Category Archives: Home Mortgage
The Lowdown on the Toys R Us Credit Card
Designed for users equipped with a good credit rating, the Toys R Us Visa Platinum Card offers cardholders great rebates. With a 4% rebate for Toys R Us and Babies “R” Us store purchases plus no annual fee, this card is ideal for parents intending to enjoy great savings, while still getting that toy which their children have been asking for.
Purchases made with the Toys R Us Visa Platinum Card at www.toysrus.com, www.babiesrus.com or anywhere Visa credit cards are accepted receive a 1% rebate for each transaction. When the rebate values reach $10, the cardholder will then be sent certificates that can be used to redeem for products at Toys “R” Us® and Babies “R” Us stores, as well as through their websites. The certificates will expire after one year but the amount of rebates that can be earned is limitless.
Now we get to the dirt. For a Platinum card, the Toys R Us Credit Card doesnt provide any exclusive perks on top of the usual benefits which are also by other cards. The APR is also relatively higher for less qualifying applicants, with the 0% APR intro period dependent on your credit history. The real stinker is the way finance charges are determined, which is the “Two Cycles Average Daily Balance” method which results in higher interest payable than the usual Average Daily Balance configuration.
Nevertheless, this should not be a hindrance to you if you have good payment habits, a great credit score and continue to be financially responsible. With this, the interest tabulation will have minimal effects on your costs of using the Toys R Us Credit Card. Otherwise, it may be better for you to get alternate cards which utilize a better way of tabulating interests.
Overall, the Toys R Us Credit Card would be suitable for you if you plan to make a lot of purchases at Toys “R” Us® and Babies “R” Us® stores in addition to taking advantage of that 4% rebate. Otherwise there may be better Platinum Cards out there for you.
The Lowdown on the Orchard Bank Secured Credit Card
When your credit history is proving to be a hindrance to your financial well-being, perhaps it is time for you to get a secured credit card. One of the cards worth your consideration would be the Orchard Bank MasterCard secured card issued by the HSBC Bank of Nevada.
This card targets customers with poor or limited credit ratings, and aids them towards improving their credit histories. A secured credit card works by requiring the card holder to deposit cash into their credit card account prior to utilization. This way, this credit card prevents its card owners from incurring more debt whilst helping them re-establish their credit history.
An additional advantage unique to this card is that the deposits in the account are paid interests by the bank. In the effort to establish a healthy credit rating, customers must bear in mind that late payments must be avoided, and they have to be aware of the current annual percentage rate for the card as the APR of the Orchard Bank Secured Credit card is based on a variable rate. Although, the regular rate now stands at 15.90%, the actual rate is dependent on the Prime Rate. APRs for cash advances are higher than most cards at 23.40%, with a minimum rate of 19.99%.
Interestingly enough, the annual fees for the Orchard Bank Secured Credit Card is lower than other most unsecured credit cards. Balances above $1000 will only incur fees of $35 whilst card holders who have charged more than their credit limits will only be charged only $29. Also, there are periodic reviews of the credit limit for each account, so regular payments will enable the card holder to obtain higher credit limits and at the same time improving their credit history.
Finally, the Orchard Bank secured credit card also offers a lot of perks not evident in other competing credit cards. These would include Internet services, emergency replacements for stolen cards as well as numerous protection services against fraud and identity theft.