Author: Richard Greenwood Added: August 28, 2008
The rise and rise of the credit card never seems to stop. Our flexible friend can be a great way to purchase goods and services if used well but can just as easily turn into our enemy when you find yourself faced with debts and unable to pay the bills in full each month. Most cards have an interest free grace period on purchases from the time you make the purchase to the day your next bill is due. If you pay by this date then credit cards don't incur any interest. However, if you can't afford to pay the balance in full by the due date each month your going to be charged interest on that balance and the interest rates on credit card can be very high. Interest rates on credit card vary wildly from introductory zero percent offers right up to cards with crazy interest rates such as forty percent designed for those with very bad credit ratings. In order to avoid having to pay this interest rate, it is important to pay your credit card off each month. Interest rates are charged on an annual basis, but credit card users are charged a percentage of that interest rate each month until the balance is paid off. For example, if you charge $1,000 one month and paid your credit card off, you would not have to pay any more money than $1,000. However, if your interest rate was 13%, then you would have to pay an extra $130 a year for the initial $1,000 charge. If you have had enough of paying interest on your ccredit cards and want to avoid paying interest follow these simple tips: Credit Card Balance Transfer: When you use a credit card, you always have the option to transfer the balance of that credit card to a new credit card with a lower interest rate. A credit card balance transfer is a simple way to avod paying interest on your credit cards. However, make sure that the credit card that you transfer your balance to does not charge a fee for the balance transfer (or that your original credi card does not charge a fee). Don't forget the doing a balance transfer does not get you out of debt or mean you can avoid paying the money back. You will still have to pay back the money that you borrowed. You may be able to avoid these high interest rates by moving to a low rate credit card. Debt Consolidation: Many credit card users have too many credit cards that they need to manage, including everyday credit cards and credit cards for specific stores. To make your finances simpler to manage and create just one bill each month you could think about debt consolidation. A debt consolidation program is a program through a third party that makes it possible for you to consolidate all of your credit card bills into one so that you can manage and predict your monthly payments. If you choose to use a debt consolidation program the company will create a repayment plan with a single monthly payment that should be affordable and within your household budget. Ask for an Extension: If you currently have a credit card with a low introductory interest rate that is due to expire you should try calling them and asking if they will extend the offer. When a low interest rate credit card offer is set to expire, simply call the credit card company and ask for an extension. If they do grant an extension be sure to ask they won't charge you extra fees for this service. It can be a challenge to avoid paying interest on your credit cards. However, depending on the amount of credit card debt that you have accrued, your interest could cost you thousands of dollars each year. Therefore, a little legwork may go a long way to help you save your money and avoid paying high interest rates.
--- Richard Greenwood writes on finance issues for bank comparison website www.compareyourbank.com.au - the website allows users to compare bank accounts and compare personal loans and investments from leading banks.
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