Related Links

Bookmark and Share

Featured Links

Recommended Sites
Credit Links





Quote of the Day

"The accursed power which stands on Privilege (And goes with Women, and Champagne, and Bridge) Broke - and Democracy resumed her reign: (Which goes with Bridge, and Women and Champagne)."

Hilaire Belloc



Recommended Products





 


 
Featured Credit Articles

Bad Credit Student Loans - What Are The Options
Bad credit student loans are available to those that need them, if you know where to look and what to look for. When it is time to get into a school and to advance your degree or to simply get your degree and you have a poor credit score, you may be ...

No Credit Check Home Loans
Lending funds to traders, and business and industrial enterprises, constitutes the main business of the banking industry. Lending funds to traders, and business and industrial enterprises, constitutes the main business of the banking industry. ...

Student Credit Cards 101
If you're a college student, you probably already have a credit card. If not, you may have plans to get one or more soon. So why should you read on? Because financial debt is one of the main reasons that many students end up dropping out of college. ...

0 APR credit cards are Not Just for Christmas
 
0 APR credit cards are here to stay. Now that we're well into the New Year we've learned (again) the lessons of the festive season. Zero interest credit is a nice idea, but why not extend it beyond your present credit card to the next, and the next. This seven point checklist will assure the clever consumer of having that constant low APR credit for years to come.





1. Read the small print. Make sure it matches the offers on the credit card's advertising copy. In particular, check for clauses that differentiate between purchases and cash transfers, or even cash withdrawals. Check that the card doesn't stipulate a ratio between purchases and cash, charging an excess if the cash activity rises above the purchase activity (that is usually the way it is biased, but check to make sure).





2. Keep to the agreed credit limit as specified in the agreement. Do not exceed the balance limit as specified on your original agreement, or that'll be the trigger for extra charges.





3. Pay at least the minimum charge in full. Even better, set up a standing order or direct debit with your bank. You can arrange to have the minimum paid directly and electronically from your bank account every month.





4. Avoid late fees by paying on time. There is a danger with people who have the benefit of a 0% APR credit card that they will tend to become complacent about it and forget to pay it. Yes, it does happen. But every time a payment is received late credit card providers can and will charge a late fee. This can add up, especially if someone is habitually late. Again, an automatic direct debit from your bank account is the best answer.





5. Factor in any extras in the agreement, as stated in the small print (which you will have read). For example, an annual charge may be applied to offset the 0 APR. Some 0% APR cards do this but others do not. Bear in mind that the whole APR concept was meant to level the playing field as far as extra charges were concerned. By paying an annual charge for your card you are not truly getting a 0 APR card.





6. Make sure you have in mind a new low interest or 0 APR credit card waiting by to which you can transfer the balance of your present credit card. Why have 0 APR credit for 6 months or 12 months when you can have it for years and years? Always check the press and financial columns for new deals and credit card offers with this in mind. Join an Internet forum that specialises in such matters.





7. Make sure that you transfer the balance of your existing credit card to your new credit card in full and on time. In particular, allow for time to process the balance transfer and for all the paperwork involved (yes, even in the age of the Internet there is still a certain amount of paper involved!) and be careful to check that the opening balance allowed on your new 0 APR credit card is at least the same or exceeds the balance that you wish to transfer from your existing credit card, or the shortfall will cost you money!



About the author:

Gordon Goodfellow has a background in marketing research and is an Internet marketing consultant and technologist who lives and works in London, UK. His credit card sites automatically alert customers about 0 APR credit cards . The US equivalent site is http://www.credit-card-transfers.com




Google
Credit News


DSG Rallies From 20-Year Low on Credit Suisse Rating (Update1)
Bloomberg - 3 hours ago
Credit Suisse said the risk of financial failure by DSG is low as same- store sales would need to fall 15 percent this fiscal year, a ``pessimistic ...
UK electronics retailer DSG's shares jump The Associated Press
DSG gets some respite after recent slide guardian.co.uk
FTSE 250 movers: DSG surges on Credit Suisse upgrade ShareCast
Reuters UK
all 118 news articles

ClearPoint Credit Counselors Offer Consumers a Free Vacation
MarketWatch - 1 hour ago
Consumers, chilled by an economy in crisis and a credit market on ice, are opting to stay home. To help them make the most of a budget vacation, ...

S&P lowers Autoliv's corporate credit rating
CNNMoney.com - 3 hours ago
NEW YORK (Associated Press) - Standard & Poor's Ratings Services cut Autoliv Inc.'s long-term corporate credit rating Friday, citing market pressures and ...
S&P: PharmaNet Development Group Inc. Rtgs Withdrawn PharmaLive.com (press release)
all 6 news articles

Legacy Reserves says it increased credit facility
CNNMoney.com - 3 hours ago
... Reserves LP said Friday that two banks committed to increase commitments under the company's credit facility to $410 million from $383.76 million. ...
Legacy Reserves LP Announces An Increase to Its Borrowing Base and ... MarketWatch
Market Report -- In Play (LGCY) MSN Money
all 14 news articles

Gilda's Club NYC Offers Affinity Credit Card to Help New Yorkers ...
MarketWatch - 7 hours ago
"Most people get a credit card statement every month. The Gilda's Club NYC card helps people make a statement every day," says Lily Safani, CEO of Gilda's ...

Agencies cooperate on credit default swaps market
Chicago Tribune, United States - 12 hours ago
Federal regulators are readying approvals for futures exchanges such as CME Group to enter the $50 trillion credit default swaps market by mid-December, ...
3rd UPDATE: Harkin Seeks To Force Derivatives Onto Exchanges CNNMoney.com
Regulating swap transactions blamed for meltdown The Associated Press
House Ag Committee Holds Hearing to Review Role of Credit ... Grainnet
Newsinferno.com - Buffalo News
all 68 news articles

Credit Swaps Rise to Record as Markets Return to `Crisis Mode'
Bloomberg - 22 hours ago
Credit-default swaps on a benchmark index linked to 125 North American companies rose to a record for the second day. Contracts on insurance companies ...
Australia, Japan Money Costs Rise; Banks Hoard Amid Bond Risks Bloomberg
Australian Funding Costs Rise as Banks Hoard, Bond Risk Jumps Bloomberg
Japanese Bond Risk Soars to Record on Concern Banks Weakening Bloomberg
Bloomberg - Bloomberg
all 32 news articles