefarious ways that credit card companies (banks) find ways to take your money and keep you in debt, it's difficult to understand why you would disagree with her.

Before we get into their arcane methods of lending, you should read an article by David Brooks, conservative op-ed writer for the NY Times. In a recent article, he illustrates our current debt/credit crisis in the most lucid and direct terms. He states, "The social norms and institutions that encouraged frugality and spending what you earn have been undermined. The institutions that encourage debt and living for the moment have been strengthened. The country's moral guardians are forever looking for decadence out of Hollywood and reality TV. But the most rampant decadence today is financial decadence, the trampling of decent norms about how to use and harness money."

There is an assault on your purchasing power. Corporate suppliers of goods and services ( gas, heating oil, electricity, food) are out to maximize their "market share" of your dollar. Credit card companies are the first line of this assault. When the Bush administration signed the bankruptcy legislation of 2005, it restructured and downgraded bankruptcy protection for the middle class into a windfall for credit card companies and banks.

Consumers often use credit cards out of desperation. Low salaries and job loss due to layoffs(downsizing) coupled with high costs of gasoline, heating oil , food, electricity, health care and health insurance have increased consumer debt to record increases just in the past 3 years.

CC companies are in business to ensnare and keep the consumer in debt and there is not enough room in this article to point out all of the many arcane details. Instead, we'll offer some basics.

The most important issue and the crux of the whole crisis, don't use a credit card for a purchase if at all you can go without the item or if you can pay in cash now or later. In other words, don't use them unless you absolutely have to.

CC bills come to your mail with less than 3 weeks to mail back a payment. If you miss that date you are charged $29-39 in late fees which generate an approximate 250-300% return for the cc company and billions in income for the cc companies. There is no postmark on the envelopes so you have no idea when it leaves their office. In the short time you have to mail payment you have to take into consideration US post office time for delivery. Most middle class workers are paid every 2 weeks. Most bills are paid once a month. CC bills fall somewhere in between every month. This works out perfectly for the generation of late fees.

CC rates are usurious by any legal definition of usury in any state in this country; 6% to 16% in most states yet in 1980 federal legislation was passed that allowed cc companies to ignore state usury laws. Why? Now rates are 28-36%. Loan sharks were jailed for similar rates back in the day.

If you have to use them do so wisely. Otherwise, you could end up like so many consumers, awash in ever rising credit card debt. Is it any wonder that the Fed in 2000 reported a 0% consumer savings rate; the lowest since the Great Depression.


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Is the Wall Street Bailout Affecting Credit Card Applications?

Americans have never been so in sync with the American economy. In fact, as a nation, we have never been as educated as to how our economy works, our place in the global economy and how changes to within our country's lending institutions affect us, on a personal level. As this isn't an economics lesson, I won't bore or condescend you with the same information that has been drilled into your head for the past week and a half. What I'd for you to take from this article is the real time, real life impact that a fiscal meltdown will have on you and your personal, day to day finances. At the heart of your potential fiscal woes may very well be the inability to use your credit cards or obtain new ones or even extend credit. As things trickle down, banks are coming up with less and less money to offer out for credit; that immediately translates to less available credit card offers. While it's not clear that you'll get less of them in the mail this week, the approval process is a door that may be swinging one way for a while. In terms of risk, lenders are extremely afraid of taking new risk on to add to their current risk portfolios. In fact, there has even been talk of acquiring banks eliminating the available credit for existing customers. As this is just rumor at this point, this is a very real possibility that banks can enact. It's simple, if you multiplied the number of customers that an acquiring bank has by the available balances on their credit cards, you will have one hell of a risk for that lending institution. With a slow economy, high unemployment and winter as well as the holidays coming, the possibility that banks will incur more bad debt without even welcoming any new debt, is a reality.

The chances that we'll ever see a creditless society are seemingly non-existent; however, as credit tightens up, the available credit that individuals have at their disposal becomes less. This credit becomes redistributed as credit Americans begin to use credit for everyday needs and even to pay bills, versus convenience and luxury items. Merchants, especially ecommerce merchants will suffer in a slow market like this, as items purchased online tend to be more a want and less need based. To combat this type of thing from happening, the ecommerce and more specifically credit card processing industry has acted as they have acted before when there has been a fear of increases in government regulations or a change in policy, as well as an ever changing economic landscape. Lately, moves offshore to international lenders have proven to be successful, profitable and secure for merchants. Those are three words that came if only at a steep price to those same merchants by doing business domestically. For processors and merchant service providers, the ability to source the cheapest, safest and simplest transaction processing for their clients is an entire industry in itself. As we move forward, as our economy transitions into whatever it will be and as new challenges arise, for business owners and credit card holders, the ability to process monetary transactions electronically is an capability that we cannot afford to lose.


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