Beware the Shopping Mall Monster
September 21, 2008
Like me, you’ve probably been offered a fair old number of these by now…
..and, if you’re like most people, chances are you maybe own at least one or two.
They always seem to put in an appearance at just the right (or wrong) moment…
It might be Saturday and you’ve just seen the clothing item of your dreams.
That can be a pain, though, if this month’s paycheck isn’t due for another week.
You’re undecided.
Until, that is, you’re offered…
..a store card.
One of the horrible ironies about store cards is that the vast majority of people who sign up for one actually had no intention of making a purchase before they left the house.
But if you’re caught in the above situation, the convenience factor frequently wins the day, doesn’t it? Add on top of this all the little goodies thrown in as a sweetener…
An introductory discount on goods ? typically around the 10% mark ? extra money off during sales periods etc…
But let me tell you what the sales assistant probably won’t…
Is Plastic Making You Happier?
September 19, 2008
If you’re like most people, you probably own at least one.
And like most people, you’ve maybe never thought what it’s really costing you?
At a recent conference held by the Fabian Society at London’s Imperial college, one of the issues discussed was happiness, and, more specifically, why it seems to elude so many of us.
One of the conclusions reached was that one of the greatest causes of unhappiness in the last 50 years has been people’s constant desire to raise their level of material wealth (especially in relation to others who have more).
As one speaker noted, ‘We’re like children on a rainy Sunday afternoon, impossible to please. We have everything and nothing.’
You may disagree, but I can’t think of a worse modern symbol of this constant craving than the credit card.
Yes, I know, they might seem a godsend when payday isn’t for another week and a half. Having ‘free’ money can be a fantastic thing…if you manage to pay it back on time that is…
If you’re like a great many, though, and only managing to make that minimum monthly repayment, here are 4 things to think about the next time you reach for that piece of plastic?
0% Credit Cards
September 16, 2008
These days, credit cards in the UK are competing with each other on two very attractive offers with a headline rate of 0%. These 0% credit cards will be either balance transfers; introductory purchases offers or a combination of the two. This article looks at how to get the best out these types of card and the things to that the credit card companies want you to do and therefore the things to avoid. There is a school of thought that believes that these types of card will soon be a thing of the past as they cost the credit card companies too much profit, as consumers get wiser to the pitfalls.
A balance transfer credit card is basically an offer of either a zero interest rate or very low interest rate for a set period. The typical period is 6 months although there are variations on this and there have even been some low rates set for the lifetime of the balance. However, these are becoming rare. Once, the offer period expires then the outstanding balance reverts to the standard rate on purchases. This is very important, as at this point the credit card company will hope the consumer will not take any action and so the company can begin to earn money on the balance.
What To Look For In A Credit Card
September 13, 2008
When you are deciding what type of credit card to get it is important to compare credit cards to each other and find the best deal for you. There are a variety of different credit cards available, from low interest cards, cash back cards and even reward credit cards, it’s hard to decide what exactly the best credit cards are.
The best credit cards are generally going to have a few things in common. The first thing, being a low interest rate. Low interest cards can save you money over time, by not requiring you to pay large amounts of interest on your purchases. Some of the best credit cards in addition to offering a low interest rate will be reward credit cards. Reward credit card will give the user some sort of incentive for choosing their card to make a purchase rather than another. Rewards can vary from cash back to gift certificates at your favorite department store. Some cards will even offer actual merchandise or trips as rewards for using the card.
Credit Cards: Pros and Cons
September 10, 2008
Sure, there are a lot of problems with credit cards, but there are a lot of good things attached to them as well. For instance, if you have a small business, fleet credit cards can keep your books in order when you issue them to drivers of company vehicles for gas and automobile repairs. On the other hand, it’s very easy to abuse department store credit cards. And it’s easy to have too many credit cards open at once.
Credit cards can be great for keeping your business in order; fleet credit cards are a tool you should use. With fleet credit cards, you can keep close watch on the expenses of your automotive fleet while building your company’s credit rating by paying off the card regularly; and because the cards are of limited use, it’s difficult for less-than-honest employees to abuse them. Company credit cards are also handy for keeping tabs on small expenditures, such as office supplies or luncheon meetings. But there’s a dark side to credit cards. When you start to slide into credit trouble, it’s often easier to get department store credit cards; and having too many department store credit cards can lead to missed payments and bad credit.
What Are The Most Common Credit Card Mistakes?
September 6, 2008
Now in a world with so many easy to get credit cards it can be easy for someone who is a first time credit card holder, or even someone who has several credit cards in the past to make mistakes when using the card.
One of the most common mistakes when using credit cards is to use the credit card to make purchases of things you are not really able to afford. Easy to get credit cards make it tempting to get a credit card in a store to make a large impulse buy, that you will end up paying for several times over in interest rates. People will often sign up for credit cards at baseball games, and on college campuses in order to receive free promotional items. While it is easy t get credit cards from these types of booths, the credit cards often will have a high interest rate, annual fees and memberships fees that you don’t pay attention to when you sign up.
Finding Reputable Credit Card Companies
September 3, 2008
You’re interested in getting the best credit cards for your family’s needs, but you don’t want to be cheated. Or you’re interested in small business credit cards, but you’ve heard that some of them aren’t terribly secure. What do you do?
First, don’t look for the best credit cards in your email box; and don’t pick out your small business credit cards from your daily junk mail. While these are often good bargains and perfectly honest companies, junk mail and email are also the way fraudulent credit card companies find their victims, or less-than-great credit card companies find customers. The best credit cards are the ones you seek out yourself. Whether you’re looking for small business credit cards or good credit cards for your personal use, be an active rather than a passive buyer.
Go to your bank and ask them if they carry credit cards, or if they can recommend a good company. Chances are, the answers will be yes, and yes. For unsecured cards, your bank may have less than great rates; but for cards secured by home equity or an equivalent security, your bank will probably have rates competitive with the best advertised prices out on the Web or television - and you have the added comfort of knowing you can trust them.
Five Debt Negotiation Facts
September 1, 2008
These five debt negotiation facts along with a few debt reduction planning tools gives you the ability to control your own debt. For many people today credit card debt is a mounting problem and very few know how to successfully negotiate debt settlements.
If you want to learn how to successfully negotiate with your creditors, follow the five debt negotiation facts below which offers you some solutions to your debt problems. This not only gives you a way to gain control of your credit card debts but all of your finances.
Debt, in the form of credit cards or loans, mounts up daily with interest charges, additional finance fees, and service charges. Lumping these charges and fees on top of the previously borrowed amount can make the price tag on a loan or credit card multiply a lot higher than a person originally figured on. This is what makes debt become too high to properly manage.
When the price of debt becomes too high to realistically pay each month, debt negotiation offers an opportunity to put a time out on the debt process. That allows you to reassess and renegotiate the terms with a creditor that are not currently feasible to comply with.
Cash Advance ? How Does It Work?
August 29, 2008
If you want a cash advance or a payday/paycheck loan, you usually get a personal check. Some companies use your bank account or credit card in addition to or instead of a check. This means that you have to write a check that is to be cashed or you have to agree to have an amount withdrawn from your bank account at a certain date in future (usually 14 days). After filling-in the agreement or contract you get a sum of money that is less than what you have agreed to pay. The sum is smaller because the difference is the “fee” for the loan service. Why would the company loan you money like this? Because loaning out money in this way and getting these “fees” really brings them a huge profit at your expense.
If we assume that you borrow $200 and the “fee” is of $15 for each $100, within 14 days you will have to give back $230 for the $200 that you borrowed. If by borrowing the $200 you avoid paying a $100 late fee or penalty on something, then it is worth the effort. But if you just need the money for yourself, the price is too high.
How Do I Establish A Good Line of Credit?
August 26, 2008
A line of credit, roughly defined, is the amount of credit that can be given to a borrower from a lender. Usually a contract or note of promissory is exchanged between the two parties, in which both parties agree to the line of credit amount, as well as the annual interest due to the lender at the end of the term.
Line of credit can be anywhere from a paltry sum such as twenty dollars, to a home lone of over twenty thousand dollars. Line of credit speaks volumes about your character and shouldn’t be taken lightly. Where and how much your line of credit can be extended is at the sole discretion of the lender. The lender holds all the cards in the transaction, basically.
Qualifying for a good line of a credit is somewhat of a Catch 22, in that in order to qualify for any line of credit you must prove that you have previously been reliable in paying back a previous line of credit. It’s like the old adage you may have heard upon graduation from college: “To get a job, you need experience. But to gain experience, you need a job.” Sometimes it may feel like there’s no way to get the ball rolling, vis a vis your very first line of credit.
