Best Secured Credit Cards - Looking at the Types

Do you need a card but cannot get approved because of bad credit or because no credit history? You have good news. It is possible to get a credit card regardless of your credit history. There are cards available from various banks and other card companies for people with less than perfect credit.

If you are having difficulty receiving a card or have been granted in the past because of your bad credit, you need not worry as there are a number of card companies who offer good credit cards to people with poor credit history, bad rating, or people with no previous credit history at all.

So if you have a history of defaults of previous bank loans or previous cards, arrears, CCJs, or bankruptcy, there are credit card providers who offer you the chance to rebuild your rating while you enjoy the convenience of using a credit card.

There are cards available to help build, rebuild, or re-establish your credit if you make on time payments with all of your creditors and maintain your account balances below the limits.

Even if you have bad credit due to not maintaining your previous card properly, or no credit history at all, there are still many companies that offer credit cards to choose from. Having credit cards not only gives you the convenient access to cash and credit, it also helps you build a history and re-establish a good credit.

There are two main types of credit cards available for people with bad credit or no credit history.

1. Unsecured cards that functions in the same way as a standard credit card, except that the credit line or credit limit will be lower and the fees or the charges higher.

2. Secured credit cards are cards that are backed by a deposit you make into a bank account, which serves as security for the card that is provided to you.

When you compare these cards, keep in mind that the best credit card offers require a good credit rating from you, so you might begin with a near to the ground credit limit, additional severe terms, and higher fees. But you can rest assured, that as long as you make your payments on time, your credit limit and the conditions will progressively get better over time.

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What You Didn't Know About Owning a Credit Card

If you were to ask yourself how many credit cards you have in your purse or wallet, the chances are it's more than one. As a nation, there is a staggering 67 million credit cards owned by consumers; on average that's 2.4 cards each.

Credit cards have in fact been around for more than 40 years, but it was only in the 1990s that the market became much more competitive. Although, in recent times a colossal amount of different cards have become available; at times the choice can sometimes seem a little mind-boggling.

However, card companies have worked out that a good way to keep customers and that is to reward points. And, the good news is that points mean potentially, money off your bills! So, how can you make sure that using your card gives you the right rewards?

It is important to understand that if you pay your credit card bill off in full - which around two thirds of card holders do - you're in a win-win situation. This means that all you have to do is work out which reward scheme will be the best for you and then use that specific card for your purchases. Furthermore, some cards combine a loyalty scheme with 0% interest on purchases or balance transfers or both; however you will normally only earn loyalty points on money you spend, not on money you transfer from another card.

This then leads to the question of how quickly will your points grow. Well, not all card loyalty schemes reward users at the same rate, therefore try and find one that will give you the maximum reward on purchases you would normally make anyway. And, if you have to spend money on items you wouldn't normally buy, you'll end up worse, not better off.

But, it is also useful to know that some cards may in fact, double the number of points you earn for the first few months after you sign up, as a bonus.

It is often advised that before signing up to any new deal, that you should always check the small print. Don't be dazzled by the loyalty scheme and ignore the rest of the deal; not all cards are as generous as each other when it comes to the length of the interest-free period. You can get up to 56 days interest-free if you pay your balance on time and in full, but a number of credit cards give you significantly less; in fact, 46 days is not considered that unusual.

In addition, many cards do not charge an annual fee, but some do. Therefore, be very careful about signing up to one that imposes a fee, as it could cancel out the benefits of the reward.

It is also good to know that one of the advantages of paying for your goods by credit card is the fact that you get more protection than if you used cash, a debit card or a charge card. And, if the goods you buy are faulty or if they don't arrive at all, you should first of all try and get a refund or replacement from the supplier. If that fails, you can apply to the credit card company itself. The only restriction is that goods have to cost more than £100 and less than £30,000, although you don't have to pay for them in full with your credit card, as a deposit will be enough.

Indeed, there are benefits to owning a credit card; the most difficult side to it is learning how to use it to good effect, and without unnecessarily going out of pocket.

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Are You Thinking About a Credit Card Balance Transfer?

There are a number of different credit cards available on the market. For many of these we receive offers in the mail. If you are looking for a credit card and you receive one of these offers, it will benefit you to carefully read over the documentation, because you will want to ensure that you get the best possible deal. Some cards even have the option of balance transfer rates, which is something that you can use.

These credit card balance transfer rates may be of benefit to you financially. You may already have a card that has high interest rates and so being able to transfer the amount owing from that card to one with a lower interest rate will save you a good deal of money and time repaying.

Be careful when you do this though that there are no hidden fees and charges. Remember, you are looking to reduce the amount you are paying, so carefully calculate any differences in payments before you take up an offer. If you are really serious about reducing your payments and saving money, this is a way to do so, providing you are careful.

It is possible to obtain a credit card balance transfer offer by either going online and following the guidelines or, if this does not provide the service you require, you should call the customer service department. In doing so, you may be able to obtain an even better rate, saving more money.

Providing your bill is paid on time, it is possible to maintain a low balance transfer rate. It is important to do this if you wish to pay the balance off on time. You should ensure that the rules and regulations of the balance transfer are strictly adhered to in order to gain the most savings.

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Best Credit Card After Bankruptcy

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Benefit of Gas Station Credit Cards

If you are a constant traveler and you love driving your car and being on the road, then you should really consider getting a gas station credit card. Gas is a necessity for frequent cross country travelers and in order to outweigh the drastic effect of continuous increase in gas prices, road travelers should avail of gas credit cards.

Gas credit cards allow its card holders to save some money for every fuel fill. Usually, these cards allow the card holder to have 3% or 5% cash back for their fuel expenses. Moreover, each time you purchase gas, you will also earn reward points which you can then present to gas stations in exchange for incentives, discounts, and more. If you reach a certain "quota" provided by the credit card company, you can even request for your rebate in the form of cash checks.

Getting yourself your very own gas credit card will not only allow you to save some money through rebates and discounts. It can also help you keep track of your gas expenses. Such can be highly important for someone who is in a tight budget, and for businesses that needs to manage their business expenses tightly. Gas station credit cards are also perfect in times of emergencies when you are traveling far from home and then you suddenly find yourself at the brink of temporary bankruptcy. Having a gas credit card in your pocket will provide with the security that you need if you are always on the road.

The Benefits of having the top Gas credit cards

Discover Open Road

This gas credit card pays its cardholders 5% rebate out of their total gas expenses. In addition to gas cash rebates, the user will also receive 5% cash backs from automotive expenditures and 1% on all the other purchases that is made using the card. If you are a frequent purchaser of automotive parts, then this card is right for you.

Chase BP Visa® Card

This card provides a 5% rebate for your expenses on BP gas, 2% on restaurant and travel expenses ( flight expenses, hotel accommodations, car rentals, and more), and 1% on general purchases. Moreover, if you avail of the special limited offer of this card, you can get your rewards at twice the rate for the first two months of card use.

Chase Freedom(SM) Credit Card

This gas credit card offers its cardholders with 3% cash back on gas, utility, and restaurant expenses. In addition to that, you will get 1% back from your other expenses made through the card. Moreover, if you apply for this card during its promo period, you can get $50 off on your second purchase.

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Kids and Credit Cards - It Can Work

When you think of the idea of your child having credit cards, it may scare you more than anything else. You think about all the stores of kids getting cards and getting into deep debt and think that last thing you need is to have to bail your child out of debt while also dealing with your own financial life.

This may be exactly the reason you should consider getting your child a credit card now.

Credit cards are not bad. It's how people use them. Unfortunately, many people don't have any training on how to properly use credit cards and end up charging and charging until they have gotten themselves into a world of debt.

As a parent, you can stop this from happening to your child.

Many parents don't let their child get their first credit card until they are going to college. That means the teen is learning how to use a credit card on their own. This is a recipe for disaster. Instead, it would be better if you were to get them a credit card while they are still at home and teach them how to use it responsibly, and be right there to make sure they are.

Many people are starting even younger with kids and credit cards, as young as 10 years old. In these cases, they are starting their children with pre-paid credit cards. Instead of giving the kids cash allowances, they give them a pre-paid credit card that is charged weekly with the child's allowance.

Then use that card to teach the child responsible use of the card so they never try to charge more than they have on the card.

When this type of message is started at a young age, children get into the habit of using credit cards responsibly.

As your child gets older you can move them into real credit cards, with low limits. A credit card with a balance of $200 or less could let them understand how to charge, keep within their limits and learn how to make sure they have enough to pay the balance at the end of the month.

It is important that you hold strong if your child screws up. Most kids will make at least one mistake of charging more than they make back in a month. Don't bail them out. Tell your child they will lose out on whatever they had planned on doing until they can earn enough to pay down their debt and stick to it. After a couple of tough lessons, they will learn how to keep their finances balanced. This is a message that will help them out for years to come.

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Poor Credit? Bad Credit? I Still Need a Credit Card!

In many instances, through no fault of our own, we get a less than perfect credit rating. We can lose our jobs, have lay offs, have an unexpected medical emergency and find ourselves in a tight spot. These situations and numerous more are common to so many today. Do not give up! Any one can recover and get a good credit rating. There are many credit cards that can help you recover a good credit rating. Here are a few tips on how to achieve that goal.

1. When applying for a card read the fine print.

2. Check the annual fee. Some cards have a fee and some do not. Compare offers and try to get a card with no fee.

3. The APR can sneak up and bite you. This is the interest charged so be aware of what will happen if you carry a balance.

4. Use discipline when using your card. Charge items that you will pay for in your regular budget. Then pay it off at the end of the month. Remember, your goal is to reestablish your credit. According to the credit bureaus this on time payment is very important.

5. Secured cards are a good option. These cards are secured by a deposit made by the card holder into an account specifically for that card. These cards are also great for first time card holders with no credit or students.

6. Some cards have maximum limits. Some as low as $200, Rebuilding your credit will take some time so be patient.

7. Be sure to check the annual fee charges. If your maximum limit is only $200 and your annual fee is $100 it may not make good sense to apply for that card.

There are many offers to choose from but be aware of the fine print. Use common sense to make decisions about your choices. Be a disciplined purchaser and use the opportunity for your benefit.

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Review of Business Credit Cards

Just like personal credit cards, there are various companies that also offer business credit cards. This niche of the card market is considered to be more lucrative in the eyes of credit and finance companies, since business owners have lower risk of not paying their debts compared to personal accounts. Because of the vast number of choices, it can be pretty hard to pick one. So, here is a review of business credit cards to help you narrow down your choices.

Chase Business Rebate Card

This Visa powered card is considered to be the most popular in the cash-back category of business credit cards. It is recommended for people who have really good FICO scores and are looking to merge business related expenses in one credit card.

The program lets members earn a maximum of 3% back from all business purchases. The good thing here is that there is no annual fee. You are entitled to get 3% cash back with your purchases from any of the following:

• Restaurants
  
• Gas stations


• Office supply stores


• Building supply stores


• Home improvement centers


• Hardware stores

Furthermore, you get to have a 1% rebate for other purchases which weren't mentioned above. Other benefits include:

• Purchase protection plan


• Auto rental insurance


• Travel accident insurance

This can benefit you if you're the type who could pay in full every month even after the expiration of the introductory rate. This is also suited for those who plan to take advantage of the card's reward program.

Starwood Preferred Guest Card

This is considered to be the most popular in the business reward card category. If you are traveling quite often to various destinations and countries, this would be the card for you due to its hotel reward system. You can get more savings along with bonuses out of your expenses and business trips. You also instantly get 10,000 Starpoints on the very first time that you use your card. These points are equivalent to a 3 nights hotel stay. Starwood has a 14.99% APR only but they also have a super low introductory APR that is good for 6 months, which only charges 2.9%.

Capital One Platinum

This card reigns in the category of being the best card that you can build your credit history with. It is highly recommended for those that have fair credit. This is recommended for people that are searching for a business credit card to improve their credit profile. They have 0% APR until October 2009 and they do not charge any annual fees and you can have a year-end summary report for free!

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How to Apply For the Best Balance Transfer Credit Card Offers

The best balance transfer credit card offers are the ones that give you the greatest financial benefit. Basically, this means those with the longest interest free periods, the lowest balance transfer fees, the lowest ongoing fees and charges and the lowest standard interest rates (charged monthly once the introductory period is over) will save you the most money.

The higher your current credit card debt, the more credit cards you have and the higher your current interest rates, the more you stand to gain by transferring your balances to a zero rate introductory offer. Some people save hundreds of dollars a month during their introductory period.

This means that the best balance transfer credit card offers can make a huge difference to your quality of living, both in the short term and in the long term. By transferring your credit card balances to an introductory offer card, you will immediately increase your monthly disposable income and take pressure off the family budget. If you are struggling financially, you can be easily tempted to use all your savings for living expenses and hope things get better before you have to start paying interest. However, life tends not to work that way and if you don't deal with problems, they generally get worse.

You will gain the most long term benefit from the best balance transfer credit card offers if you use part of your monthly interest savings for living expenses and part to pay down your credit card debt. It is important to remember that your interest free period will come to an end and you will once more have to pay interest on your balance. The lower your balance, the lower your payments will be. Balance transfers can provide an opportunity to reduce your credit card balance and move towards becoming debt free. The longer you can benefit from your interest free period the more you can reduce your debt, so try to find the longest zero rate card possible.

The easiest way to find the best balance transfer credit card offers is to use a credit card comparison website. These sites reduce the amount of research time required to trawl through the various offers marketed online by having done this initial work for you. They choose the best offers and put them on their site for you to choose from. Furthermore, they make this choice easy by providing detailed comparisons between the cards. These websites can also be a goldmine of excellent information on personal finance and debt reduction. They even make applying easy by providing online application forms often with the promise of fast conditional approvals.

When the best balance transfer credit card offers are used to restructure your finances and provide a foundation for financial stability and improved financial position, they offer benefits far beyond the initial interest free period. It is an interesting idea that the very product that may have gotten you into trouble in the first place, could well be the one to get you out of it.

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Free Credit Report - No Credit Card

Making sure that you have your credit report in order is absolutely vital in terms of being able to get the best deal on any type of financial product. The first step om the road is inevitably getting a copy of your report to see where you currently stand.

There are any number of places that will offer you a free credit report but you have to be careful with some of them. There has been an explosion in the last few years on the Internet of sites that will offer you a free credit report but you have to be careful as not all of them are 100% reputable.

Doing a little background research is the way to go. Fortunately the Internet is also a great place to do this research.

Once the time has arrived to look into what's available in this specific part of the financial industry, it's extremely important to bear in mind that quite a lot of the information that you will come across will almost certainly have originally emanated from a commercial business interests and with this as part of the process, it's fairly obvious why it is centrally important to cross-reference your information across more than one site.

By cross-checking in this fashion with more than one source you give yourself a great opportunity of being in possession of reliable data that can help you when it is necessary to decide on what the next step should be. I do not wish to give the wrong impression as most of the companies that operate online are completely reputable but that said, it's no harm to be on the safe side.

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Apply For Credit Cards Online - Credit Card Applications

The internet has changed the way the world does business. Everything is faster and is becoming much more efficient. Even the way a person can apply for credit cards is faster and more efficient thanks to online applications. If you choose to apply for a credit card online, you can get an instant approval in a matter of seconds. Don't spend days waiting to hear back from companies by phone or mail. Go online and see how easy it is for you to submit a completed application with just a few personal facts filled in. These credit sites are all secure, and your information will be private from start to finish.

Being approved for a new credit card offer can greatly enhance your life and help you with your family purchases and budget needs. In times of emergency, having access to a credit card is necessary and you can get your card in just minutes if you apply quickly.

There are some online sites that are now able to give you access to all of the major card holding companies and let you view all of the cards they offer. These are top name cards, and you can find some of the very best interest rates on the market by shopping for your credit card online. By having access to many cards at once you are able to compare credit cards for rates and other features.

With some online credit cards you will find special member benefits that are only offered if you apply online. You should always pay special attention to any of the card holder and member package plans. These are always free and come with the credit cards but they contain some offers that can save you money when dining out, reserving hotel rooms or even planning trips.

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Which Credit Cards Will You Qualify For in Today's Economy?

Have you ever wondered, "What is the best credit card I can qualify for with my credit level"? If so, this article is for you; if you have spectacular credit, not so much. Today's economic conditions have resulted in credit scores dropping across the board in America. We are carrying more debt, paying our bills slower, and sometimes missing a payment in order to fill up the gas tank to get to work.  For this reason, a lot of consumers are applying for credit cards to help them cope with the recession.

Obviously, we all want to qualify for the very best credit card that's available. The problem is finding the very best card you qualify for, without getting turned down. Most credit card retailers, like us, have credit cards sectioned off by credit level, but you're still faced with the challenge of picking the right credit section. In hopes of helping our visitors get the very best credit card they qualify for, we have assembled a general description of each credit level and an estimated interest rate range.

1 ) Excellent Credit:  4% - 14%

Character - You should have or had a loan or credit card reference on your credit bureau for the last 5 years consecutively.

Capacity - You should have or had demonstrated your ability to successively manage a credit card that has at least a 10,000 credit limit. You should be able to demonstrate/prove that you have the assets and income that supports a credit card with a high credit limit.

Credit - You must not be nor have ever been over 60 days late on any bill and never have declared bankruptcy.

2 ) Good Credit:  7% - 18%

Character -You should have or have had a loan or credit card with a reasonable credit limit for at least 3 years consecutively.  

Capacity - You should be able prove your ability to manage a credit card with at least a $5,000 limit presently or in the past. Your income and job must be reasonably sufficient for the credit card limit you are applying for.

Credit - You must not have been over 60 days late on any bill, loan or credit card in the last year; bankruptcies should be discharged for two years or longer.

3 )Fair/Average Credit:  10% - 21%

Character - You must have or have had a loan or credit card in the past that you have had a reasonably good payment history with.

Capacity - Your job/income source must be within reason of your stated income on the application. Your job time and length of residence will be a factor in our decision.  

Credit - You may have been late on one or more credit card(s), medical bills, or loan payments in the last 6 months.

4) Poor Credit: 18% - 25%

Character - You must have or have had a loan or credit card in the past.

Capacity - Your job/income source must be within reason of your stated income on the application. Your job time and length of residence will heavily factor in your decision and interest rate.

Credit - You may be late on one or more credit cards, medical bills, or loan payments.

5) Limited Credit: - 12% - 21%

Character - This card is for new students, those people new to the country, or a young person with a job and a high school diploma.

Capacity - Your job, income source or school enrollment must be verified.

Credit - You must register at least one credit score on any of the three credit bureaus. This card is not for people who have bad credit.

Keep in mind, these descriptions are just estimates that are derived from our approval experiences. Each credit card issuer has their own guidelines to approve their applicants. However, we have noticed that the credit card issuers are focusing less on credit scores and more heavily on the capacity and character of the applicant. So, if you have a low credit score but you meet the guidelines for "good credit", we urge our visitors to apply for the better cards in that category.

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Low Interest Credit Cards - Taking Advantage

You have worked very hard for money and now you would like to enjoy using it. Thus why to waste your spending control on the high interest expenditure while there are lots of low interest cards available that will help you get most from your hard earn money? The low rate credit cards present various options that include immediate approval, balance transfer, fixed rate interest, as well as some of best credit card charge around - in lots of cases 0 % APR! The low or else no annual fee options make the low interest cards reasonable to anyone, which includes students, families & seniors on fixed budget.

Now let us look at what this low interest cards will be able to do for you:

Savings: The low interest cards will save money in numerous ways. Most clear saving is in low interest annual percentage rate APR. Unless you are paying balance in every month, and you pay your interest on outstanding balance. Lower the interest rate, less you will have to pay. You can also compound the savings using balance transfer choices that are offered by majority of the credit car companies while you open new account. In order to take benefit of savings, you just need to move high interest credit balances to new lower rate credit account. And some companies presenting amazing deals like 0 % intro annual percentage rate for 6 months or further more, you can save 30 % on interest payments. The low rate interest is as well important thought if you plan to utilize credit card for the cash advances. Not like normal credit purchases that can have grace period of some weeks, interest on cash advance generally stars to accumulate immediately. You would like to have this rate as low as achievable.

Stability: Lots of low interest cards offer some fixed rate interest for fixed period of time, along with your contract. If rate changes, Credit Card Company will inform you of change also you are given the chance to accept & continue credit contract, or else to decline & terminate the account. As low fixed rate credit cards are perfect for anybody on budget who wants to accurately forecast their monthly spending. Consistent interest rate permits you to spend self-assuredly, without any need to worry about the interest rate fluctuations every month.

Build credit rating: Now going through credit card application & approval procedure is great way to begin building personal credit scoring. The low interest credit card is just perfect for this particular task since you can utilize it to set up a pattern of purchasing on credit & making the payments on time. Also if you pay off this balance in each month, then that is great. However if you are like other people & you need to carry balance, you will not required paying extra with low interest rate card. By building credit rating in simple, and low- risk way, you will make it very easy to secure your future credit and loans for the big ticket items like vehicle or else home mortgage.

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