The Benefits Of A Credit Card Balance Transfer

By Author: Melissa Bryson
Total Articles: 223
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The trouble with the world of finances is the ever-changing nature of the market. It is vital to keep abreast of all the latest changes if you want to continue getting the best deal available to you. This is actually a fairly common mistake, to get a great deal and then go home and not keep an eye out to see what the current trends look like. If APR rates were to go sky-high, you might not mind your blissful ignorance, but were they to drop lower for a period of time, you might resent the fact that you've been paying 8% more than the going rate. This is actually the first rule of gaining and keeping good credit: awareness.

Awareness, being important on a large scale, does nothing to diminish the importance of the same, individual level at which you must be paying attention. Say, for example, that you've been looking into a credit card balance balance transfer and seen several offers for 0% balance transfers. With each card, you need to look at exactly what is being offered. Hopefully, you have experience in doing this because you've already spend time familiarizing yourself with the cards that are already ...
... in your wallet so that factors such as grace periods and fee schedules are not mysteries to you.

Set goals for yourself when you set out to find a credit card that you like. Make a lists of things you do and don't want. Such a list might include items such as "a card with a rewards program I can put towards business travel," or "a card with no balance transfer fee so I can pay off my old card with a better interest rate." Then, set out to find that card. If you know exactly what you want from a credit card you are far less likely to end up with a card that will not suit your needs and desires. If your main interest in getting a new card is so that you can transfer a balance and pay it off, don't settle for any card that does not offer you an interest-free period during which you can pay that debt off. You should also make sure that this interest-free period is combined with a transfer fee that is either very low or non-existent.

Don't be afraid to shop around. Even if you have sat down across from the person who seems to be offering you an amazing deal, you are never obligated to sign up for that card simply because it's being offered. Likewise, offers that come in the mail should be approached with caution. In all reality, it is you who should approach your creditor, not the other way around. The former is an actual interest in their products, the latter is more akin to buzzards circling an animal which looks to be weak and vulnerable. Always read the fine print carefully and make sure you understand the terms of any agreement in full before you climb on board with a new card.