Cheap credit cards are considered to be equivalent to low interest credit cards. However, not all low interest rate credit cards are cheap. Either such cards can have a fixed rate of interest through out the tenure of your balance or they can have a fluctuating rate of interest. Which one is actually cheaper?
Types of Cheap Credit Cards
Now, most armchair financial gurus will 'know' and advice you to opt for a fixed rate card. They will argue that such low, fixed rate credit cards will prove to be very cost-effective in the long run. A variable rate card may begin with lower interest in the first few years and then gradually its rate of interest will keep increasing over the next few years. This allows you to pay off increasing interest amounts as your salary increases. However, they believe, a fixed rate card is a better option because its interest rates do not jump alarmingly like the variable rate card. In addition, fixed rate cards are also cheap credit cards because the company will have to inform you before they increase the rates.
Unfortunately, the truth is very different. Discussing the pros and cons of low interest credit cards is quite another matter than actually having one in your wallet. You see, the practical realities dictate that you must choose a card that suits your lifestyle.
Good Credit for Cheap Credit Cards
For example, do you really manage to pay off your balances every month … all your balances, every month? If you do not clear pending dues every month, then you could land yourself in a tight financial spot, regardless of the fact that your interest rate is low or high, variable or fixed. However, if you have limited income then it might pay to use variable, low interest rate credit cards because in the initial years of your career, you need all the help you can get. Or if you have already sunk into the debt morass, you can use such variable rate and cheap credit cards to slowly lever yourself out of the debt.
The Details of Low Interest Credit Cards
Take time off to read the fine print in detail. Can your fixed rate card company suddenly jack up the rate of interest without your permission, or in the very least, without informing you? Is it actually a cheap card? Speak to sales representative, and other users of the card to get the full low down on the processing charges, annual fees, etc. Cards will penalize you stiffly for late payment or for going over your balance.
Low Interest Rate Credit Cards are Time Bound
And always remember one thing - low interest rate credit cards are not low interest forever. Such cards make low interest rates offers for a time period and you must always, but always, check the time period for such great rates. Almost certainly, the low interest offered by a card will jump up after some time, yes; interest rates for fixed rate cards will also go up. Even if you have been the model credit card user and never gone over your balance or never defaulted on a payment, the sad truth of life is that interest rates always go up after, say, 6 months.
So, if you really want cheap credit cards, don't worry about variable or fixed rate of interest. Instead, pay off your debt on time every month and read the details before you sign up for a card. Low interest credit cards will jack up interest rates even if they are fixed or variable rate cards. Use low interest credit cards wisely – and some tips to make them work for you is to opt for a zero percent balance transfer, check if you can get air miles in exchange for points if you are a frequent traveler, or perhaps see if your local retailer partners with your card company. You need to use cheap credit cards judiciously in order to make them cost-effective for you.
For more information on a variety of cheap credit cards, Robert Alan recommends that you visit CreditCardAssist.com.
Pssst - Want To Know A Secret That Banks & Car Insurance Companies Don't Share With You
Every single driver in the U.S. is required to have Car Insurance. And most of drive around confident that we have adequate coverage to protect us should we ever be involved in an accident.
Yet, almost 97% of all drivers are not adequately protected....and don't even know it. Here's what I mean.
Let's say you're involved in an accident and it's serious enough that the car is considered a "total loss" by your Insurance Company. Or, maybe your vehicle gets stolen. A few weeks later, you get a check from your Insurance Company.
When you look at the amount, you're shocked. It's thousands less than what you owe on your car. How can that be, you ask?
Well, like most, your policy has this short clause buried somewhere in all that legalese -
"In the event of a total loss, the policy holder will receive the actual cash value of the vehicle, minus any deductible."
Did you catch the 3, very important words in that clause? The three words are - "actual cash value."
Actual Cash Value means you're going to get a get a check for....
"What it's worth" not "What you owe."
Isn't that a nasty little surprise.
And like most, you owe quite a bit more than what the car or truck is worth. What would you owe your Bank or Credit Union if your car was totaled today?
So, how do you avoid this situation?
Well, when you buy a new or used vehicle, add a "rider" to your policy or purchase a separate "rider."
If you have Homeowners or Rental insurance, a "rider" might sound familiar. For a homeowner's policy, if you own expensive items, like fine jewelry, you need to add a rider to your policy. The reason - Insurance Companies won't cover those types of items as part of a regular insurance policy.
So, you pay an extra $5 or $6 a month to have those items fully covered by the rider."
If anything ever happens to the jewelry, it gets replaced.
A rider for your car or truck is called GAP Insurance or GAP Protection. It's just like the rider for your Home - except it's only for cars, vans, trucks or suv's.
It covers "What You Owe", not "What its worth."
It doesn't matter what the reason is - if it's ever totaled due to theft, fire, accident, flood, tornado, vandalism, hurricane, it's covered - and paid-in-full!
You can protect yourself four different ways.
1. Put at least 20%-30% down on any new or used car purchase to erase any gap;
2. Purchase a "Rider" - AKA GAP Insurance from your Car Insurance Company or Bank;
3. Purchase Gap Insurance from another Insurance Company;
4. Buy Gap Insurance from the Dealership you're buying at.
Any one of these options is great way to protect yourself. Whether you're getting ready to purchase a new car or truck, or purchased a vehicle in the last 2 years or so, make sure the "gap" between what your vehicle is worth and what you owe is covered.
What to Look Out for in Low Interest Rate Credit Cards
When looking for low interest rate credit cards, there are many factors you need to take into consideration in order to ensure you are really getting a great deal. Many people do not realize that low interest credit cards may not really be as low as they think they are. In fact, these supposedly cheap credit cards may be costing your more than you think.
Finance Charge Calculations
So, you think you have found a great credit card with a low interest rate, right? Well, this might be true, but it may not be as cheap as you think it is. Be sure to read the fine print on the credit card and learn more about how the finance charges are calculated. The traditional method for determining finance charges is the Average Daily Balance method. This method best when it comes to saving you money. The Two Cycles Average Daily Balance method, however, can become quite costly if you carry a balance on your card from month to month. And, since you are looking for low interest credit cards, you most likely intend to carry a balance.
With the Two Cycles Average Daily Balance method, finance charges are determined two times during your billing cycle rather than just once. Therefore, you are actually accumulating finance charges twice in your billing cycle. So, while the APR may be low, your finance charges are not because you are paying twice.
Pay Attention to the Grace Period
The grace period is how long you have to pay back what you have borrowed from the credit card before finance charges start adding up. Therefore, the longer the grace period, the less finance charges you have to pay. When looking at low interest rate credit cards, be sure to find out how long your grace period is before you have to start paying. Twenty-day grace periods are the most common. So, if you find a credit card with a low interest rate that provides a grace period for this long, or longer, then you have probably found a good card. If the grace period is shorter than this, continue your search until you find one with an acceptable grace period. Obviously, a low interest rate doesn't do you a lot of good if the finance charges begin piling up from the instant you make a purchase!
Consider Annual Fees
Some low interest rate credit cards have annual fees. This is the credit card company's way of compensating for the low interest rate it provides. For the most part, paying annual fees to receive a low interest credit card is not worth it to the cardholder. Shop around some more and see if you can find some cheap credit cards with the same APR that do not include an annual fee. Chances are, you will be able to find one that doesn't make you pay to be a cardholder.
If you cannot find a low interest credit card with the same low interest rate, then you might want to take a closer look at the card charging an annual fee. In this case, you will have to weigh the annual fee payment against your potential interest rate savings. If the annual fee and interest rates are both low enough, then it might be worth your while to apply for the card. Be sure to provide yourself with an honest assessment of your spending habits and how much money you will be able to send to the credit card each month in order to pay off your debt. The last thing you want to do is just give your money away to a credit card company in the form of an annual fee if it doesn't ultimately benefit you financially.
For more information on what to watch for in low interest rate credit cards, Robert Alan recommends that you visit CreditCardAssist.com.
