Tag Archives: credit card

Low Interest Rate Credit Cards: Telling the Good from the Bad

January 23, 2020   Home Mortgage

There are several credit card companies that offer low interest rate credit cards. However, along with low interest rates, the best credit cards offer combinations that include low interest rate on balance transfers and purchases, 0% introductory APR for a fixed period of time, low or no annual fees, cash back percentages that vary from 1% to 5%, reward programs, and/or reduced cash advance fees. A good low interest credit card strives to keep the user’s cost of borrowing as low as possible. If a low rate credit card assesses a hefty transaction fee, it offsets any benefits that may have otherwise accrued to a cardholder.

The credit rating of an applicant is taken into consideration for deciding the time period of the introductory APR of 0% and the balance that it will be applicable to. People with excellent credit rating can avail the lowest interest rates that a company offers. The cash backs can be had at places such as supermarkets, drugstores, and gas stations.

It is useful to compare the fixed/variable interest rates applicable with the various credit cards after the introductory period. Fixed interest rate credit cards often offer better value to the users. Factors such as the length of the grace period, late fees, etc. should be compared for low interest rate credit cards. There are several online resources that offer detailed comparisons and reviews of low interest credit cards. These should be referred to get an idea regarding the type of low interest credit card best suited to an individual’s requirements.

A good low interest credit card from a reputed credit card company is universally accepted. Low interest credit card offers from companies such as Discover, Chase, HSBC, First Premier, and similar companies are considered to be among the best.

An important aspect to be aware of is that the simple interest rate advertised may not be the effective interest rate. The effective interest rate is a compounded interest rate inclusive of annual fees, if any. Also, it is important to ensure that the low rate of interest is not liable to change any time soon. In order to avoid signing up for a credit card that is not really a low interest credit card, it is best to read the fine print carefully and ask questions before submitting the signed application.

Switching to a low interest credit card can help save hundreds of dollars for individuals who are in the habit of carrying a balance each month. Credit cards that offer a 0% interest rate on balance transfers offer an excellent opportunity for settling credit card debt without having to pay interest on it.

An important indication of a genuine low interest credit card is that it will not charge any superfluous fees such as enrollment fees from applicants with perfect credit; such fees are usually reserved for high-risk applicants with bad credit.

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Rebuilding Your Life After Bankruptcy; Don't Cave To Holiday Pressures! (Page 1 of 3)

January 20, 2020   Home Mortgage

There’s something about shopping during the holidays as I watch consumers being attacked by exuberant cashiers pushing their store’s credit card that gets me concerned for those trying to build a solid life after bankruptcy.

These clerks seem to be unaware of how careful individuals have been all year to build their life after bankruptcy; by watching what they spend, and how easy it is to go over budget. Offering a ¡°credit rebuilder¡± a new card is like offering a recovering chocoholic a gooey double-fudge brownie supreme.

The holidays bring about mixed feelings among my clients: joy, anxiety, fear, sadness¡­.not any of it relating to the reason for the season.

Rebuilding your credit and creating the life after bankruptcy that you desire is a difficult tightrope balance between moving forward with your life and not ruining the upward progress of your credit score.

Holidays mean gift-giving gatherings with sometimes hundreds of people, if you total them all up. Pressure rises when the office party committee asks us to pitch in for gifts for management.

Your head starts spinning when you think about how your extended family has grown and how they will all exchange presents Christmas Eve at your house this year. You finally feel the wind knocked out of your sails when the cashier tells you that you can save up to 25% on your purchase if you apply for their wonderful store credit card.

Just remember and keep this thought at the front of your mind…creating the desirable life after bankruptcy is the objective, not the savings of 25% that is surely to be out of our original budget anyway.

As someone who has recently discharged a bankruptcy and is trying to rebuild life after bankruptcy as well as create a high credit rating, should you respond to such a sweet, seductive offer? (Twenty-five percent off purchases, after all, would give you the extra money to buy Aunt Millie that deluxe food steamer!)

But here’s what I teach as a financial counselor from Credit Is Key: though it is much easier said than done, do NOT apply for any credit cards during the holiday crunch.

Every financial move should be the result of planning and preparation for your life after bankruptcy – not suddenly caving in to pacify the salesclerk – or Aunt Millie. If you say ¡°yes,¡± then the store will make an inquiry on your credit.

Did you know that even a couple inquiries will actually hurt your credit?

Rebuilding your life after bankruptcy requires inner strength. A strength you have been nurturing and growing since your discharge. A strength that is given a boost by having a specific goal in mind and a planned strategy in place; building a wonderful credit rating to enjoy your life after bankruptcy. Help yourself! Instead of falling into the ¡°get-a-credit- card-and-reduce-your-spending¡± trap, try these ideas for holiday savings — without inquiries or damaging rejections. Always remember the objective…improve your life after bankruptcy by improving your credit rating!

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