| |
| |
|
Credit Information |
|
|
|
Borrowing on a Credit Card
One of the easiest ways to borrow money of a financial institute is to use a Credit Card, available from all banks, building societies, and other financial organisations. The choices available are enormous, with a wide variety of interest charges, annual charges, loyalty schemes, and bonus points available. However there are two broad areas that you should look at: Annual Interest Rate Firstly if you do not intend to pay off your Credit Card bill at the end of each month, then you should look at the Annual Interest Rate (APR), this rate is typically between 13-17% at the moment, and you should be looking for a card that offers as low an interest rate as possible. You should also bear in mind that you are charged much higher rates of interest than other forms of borrowing money, so if you do not intend to pay of your bills for a long period of time, then you should seriously consider a different form of loan that is less expensive. Extra Benefits On the other hand if you do intend to pay off you credit card bill at the end of each month, then you should be more interested in the loyalty schemes that are on offer. These vary from being awarded points every time you purchase something (these points can than me used to purchased gifts or air miles etc), to simply being given 'Cashback' on everything you buy (typically 0.5%-1% of your purchase). You should also look at the level of service that your card company offers. They are obliged under law to offer certain protection to the consumer, but often they will increase this protection with other guarantees. Some offer extended warranties on electrical goods, extra travel insurance when you are on holiday, accidental damage insurance for any goods you buy, and even free commission on cash withdrawals when abroad. Also some companies charge an annual fee for using their card (especially business credit card accounts), so these fees should be weighed up against the cards benefits. Even if you usually do pay off your credit card bills at the end of each month, when you open a account you may be offered 6 months interest free credit. This is often an excellent way of saving money as you are basically given an interest free loan for 6 months. It is even more useful if you are allowed to transfer some credit card debt from a different company into the interest free offer. However there is a danger of becoming trapped in a bad debit cycle here, transferring your debt from card to card until it is completely unmanageable. The best advice is to make sure you always have enough money in the bank, or in a savings account, to pay off your debt when you are taking advantage of the interest free credit period. That way you benefit from earning interest on your savings in your bank, but as soon as the interest free credit period has expired, you can pay the entire bill off without being stung for high interest charges. So to summarize If you are not paying off your monthly credit card bills, look for a card that offers a low interest rate If you are paying off your monthly credit card bills, looking for additional card benefits Interest free credit periods are good news for saving money, but beware of being caught in a debt spiral Credit Cards are an expensive way of obtaining a loan or borrowing money, and you should investigate other cheaper forms if you intend to borrow money in the medium to long term. Alastair Taylor runs a website that tries to give the consumer the truth about how to save money on Financial matters as well as home improvement. Visit Whatprice to saves yourself time and money.
MORE RESOURCES:
Credit - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
How To Establish Great Credit Building a good credit history is important. If you have no reported credit history, it may take time to establish your first credit account. Understanding the Function of Credit What is Credit?Credit is the backbone and the engine behind the workings of the economy. Credit simply allows individuals and companies to borrow funds in good faith and pay it back over a specified time frame. Credit Card Rates - Negotiating Rates with Your Credit Card Company Ok, let's face it, everybody hates high credit card rates, and they drain hard earned money out of your wallet. As a valued consumer, it is apparent that you learn how to negotiate to get the absolute best rate that you possibly can. Bad Checks, Bounced Checks, & NSF Checks Negotiable instruments like checks and drafts have become an indispensable part of any business transaction today. As a result, it has become increasingly important to safeguard a business against financial losses arising from the receipt of fraudulent or bad checks. Establishing Credit - What You Need To Know Part 1 Establishing credit is one of the most important things you can do in order to add stability to your financial record and dramatically increase your ability to borrow necessary funds in order to purchase a new home, new car or even pay for college expenses. Unfortunately credit has two sides to it that consumers can exploit. 10 Signs You May Need Credit Counseling Debt management programs can be of real help for people that discover they cannot face their debts. At first, they will attempt to solve the situation all by themselves by cutting down on spending and keeping a close eye on accounts. Identity Theft - Who Would Want Mine? With all my bills who would possibly want my credit? Let them steal my identity and pay my bills! Unfortunately, that's not the way it works. Many of us mistakenly believe that identity thieves hit only the wealthy. Dont Trade Your Future for Todays DooDads "Easy Low Down Monthly Payment," "Buy Now Pay Later," "You Deserve the Car Today and We Can Finance It for You," & "Spend Today, 0% APR until Next Year!" We see those statements above every where today, on TV commercials, car dealership, banks and magazines. Those statements have put a lot of people into a financial disaster, because the statements make a lot of people believe that acquiring bad debts is an ok thing to do. How to Improve Your Credit Rating So you got into debt, had problems but you got yourself back on your feet through hard work and sacrifice and how are you rewarded? A Bad Credit Rating.You would be forgiven for thinking thats not fair and why did you bother sorting yourself out if your hands are still tied when it comes to applying for anything financial? There are ways to improve your credit rating and get back on track completely. Bad Credit? No Credit? Yeah, Its a Problem. Many companies use the slogan "Bad Credit? No Credit? No Problem!" The truth is that it is in fact a problem and there is no easy way to correct it. It takes a lot of time and effort to obtain credit when you do not have any and even longer to fix bad credit. What is Credit Counselling? Ever wondered what is Credit Counselling? There are occasions when you might encounter a financial situation that is beyond your scope which is when a session with a credit counsellor could be beneficial.If you're not disciplined enough to create a workable budget and stick to it, can't work out a repayment plan with your creditors, or can't keep track of mounting bills, consider contacting a credit counselling organisation. Do you Know the Benefits of Checking your Credit Report? Do you know why you should check your credit report?Of course you do, because you have undoubtedly experienced one working in your life!No matter where you roam, your credit report follows you through life, updating all aspects of your life: your employment, where you live, your opened credit accounts, your closed accounts, your payment history, and even public records on you.In this country, a good credit history brings you benefits of all kinds--a home mortgage, an apartment lease, an auto loan, or even more credit--with ease. Top 5 Credit Misconceptions We have all heard the rumors?from neighbors, relatives or friends. There are a wide variety of myths floating around about what you should and shouldn't do to improve your credit reports and credit scores. Online, Phone, U.S. Mail or In-Person: Where is Your Credit Card and Personal Identify Safest? Identity theft is the fastest growing crime according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). It occurs when someone takes a piece of your personal information and uses it without your knowledge to commit fraud or theft. Bank Robbery Growing In U.S. Bank robbery has grown to become a huge problem in the United States but I am not talking about people robbing banks. I am talking about banks robbing people. How did a Thief get my Name? Don't be a Victim of Identity Theft How do these people get my name? If you have a credit card, your name is sold to third parties, if you do not want this to happen, you must contact your credit card companies to inform them that you do not want your information sold. Check the privacy notice that comes with your bill. Credit Suicide Few things influence the home buying process more than your credit. I like how Clark Howard refers to the three credit repositories as, "the three screw-ups". Do You Want to Get a New Credit Card at a Great Rate? 1) Do your homework. Applying for and getting approved for a credit card is nothing more than legwork. Beware the Shopping Mall Monster Like me, you've probably been offered a fair old number of these by now.. Credit Cards for Home Business It is wise for you to have a company credit card like a VISA card. How can you find the least expensive bank card for your business? You may decide to use a VISA card from your local bank.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
