Tag: apr credit card

The Top 0% Intro APR Credit Cards You Should Consider

Posted on | by Timiarah Spriggs
Selective focus on credit card

Credit cards are the holy grails of credit. They carry a lot of weight when it comes to credit scores and financial profiles. Every debtor should have at least one credit card on his or her credit report. Each debtor should also make sure that the credit card of choice is one that works best for him or her. There are many types of credit card options from which a debtor may choose. One of the most popular types of cards is the 0% intro APR option.

Best Credit Cards With Zero Percentage APR

This credit card type has a promotion that offers the debtor 0% interest for a certain amount of time. After the promotional period ends, the debtor must pay the regular APR.

Consumers can take advantage of 0% intro APR credit cards in many ways. They can use them to merge their credit card accounts. They can use them to make large purchases without having to pay any interest. Also, they can use them to boost their FICO scores. We’ve taken the liberty to find some of the top 0% intro APR credit cards on the market right now that you should consider. Sift through this list and then pick the one that seems like it will suit your current needs. We can even help you find more.

Discover It Balance Transfer Card with 0% APR

Discover It Balance Transfer Card

The Discover It Balance Transfer card is a good choice if you’re looking for 0% intro APR credit cards that you can also use to transfer your balances. The initial 0% interest period is for the first six months for purchases and the first 18 months for balance transfers. After that, the annual percentage rate will increase to a 12.24% – 23.24% variable interest rate. This would be a great time to grab this card and transfer the balances from your other cards to it.

The Discover It Balance Transfer Card has other features and benefits to it aside from its promotional offer. You will also be free of paying any kind of annual fee because the current annual fee is $0. Other features that the card offers are features such as a free FICO credit score, social security number alerts, and friendly US-based customer service representatives. Furthermore, the card doubles as a cashback card. You can get up to 5% cashback on the purchases you make with the card. To make it even better, the credit card company will match your cash back earnings at the end of your first year. This card just keeps on giving!

To qualify for the Discover It Balance Transfer Card, you should have a credit score in the 700 point range. You should also be a US citizen who is at least 18 years of age, since you will have to sign a credit card contract.

Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Card

Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Card

The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Card is another card that may interest you. It’s one of the 0% intro APR cards that also doubles as a rewards card. The introductory period of having a 0% APR will last for the first 15 months of your purchases. After the promotional period ends, your purchase APR will change to a 15.24%-25.24 variable APR. Your balance transfers will also be at 0% for the first 15 months you have the card. After that, you will also have to pay a 3% fee.

The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card also has many other positive features that come with it. For one, you will not have to pay a fee for any foreign transactions that you do with your card. You will not have to pay an annual fee for this card either. Other features that you will have access to include features such as 1.5% cash back on all the purchases you make with your card. Additionally, you will also have access to a $150 bonus if you spend $500 on your purchases within three months after you get your credit card.

It’s worth taking a look at this card and thinking about applying for it. You must be 18 years of age and be a US resident. Capital One is generally more lenient with their approval criteria than some other credit card companies are. You may be able to get approval for this card if you have a credit score of about 670.

Discover It Cashback Card

Discover It Cashback Card

The Discover It Cashback Card is another wonderful card offered to you by the Discover company. It is strictly a cashback card and does not offer balance transfers. Thus, it will be perfect for you if you’re not looking to transfer any of your balance. The Discover It Cashback Card allows you to earn 5% cash back on some of your purchases and 1% cash back on your other purchases. It also offers a cashback match as part of the promotion. You will receive a cashback match after the first year that you have the card.

This card is one of the 0% intro APR cards that will be a dream for you to own. Card features include features such as unlimited cashback, anytime redemption, Amazon checkout, and social security number alerts. Afterwards, the user would pay an APR of 12.23% – 23.24%.

You should have a credit score of at least 700 points to get approval for this credit card. As usual, you must be 18 years of age or older.

BankAmericaCard Credit Card

BankAmericaCard Credit Card

Bank of America is one of the most prominent banks in the nation, and it offers consumers a credit card with its name on it. The BankAmeriCard Credit Card has a 0% APR introductory period of 18 months. After the initial introductory period ends, credit cardholders will have an APR of 13.24% – 23.24% on purchases and balance transfers. They will also have to pay a 3% fee when they do balance transfers.

The Bank of America Credit Card has many features for consumers to enjoy. It offers clients free access to their FICO score so that they know how it’s improving each month. The card also has no annual fee and no penalty APR. Therefore, a late payment will not cause a rise in a cardholder’s APR. It may, however, create a drop in the person’s credit score.

Applicants must have a very good or excellent credit score to gain approval for the BankAmeriCard. They must also be at least 18 years old and be a citizen of the US. Applicants do not have to be Bank of America customers, but being a customer may help them to gain approval for the card.

American Express Cash Magnet

American Express Cash Magnet

Some consumers are into American Express cards. If you’re like them, you will love the American Express Cash Magnet O% APR credit card. This card offers a 0% percent APR for the first 15 months on both purchases and balance transfers. After the initial promotion ends, the cardholder will have to pay an APR of 14.24%-24.24%, and it is variable.

This card is a cashback card, which means that cardholders can earn money back on their purchases. The card offers a 1.5% cashback potential. The promotional offer for this card also includes a $150 bonus for new cardholders who spend at least $1,000 during their first month of owning the card.

The cashback system allows cardholders to earn 1.5% cash back on every purchase they make. They can use the cash back to buy merchandise, get gift cards, or pay for their credit card bills.

Those two features aren’t the only features that this amazing card offers, however. Cardholders also have access to premium features such as no annual fee and the ability to use their cards in more than 3 million stores and websites.

American Express credit cards are generally hard to get. They require a credit score of 700 points or more for approval. A credit score of 700 or more is considered good or excellent. Card applicants must also be at least 18 years of age to apply. They can make their applications over the phone, or they go to the website and apply online. Sometimes, American Express sends offers to potential cardholders. A consumer can follow an invitation and visit the required site to apply for a card that way. Approval should be quick and painless.

Chase Freedom Card

Chase Freedom Card

Chase Bank offers the Chase Freedom card to consumers who have scores of 700 to 750 points. The Chase Freedom card has an introductory period of 15 months where cardholders do not have to pay any credit card interest on their purchases. After the initial 0% APR period ends, the cardholders will have a regular APR of 15.24% – 23.99%. Along with the 0% APR in the beginning, the Chase Freedom card gives a new cardholder a bonus payment of $150. The person has to spend at least $500 during the first three months of account opening.

The Chase Freedom card offers a myriad of additional benefits. One thing they offer that’s different from other credit cards is weekly access to the cardholder’s credit score. The Credit Journey feature keeps cardholders abreast of how they measure up in the credit world. Some of the other features that this card has to offer include features such as 5% cashback on certain categories up to $1,500 and unlimited 1% cashback on all other purchases. Cardholders will also get to enjoy a 3% introductory balance transfer fee and no credit card annual fee at any time. This one is worth a try if you have a good credit score, and you want to take advantage of some huge cashback opportunities.

Capital One Savor One Credit Card

Capital One Savor One Credit Card

The Capital One Savor One Credit Card is definitely a card that you can savor. It comes in a cute little peach color and a memorable name. It’s one of the 0% intro APR cards that you can get if your credit score is not in the “excellent” category. You may be able to land this card if you have a score of 660 or even a little less. You can certainly give it a try if you don’t have too many inquiries on your credit report at this time.

The 0% APR on this card lasts for the first 15 months after you open your account. You will have a 15.24% – 25.24% APR when the first 15 months of time goes by. You can still enjoy a myriad of features even after the initial promotional period ends. One feature that you’ll be able to enjoy is the $0 annual fee. It’s always a pleasure not to have to worry about an annual fee hitting your account when you’ve forgotten all about it.

This card will also not charge you for any foreign transactions you conduct while you’re traveling. Your cash rewards are perhaps the best part of card ownership. You can earn 3% cashback on all of your dining and entertainment ventures. You can also earn 2% cash back on your grocery shopping. You’ll get 1% cash back in every other category, and there will be no limit to the amount that you can earn. Additionally, the card company will give you a $150 bonus if you spend $500 on the card in the first three months that you have it. That sounds like a deal that you shouldn’t ignore.

Capital One Venture One Rewards Credit Card

Capital One Venture One Rewards Credit Card

Capital One offers quite a few credit card options to the masses. The Venture One Rewards Cards is yet another card that gives you a lot of perks and no hassle. It offers an introductory 0% APR for the first 12 months that you own the card. The difference between this card and other cards is that it also offers points that you can use for traveling. You’ll earn 1.25 miles for every dollar you spend on your purchases. You will also get a bonus of 20,000 miles when you spend $1,000 in the first three months that you have the card. 20,000 miles are equal to about $200 of travel.

This card has many more features for you to enjoy. For one, the regular APR is 15.24% – 25.24%, which is a bit lower than the ones on some of the other cards. You can also use your miles to travel whenever you want to travel. You won’t have to worry about blocks or blackout dates when you want to go somewhere.

This card also has no annual fee, no balance transfer fee, and no foreign transaction fee. That’s a lot of no’s for a credit card, and we think you should take advantage of that. Another “no” that this card offers is no penalty APR. You don’t have to worry about being punished for being late on your payment for one month. This might be an excellent card for you to try to grab. Consumers have rated it with four out of five stars on some of the top credit card categories.

Get Approved for 0% Intro APR Credit Cards

Those are just a few of the cards that you can qualify for that have a 0% APR introductory offer. As you can see, most of them have high FICO score requirements. Don’t fret if you’re not quite in the credit category to qualify. You can take several actions to increase your score so that you can get one of these great cards in your hand.

First, you should apply for an easy-to-get credit card with a low initial credit line on it if you don’t already have one. You can qualify for several unsecured cards. Once you get approved for one, you can use it to build your credit score up so that you can get approved for 0% intro APR cards in the future. All you have to do is make your payments on time each month and keep your utilization down below 30%. The credit card company will monitor your usage and payment history.

Your credit score will go up each month you make a timely payment and keep your utilization low. After a while, you’ll start getting offers from credit card companies you may have never heard of. You will be eligible for one of your favorite 0% intro APR cars as well. Work hard and continue to have faith. You’ll get to where you need to be soon enough.

Final Thoughts

You can start applying for 0% intro APR credit cards right now, and you can have one in your hands in about two weeks. You can also contact us and let us help match you up with a credit card that will be perfect for you. We are not a lender, but we are an advocate. We help consumers find a wide variety of financial products and services they need. Loanry can assist you in finding credit cards, consolidation loans, personal loans, car notes, and more. We can also help you get access to debt recovery products and services. Just reach out to us and tell us what you need. We’ll be delighted to help you grab hold of it.

Loanry

How to Prevent Credit Card Fraud: Swipe and Beware

Posted on | by Carlie Lawson

Those horror stories you see on the news about someone’s credit card getting stolen and the thief racking up thousands in debt happen every week. Credit card fraud is scary. It does not need to happen to you though. You can protect yourself. As you prepare for the holiday shopping season, you need to prepare for the inevitable crush of shoppers, the fights over the last of an item and most importantly, you need to protect your credit card.

Most of my shopping gets done online since I stay pretty busy writing, so I am pretty ratchet about protecting my credit card information. Still, a few years ago someone did nab my information and I had to clean up a ton of problems on my credit report. Sometimes, I think I got invited to write here because I have learned so much the hard way. It happened to me and I can tell you how to protect yourself and how to clean up the mess if it has already happened to you.

Tips for Preventing Credit Card Fraud

Whether you shop in-stores or online, your credit card information remains at risk. You can keep it safer though. It just takes a few extra steps to avoid credit card fraud. You have to learn to be on the lookout for scammers and thieves. It is all in the preparation you make. Start with these tips to get yourself well prepared to shop.

  • Tuck your credit cards into your purse or wallet and wear it close to your body. This makes it tough for thieves to snatch.
  • In busy shopping centers or malls or in busy outdoor shopping markets, carry a small purse to make it tougher to steal or pick-pocket.
  • Take only the credit or debit card you will actually use that day like the zero APR credit card you plan to use for that new stove. Leave everything else at home, especially your cash advance credit card.
  • Quickly use your credit card and then put it away. The less time it gets exposed, the less likely your numbers can get stolen. Thieves can use their cell phone to photograph your credit card while it is out getting used.
  • Keep your cards in a separate location from your wallet or purse. If you get pickpocketed, you only lose the cash in the purse or wallet.
  • During a transaction, keep your eye on your card. Make sure you get it back before you walk away.
  • Save your receipts, so you can compare them with your statement.
  • Make sure that you have your credit card with you before you leave the shop or restaurant.
  • Do not sign a blank credit card receipt. Write a zero into each unused blank or draw a line through it so no person can add to the receipt. Verify your total before signing it.
  • Be just as vigilant when you stop for gas. Check the gas pump or ATM before you use it to make sure a credit card skimmer has not attached anything to the pump.
  • Credit card thieves sometimes place credit card skimming devices onto the credit card readers at gas pumps or ATMs. This attaches over the regular credit card swiper and stores all data. Immediately report any such device to the gas station manager and go to a different gas station or ATM.
What thieves do once they steal your info pie infographic.

At-Home Tips for Safer Credit Cards

You also need to be extra careful at home. Handle your financial statements carefully.

  • Shred anything correspondence with your bank routing number and account number on it or your debit or credit card number on It.
  • Do not throw your credit card statements in the trash without shredding them first.
  • Throw the shredded pieces away in different trash cans to thwart thieves from taping pieces together.
  • Whether you phone your credit card company or they phone you – do not give your credit card number over the phone.
  • When you phone your credit card company’s customer service, use the toll-free phone number on the back of your credit card.
  • Do not return calls to a phone number left on your voice mail or sent via email or text message. It could be fake. Always phone the telephone number on the back of the card.
  • Avoid sharing your phone number with anyone who calls you. You should ask to call them back at the number on the reverse of the card. Get their employee number or extension, so you can reach them directly.
  • Make it simple to cancel your credit cards by keeping a record of your account numbers, expiration dates and the credit card fraud hotline for each company in your safe or in a safe deposit box. You need it to be in a location that only you can get to the information.
  • You should be the only person to use your card. Do not lend it to your children, spouse or roommates.
  • Do not leave your credit cards, shopping receipts or financial statements lying around the house or office.
  • Open financial mail promptly and reconcile statements with the purchases you’ve made.
  • Let your credit card issuer know immediately if your address changes.
  • Let your credit card issuer know immediately if you are going on vacation or will be traveling.
  • Never write your account number on the outside of an envelope.

Online Credit Card Safety

Your workplace may have a litany of rules for getting online and opening e-mails. Follow them at home, too. For real. They are doing that to keep their servers and systems safe. By following the same rules at home, you can do the same for yourself. You can keep your credit card, bank and investment account information safe, as well as your computer system. Start with these tips.

  • Be wary of phishing emails. These appear to be from a company you genuinely do business with, but really come from a scammer. Avoid clicking on links in an email appearing to come from your bank, credit card company or any other business that you use. PayPal often gets spoofed in emails. Read the information provided in the email, then take action on it by going to the financial institution’s website on your own – typing the URL of the site into your browser yourself.
  • Use caution when you use your credit card on the Internet. Enter your number only on sites you know are secure and legitimate.
  • Use websites that use https:// to indicate there are secure.
  • Look for the lock icon in the lower right corner of the browser.
  • Create a really strong password for the card issuer’s website. Make it hard to guess. Keep it safe by not writing it down.
  • Also, create really strong passwords for any website where you store your credit card number like Amazon or Walmart.
  • A strong password contains upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, and special characters.
  • Before you shop with a company for the first time, conduct an online search to read reviews and complaints. This includes online card shops. Use easily checked, reliable sites like Loanry.com or Cashry.com.

What to Do if You Lose Your Card or It Gets Stolen

As soon as you realize your credit card is missing, call your credit card issuer to cancel it. This prevents fraudulent charges. Make a list now of the phone numbers of your credit card companies’ customer service numbers. This makes it easy to find them when you need them.

You are liable for the first $50 charged after the card was stolen. This could be more if you do not report it quickly.

Carefully review your billing statements every month for unauthorized charges. One of the first signs of credit card fraud is unauthorized or duplicate charges. Any charge you see that you know you did not make; you should report to the credit card company right away.

Your credit card issuer can tell if it was an innocuous mistake or if you need to close your account and open a new one to avoid credit card fraud. Does that sound like a lot to go through just to keep your credit cards safe?

When I went through my problem with identity theft, the thieves had first borrowed my address. Once that happened, their information merged in with mine. Many organizations use the information from credit reporting bureaus to verify identity elsewhere. Want to know how bad it can get?

I could not set up a Federal Express account to schedule deliveries to my home because FedEx uses a credit bureau to verify your identity. They want to make sure they are delivering to the appropriate address for your packages and all the others that should go there. Problem was, I was and am the only person to have ever lived in that house. When the verification asked me which of the four people had been my roommate at my lake house, I was at a loss. It took months to clear everything up and I still do not have a FedEx account.

Report Losses and Credit Card Fraud

Call the card issuer as soon as you realize your card has been lost or stolen. Many companies have toll-free credit card fraud hotlines and 24-hour services handle these issues. If you think that your card was used fraudulently, you typically must sign a statement under oath that you didn’t make the purchases or open the account in question.

Reporting Your Identity Theft

While we’re on the topic, reporting identity theft and fraudulent charges does not work quite the same as reporting typical theft like the stealing of a motorcycle. Rather than phoning the 911 line, you should call the non-emergency or business phone number of the local police department. Tell them you need to report a financial crime. If the officer balks at taking the report, you should let them know that you do not expect them to conduct an investigation, but that you are filing it to clear your name and help with the process of reporting it to the credit card companies and credit reporting bureaus. If they continue to balk, request to speak with their supervisor.

Here are five really important reasons to report credit card fraud and identity theft to the authorities.

  1. You help yourself psychologically because it is cathartic. You provide yourself some emotional resolution. Making a police report lets you take back some measure of control that was stolen from you.
  2. Your report provides you proof of the event. Some creditors will request the police report number.
  3. The report means you get the credit report/file freeze for free.
  4. The police might solve the case, especially if you are able to provide the suspect’s name and contact information.
  5. As mentioned, your data provides a piece of information that can lead to the solution of larger crimes.

An investigation could solve a credit card fraud. The more information you can provide, the more likely it is that the police will actually investigate. Cases get scored numerically based on available data provided. The reports that rank the highest by providing the most detail and information get the most attention. If you have identified a suspect or have an actionable activity to investigate, your case stands a better chance of getting investigated. But if a bank just got robbed though, the financial crimes folks will already be busy investigating that. If there already exists a higher-scoring credit card fraud case, they probably won’t investigate you aggressively.

Final Thoughts

You can do a lot to protect yourself from credit card fraud. It begins with your vigilance. Use sites like Creditry and options like store apps to protect your credit cards. Keep on top of your finances. Look at credit card statements as soon as they arrive. Learn the vigilance necessary to protect yourself and, if something does go awry, report it to the police immediately. Stay on top of it and keep it on their front burner. Make sure you help educate others about what it takes to remain safe and protect yourself from credit card fraud. You are your first and best defense.

Loanry

Your Ultimate Guide to Credit Card Refinancing

Posted on | by Julia Peoples | Leave a Comment on Your Ultimate Guide to Credit Card Refinancing

We all have credit cards. Many of us use them, but we do not know the best way to do so. According to USA Today, Americans owe over $1 trillion dollars in credit card debt and that number continues to increase. USA Today states that about 40 percent of those who use credit cards are able to pay the balance due every month.

The other 60 percent have a staggering amount of credit card debt. There are tons of reasons why people owe so much in credit card debt. We will touch on some of those reasons as you continue reading. We are also going to talk about your options when you find yourself drowning in credit card debt, including credit card refinancing. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about credit card refinancing.

What Does It Mean To Refinance Credit Cards?

Credit card refinancing is when you choose to take your debt from one or many credit cards and transfer it to another credit card. The overall goal is to save money on the interest you are paying on your current credit card debt. Typically, when you transfer money from one credit card to another, the new card gives you 0 percent interest on the transferred balance. Credit card refinancing can save you money in the long run. It helps decrease the amount of money you have to pay each month. If the interest does not build, you have an easier time of paying off your credit card debt.

Another way to refinance your credit cards is to get a refinancing loan. This is an actual personal loan that you use to refinance your debt. As with anything else, there are positives and negatives to obtaining a personal loan to consolidate debt. Some of these refinance options can be handled online with online applications. Today, it is much easier to file for credit cards and loans online with online card shops.

Bank Gives You a Credit Limit

The bank gives you a credit limit and you cannot borrow beyond that limit. You can pay off the amount you borrow by a specific date each month. If you cannot pay the full amount, there is a minimum payment you must make. Any amount that you do not pay is subject to interest charges. If you do not make the minimum payment or make the payment late, the bank assess a fee. Only paying the minimum amount or getting hit with a lot of fees puts you in a dangerous place. You may run the risk of drowning in debt and need credit card refinancing. Keep reading for more about that.

When you use the credit card, that decreases the amount available to you. As you pay off the amount you owe, that increases the amount available to you. I will give you an example to illustrate how it works.

Your credit limit is $2,000. You purchased $500 worth of items. Your credit limit is currently $1,500. Your minimum monthly payment is $25. You owe $500, but can choose to only pay $25. If you only pay $25, you still owe $475 and will pay interest on that amount. If you pay $500, you owe $0 interest. If you pay $500, your available credit goes up to $2,000. If you only pay $25, your available credit is $1,575.

70% of the United States population carries a credit card, with 34% of Americans carrying 3 or more cards.

Source: shiftprocessing.com

How Does Interest Work On A Credit Card?

I mentioned above that if you do not pay the balance in full each month on your credit card, you have to pay interest charges. That is typically how credit cards work. Some credit cards offer specials where you can get 0 percent interest for a set period of time. I am not talking about credit cards offering special deals. I am talking about a typical credit card interest scenario. It is important to understand how an APR credit card works.

For a typical credit card, they offer a grace period which is a period of about 15 to 30 days between when you purchase items and your monthly due date. Your due date is the same date every month. That means, if you pay off your credit card by your monthly due date, you do not have to pay interest. Interest is calculated on the balance you owe. Every credit card has a different interest rate they charge to your credit card. The initial rate they offer you is based on your credit score. Some credit cards have interest rates as high as 20 percent.

Let’s Take an Example

Let me show you what that looks like with real numbers. This is an example, the numbers may not be what you really see with your credit card.

Your credit card has available credit of $5,000. You have charged $2,000. Your available credit is $3,000. Your minimum monthly payment is $75. You can pay $500. Your new available credit is $3,200.

However, you must consider the interest. Your credit card charges you 10 percent interest. That means you are charged 15.9 percent interest on $1,500 since that is the balance that is left. This is how you determine how much interest you owe. There are a few calculations that take place when determining interest.

  • You take your interest rate (15 percent or 0.1599) and divide that by the number of days (365) in the year:
    0.1599 / 365 = a 0.00044 daily periodic rate
  • You multiple the daily rate (0.00044) by your daily balance ($1,500):
    0.00044 x $1,500 = $0.66
  • Lastly, multiply the number above by the days in your billing cycle (30):
    $0.66 x 30 = $19.80 interest charged for this billing cycle

The bottom line is not paying off your full balance causes you to accrue interest and you pay more money. Over time, this amount adds up and may cause you to have such a high amount of debt, you may consider credit card refinancing.

Hand press button illustration

What Are The Benefits of Credit Cards?

First, I am going to focus on the good things about credit cards. They can help you build your credit. If you are young, or do not have much in the way of credit, a credit card is a great way to begin to build your credit. You should be mindful that the only way you can build good credit is to use a credit card wisely and pay it off every month. Credit cards also provide revolving credit for you. You can keep a credit card forever. As long as you pay the bill timely and more than the minimum amount, you always have credit available to you. You can keep this for times when you have emergency expenses.

Credit cards offer you convenience because you are able to purchase something today even though you will not have the money for it until next week when you get paid. Credit cards provide you the opportunity to purchase the item when you need or want it, even when you do not have the money. Some credit cards offer rewards and incentives, and if used properly, you can actually earn money by using them. You can receive points that allow you reduced prices for airline tickets, dinner, or other items you buy. This translates directly to savings for you.

You can also use them to do credit card refinancing. Some credit cards offer special deals if you transfer the balance of a high interest credit card to a new lower interest one. This can save you money on interest charges, especially if you have 0 percent interest for a set period of time on balance transfers.

What Are The Downsides of Credit Cards?

I would like to touch on the negatives to credit cards. They are another bill. Whenever you use your credit card, you still have to pay for your purchase. That becomes a bill at the end of the month. It is easy not to think about at the time of purchase because you do not have to pay any money in the moment. You will have to pay for it, eventually. There is that pesky interest that I keep mentioning. I keep bringing it up because it is important for you to remember. If you do not pay the bill in full, you have to pay interest on your daily balance. This is something you can avoid, but you must pay the bill in full to do so.

One thing I have touched on only a little bit is your credit score and how credit cards can impact it. Using credit cards improperly can cause your credit score to decrease. When you use credit cards properly, they can help you build your credit. The opposite of that is also true, improper use of credit cards can negatively impact your credit score. Late and missed payments are the most common ways credit scores are negatively impacted. This is true for loans, general bills, and credit card payments. Just using your credit cards can also impact your credit.

The higher your credit card balance, the more credit you are using and this is a negative mark for your credit. Also, the more credit you use the higher your debt to income ratio becomes which also negatively impacts your credit. Carrying a high amount of credit card debt may also put you in a position where you may need to consider credit card refinancing.

What Else Should I Know About Credit Cards?

As I have highlighted above, credit cards are an amazing tool at your disposal. There is a simple credit card that is simple to use. However, you have to use them responsibly. Credit cards can be a constant source of temptation for you. If you know that you have credit available on your credit card, you might feel compelled to make purchases. You may not need these items, or possibly cannot even afford these items, but because you have available credit, you purchase the item anyway.

This is can lead you down a dangerous path of quickly getting over your head with credit card debt. If you begin to feel like your credit card debt is out of control, you may want to consider credit card refinancing. You have to be aware of your own spending habits and will power when it comes to credit cards. There is no one to police you, but yourself.

Another consideration is identity theft. It is much easier with credit cards, especially with online purchasing. You probably have heard that gas pumps are the worse with stealing credit card information. Gas providers try to stay ahead of those who are out to do harm, but they always seem to be one step ahead of the technology used to prevent them from stealing information.

Identity Theft Reports in the United States

Are There Options Other Than Using Credit Cards?

When it comes to credit card debt it is especially important that you remember even though you are not paying money upfront, you still have to pay. If you know that you may not have the best control over your impulse to shop if you have credit cards, you might want to think of alternatives. You can open a savings account and put money in there for extra things you might like to have. Some people call this a rainy day fund. It could be for vacation, emergencies, or just an occasional shopping spree.

It is money set aside for just that purpose, so you are not spending money needed for bills. You are not raking up credit card debt. This way you do not have to worry about negative implications to your credit rating. You will not have to worry about bills coming in at the end of the month.

Saving money for your needs is a great alternative to getting yourself further into debt. If you have ever felt like you were drowning in debt, you know what a terrible feeling that is. Anything that you can do to prevent yourself from getting into the downward debt spiral, is a smart financial move. If you have been deep in debt previously, you want to do everything you can to prevent that from happening again. If you are currently in debt, you want to get out of it as soon as you can. You may feel like it is impossible for you to save money when you are working hard to pay your current bills. This is the time when you may consider credit card refinancing.

What Is Bill Consolidation?

I mentioned a little bit about debt and bill consolidation above, but I want to dig in a little deeper. The major difference between credit card refinancing and bill consolidation is what debt is being paid. Bill consolidation does not just have to be credit card debt. It can be any type of debt that you have. It is consolidating all of your debt into one manageable payment. Often, you are paying off high interest debt with a lower interest loan or credit card. When you are considering consolidating debt, you need to understand what components make up your debt. This helps you determine which debts you want to consolidate and how to do that.

In the following sections, I touch on the positives and negatives about credit card refinancing. It is important to fully understand the pros and cons of consolidation when you are considering it. When you consolidate your debts, you take on more debt initially. No matter if you obtain a loan to pay off your debt, or open a new credit card to consolidate credit card debt, you are adding to your debt to income ratio.

What Are The Benefits to Bill Consolidation?

There are many obvious advantages to consolidating your debt. The biggest one is taking all of your debt with many different payments and consolidating into one payment. This allows you to focus on paying off one payment instead of many different payments. This also allows you to focus on paying off your debt faster. You know exactly what amount you have to pay each month. It does not change based on usage like a credit card does. The interest rate is fixed and does not change based on how much money you pay each month.

Credit card refinancing may also be able to give you a lower interest rate. This is not always the case. However, when it is, it can significantly lower the amount of money you pay over time. When you have a lower interest rate, it decreases the amount of extra money you are paying on top of the actual money borrowed. When you think of interest, you should think of it as a fee the bank, or lender, charges you to borrow money from them.

What Are The Negatives of Bill Consolidation?

There are some negatives that you should consider with credit card refinancing. One major thing you should be mindful about is the interest rate. You should make sure that the interest rate you are given during consolidation is actually lower than what you are paying now. If you end up paying a higher interest rate, you may end up paying more money. When you consolidate your credit, you may have a long repayment time frame. It may take you up to five years to pay off the consolidated amount. Keep in mind that it may take you longer to pay off your debt if you do not consolidate it.

Unlike a loan, there is no time limit to how long it takes you to pay off your credit card debt. In fact, if you only pay the minimum, it could take you over 10 years to pay off credit card debt.

Another major negative to consolidation is you feel like you have managed your debt. Since you have consolidated to one payment, you may feel like you have paid off more debt than you really have. You still have the same considerable amount of debt. You just have one payment. You need to be mindful that you do not get yourself back into the cycle of credit card debt. You actually might want to consider cutting up all but one credit card. Then you might want to hide that credit card so you have it for emergency purposes only.

How Does My Credit Impact Debt Consolidation?

I have not talked too much about your credit score before now, so let me give you some helpful information. Your credit score directly impacts the interest rate you receive during credit card refinancing. That in turn becomes a direct impact on the money you pay each month. Your credit score may seem like it is not that important, but it is a huge deal. Your credit score is prominently displayed on your credit report. Your credit report is a detailed listing of all of your activities involving credit. It shows your payment history, how much debt you have and how you use it.

It shows the age of your credit. It shows all of your late or missed payments. It even shows loans on which you have defaulted. All of these items listed on your credit report impact your credit score. It is built, or destroyed over time and gives lenders an indication of your credit worthiness. It takes hard work to build your credit score. However, it only takes one or two missed payments to send it downward.

Conclusion

I have given you a lot of basic information about credit card refinancing. It is easy to feel like you have no control when you are buried in debt. There are websites that help you focus on getting your debt under control. They can help provide guidance for credit card refinancing so you can feel like you are making sound decisions. When making financial decisions, it is best to have all the information and make rational decisions. This will go a long way to helping you become debt free.

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