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Poor Credit Score? Find the Best Bad Credit Card
Having a poor credit rating can seriously limit your choices of credit cards. Most credit card companies are likely to turn down your applications, making things tough for you at a time when you most need a credit card. Fortunately though, thats not the end of it as you have another option of bad credit cards. Naturally, this is a temporary solution until you can get back on your feet. Bad credit cards can also be used to help you improve your credit score, as long as you pay your credit card bills on time, that is. The only drawback to this would obviously be the higher than usual APR interests.
Nevertheless, if you are willing to provide collateral to the credit card company, you may qualify for a secured bad credit card with a lower APR. This way, you can still earn interests on your collateral, and simultaneously enjoy good rates. The downside is, you may be charged other fees such as annual fees or start up fees.
Before you apply for a bad credit card, it is prudent to do your homework first. As bad credit cards are usually offered to those with poor credit ratings, the APR would unlikely be low. Thus, comparing the various offers of bad credit cards out there would be a wise move.
One of the primary factors of consideration includes the upfront fees that credit card companies would charge you. In order to make a wise evaluation, its best that you have a plan to pay off your debt before your interests snowball. Other factors that you can use to help you make a better decision would be to analyze the reward programs that your bad credit card can offer. If you are entitled for retail discounts at specific retail stores when you charge to your bad credit card, this would be even more enticing.
With all these factors to consider, it is clear that you should look around before you apply for a bad credit card. Compare and contrast the various fees and rates of the candidate companies. Only after careful consideration should you take the next move and submit your application.
Variable Versus Fixed Rate Credit Cards
One of the first things you should always look out for in a credit card is the low APR and the low annual fees. Now, it is evident that you cant have the best of both worlds thus youll just have to do with a balance between the two. You can either pay high annual fees year in and year out but save up on interest rates, or you can save on the fees but risk being charged a higher interest. Apparently, the best way out of this is just to clear your outstanding balances each month. However, many of us are not masters of our finances. Lucky for us though, there exists another way to get around the system and that is to obtain cards with variable rates.
Unlike fixed rate credit cards, variable rate credit cards impose APR that fluctuate according to indices such as the Prime rate. The prime rate is dependent on the amount of money that can be borrowed by banks in the United States from the Federal Reserve. Cuts made to these reserves will bring down the rate and thereby affecting the interest rate they charge upon your card. However, great care is taken against the rates falling too low and making the company suffer major losses. Thus, there is usually a floor-rate implemented on these cards. Unfortunately, when prime rates escalate, there are no ceiling-rates to protect card users. Customers have to literally go with the flow if they decide on variable rate credit cards.
On the other hand, it should not be assumed that a fixed rate card will impose APRs that will never change. The term fixed rate here would be better explained as a rate that is stable for a longer period of time as compared to variable rate cards. Companies can merely issue you a 30-day notice in writing and your APR can suddenly jump a percentage or two, with or without your consent. One such example is the introductory low APR promotions that companies use to enlist new credit card users. After 6 to 12 months of 0% APR, card companies can immediately change your fixed rate credit card APR to a figure that is higher than most cards without the introductory 0% APR.