World Biz Info
The source of the best business, financial and legal news
web www.worldbizinfo.com
Business Informations

Your Guide On Choosing a Credit Card To Suit You


Reach into your wallet or purse, pull out a card, swipe, and you're done. It is very easy to use a credit card. The problem lies in choosing a card - and it has nothing to do with the picture on the front! Choosing a credit card that works best for you is vital to your credit rating. If you choose incorrectly, you may find yourself in deep debt trouble. Here is some basic, yet extremely important, information that will help you make the right choice.

Your Money Handling Habits

Choosing a credit card that is perfect for one person may be a dismal failure for you because your habits are different. When it comes to choosing your credit card, you need to look very closely and honestly at your habits.

For instance, do you typically carry a balance or do you pay off the card at the end of each month? If you answered "yes" then you will need to shop for:

# A low Annual Percentage Rate (APR). The APR the interest rate you will pay on any outstanding balances each month. The higher the rate, the more you will pay in interest charges.

# A fixed-low rate. This means that they will guarantee that your rate will stay low. Oftentimes, a company will offer a low introductory rate to get you signed up and then increase the rates drastically in 3, 6, or 9 months. The problem with a guaranteed rate is that an annual fee often accompanies it. You will need to decide if the lower interest rate guarantee is worth the cost of the annual fee.

If you will be paying off your card at the end of each month, you will not have to worry as much about a low APR since you will not be using it. And with no need for a guarantee, you may be able to avoid yearly fees. However, you will want to be sure to get a card with a grace period.

# Grace Period: Be careful to get a card that allows you to pay off your bill at the end of the month with no finance charges. Those that don't offer the standard grace period begin charging you interest the moment you make a purchase.

# Cash Advance Fees: Be aware that most cards charge interest, and sometimes at a higher rate, for cash advances and this charge begins with no grace period even if your card offers a grace period for purchases.

You also need to decide how reliable you will be when it comes to paying on time and keeping yourself under the card limit. If you are often late paying your bills or often do not know how much credit you have left, you will want to watch out for transaction fees and other charges. Many card companies charge a late fee and an over-the-limit fee. These can be substantial. Your best bet is to pay on time and keep under the limit, however, finding a card with lower charges is a good idea.

Here is another important question to consider when looking at your money handling habits: Do you use the card rarely, occasionally, regularly, or frequently? Those that use their cards for just about everything instead of using cash or checks will want to look for credit card protection. This way, if you lose your card or it is stolen, you will not be responsible for any purchases made.

Finally, consider the different benefit programs that cards are offering.

# Do you travel? Then consider a card with frequent travel miles as a reward. Or perhaps one that offers traveler's insurance.

# Do you use your card for large purchases like electronics? You may want to consider credit card insurance that will replace your equipment for a specified period of time if it breaks down or gets stolen.

# Are you saving to buy a new car? There are cards that offer new car rebates.

# Do you have a favorite charity? Many cards now support specific charities, universities, and organizations by paying the entity a specific amount with each purchase you make.

What matters most is to find the features that fit your pattern of spending and paying. Don't get fooled by the gimmicks or the advertisements. Know your spending habits, look at the small print, and choose the card that is best for you. With all the different cards available, you will be able to find the right fit for you.

Wesley Atkins is the owner of http://www.credit-cards-advisor.com- which aims to get you fitted with the best credit cards to suit your situation. With numerous credit card articles and easy online credit card applications you will never choose the wrong credit card again.


MORE RESOURCES:

CEP News

Brown Shoe downgraded to 'BB-' on weaker credit metrics - S&P
Forbes, NY - 15 hours ago
Inc.'s corporate credit rating to 'BB-' from 'BB', citing the accelerating decline in top-line sales and the persistent negative same-store sales at the ...
India's foreign credit at sound level: Japan rating agency Economic Times
S&P revises Anadarko outlook to 'Positive' CNNMoney.com
City's Credit Rating Upgraded KGTV, 10News.com
Forbes - Forbes
all 133 news articles


Golden 1, 1st United credit unions to merge
Bizjournals.com, NC - 8 hours ago
The National Credit Union Administration chose Golden 1 to merge with 1st United. “This merger is wonderful news for members of both credit unions,” said ...
How to check the safety of your credit union USA Today
Golden 1 to acquire San Jose credit union Sacramento Bee
all 12 news articles


Analysts weigh credit card impact of Biden VP bid
Reuters - 9 hours ago
By Kevin Drawbaugh DENVER, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Credit card industry analysts are wary of the sector's regulatory outlook if Barack Obama, a harsh critic of ...


CEP News

Sallie Mae says credit facilities have shrunk
Reuters - 21 hours ago
By Dan Wilchins NEW YORK, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Sallie Mae said credit facilities that help fund its loans have shrunk, in a development that could reduce the ...
Moody's to review Sallie Mae's ratings CNNMoney.com
SLM May Face Ratings Cut Wall Street Journal
Sallie Mae Lowers Amount for Private Loans, May Face Downgrade Bloomberg
Business Wire (press release) - CNNMoney.com
all 22 news articles


QCR Holdings, Inc. Announces Gain From the Sale of Merchant Credit ...
MarketWatch - 9 hours ago
announced today that the Company has sold its Merchant Credit Card Acquiring business to Veracity Payment Solutions, Inc. ("Veracity"). ...
TCM Bank Selects Cypress to Automate Credit Card App Process TMCnet
all 8 news articles


No Wall Street Credit Seizure at US Open Grand Client Slam
Bloomberg - 9 hours ago
It's escaping the credit crunch unscathed. The US Tennis Association, organizer of New York's Grand Slam tournament, sold out its 84 luxury suites at an ...


New law allows Arizonans to block credit-files access
Arizona Republic, AZ - 18 hours ago
29, 2008 12:00 AM On Sunday, a law takes effect letting residents freeze their credit files to prevent personal information from being used in fraudulent ...
Some States Making It Easier for Consumers to Protect Credit Files ... Kansas City infoZine
all 3 news articles


BioFuel shares soar; operating units get liquidity from amended ...
Forbes, NY - 6 hours ago
NEW YORK (Thomson Financial) - Shares of BioFuel Energy soared Friday after the company said its operating subsidiaries amended their credit agreement to ...


Franco-Nevada: The 'smart way' to make money in a credit crunch
Globe and Mail, Canada - 14 hours ago
You have to turn a lot of rocks to find a company that might benefit from a credit crunch and a tight-fisted equity market. Might Franco-Nevada be one? ...


Google extends Apps Premier credit for Gmail outage
Computerworld, MA - 6 hours ago
By Juan Carlos Perez August 29, 2008 (IDG News Service) After the three outages that Gmail suffered earlier this month, Google Inc. will extend a credit to ...

credit - Google News

home | site map
© 2006
web www.worldbizinfo.com