Author: Sean Masterson Added: August 11, 2008
Not all credit card offers are created equal. Some are simple and straightforward, some are a bit misleading and some are outright scams. What should you look for when entertaining the offers that hit your mailbox? Here are some things to consider... 1. What's the "Real" Interest Rate? Wow, 0% is a great offer, isn't it? Maybe, maybe not. No credit card is going to offer you a 0% interest rate for the life of the card. They're in this business to make money and if they're not charging you interest, their coffers will run dry. The question you need to ask is how long is that 0% interest rate for and what's the rate going to be when it's over? Some credit card offers feature a 0% intro rate for six months to a year and then raise the rate to a reasonable 10 to 16 percent. Other cards, however, jump your rate to 20 percent or more once your introductory offer ends, and that's not a good deal at all! Be very careful and know what your "real" rate is before agreeing to any credit card offer. 2. Annual What? Just when you thought annual fees were a thing of the past, more and more credit card offers contain them. If you have decent credit, there's absolutely no reason for you to pay an annual fee (unless the card offers some amazing perks that outweigh the expense). There are dozens of good cards on the market that don't charge a yearly fee for the privilege of carrying the card. 3. Too Good to be True? If you have bad credit and you're desperate for a credit card, the not-so-honest credit card offers may begin to appeal to you. A $5,000 credit limit at 9.9% with guaranteed approval sounds wonderful, doesn't it? All you have to do is send in your $197 processing fee. Remember what mom said -- if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Don't fall for the credit card scams disguised as credit card offers. Never pay up front for a card unless you're sending in a security deposit to a reputable secured credit card company. If you do, you'll be throwing away your hard-earned cash because chances of you actually receiving a card like the one above are slim to none. Remember, not all credit card offers are the same and they're not as informative as the card's Terms of Service. Credit card offers are created by marketing companies for the purpose of enticing you to sign up for the card (or fall for a scam) -- be smart and get the dirty details of any card you're seriously interested in applying for.
--- For more tips on credit cards, saving money and avoiding getting taken, check out CreditCardWhizKid.com, a website that specializes in providing credit card tips, advice and resources.
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