How To Choose Your Credit Card Application
The articles and tips provided on this site are intended to help you access credit card offers that suit your lifestyle. By providing you with some basic information, we are confident that you will be able to easily identify which are the best credit cards for you. There are literally thousands of offers online which make deciding on what cards apply to your needs very challenging.
The best place to start when shopping around for credit cards is knowing your credit score - you are now entitled to a free credit report annually - order your 3-in-1 report to have a complete picture of how a credit card bank might view you. How your credit report looks will determine which credit cards you quality for.
Excellent Credit Reports Qualify For:
If you are among the elite few who have managed your credit cards and other loans responsibly the bank will reward you with added perks such as airline points cards or low interest credit cards. There are many card offers that will reward your good financial habits with low or no annual fees, some great reward points as well as introductory rates of 0% APR with ongoing low interest rates. Typically the interest free period is 6 months but in some cases will be awarded to you for a full year. Since your credit is in excellent standing the interest free period might not be of concern to you as you are probably the type that pays your credit card balance in full every month. If this is the case you should make your credit card comparisons based upon the rewards and extra perks offered by the bank - if you are paying your balance in full a 0% APR is really of no value to you.
Good Credit Reports Qualify For:
The good credit range is where the majority of people are with their personal finances. You will still qualify for a card offer that provides some great perks such as airline or gas rewards. You may also qualify for credit applications that have an attractive introductory rate, with some credit cards you may get a 0% APR for a few months however the ongoing rate will be a bit higher than what you could get with an excellent credit rating.
Before you select which credit card applications to review for yourself you, need to be honest with your spending and bill payment habits in order to make the best choice. If you know that you are likely to carry a rotating credit card balance, you should select your card based upon the ongoing APR. Having a low interest credit card is much more important than seeking a rewards program as the interest charges will likely offset the rewards. Another cost you need to take into account is the annual fee. Several banks will try to lure you into applying for a card that offers rewards and lower rates but they will charge a hefty annual fee.
Poor/Fair Credit Reports Qualify For:
If your credit is in bad shape, I recommend staying away from credit cards completely. It is likely that you need to learn how to manage your spending first and come up with strategies to get yourself back on track. The last thing your personal financial future needs is another credit card.
If you do legitimately need a Visa or MasterCard I highly recommend only prepaid credit cards. Why? Again, get your finances and money management in order otherwise you may end up in a worse situation than you already are in.
Another thing you should do is order a free credit report online to review the items reported by the bureaus. One way to get your credit report for free is to ask a company that has denied you credit to see the report they are using. It is your right to see this information. There is a chance that they could be viewing inaccurate information. Keep in mind that there are 3 credit reporting agencies (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) and the information may vary from bureau to bureau for a number of reasons including human error.
Colin McDougall is the editor of http://www.only-the-best-credit-cards-online.com - A website dedicated to helping consumers choose credit card applications online
MORE RESOURCES:
 RTE.ie | Citigroup Posts $2.5 Billion Loss on Write-Downs New York Times, United States - By LOUISE STORY Hobbled by the credit crisis at home, Citigroup has limped through nine months in the red, reporting a $2.5 billion quarterly loss on Friday ... Credit Costs Weigh on Citigroup Citigroup credit default swaps narrow 15 bps-Phoenix Credit Costs Weigh on Citigroup |
 The Money Times | Ackermann says credit crisis end in sight Financial Times, UK - Josef Ackermann, Deutsche Bank’s chief executive, on Thursday said the credit crunch was at “the beginning of the end” as banks and regulators have taken ... 2nd UPDATE: JPMorgan 2Q Net Down 53% On Credit Woes, Markdowns JP Morgan: The Legacy of the Credit Crunch Why No Outrage? |
Studying up on credit scores Chicago Tribune, United States - In matters of money, a credit score assesses your financial responsibility. And just as with taking your first practice test, your score may be low when you ... Given a Shovel, Digging Deeper Into Debt |
Dollar Rebounds From Record Versus Euro as Credit Turmoil Eases Bloomberg - The US currency also rose versus the yen on signs US investment banks will withstand credit-market losses and the Federal Reserve and the Treasury proposed ... |
 Washington Post | Credit crisis: Merrill Lynch to sell Bloomberg stake and keep HQ after Tehran Times, Iran - The loss was due to write-downs of $9.4bn on the value of mortgage holdings, credit-related derivatives and instruments guaranteed by crisis-hit monoline ... Merrill Drops After $4.65 Billion Second-Quarter Loss (Update2) Quarterly loss at Citi smaller than expected, but Merrill disappoints BlackRock shares soar on earnings, Merrill stake move |
$10m W/Bank Credit: Boom time for small-scale mining The Punch, Nigeria - This was the scenario, which the World Bank set out to help Nigeria change in 2005 when it granted the country $120m credit under the Sustainable Management ... |
If high credit-card debt is dragging you down, it's time to start ... Boston Globe, United States - High credit-card debt is one of the biggest issues facing consumers, says Dara Duguay, director of Citigroup Inc.'s Office of Financial Education. ... |
Mortgage sales pressure fuelling credit crisis: ACTU ABC Online, Australia - The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) has accused banks of fuelling the credit crisis by forcing staff to push mortgages onto people who cannot ... Banks 'pushing' families into debt Banks lean on staff to push loans |
No deals for debits at the pump Detroit Free Press, United States - I would have paid the same price if I used a credit card. Bring the Benjamins and you'd get that super-low price -- OK, low by today's standards -- of ... Gas stations turning to using 'gift |
Teton County development plagued by credit crunch Fox 12 Boise, ID - Developer Bill Reid said a nationwide credit crunch prevented him from winning more financing for the 1350-acre Huntsman Springs project. ... |
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