Archive for January, 2011
How many Credit Cards do I need?
Using a credit card has become a very common way for a family to pay for the items it needs and wants. According to CardWeb.com, a firm that tracks the credit industry, the typical American family of four carries about 8,100 in installment debtmost of it in credit cards. At 18% interest, that costs them nearly 1,500 a year or 125 a month they cant spend or save for anything else.
How many credit cards do you currently have?
Make a list of all of your bank cards, travel and entertainment cards, department store cards and gas cards. Are you surprised at how many you actually have?
Now list beside each one, who issued the credit card.
Now list your credit limit next to each credit card.
Now list your credit debt associated with each credit card.
Is your total debt more than 25% of your total credit line? If so, you are using your credit cards more than you should and getting more credit cards is not the answer.
Now list the annual fees associated with each credit card.
Next, list the interest rate next to each credit card.
Now, add up all of the annual fees for all of those credit cards.
Now, for each credit card, multiply the debt on that credit card by the amount of interest rate for that credit card. Then, total that up for all the credit cards.
Add that figure to the total amount of annual fees you are paying on all your credit cards.
That is the amount of money you are paying out each year for the privilege of having all those credit cards.
Jennifer Tarzian, of http:youngparentsmagazine.com says one question that gets asked often is What are the advantages to having credit cards? We hear all about the disadvantages, but what are some reasons why I might want a credit card?
Credit cards can help you build a positive credit history. This can enhance your ability to receive a private student loan, buy a car, rent an apartment, get a job, and buy a house.
Security in emergencies; Im sure you know all about Hurricane Katrina that hit New Orleans and devastated so many families. Most of them were caught unaware and those that could afford to, had to scramble to find hotel accommodations for their families, food, and other necessities. In a disaster like that one, having a credit card would be essential to protecting your family and for your own survival.
Reduced need to carry cash or checks; If you are robbed or just lose your wallet, you cant call and cancel cash. A credit card or even a debit card can help you avoid carrying large amounts of cash, especially when travelling.
Enhanced personal responsibility and independence. For young parents, college students, and others just getting started, having credit cards can help you make ends meet and gives you a sort of independence and even prestige and respectability.
However, only one national card like a “Visa” or a “MasterCard” is necessary to receive these benefits. If the stores where you shop already accept the major credit cards, you do not also need a credit card for their store. This can lead to you spending more than you can afford.
At http:creditcards.youngparentsmagazine.com , Jennifer Tarzian offers help in choosing credit cards, how to reduce credit card debt, how to prevent identity theft, what to do if your credit card is stolen, and a lot more.
She advises young parents to beware of too many offers you get via mail, email, and by phone. Credit card issuers often tempt consumers into carrying more debt than their income justifies. Then, when the customer is drowning in debt — stumbling to make even the minimum payment — they will pile on late fees, jack up interest rates and begin what often becomes a crescendo of collection calls. So be very careful. You only need one or two credit cards if you plan to control how much you owe.
Get Out Of Credit Card Debt
Credit cards seems to be really helpful when you are in emergency and do not have hard cash with you. However, most people do not use credit cards only during emergency, they use it to fulfill their desires which is the main cause that makes them fall into credit card debt.
These times are very stressful and can cause serious financial problems. Here we recommend you some useful tips to eliminate your credit card debt.
1) Create a Budget and stick to it: If it is very difficult for you to control your spending habit and to live in your budget. Therefore it is better for you to prepare a budget for yourself. Try to avoid extra expenditure and stick to your prepared budget. Dont carry your credit card with you, if you cant control your expenses.
2) Restrict yourself to One or Two Cards: Always try not to signup for more than two credit cards. At some super markets this technique might cause you some problem but after all, you will be able to save money.
3) Avoid using the available credit line fully: People think that credit card is a facility, yes to some extent it is correct but you must think that no one will give you this service without any advantage. They add interest and other fees in your account. So avoid using credit carda frequently. Use your credit cards economically and wisely.
4) Spend money within your means. This is easier said than done as we often use the credit cards to simply get some credit. And that credit is something we need as we dont have the means available in any other way.
5) Try to pay more than minimum payment: To recover your credit card debt, try to pay as much as you can. Pay more than the minimum decided payment. In this way you will get rid of your credit card debt very soon. If you stretch the time limit to pay, then you have more interest to pay. By making some extra efforts it will be easier for you to repay the debt.
6) High interest debt should be paid first: We recommend you to pay the high interest debt first. It is better for you to manage all your money to pay high interest loans first and then move to other loans. If you are facing a problem with this option then we will advise you one more option. That is to pay off all of your smaller loans and and then come to larger ones.
7) How to manage money for repayment: If you cant manage money, you can take a personal loan or a loan against your life insurance or loan for credit card consolidation. In this way you get a loan with much lower interest rate and a pay plan that often has a longer payback time.
Take advantage of the possibilities to get help. It is great to have a live person to talk to about this kind of problems. You can find them in your bank and there are also public officials to turn to. A search on the internet will help you find them.
With all these tips we are sure that you will soon get rid of your credit card debt.
Finding The Right Credit Card
I remember the lecture my mother gave me a few weeks before my first day of college. She sat me down and said, “I have something important to tell you.” Right about then is when I rolled my eyes and braced for the, “Young men are the devil’s spawn and should not be trusted,” and the, “You are going to a place where there will be great temptations,” speech. What I got was not really a lecture, but a talk about how it was time to start building my credit.
I really never gave that topic much thought. I always thought that getting a credit card was for grown ups, and Lord knows I didn’t quite feel like a grown up at the time. She told me I should start thinking about applying for a credit card. She also warned me if I did so, she would NOT bail me out if I started charging up the world. That alone scared me. I had a full time job, but what if I couldn’t handle the payments? What if I went temporarily insane, and decided to charge everything I could. It was too much for me, and I told her, I didn’t want to hear any more nonsense about me getting a credit card.
She of course persisted for the next two weeks, and I finally told her that I would look into it. I then asked the million dollar question, “How do I find the one that is best for me?” She blank stared me. Then she blink. Then she shrugged her shoulders and said, “I don’t know, that’s your problem.” Cue the crickets.
So there I was, eighteen in 1992, trying to get a credit card, but not knowing where to start. Luckily on the fist day of classes, I was in the school book store and found an ad for a student credit card. Without giving it much thought, I applied and to this day I still have a card from that company. Was that the best way of going about it? Probably not. I suppose if I did the research I could have found a card with a better interest rate, or a better limit.
Now days, the internet has changed the way people research topics. I’ve found the best way to find a good product is to find a site that helps you compare similar products side by side. Are you interested in credit cards that offer airline rewards? How about credit cards that offer hotel and travel rewards? Maybe you are just looking for the credit card that would be right for your business, or one with low interest rates. There are even credit cards for poor credit.
Some people feel loyal to certain credit card companies, it’s only natural when you’ve had them for so long, but why not see if they can offer you a better card? Your time is precious and getting the best credit card for you is important to your lifestyle.
Finding the Best Airline Miles Credit Cards
Deciding what qualifies a card to be one of the best airline miles credit cards can be difficult. This is because everyone’s needs and lifestyles are different, giving them a different idea of what qualities to look for in airline credit cards. Therefore, it requires taking a close look at yourself, your spending habits, and your traveling habits to decide which card is best for you.
Interest Rate
One of the characteristics of airline miles credit cards you should consider is the interest rate. Airline credit cards tend to have higher interest rates than cards that do not have rewards programs. If you are the kind of person who carries a balance on your credit card from month to month, airline miles credit cards may not be the best choice for you. This is because you might end up spending more every year in finance charges than you receive in benefits. If you do carry a balance on your card but still want to get an airline credit card, be sure to find the one with the lowest interest rate. Many have special introductory periods with lower interest rates, as well. These cards may be the best choice for you.
Travel Habits
If you travel frequently, airline miles credit cards may be a great choice for you. If, however, you travel only once every few years, it might not be worth it for you to have one of these cards. You also need to consider what is important to you when traveling because different airline miles credit cards provide different additional benefits. For example, if you frequently travel with a companion, airline credit cards that offer free companion tickets will be particularly valuable to you. On the other hand, if you generally travel alone, this perk does not benefit you at all.
Some airline miles credit cards also offer free upgrades to cardholders. If you enjoy the added luxury an upgrade provides, then you will love this benefit. If, on the other hand, you are fine riding in lower class seating area, this benefit may not be important to you and to your lifestyle. Instead, you might be better served with a card requiring less points to receive free air travel.
Spending Habits
In addition to your travel habits, you also need to consider your spending habits. Some airline miles credit cards provide points to cardholders for all purchases they make, while others only give the cardholder points for specific purchases. If you only receive points for purchases made through a specific website, and you don’t frequently use that website, then the card is essentially worthless to you. Make sure your usual spending habits coincide with the program offered by the airline credit card.
Similarly, some credit cards place maximum restrictions on the number of points you can earn in a year. If you spend more per year than you can receive in points back, then you are not receiving benefits for every pound you spend. In this case, you might want to consider other airline miles credit cards. Or, spread your spending out on more than one card and only spend up to the amount you are rewarded for on your airline miles credit cards.
On the other end of the spectrum, you need to analyze your spending habits to ensure you spend enough to gain benefits from your airline miles credit cards. For example, if you need to spend 15,000 in one year in order to receive free airline travel, but you typically spend only 10,000 per year on your credit card, your spending habits are not a good match with the card. Instead, you will find yourself paying annual fees and higher finance charges only to never receive benefits.
Credit Cards For People With Bad Credit- Facts
Credit cards for bad credit are certainly not going to be the best credit deals, but credit cards for people with bad credit might be your only option available. The interest on credit cards for people with bad credit are usually much higher than on a regular credit card. These types of credit cards are especially designed for people with a bad credit history and don’t qualify for a regular credit card. If you are a young person just starting to build credit, or if you’ve had circumstances that has damaged your credit history, you usually can qualify for credit cards for bad credit.
Bad Credit Deals
Bad credit, credit card deals are readily available online with easy, secure applications. Bad credit deals are often divided into secured credit cards for bad credit that need a deposit and bad credit unsecured credit cards, a bad credit card with much higher fees. These types of bad credit offers people with a poor credit score or no previous credit history a quick and easy way to re-gain a good credit history with bad credit cards. If you keep your credit balance under the limit and make your payments on time, you’ll become eligible for much better deals on your credit card rates and improve your credit score.
Interest
There are many temptations by having credit cards and while using bad credit cards to hold you over in tight situations, remember it is only temporary relief as the interest rates on credit cards for bad credit are extremely high. Shop around and look for credit cards for bad credit with an interest rate that you are absolutely sure you will be able to pay. Probably the single most important part of picking credit cards is the interest rate, especially for people who will be rolling over balances from month to month.
Tips
A person must always keep in mind that credit cards for bad credit are very easy to use so don’t go overboard or you might find yourself in a much worse situation. Check out the interest rates and fees before you start applying for credit cards for bad credit. Don’t apply for every bad credit card there is as this will effect your credit score, only choose two of the best bad credit deals you can find.
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