|
We have created a directory of information, articles
and resources on credit cards which
we hope you will find useful.
Simply click on one of the links below or on the left
side of the screen.
|
Credit Cards Articles
Credit Card News You Can Use™
Brought to you by FrankfordFinancial.com – Official
Business Partner of Advanta, American Express, Bank of America, Chase, CitiBank,
Discover, Household Bank, Mastercard, Orchard Bank and Visa Credit
Cards.
Professional Advice & In-Depth Credit Card News
Topics Low Interest Credit Card
Savings Tips, Credit Card Shopping, Credit Card Comparisons, Free Credit
Reports, Do-It-Yourself Credit Repair, Credit Card Surveys, Credit Card Scams,
Credit Card Fraud, Identity Theft Protection, Credit Card Statistics, Credit
Card Glossary, Credit Card Laws, Credit Card Considerations for Women and
Minorities, Credit Card History and Technology.
Low Interest Credit Cards
Credit card applications from all major Banks
and Credit Card Issuers. Compare offers side by side and find a credit card
that's right for you. Offering: low interest credit cards, frequent flyer cards,
cashback credit cards, business credit cards, student credit cards, bad
credit-credit cards, debit cards, prepaid credit cards, secured credit cards.
Offers available for those with bad credit, no credit, good credit, excellent
credit, and students. Instant online approvals when you apply here.
* The
intent of our news articles is consumer advocacy–to empower you with relevant,
factual information that can help increase your knowledge of personal finance.
The tools and information provided in this section will help you make informed
choices which in turn can save you money. You won't find any advertisements or
hype inside these pages–just the facts about credit cards.
Credit
Card News You Can Use™ is updated weekly.
|
Credit Card Tips That Will Save You Money
Maximizing value from your CashBack, Points or Rewards
Low Interest Credit Cards: If you're not gaining the amount of
CashBack, Points and Rewards that you'd like, here's a suggestion-use your
CashBack, Points or Rewards Credit Card for absolutely every single purchase you
make. But! Do it in conjunction with the checkbook you'll use to pay your
monthly bill. After every purchase using your CashBack, Points or Rewards Credit
Card, record the purchase in your checkbook as a debit. At the end of the month
when the bill comes you've already allotted for the amount necessary to pay your
balance because you've been debiting it's charges in your checkbook register all
along. So when you pay the bill it won't hurt a bit. Obviously this method
requires discipline but just think of what you could earn over the course of a
year's expenses.
Read more about low
interest credit cards...
|
Gasoline Credit Cards: Reduce Your Cost Per Gallon
Reduce the price per gallon yourself try a CashBack Gas Card
from one of our Banks. Secure it to your Car's KeyChain or KeyRing or Apply for
one of our unique Car KeyChain Gas Cards then your Gas Card is readily available
every-time you gas up. Some of our cards offer as much as 10% CashBack on every
fuel purchase. Gassing up that big SUV could save you over $6.00 a tank...but
whatever you drive you're reducing the price per gallon. Example $1.89 per
gallon gas falls to $1.70 per gallon when you use our best CashBack Gas Card - The Discover Platinum Gas Card - Earn Up To
10% Cash Back on Gasoline Purchases >
|
Too Many Credit Cards May Be Affecting Your Credit Rating
Some Financial Advisors use The Old School rule of thumb and
tell you cut up every Credit Card that you aren't using, others might tell you
to acquire as many Credit Cards possible within the guidelines of your credit
rating-that it makes you appear more credit-worthy to lenders. Truth is, it's
more complicated than that. The number of credit cards you carry should be a
decision based on several factors including your FICO score, current credit card
debt ratios, other debt ratios, and your overall current financial standing. You
can review your FICO scores and get a Free Credit Report from the main 3 Credit
Bureaus here. Yes, A Free Credit Report. This is NOT a pop-up ad or a 3rd party
report that baits and switches with something to sell. This is the
do-it-yourself process for The Big 3: Equifax, Experian, and
TransUnion LLC.
And, why should you care about your credit report? It determines
the rate at which you can borrow money and how much money lenders will extend.
It's also something that potential employers can review during the hiring
process. Many employers will equate a bad credit rating or a so-so credit rating
with your overall personal character. Scary, but true. Your credit rating may
not seem important today, but it can come back to bite you if you don't stay on
top of it.
|
What Might Be A Good First Credit Card For Those With A Limited Credit History
Attention students and first time credit card applicants:
Here's some tips on what might be a good strategy in being approved for your
first major credit card.
#1—It is very important to remain current on all of your bills.
Not doing so will certainly jeopardize your Credit History and FICO Scores.
Establishing a consistent payment history will help you qualify later for the
major credit cards.
#2—You could also try applying to a Department Store or an Oil
Company's Gas credit card, and see if you get approved. Those credit cards can
be a good initial starting point. Carrying a small balance on Department store
credit cards or Gasoline credit cards can be a good idea because it shows
Creditors that you can handle an outstanding balance.
#3—Another approach would be to start with a Secured Credit
Card. With secured credit cards you place a deposit with the Credit Card company
and they provide you with a Credit Card. Often times this can help in
establishing or rebuilding your...
|
Consolidate Your Credit Cards & Save
Too much charging during the holidays? Here are some tips to
save you money.
One approach might be to transfer your balance to another Credit
Card at a lower interest rate with a No Balance Transfer Fee. That might help
you pay down your balances quicker because a larger amount of your monthly
payment would be going toward paying the principal instead of finance charges.
Pulaski Bank has an outstanding value with such a Credit Card
that we're currently offering at 4.75%, Yes, 4.75%! But, keep in mind you will
need an absolutely Perfect and Superior Credit Rating for approval to the
Pulaski Bank Credit Card. Even though this Credit Card has a $35-$50 (gold is
$50.00) annual fee, this Credit Card can be a very good solution if you
carry high balances on other Credit Cards.The intro rate is 0% on Balance
Transfers for 6 billing periods, and then the Annual Percentage Rate (APR) is
only 4.75%. There is no Balance Transfer or Cash Advance Fees, and the Pulaski
is one of the few Credit Cards still having a 25-day grace period.
Whatever you decide, we offer options for all credit ratings in
our Balance Transfer Section >
* Keep in mind—too much transferring of balances then cancelling
the card is frowned upon by Banks and Issuers. We recommend finding a
couple good value credit cards and sticking with them.
|
Microwave Your Personal Financial Data!
With so much credit card and identity theft these days, we
recommend storing your personal financial data on cd's. That way data isn't
exposed to lurkers on your hard drive, you access it only when you need it and
you've always got a back-up. It's also a good idea to burn an extra cd of all
your stuff and put it in your bank's safety deposit box.
When you need to destroy that data--place the cd in a microwave
for 1-3 seconds. The data will disintegrate and you'll see a very colorful
lightshow, then hear a slight popping noise. You can be assured the disk will no
longer be readable. Remember 1-3 seconds only.
|
Your ex-Spouse Could Be Ruining Your Credit
With joint credit card accounts, one person is the primary
account holder-but on most credit card agreements, the fine print holds you both
accountable and your credit rating will be judged accordingly. If you're not the
primary account holder, protecting yourself against your ex-spouse making
further charges is critical. The account stays open as long as there is an
outstanding balance on such accounts. What to do:
Step
1—Get those
balances paid down as soon as possible.
Step 2—Write a
letter to the bank or credit card issuing company explaining that you will not
be responsible for any new charges made to the joint account as of the date of
your letter. Mail the letter certified, signature required, save the mailing
receipt with a copy of your letter for future reference. Don't expect a phone
call or email to work for you in this situation.
Step
3—Get a copy of your credit report, (see how in our free credit card
reports news article) review it thoroughly to ensure there are no red flags. If
you discover any strikes against you, dispute these errors with the bank or
issuer immediately and reference the letter you sent them. You may learn of
credit card accounts your spouse opened without you ever knowing it.
Step 4—After reviewing your credit report, you should
apply for one credit card solely in your name, just one credit card, because
applying for a lot of credit cards could cause you to be perceived as someone
who is financially strapped and desperate for credit. Timely payments to this
new account will start you on your way to re-building what could be a damaged
credit card rating. It will take some time to re-build your credit history-we
recommend...
|
New Ruling by Federal Trade Commission-Free Credit Reports. Yes, Free.
Don't you just hate it when someone offers you a free something
or other but by the time you click or call turns out it wasn't free after all?
You've probably seen the blinking pop-up ads for "Free" Credit Reports
- A lot of these services are bait and switch - your "Free" Credit Report winds
up costing between $19.95 and $49.95 for something you can do on your
own.
The new ruling recently announced by the FTC will certainly
benefit consumers. The FTC's final ruling under the Fair and
Accurate Credit Transactions Act now allows all Americans to receive one Free
Credit Report annually.
The new law is rolling out geographically according to
this schedule:
Dec. 1, 2004-Alaska, Arizona, California,
Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington,
and Wyoming
March 1, 2005-Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan,
Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin
June 1, 2005-Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana,
Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas
September 1,
2005-Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland,
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina,
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Puerto Rico and
all U.S. territories. Get your report now by visiting www.annualcreditreport.com
or call 877-322-8228
* If your state is not currently participating visit us
for the contact information you'll need to get your free credit report
now.
Why should you care about a Free Credit Report?
Banks, lenders and credit card issuers base interest rates and
approvals on your credit rating. As you improve your Credit score, you pay less
to borrow. For example, on a $150,000 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage: having a
so-so credit rating could make for an interest rate over 10% which makes for a
monthly mortgage note in the ballpark of $1300. A good Credit Rating in this
scenario would qualify you for a rate as low as 5%, making that monthly mortgage
payment roughly $800.00. You may not care about your rating today, but later in
life when it comes time for that big purchase...
|
Tis The Season For Balance Transfers
All that stuff you charged during the Christmas shopping season?
You might wind up paying a boat-load in interest if you're not
careful. It may be time to think about a balance transfer.
By defintion a Balance Transfer is the act of transferring the
whole or partial balance of one credit card to another credit card. This is
usually done by transferring balances of higher interest rate credit cards to a
low interest credit card. One thing to look out for are Balance Transfer Fees -
A fee that is charged to cardholders for processing the transfer of a
balance from one card to another. These fees can range from $50 to $100 and are
not always apparent, so make sure you're well informed before applying for a new
balance transfer credit card.
No wonder the consumer top picks for Balance Transfer
Credit Cards in 2005 are Blue Cash
from American Express > and Chase Cash Builder > they let you
transfer balances Fee-Free...
|
|