Kellys Credit Information

Finding the Right Credit Card


There are so many credit cards out there to choose from that deciding which one to get can feel really daunting. What makes one offer better than the hundreds of others you've seen? Take this little quiz to find out what you should look for in a card.

First, Are You a Student?

If you are, then you'll be best off with a student card - you'll probably have trouble getting accepted for anything else. It would be best to contact the bank where you have your student account before you do anything else.

Do You Have a Balance to Transfer?

If you do, then you need to be looking for a card with a low APR on balance transfers - preferably one that stays low for more than a few months, unless you intend to switch often.

Are You Planning to Make New Purchases?

If so, then pay more attention to the APR for purchases, which is usually entirely different to the one for balance transfers. You should also look at what kind of grace period different cards offer, so you don't end up paying interest on your purchases straight away.

Do You Pay Off Your Balance In Full Every Month?

If you have a lot of money or you only keep a credit card for emergencies, then you might just pay it all off each time you get the bill. If you do, then you're in a position where you obviously don't need to worry about the interest rate much at all, since you won't be paying any interest (make sure there's a grace period, though).

Many people don't realise, but the credit card company still makes money from you even if you pay no interest - the money shops pay to be able to accept credit cards. The credit card companies want to give you some kind of reward for letting them make this money without causing them any trouble, and you basically have a choice of three things:

Get cashback. For always paying everything off, they're quite willing to throw a few dollars your way. If you spend much with the card, this can add up to a tidy sum.

Take vouchers. You might, for example, be able to earn points as you spend that get you money off flights, or other rewards.

Give it away. If there's a charity or other cause you support, the chances are that you can donate money to them using an affinity card. This is a credit card that gives a very small percentage of each transaction to your chosen cause, and over time it adds up to a pretty decent donation for them.

Take Your Time?

Don't let anyone pressure you into making a decision before you're ready. Any offer that says it's for a limited time only is one you should ignore, as there's no reason to do it other than as a sales tactic. Think hard about your spending habits and what you want the card for, consider all the options you can find and then, once you're sure, go for it.

Ken Austin is the webmaster at Debt Consolidation Solutions and Credit Relief Solutions


MORE RESOURCES:

Kenexa to Present at the Credit Suisse Annual Technology Conference
MarketWatch - 4 hours ago
a global provider of talent acquisition and retention solutions, today announced that its Chief Financial Officer, Don Volk, is presenting at the Credit ...
Digital River CFO to Speak at the Credit Suisse Annual Technology ... WELT ONLINE
Brocade Corporate Controller, Charles Read, to Present at Credit ... MarketWatch
SuccessFactors Chief Financial Officer to Participate in a ... MarketWatch
all 45 news articles


Straits Times

Government plans new credit, mortgage programs
O Jornal, MA - 7 hours ago
The Fed program for consumer debt will lend up to $200 billion to the holders of securities backed by various types of consumer loans such as credit cards, ...
US Unveils New Programs to Ease Credit New York Times
Thanksgiving surprise: $800 billion more for the credit markets Los Angeles Times
The $800 Billion Pick-Me-Up for Consumer Credit Motley Fool
Detroit Free Press - Chicago Tribune
all 2,144 news articles


Realtors(R) Federal Credit Union Hires Thomas A. Glatt as First CEO
MarketWatch - 5 hours ago
WASHINGTON, Dec 01, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- The REALTORS(R) Federal Credit Union board of directors today announced that veteran credit union leader ...


Post Chronicle

Sector Snap: Consumer Lenders
CNNMoney.com - 2 hours ago
NEW YORK (Associated Press) - Consumer spending is likely to decline as the nation's largest credit card lenders cut customers' credit lines over the next ...
Credit card industry may cut $2 trillion lines: analyst Reuters
US Consumers Seen Facing ‘Liquidity Squeeze’: Chart of Day Bloomberg
The Death of Credit Cards Motley Fool
Consumer Affairs - BloggingStocks
all 59 news articles


Salesforce.com Chairman and CEO to Deliver Keynote Presentation at ...
MarketWatch - 1 hour ago
... Chairman and CEO of salesforce.com, will deliver a keynote presentation at the Credit Suisse Technology Conference on Wednesday, December 3, ...
ExpressJet to Present at the Credit Suisse Global Airlines Conference MarketWatch
all 15 news articles


The Jewish Journal of greater L.A

Pastor apologizes for church credit card use
San Jose Mercury News,  USA - 5 hours ago
AP LOS ANGELES—The pastor for First AME Church in Los Angeles has apologized to his flock over his use of a church credit card for $122000 in personal ...
First AME pastor's credit card charges probed Los Angeles Times
Pastor Apologizes for Charging $122000 on Church Credit Cards KTLA
First AME pastor apologizes to congregation for alleged misspending Los Angeles Times
all 36 news articles


CEP News

S&P affirms Macy's credit rating, negative outlook
CNNMoney.com - 2 hours ago
NEW YORK (Associated Press) - Standard & Poor's Ratings Services on Monday affirmed its credit ratings for department store operator Macy's Inc., ...
Standard & Poor's assigns eBay an 'A-' debt rating CNNMoney.com
all 9 news articles


'Coupons' & 'Credit Scores' Top Ask.com's Real Deal List of Most ...
MarketWatch - 9 hours ago
Credit score Ask searchers were hunting down deals for all facets of their everyday lives, demonstrated by top queries for "cheap," "used," and "discount" ...


United Online to Present at the Credit Suisse 2008 Technology ...
MarketWatch - 9 hours ago
... and Scott H. Ray, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, will present at the Credit Suisse 2008 Technology Conference in Scottsdale, ...


Wall Street Journal Blogs

Restoring the flow of credit to entrepreneurs
Los Angeles Times, CA - 16 hours ago
By Cyndia Zwahlen The credit crunch looks like an espresso machine. At least it does to Michael McDonald, who is trying to open a coffee shop near UC Santa ...
BIZ VOICE: Banking on small guys Atlanta Journal Constitution
Federal Credit Facility Aims to Thaw SBA Lending NJBIZ
all 130 news articles

Credit - Google News

home | site map
© 2006