Archive for the ‘creditgurus’


Low APR Credit Cards - Selecting the Best

Hunting for and selecting the very best low APR credit cards has become easier with the advent of the Internet where you can do easy comparisons (from the various options available to you at the click of a mouse) as to which low APR credit card will be the best for your needs.

Simply put, low APR credit cards charge you an interest rate even lower than the standard APR offered by most traditional credit cards. The lower the interest rate or APR, the cheaper the card is to carry and the more money you’ll save on it. Easy enough, right? So if you carry a large monthly card balance, a low APR credit card could be very beneficial for you. In some cases, low rate credit cards can help cardholders save a lot of money. But what’s an APR anyway?

The Rationale of Low APR Credit Cards

The Annual Percentage Rate (APR) is the cost of credit; it is the amount of interest rate that is chargeable to any outstanding balance on a credit card. If you don’t make the full payment within the grace period certified by the credit card company, the card issuer has the right to charge you an interest rate for the service, a fee known as the APR. For a credit card to be considered a “cheap” credit card it should have a low APR.

With a low APR credit card, there is always fine print in the terms and conditions to take note of. Commonly, consumers fail to read the fine print that might include the following:

1) Annual Fees: Many low APR credit card offers might provide a low interest rate or APR but require you to pay a substantial annual fee. If the effective interest rate (after counting the annual fee) is indeed higher than the actual rate, then this credit card is obviously masked in the garb of a low APR credit card.

2) Low Introductory Rates: Credit card companies know that low introductory rates are a great incentive. So when suddenly, the initial period ends, and your monthly minimum payment increases dramatically, you know something definitely smells fishy. Check it before you fall prey.

3) High Balance Transfer Fees: Another trick in the trade is that some amongst the low APR credit card fraternity offer low balance transfer rates that come with a high balance transfer fee (which would be mentioned in the fine print).

The moral of this story: Read and re-read the fine print associated with any low APR credit card before you apply.

Want Low Rate Credit Cards?

Follow these simple steps:

-Call the institutions in which you already have a bank account or credit card account. Discuss with them the possibility of converting your existing account to a low rate account.

-If your existing credit card company cannot provide this request, seek out an offer and a card issuer that does.

-Get in touch with the companies you are interested in applying for low rate credit cards. They might be able to provide information about existing card offers that you might not be aware of.

-Fill out the card application and return as per the instructions. Make a follow-up call to the credit card company if you have not heard from them within the next 10 to 15 business days.

-You have the right to obtain an explanation if the credit card company has turned down your application. The denial letter must explain how you can obtain your credit report.

Keep in mind, however, that credit card issuers reserve the lowest possible interest rate offers for customers with the strongest credit histories, so maintain a good credit history is essential when trying to secure all types of low APR credit cards.

For more information on a variety of low APR credit cards, Robert Alan recommends that you visit CreditCardAssist.com

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Credit Cards for Small Business

Do you have a small business? How much do you earn? Is your credit card helping you? How much do you pay for your credit card?

Running a small business is a very difficult job, especially if you are alone with this endeavor. It will take a lot of consideration and study. Small business must work hard to prevent bankruptcy. The owner should have the full knowledge on how to prevent it from happening.

Business is in fact a fragile cycle. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Business at all times should have a profit for it to survive and be worthwhile.

An ideal credit card should aid the small business to earn. It should offer a helping hand and assist a small business by giving great deals and agreements from leading companies. By this way, the small business will have a chance to have extra income.

Many people do their purchases using credit cards. If your business doesn’t accept credit cards, you may be losing a slice of the market.

What services does a good credit card must have to help a small business?

Small businesses must have a full assistance. Credit cards should have a customer service department seven days a week and 24 hours a day. By doing this, the owner can inquire its status without any delay. They can do their purchases expediently and trouble-free.

The credit card must have a representative to give assistance to a small business proprietor. The credit card representative will entertain each and every question that the owner will ask. If there is any trouble and problems the representative can orient the business owner and further give some advice.

The credit card should have a well-managed online service. Online service should be present all the time. There are many credit cards that keep on putting their lines “off” because they do not want to give extra assistance. This companies should be avoided like the plague.

Online Services will help the small business owner how to take some payments online and track them as well. It will also secure some viewed statements. Most of the credits have a tracking form for unbilled activity.

Credit cards should not take advantage of the whole network of small business services. The owner must know the expenses of its business in order to have payments in secure, safe and easy way.

The credit card should also give an unlimited additional card for small business employees. By this way, the employees can also contribute in making the business grow. Not only that, the owner can also set some credit limit for its employees. It can also help to promote and maintain the financial aspect of the business.

The credit card must have a wide range of services. It must have an outlet in most bank locations. By having many outlets the owner can have a payment. If in case the credit card is lost or stolen, the owner can simply report it easily.

The credit card must have an affiliation. It is better to have an affiliation so that the credit card can be accessed anywhere.

The credit card should help the business grow. It should have the ability to entertain credit and debit statements as payment from the owner or the customer. More often than that, the credit card must ensure the owner competitive discount rates.

The credit card must have a processing power that must have access to funds. One of the best features of a credit card is its ability to create a program that can be customized to meet the exact needs. Credit card companies must develop special offers and be flexible to give small business its specific needs.

Having a small business must have a full selection when it comes to credit cards. Remember a credit card must put all the financial needs under one umbrella.

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning Credit Cards. Get the information you are seeking now by visiting Credit Cards for Small Business

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Mileage Credit Card - Strategies For Using Your Miles

A mileage credit card is practically identical to a frequent flyer credit card. Mileage cards gained popularity when the airlines companies, to gain customer loyalty and patronage, introduced mileage points on every flight that a customer would travel. Once a certain level of points is reached, they can be redeemed for free travel to various destinations. Many airlines collaborated with credit card companies to offer these benefits on the mileage card Programs.

Partnerships between credit card companies and mileage cards allowed the credit card holder to convert their reward points into air miles, typically, at the rate of one mile for every dollar charged on the card. This encouraged customers to use the credit card frequently so that more miles could be
accumulated. The mileage cards in turn allowed customers to redeem points apart from air tickets for free hotel accommodations, car rentals and a host of other services.

Miles are equivalent to currency. Most of the times, customers accumulate many miles only to realize that it will not take them to the place they most wanted to go. A mileage credit card is very similar to a traditional credit card, but prudent use of mileage credit cards can maximize benefits. Consider the following pointers to decide on the use of those valuable accrued miles.

1) Flights - The best way to use your miles is for free flights. Using some extra miles, you can upgrade your tickets to get a business or first class luxury flight. To get maximum benefits use the miles for longer trips, not short ones.

2) Flight and Seat Upgrades - It is always better to exchange miles for upgrades on long distance international flights where comfort is a good value added perk due to the length of the journey. It is not a good idea to spend miles for upgrades on shorter flights (less than 4 hours). Sometimes, customers buy economy tickets and upgrade them by
spending miles.

3) Travel Itinerary - Certain mileage cards allow passengers to book open-jaw flights (fly into one city, return from another city or fly from destination A to B, depart from B to reach destination C). In an international routing, certain airlines might permit a stopover.

4) Hotel Accommodation - Airlines partner with hotels and provide accommodation benefits to members by exchanging miles. You can convert your miles for hotel stays and other services in the hotel.

5) Car Rentals - Car rental companies exchange miles to rent cars. It is recommended to research all of the partner services thoroughly in order to use miles most effectively.

6) Dining - Certain airline specific mileage cards allow members to exchange miles for restaurant vouchers or dining certificates. However, in order to properly evaluate the benefit of the redemption value, cardholders need to determine if the miles converted are really worth the credit received.

7) Cruises - Cruise trips can be booked by exchanging miles, though there could be minimum a miles requirement for this type of reward redemption.

8) Shopping - There are web sites that allow purchase items to be bought by exchanging miles. Customers can bid on these items. The choices may be limited and the value may be low. It is recommended to first calculate the value of the miles to determine if it is worth buying the item with miles.

9) Miscellaneous - Cardholders can often times buy magazine subscriptions and a host of other items with their earned miles as well. It is advisable, however, to use these options as a last resort, either when the miles are about to expire or there are very few miles left before the expiration date.

10) Bonus Mile Offers - If you need a few more miles to earn that much-awaited free trip, numerous sites list up-to-date bonus mile and purchase miles offers. Many of these offers do not require you to fly, but can still get you those extra miles to get your dream trip.

If all these methods fail, some mileage cards allow conversion of miles to points and then back to miles with a financially better carrier. However, there might be a charge for the conversion.

When using your mileage credit card, there are several factors to consider in order to earn that free or reduced trip. The timing of your travel booking (booking 6 months earlier has more chances of winning free seats), being flexible with your travel dates, including off season travel as well as weekday travel can get you the travel deal that you desire. However, it is recommended that cardholders research the reward programs in advance. More specifically, be aware of the eligibility of your accumulated miles on the mileage card.

With certain airlines or websites, it may not be possible to use accumulated miles or earn any miles on special discounted fares or routes. Mileage cards offer great benefits to frequent as well as non-frequent travelers. However, if you want to get maximum benefits, it is essential to read the fine print and terms and conditions before actually signing up for one.

For more information on the benefits of a mileage credit card can empower consumers, Robert Alan recommends that you visit CreditCardAssist.com

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