Finance Tips

Now that the holidays have ended, many of us are looking for ways to save some money on those holiday purchases we may have spent a little or a lot extra on and those few extra pounds we gained. However, we can only provide help in the area of saving you money, you’ll have to consult someone else for those few extra pounds. If you weren’t able to pay off your credit card balances right away from the holidays or have some outstanding balances from before the holidays, then consider a balance transfer credit card. A balance transfer credit card can help you save money on your current balances that may be accruing interest.

To help you save more of your hard earned money, here is a list of the best balance transfer credit cards on our website.

1) GM Flexible Earnings Card – With this card, you get a 0% APR for 12 months on up to two balance transfer requests made at the time of your application. Transfer fees of 3% do apply to the balance(s) transferred with a $10 minimum and a $99 maximum. There is no annual fee with the card and new purchases earn 1% cash back or 3% toward an eligible new GM vehicle.

2) Citi Diamond Preferred Card – This card isn’t just named a preferred credit card. This card offers a 0% APR on balance transfers for 6 or 12 months depending on a review of your credit application. The introductory APR and period also apply to new purchases you make. Citi does charge a 3% balance transfer fee on each of the balances transferred with a $5 minimum. The card has no annual fee and a very competitive interest rate after the introductory period.

3) Blue from American Express – No more feeling blue about high interest rate balances when you apply because you can get a 4.99% fixed APR for the life of the balance! A 3% balance transfer fee applies to each balance transferred and transfer fees are capped with a $5 minimum and a $99 maximum. All your new purchases receive 0% APR for up to 15 months and no annual fee.

4) Chase Platinum Visa Card – This card from Chase will let you transfer balances and receive 0% APR for up to 12 months. The introductory APR and period is also available on all purchases. All balance transfers are assessed a 3% fee with a $5 minimum and a $75 maximum. There is not annual fee to use this card.

5) Bank of America WorldPoints Platinum Plus MasterCard – This versatile card from Bank of America almost does it all; 0% APR balance transfers for 12 months, a very competitive APR on purchases and one of the most comprehensive reward programs available. Transfers are charged 3% of the balance or a minimum of $10. Bank of America does not charge an annual fee on this card. For those with large balances to transfer, Bank of America is generally considered to be the most generous with credit limit amounts.

For more information on each of these cards, please click on their corresponding links for access to further information and a secure online application.

A debit card is a great way for any student to be able to receive money from their parents while they are away from home at college. The debit card with one of the major logo’s like Visa, MasterCard, Discovery or American Express can be used just about everywhere there is an ATM machine. These cards are usually accepted by all major retail businesses and at hotels all around the country. Many times students are able to make reservations on airlines and book their hotel room by using the debit card. The debit card is very popular among students and parents since it gives both the opportunity to control the spending and keep track of how the money is best spent.

One of the nicest features about a debit card is that when you have obtained the card from your bank it is very easy to turn this card into a credit card where the student has access to cash when it is needed. Many times the bank will allow charges to go through even though the cash limit has been drawn against the account. It is wise not to depend on that unless you have made your card into a debit/credit card.

You can secure your card very easily by opening up a savings account that will guarantee funds in case of an overdraft. Most banks are very happy to let you go over if they have some secured funds in a savings account that they can transfer out to the card. You will pay a fee for this service but it is great to have especially when you are traveling.

A balance transfer business credit card can end up being a godsend for small business owners. Businesses, like individual consumers, can benefit from switching from high interest rate charge cards. The advantages are quite obvious and they include the following:

1) Take advantage of 0% APR introductory offers. I know that at this time Advanta is offering 0% APR balance transfers for 15 months. Most other issuers will fall in the 6-12 month range.

2) The convenience of consolidating debt from existing credit card accounts onto a single account. From a purely administrative point this is a no-brainer. It is much easier to track and pay one bill than it is to deal with several.

3) Accounting becomes much easier to manage. You will want to look for a card that allows you to access your transactions 24/7 365 days a year. Being able to order up a quarterly statement is also a must.

4) Having the ability to use your balance transfer business credit card to pay down existing debt. Take full advantage of the 0% or low interest rate introductory offer to pay down some or all of your existing debt.

These are just a few, but certainly not all, of the business solutions that can be beneficial to businesses of all sizes. Now let’s take a look at what you should be looking for when you compare balance transfer offers from the likes of Chase, Citibank, American Express and Discover Card, to name a few.

1) Check to see what the introductory rate is and how long it lasts. This is usually 6-12 months but they are all different.

2) Find out what the rates will be when the introductory period expires. Don’t get surprised with high rates. Know what they will be going in.

3) Check to see if there are any balance transfer fees. There usually are fees associated with the transfer.

4) See how much the fees are. As long as the fees are not excessive in most cases it is usually still a sound move to transfer debt.

5) See what your credit limit will be. You are running a business and therefore require a larger credit limit than individuals.

6) Make sure the limit is enough to cover the existing debt. If it doesn’t then maybe you may want to look at offers from other credit card issuers.

These are the main points you will want to consider when comparing balance transfer business credit cards. This is not an exhaustive list by any means but it is an excellent place to start. Go to a reputable credit card web site and take your time to read over the terms and conditions set forth on the credit card applications that interest you.

A 0% interest credit card balance transfer can go a long way in alleviating financial stress. I know that with a lot of Americans the feeling of being overwhelmed can be quite stifling. If you happen to carry a high amount of credit card debt you may feel as though you will never get it completely paid off.

Compounding this problem is the fact that many credit card issuers will raise the Interest rates on people carrying substantial debt because they are considered to be a greater credit risk. Sounds cold doesn’t it? They just keep piling it in.

If this is your present situation then you can at least take some solace in the fact that you are not alone. More and more Americans find themselves deeper and deeper in debt. There are many reasons for this and really no reason to go into that here. That is an exhaustive subject unto its own.

A viable solution can be found in 0% interest credit card balance transfers. They are becoming an increasingly popular way to consolidate and manage credit card debt. And credit card issuers including Bank of America, American Express, Discover Card and Chase are eager to issue them.

These are great promotional instruments for the banks and credit card companies. What they are actually hoping for are to, of course, gain new customers. But ultimately they know that many of these new customers will carry the debt that they transferred beyond the introductory period.

They have this down to a science and know full well that the majority of people are going to do just that. And the credit card company rakes in huge profits from the interest payments. But I’m here to say that it doesn’t have to be that way.

Take advantage of 0% interest balance transfer credit cards by setting up an aggressive payment schedule. Most introductory rates last between 6-12 months. Do some quick math and see how much you would need to pay back each month to pay off the debt before the introductory rate expires.

And take heart. Even if you can’t afford to pay it off in full you most certainly can take advantage of the zero percent interest and pay off a substantial portion of it. And now you are well on your way to being free of credit debt and those nasty interest rates.