Tag Archives: annual percentage

What Is a 0 APR Credit Card?

It’s like the search for the Holy Grail. Before the days of King Arthur and the roundtable of Camelot, people have hunted for this holy relic and its promise of eternal life. Just the same, consumers the world over have searched for their lives for the holy grail of the credit card world: a card with 0 annual percentage rates, or no interest at all. Such a card could provide eternal shopping, and a life without fear of debt.

The reality of the situation, however, may be slightly different. Don’t get us wrong. A card with 0 annual percentage rate is a beautiful thing. It allows you to carry debt on the card without fear of swamping your finances with interest payments. On the other hand, the 0 annual percentage rate is not a free ride to spend to excess. After all, most of these 0 annual percentage rate, or 0 APR cards, have a time limit. The carriage, so to speak, eventually turns back into the pumpkin, and then you could be left holding the bag with a maxed out credit card and a new APR of, say, 22 percent.

So, what exactly is a 0 APR credit card? Is it such a great deal anymore, or should you not chase after the holy grail? It depends, as with any great decision. If you plan to be making a lot of heavy purchases soon—such as to decorate a new house—you may want to find yourself a 0 APR card, but do so with the understanding that you must be able to pay that baby off when the 0 annual percentage rate special wears off.

Don’t just jump at any 0 annual percentage rate card, though. There are always other considerations to make when you’re on the market for a new credit card. For instance, how widely is the new card going to be accepted. If you travel a lot, this is important to know. MasterCard and Visa are the two most widely accepted brands of cards on the market, with 17 million and 16.2 million locations respectively.

And of course, every credit card now has a rewards program. What sort of rewards programs would suit you best—one that involves cash back and discounts on every purchase, or would you rather earn points toward travel and other prizes? Plus, no matter what the rewards are, compare the ratio of earned points to dollars spent. The higher this ration, the better the rewards program is, no matter what the rewards are.

Lastly, check the fees on these 0 APR cards. Is there an annual fee, a cash transfer fee, late fees, stiff penalties, etc.? These also could help you make up your mind about the card.

Procure unsecured loans quickly

People show inclination towards unsecured loans, when they have to borrow a smaller loan amount with a shorter repayment term. For availing an unsecured loan, you need not have to put your home at stake. So, the first and the foremost benefit which you have here is that you can avoid the threat of repossession of your property.

Whether you are a tenant or a homeowner, you can avail unsecured loans for meeting your different needs. The eligibility criteria for availing an unsecured loan is that you need to be above 18 years of age and should be employed. The loan criteria can vary from lender to lender.

An unsecured loan comes with a fixed as well as a variable APR (Annual Percentage Rate). In a fixed interest rate loan, the interest rate would remain the same throughout the loan tenure. On the other hand, with variable interest rates, the rates can go up and down according to the base rates of the Bank of England.

People with poor credit can also seek an unsecured loan, if they meet the specific loan criteria of the lenders. A bad credit history can be anything like defaults, missed payments, County Court Judgments, or bankruptcies. Bad credit unsecured loansnot only helps us in meeting monetary requirements, but can also help us in improving your credit score. Once you have improved your credit score, you can easily avail a loan in the future.

There are various lenders in the UK who provide online loans. You can approach any high-street banks, building societies and private lenders across the UK. Due to the fierce competition among the private lenders, they can offer you a loan on competitive APR (Annual Percentage Rate).

Unsecured loans can be procured fast, as compared to a secured loan type. This is because the valuation of collateral doesn’t take place with unsecured loans. Therefore, the turnaround time in the entire loan processing gets reduced.