Credit Cards Review

Chase Platinum Visa APPY ONLINE TODAY!

One of the best credit cards that is available today is the Chase Platinum Visa.

This is by far one of the best cards for a variety of reasons. First off, there is no annual fee that you have to pay in order to simply obtain the credit card.

Secondly, this card allows new card holders to have an annual ppercentage rate of ZERO percent for the first TWELVE months, this being said if your credit is reviewed and approved by Chase.

The Chase Platinum Visa also offers the same rewards program that all of their cards offer where you earn one point for every dollar amount spent and these point can then be used for travel, merchandise, gift cards, or even cash back. This card also lets customers that pay off their balances in full every month remain with zero percent interest added to their card each month the amount is paid off. However, if a balance remains then the accurate interest percentage will be added onto the next months bill cycle.

Free travel services are also another benefit of the Chase Platinum and gives card holders Auto Rental Collision Damage Wavier and World Wide Accident Insurance.

START SAVING TODAY BY APPLYING ONLINE NOW!

What does credit card APR mean?

The APR is a credit cards annual percentage rate and is the way of stating the interest rate you will pay on your card if you carry over a balance, take out a cash advance, and/or transfer a balance from another card. The APR states the interest rate as a yearly rate that you as a credit holder will pay.

Each credit card you use will have one APR for purchases.

They will also have different APRS for cash advances, and for balance transfers. These cash advances and balance transfers APRS are generally a bit higher than the APR for purchases.

There are also what are generally referred to as “Tiered APRs.” These are different rates that are applied to different levels of the outstanding balance. The higher the balance the higher the tiered APR.

Penalty APR’s are what happens if you become late in making payments. The later the payment being made the higher the APR will be, which is why a credit card holder always wants to make their card payments ON TIME.

Introductory APR are often lowered rates that are given at the beginning stages of credit. After the introductory rate expires the APR will increase to a set APR amount.

Delayed APR is a different rate that will apply in the future. This occurs when a card is opened that hold some sort of special such as no interest til following year or several months down the road. When that special discounted APR is over, a new APR will be set.

Credit cards also differ in regards to if they have a fixed APR or a variable APR. It is up to the customer to decide which is best for themselves. However, fixed APR cards are generally more stable where as variable APRS will adjust according to the treasury bill rate.

The finance charge is the amount of money that you are paying to your crdedit card company to borrow their money, and it usually depends on how much money you have borrowed on that credit card and what your APR is.

Credit card companies use one of many methods to calculate the outstanding balance on your card. The method can make a big difference in the finance charge you’ll pay. Your outstanding balance may be calculated in some of these ways:

Over one credit billing cycle or two credit billing cycles

Using the adjusted balance/ average daily balance/ or the previous balance

Excluding or including new purchases in the balance.

Depending on the amount of the balance you carry and the timing of your credit card purchases and card payments, you’ll usually have a lower finance charge with one-cycle billing and either

The average daily balance method excluding new purchases/ The adjusted balance method/ The previous balance method.

Minimum finance charge

Some credit cards have a minimum finance charge that you will be charged even if the calculated amount of your finance charge is less. These charges usually applies only when you carry over a balance from one billing cycle to the next. So if you can pay off the amount owed before your next billing cycle begins… this is best to avoid accruing a finance charge.

Yes, credit card companies do check your credit before issuing you a pre-approved credit card. However, these types of credit checks do not hurt your personal credit score in any way. Nor does the pre-approved credit card search appear on your credit report. Only credit cards that YOU apply for will make a slight drop in your credit score appear. So if you decide in the end to actually take a pre-approved credit card up on their offer and agree to sign up with them, THEN will your credit score be affected by applying for their card.

If pre-approved credit card inquiries still scare you and you dont particularly enjoy having your mail box full of them you can call You can stpop these mailings and inquiries by calling (888) 5-OPT-OUT or (888) 567-8688.

Even though most establishments in the US and all over the world accept credit cards there are still some places thaat refuse to join the credit card world for many reasons.

Everytime a credit card purchase is made anywhere the business receiving the payment will be charged anywhere between a quarter of a percent and 5 percent. These are what are referred to as interchange fees. Merchant banks will pay these to card issuing banks and in the end, the merchant pays them back. These fees vary by which credit card the buyer has and what they rates are.

Another reason why some merchants refuse is because of the amount of money that is spent each year on maintaining credit card machines and often say that they do not do enough credit card sales to warrant the added fees and expenses.

And one final reason that some establishments refuse to take payment via credit card is because the use of credit cards leaves a very long paper trail. With large and easibly attainable papertrails it makes it far harder for merchants to hide all income from the eyes of the IRS.

One of Chase’s hottest new credit cards on the maarket is the Chase Student Flexible Rewards Card.

This new favorite of college students around the country allows card holders to take advantage of a significant reward program.

The Chase Student Flex Reward Card gives the cardholder one point back for every american dollar they spend with the credit card. So everytime a student uses their Reward Card for purchases of any kind they immediately ear one point towards the amazing 60,000 point that each student is allowed to earn for each fiscal year!

Now you might be asking what can I trade these point in for? Students can use these point to shop at popular mechandise stores, online shopping, or whatever they see fit to spend them on.

The Chase Student Flex Reward Card has no annual fee, a 0% introductory rate for purchases and balances tranfers for the first six months that the credit card account is open. The only bad side to this student card is that the annual percentage rate is a bit higher than your older credit card owners APR.

Another difference with the student card is that as opposed to having a finance charge based on the average daily balance on the card, the student card uses the average daily balance for TWO cycles, which will result in a finance charge that is twicw what a regular card would have.

In addition to the reward program, the student card offers their cardholder some great benefits provided by Chase. Some of these excellent added bonuses include travel, car and accident insurance, care rental insurance, and many forms of travel and emergency assistance services.

This card is best suited for the student that can afford to pay off their monthly balances in full at the end of each month and for those who intend to use the excellent rewards program.

Identity Theft - Protect Yourself

Identity theft can be a major issue if your personal banking information falls into the hands of the wrong person. It has been estimated that it can take up to sixty hours of work to recover a stolen identity, and in the worst cases, cost thousands of dollars to correct.

However, Identity theft can be easily avoidable if you take the right precautions that ensure their identity and cards are as safe as possible.

Look after your cards
Card holders should always know where ALL of their credit cards are. It is also best advised to carry as few credit cards as possible, preferably one. Never let a card out of your sight in a restaurant or shop or where there are alot of people and alot of activity. If you are traveling abroad only take one with you and also be sure to notify your bank or credit card company that you will be traveling overseas. Keep the others safely at home.

PIN numbers
Every chip and PIN card comes with a PIN number, sent under separate cover. Memorize this number immediately, and destroy the original letter. PIN numbers should never ever be kept together with the credit card. Upon getting your new pin number it is easy to change your new pin number to something that you personally prefer and can easily remember.

Who is watching you?
One large problem in the US with all of the self debit machines is that they have little to NO shielding, so anyone can see the code being entered. If possible, cover these machines as well as possible entering the PIN. One of the best methods to keeping your PIN secret is to use as many fingers as possible to enter the code and do it as fast as possible. Potential thieves will find it harder to follow rapid movements that consist of many fingers.

Stolen cards
If you happen to lose your credit card are are unlucky enough to have one stolen report the theft immediately and cancel the card before doing anything else. You dont want to risk hundreds or thousands of dollars being racked up in your name.

Phishing
One of the newest and most clever ways for thieves to obtain you personal information is by a technique called Phishing.
Theives are constantly trying to extract credit card details from unsuspecting people by sending out mass SPAM emails. These emails will look as though they are coming from reputable banks. The email will claim to be from the Support or Service department, and often will have some request for information in the subject line.

One of the first warning signs is if you have many emails from the same address or similiar address and if there are typographical errors in the headings. DO NOT OPEN THESE EMAILS and DELETE!

Credit card companies NEVER request full passwords, PIN codes or complete account information via email or phone.

For card holders who administer their card online or pay their monthly bills via online banking, any messages pertaining to their account will be accessible via the official bank or credit card web site. And always check to make sure the website youre visiting is a secure website. A padlock symbol should appear, and the letters “https:” appear at the start of the URL.

Applying for a Credit Card Online

Applying for a credit card online is quick, easy, and safe. With todays technology you can obtain instant credit approval by applying for your new credit card via the Internet. No more waiting for snail mail credit card applications to arrive on your door step. No more filling out long and lengthy credit applications and no more stamps! Applying for a credit card through the internet allows you to research several different credit card companies and make your own decision about which credit card is right for you. No longer do you have to bother with tons of paperwork and excrutiating long wait times. When applying for a credit card over the internet, your application is received immediately and your credit approval begins! It is not uncommon for credit seekers to naturally be concerned about the safety and security of online websites and worry that they might be handing their personal information over to the wrong person. With todays security technology this problem becomes less and less of an issue. Make sure that the website that you are applying on is well known and a secure websites. Most online websites that require personal information will have certain features that notify web browsers of their legitimacy. Also make sure that your home computer is armed with the latest and most up-to-date spyware and and anti-virus protections. Online credit applications, these days, are just as safe if not safer than mailing your personal information through regular snail-mail where… your application will be passed amongst an uncountable number of hands. On-line credit card approval is definitely a convenience because it is fast and easy. However, it’s also very important to remember to carefully review all of the terms and conditions of the credit offer prior to applying for and accepting it. Reading the fine print can save you money and hassle!

Every credit card regardless of their main lending bank has additional fees that are added onto every dollar amount that a consumer borrows. This is, indeed, how the banks make their money by lending you money to purchase items on credit. So here are some additional fees to keep a watchful eye out for.

One of the first things to look for when applying for a credit card is does the card have an annual credit card fee? Annual credit card fees are a minimal fee that the lending bank will charge the costumer to even open to charge account. Not every credit card charges an annual fee and if you have good credit as opposed to poor credit, it is highly likely that you can easily find a credit card right for you that does not charge this annual fee.

A second fee that one will find on their bill is a fee called a cash advance fee. This is a fee that is typically charged to cards when a borrower takes borrowed cash on a credit card. These charges may be a flat fee or they might be a % of the cash advance.

If one wishes to transfer a balance from one credit card to another then a Balance-transfer feen is charged. Many people will move a balance from one credit card to another credit card if a balance remains on a credit card that has a higher interest rate than another. Say you owed a certain balance on a card that you acquired as a college student under a college rewards credit card that had a higher interest rate than a card you just opened today that has a much lower APR. The lender that you are tranferring from will then charge an additonal fee that will make up for a certain % of the money they might be losing in finance charges due to the balance transfer.

Late-payment fees are typically applied if you make a payment late on your cards.

Every creditor hates bounced checks and be sure that if a payment check is returned or bounces your account will acquire additional charges.

Over-the-credit-limit fees are charged if you attempt to borrow more money on your credit card than allowed.

An additional charge, in some cases, will be applied to your card if you request a limit increase.

Every credit card application is required by LAW to disclose any and all “additional” fees. That is why it is important for you to read the ENTIRE application and all of the fine print to make sure that you do not overlook something that might cost you additional money in the long run. There is a credit card out there for everyone and that is why it is important to not jump at the first offer that might come your way.

The Student Credit Card

If you have been thinking that you can’t get a credit card in your name before you complete your education and get into job, you are wrong. There is a breed of credit cards which is available especially for students. These are called Student Credit Cards.

Student credit cards are the same as other credit cards except for the fact that they have additional restrictions and higher charges. Most of the student credit card applications will need the parent to co-sign it as a guarantee. Moreover, the credit limit on student cards is really low ($500-1000 per month). This is based on the typical spending needs of a student and also to cover the credit card company’s risk in issuing a credit card to someone who has never used it before. Also, since most of the students applying for a credit card have no history (or credit rating), this being their first credit card, the APR on student credit cards is generally higher than that on the other credit cards. This is again from the perspective of reducing the risk associated with issuing a credit card to someone who’s paying capabilities and habits are not clear yet.

Student credit cards are a great opportunity for students for developing good spending habits and a responsible behavior towards financial transactions early in their lives. In fact, things like lower credit limit act as good controllers and besides being a risk mitigation mechanism for the financial institution it is also favorable for students. The student credit cards act as good training ground for students by helping them in learning more about credit cards so that they have the knowledge and capability to select a good credit card later on in their lives.

All credit card companies also include instructions about protection against fraud, the fee structures, reporting credit card loss etc at the time of credit card delivery. It’s important that the student goes through all of these instructions so as to increase his knowledge of credit cards and also to be able to take advantage of the benefits associated with them.

As with any credit card, student credit card can also lead one into a debt trap. Considering that this is your first credit card as a student, there is a very easy way to ensure that you don’t get into debt trap which many are fighting today. Just refrain from getting another credit card, come what may. One credit card is more than enough for a student. Also, do not overspend on your credit card. Try to remain within 60% of your credit card limit. Remember that this is a learning ground for you and good habits learnt now will go a long way in helping you in future.

A very important benefit from a student credit card is the fact that it can help you in building a credit rating. The credit rating is basically the credibility earned by you when you use your credit card over a period of time. You get good rating if you have been paying your dues in time and if you have not been overspending. This rating is built at independent credit bureaus and is used by banks and financial institutions for determining your credibility before they actually sanction a loan or a mortgage or a credit card that you have applied for.

So, not only do the student credit cards allow you enjoy the benefits of the credit cards early in your life but also help develop spending habits and credit ratings for future.

Most Americans over the age of 25 at least have one credit card to their names if not more. The average American household has an average of 14 credit cards in their household. Because of popular credit card horror stories, alot of people believe that having credit cards is a bad thing but in reality credit can be beneficial for a number of reasons. Credit is a big resource for most consumers and can allow you to cover cover expected and even unexpected expenses in a simple and easy way.

The secret to making credit your friend is to maintain good credit history which can easily be done. Simply make your payments on time and do not get in over your head when purchasing items on your cards. If you know that you cant afford a significant purchase then know that you also cant afford to pay off the money borrowed on a credit card for that very same purchase.

Maintaining excellent credit can aid you in future investments for you and your family down the road. Your credit will reflect and either aid you or hinder you from future things such as purchasing cars, boats, and even home mortgages.

Some of the issues that most credit grantors take into consideration before approving a credit application are:

Income and savings which will reflect your ability to pay and how much to allot for your line of credit.
The willingness to borrow money from their bank and they will then review your credit report in order to see how you have fullfilled your past credit obligations.

Credit card companies use a mix of several aspects to determine if you qualify for credit or not. They will use your credit score or your FICO and will then factor in how long you have been at your present job, the amount of pay you get montly, how long you have resided in your current home, and how much other debt you currently have out in your name.

It is crucial for you to maintain good credit because then future lenders will be more apt to issue you credit for larger purchases. If you have good credit you can then obtain car loans and home mortgages. On the other hand if you do not have good credit or any credit theres a good chance that you will be turned down for large scale purchases because lenders will have nothing to go on and can not judge your credit accordingly or they will set you up with the loans you seek but at a much higher interest rate.