credit cards

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Compare Credit Cards

Best Cards: Before you get down to the details of choosing a credit card, you need to decide how you will use it. Will you pay it off every month faithfully? Will you usually carry a balance? How you use it will determine how to rate credit cards. We'll look at them separately. If you plan to carry a balance... Probably the biggest issue here is interest rate. Interest rates on credit cards can run hundreds, even thousands of dollars a year. So the lower the interest rate, the less you'll have to pay. Interest paid on credit cards is essentially wasted money. Look for...

Card Expert on May 31, 2010 1

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A Costly Loophole In the Credit CARD Act

Card Insider: The Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act banned many of the industry’s most abusive fees and practices when it went into effect last winter. But there’s a loophole in the new regulations that really bugs us. In the past, credit cards routinely applied payments to that portion of your balance being charged the lowest interest rate. If, for example, you took out a cash advance with a 29.99% interest rate but were charged only 8.99% interest on purchases, the credit card company would apply your payment to the balance with 8.99%. That way, they could keep ...

CreditCardsGuru on April 27, 2010 0

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Should You Cancel Your Credit Card?

Card Insider: People cancel credit cards for lots of reasons. Maybe your cards now come with an annual fee that wasn’t required before. Or maybe your credit limit has been slashed while your interest rate has increased. Whatever your reason, it’s sometimes tempting to get rid of old credit cards by closing your accounts. But is this really the best approach? Here are some factors to consider before you cancel your credit cards. Reasons to Cancel As mentioned above, lots of cardholders have been shocked to find that the terms of their credit cards are significantly worse now than ...

Card Expert on March 4, 2010 0

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Which Debt Should You Pay off First?

Money Saver: If you’ve racked up a lot of debt on your credit cards, you’re not alone. In fact, of the 90 million households in the United States that own at least one credit card, the average debt totals a whopping $10,691, according to CardTrak.com. Many of these households are only paying the minimum payments on their credit cards too. If that sounds like you, here’s some food for thought: If you carry the average credit card debt of $10,691 and only pay the minimum payments each month, it will take you nearly 33 years to pay off your balance completely. Clearly, the minimum payment method ...

CreditCardsGuru on January 27, 2010 0

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Managing Credit Cards For Unemployment

Money Saver: Getting laid off from work is a fear that most Americans share. Sadly, with unemployment statistics growing higher each month, it’s also a scary reality for millions. If you think you might be losing your job, there are some steps you can take to manage your credit cards, avoid high fees, and avoid plunging deeper into debt while you look for a new job. Save Your Money Experts acknowledge that many people scurry to pay off their credit cards when their jobs are in peril. But that’s not the recommended course of action. Instead, put your money into an emergency savin...

Card Expert on January 25, 2010 0

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4 Great Visa Rewards Cards

Rewards Cards: Reward cards are a way for credit card companies to give a little back to their customers. You can take advantage of this by selecting a rewards card that gives you rewards for doing what you do anyway, be it paying for your pet, shopping online, or going out for a night on the town. With that in mind, let’s take a look at four of the best Visa rewards cards available: Pet Rewards Visa This card can be personalized to display a photo of your pet, or the card holder can choose from three stock designs. It’s a good choice for pet owners with feed and veterinary bills. C...

Card Expert on January 22, 2010 1

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How to Make Reward Cards More Rewarding

Rewards Cards: Are you getting the most out of your reward cards? Some card holders play the rewards game like it’s going out of style, even designating certain reward cards for specific types of purchases. They buy gas with one card, groceries with another, and online purchases with still another. And keeping up with the rules of all those cards is enough to give the average card holder a headache! If you don’t have that much time (or patience), you can still reap the benefits of reward cards by following a few simple rules. First, choose a reward card that gives you something you really need. If you...

Card Expert on January 22, 2010 0

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Credit Card – Friend or Foe?

Best Cards: Some might refer to the good ol’ credit card as the Fantastic Plastic. As recent statistics have shown, credit cards in the western world are proving to be anything but fantastic, especially for those who succumb to its use. Debt quickly emerges and strangles the card owner somewhat like a Boa Constrictor strangling its host. Deceptive Plastic Perhaps it would be better referred to as Deceptive Plastic. Many card holders don’t realize what their balance is, on a day to day basis, or just how much interest they are paying on funds not paid in full by the due date. ...

Card Expert on January 22, 2010 0

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How To Evaluate Credit Card Offers

Money Saver: Whether you're looking to expand your available credit, take out your first credit card, or transfer credit card debt to another card, you will no doubt have plenty of credit card offers from which to choose. Some of them will probably provide the kind of financial help you're looking for, while others may make a mess of your credit if you're not careful. Here are some tips for evaluating credit card offers so the card you pick eventually works for you--and not the other way around. Check the interest rate. This is the thing people most typically check when they get a credi...

Card Expert on January 22, 2010 0

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New Credit Card Law

Best Cards: Now that President Barack Obama has signed a federal law to protect millions of consumers who rely on credit cards, we're in a new era of managing credit. The new law contains the most far-reaching changes to the credit card industry in decades. What will the credit card law mean for cardholders? The new normal Credit cards will be more transparent and easier to understand for everyday Americans. Credit cards will become more costly for all users, say issuers and industry analysts, and inaccessible for low-income families. Look for the return of routine annual fees, fewe...

Card Expert on January 20, 2010 0

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Credit Cards Help You Save

Best Cards: Every little bit helps. Except when it doesn't. A number of financial institutions offer reward cards that promise to help you boost your net worth by contributing to your savings accounts, your retirement plans, your college funds or even your mortgage. Each of these cards, however, has traps for the unwary that could undo most or all of the benefits they promise. You should read the fine print of each offer, note how rewards are accrued and refrain from carrying balances; otherwise, any benefit you get from the savings-reward program will be more than wiped out by interest costs. Fu...

Card Expert on January 20, 2010 0

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Reasons to Love Credit Cards

Best Cards: A reader recently mistook me for someone who hated credit cards. He wanted to enlist me in his battle against evil plastic and spread the word that credit cards were the gateway to debt hell. But he picked the wrong woman. I hate credit card debt. But I love credit cards. In just the past few months, credit cards: Helped me resolve an ongoing dispute with a software company. Protected my purchases from theft or damage. Provided two free airplane tickets for a recent family trip. Gave me insurance coverage on a car rental. Knocked 3% to 5% off the cost of some business expens...

Card Expert on January 19, 2010 0

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Credit Card Myths

Card Insider: There's no excuse when you fall for certain myths. The one proclaiming Barack Obama is a Muslim? You could have quashed that one by checking Snopes.com. Bill Gates sharing his fortune with those who forward an e-mail? That's been debunked on About.com's Urban Legends since 1999. But the legends that grow up around credit cards aren't quite as easy for the average person to research and refute. Credit card issuers can be pretty closelipped about their practices, and even those who proclaim themselves experts in the field can get it wrong. So I talked to spokespeople from Visa, MasterCard,...

Card Expert on January 19, 2010 0

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Credit Card Wallet Selection Tips

Best Cards: When you're learning about something new, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the huge amount of relevant information that is available on the internet and other resources. This informative article should help you focus on the central points. If some of the facts and tips about how to find perfect credit card wallet are out-of-date. You could imagine that how it will that affect your actions and decisions. Make sure that you don't let important card wallet information slip by you. Of course, it's impossible to put everything about how to find credit card wallet into just one article. But you can'...

Card Expert on December 25, 2009 1

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Playing With your Credit Cards

Card Insider: Credit cards are just a curse for many people. They make it too easy to buy on a whim when the money isn't there to pay for the purchase. They raise the cost of everything bought by the amount of the interest that will paid over the years. They create debt levels that prevent getting a mortgage to buy a home. I could go on. Credit cards are a blessing for many people. They make it possible to effectively carry large amounts of money safely and easily. They let you rent cars and make reservations for hotels over the phone. They let you buy things online, without ever having to leave the hous...

Card Expert on December 25, 2009 0

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How to Quickly Find the Right Credit Card

Card Insider: If you are looking for a new type of financial product to invest in it's important that you find the right one for you and your personal needs every time. Before signing up to another product from your bank, why not use the Internet as a tool to widen your current knowledge and open your eyes to what else is out there? Whether it's a mortgage or a new credit card that you're looking for, search engines can help to pick up the thread of the subject you're investigating quickly and easily, throwing up hundreds of valuable resources to ensure you get an honest and in-depth view of the credit card...

Card Expert on December 25, 2009 0

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What Consumers Should Do if Their Credit Limits are Cut

Money Saver: Studies done by Consumer Action, a consumer advocacy group, are showing that almost one in five consumers have had limits on their credit cards cut. Almost 20 percent of these customers are showing they have nearly maxed out their cards as a result. Experts are predicting that limiting credit is going to “become severe” in the near future. Meredith Whitney, bank analyst for Oppenheimer and Co., stated that she predicts “card issuers will cut credit lines by $2 trillion-plus over the next 18 months.” Some triggers for limit cutting are consumer’s credit sore falling, late payment...

CreditCardsGuru on December 15, 2009 0

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Learn How to Manage you Credit Cards

Money Saver: Consumers are suffering financially due to the recession and need to know how to manage their credit card, savings and investment accounts. In today’s society, credit cards are a staple. Their convenience and many uses make them one of the easiest ways of purchasing items. Unfortunately, they are also a very easy way to get into financial trouble if consumers are spending more than they earn. Not using or establishing credit can also be detrimental. Most consumers cannot afford big-ticket items like homes, cars and large appliances without the use of credit. Because of the importance of cred...

CreditCardsGuru on December 15, 2009 0

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How to Negotiate with Credit Card Companies

Best Cards: How to negotiate with credit card companies? Consumers may be interested in negotiating with credit card companies for the sake of reducing credit card debt or for reducing the interest charged on the balance that is invariably carried over by the card holders to the ensuing month. Since these scenarios are very different, the willingness of the credit card companies to consider negotiations with the card holder also varies. How to Negotiate with Credit Card Companies to Lower Interest Rates? A customer, who has been regularly paying-off at least the minimum balance on h...

Card Expert on December 14, 2009 0

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Instant Approval Credit Cards for Students

Student Cards: Credit card companies, issuing instant approval credit cards, guarantee the applicant of receiving a response within 60 seconds of completing an online application form. Instant response is made possible since the credit report of the consumer can be accessed by the credit card company in a matter of seconds. An excellent credit rating guarantees the applicant of receiving a positive response. The credit card is usually mailed to the applicant within a week and the consumer is thus given access to an additional line of credit. In case the applicant's credit history is questionable, the credit ...

Card Expert on December 14, 2009 0

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