Do you have a credit card with a horrible interest rate? Consider applying for the Jetstar Mastercard with a 0% interest rate on balance transfers.
Benefits of this card include:
- An interest rate as low as 10.99% on purchases
- Savings of up to $500 on Jetstar flights
- 0% interest on balance transfers for the first 6 months
Get approved and make your first purchase by April 30, 2010 to qualify for a free $100 voucher.
Here’s the small print:
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If your New Year’s resolution is to gain control over your finances after your divorce then this freebie could be just what you need. Download a free copy of “Me And My Money”, a 44 page ebook that helps you stretch your money after a separation.
Topics covered include:
- Bills
- Savings
- Debt
- Budgets
- Child Support
- and many many more!
Download your free copy today and take control over your finances after separation or divorce!
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Credit cards are a hot topic these days and many stories or myths swirl around them. The biggest one is that credit cards are bad. Well, there are no bad credit cards, only bad credit card users. Whether you’re considering student credit cards, gift credit cards, or some other type, using the card responsibly is the most important thing you can do.
All credit cards offer the opportunity to build credit and establish a payment history. Student credit cards also earn credit or “points” towards purchases at the student’s school or university and they can be redeemed towards purchases there, for instance, to reduce the price of books or supplies. Some come with a low introductory interest rate, rewards or cash back. The myth that student credit cards are bad, because they target people with little financial experience, is not true. They offer great advantages if used responsibly and are no more dangerous than any other credit card.
Gift credit cards are also sometimes given short shrift. Gift credit cards are somewhat like prepaid mobile cards. You, or someone who loves you, loads money on the card (that’s the “gift” part) and then you are free to use it for whatever you want, until the money is spent. These are marvelous tools for youngsters away at university or for people who want to avoid overspending, because the card won’t let you do it.
All cards can be considered bad credit cards, when people don’t read the disclosures or use them unwisely. Educate yourself and you’ll find a credit card that can offer you great financial advantages.
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REWARDS CREDIT CARDS—WHAT WILL BE THE BEST FOR YOU?
There’s no longer much reason to have a normal credit card when credit cards with rewards can offer you many additional benefits. Rewards credit cards are available with every extra imaginable, from air miles, to cash back, to petrol rewards. The best rewards credit cards are those that offer low rates and fees, plus the benefits that are most important to you.
Cash Back
Cash back rewards credit cards repay their user in cash, for purchases. In some cases higher amounts of purchase or purchases from certain merchants can result in a higher value of cash back. These cards can have high interest rates and fees, so paying your balance in full every month is usually a good idea.
Airline Miles
Some of the best rewards credit cards are those offering air miles. For each card purchase, you earn miles on your favorite airline. If that company has an alliance with one or more other airlines, your miles can often be used on any in the group. There may be restrictions, extra fees or blackout dates, so be sure to read any notices carefully.
Gas Cards
One of the more popular credit cards offering rewards, these days, are gas cards. With these you earn points toward petrol purchases. Some give rewards at all stations, while others offer larger rewards if you purchase petrol at their branded station. If you tend to use one particular brand, a branded card with the higher reward level, may make more sense.
General rewards cards
These rewards credit cards are very versatile, allowing you to accumulate points for every purchase and then use them on a variety of goodies, such as electronics, gift cards, travel benefits and more.
Jimmy’s Comments
The best rewards credit cards are ones that will provide additional benefits for things you do or use every day or for purchases you normally make. Look back at your past spending patterns to determine the credit cards with rewards that might be best for you.
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Weekly Deal Roundup - October 9th, 2009
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HSBC currently has a great credit card offer just in time for the holidays. Apply, get approved, and enjoy a $0 annual fee for the life of the card! If that wasn’t good enough, spend $500 or more with your new HSBC credit card for each of your first three months and get $50 back!
$500 a month may seem like a lot, but if you purchase your groceries, gifts, and gas with your new card and pay it off at the end of the month then you get the $50 cash back. Just be sure to set aside money to cover what you charge and it’s like they are paying you to shop!
Hurry as this HSBC offer expires on December 24, 2009. To qualify you must be at least 18 years of age, a resident of Australia, have good credit, and meet income expectations. Apply online today to enjoy $0 annual fee and get a chance at $50 cash back!
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Do you think you have too much debt? Many people do these days. You may be worried about student loan repayment, looking for tips on credit card consolidation, or just tips for paying off your credit card debt entirely. There are some simple ways to make this happen, and while they’ll take a little bit of time, they don’t have to involve huge lifestyle changes.
Tips on credit card consolidation: this is a great first step to take if you have too many cards. Write down the current balance, credit limit and interest rate on all your cards. Use balance transfers to move money from the highest interest cards to the lowest interest cards, but don’t transfer right up to the credit limit. Leave about two hundred dollars free so you don’t go over your limit. Pay more than the minimum every month. You’ll still have payments with this method, but you’ll be paying less in interest charges!
Tips for paying off credit card debt: One of the best ways to pay your credit cards off is to set up a monthly debit from your banking account to the credit card. You won’t have any late payment charges or increases in interest rates. You can also set up electronic access to your credit card and send money at other times during the month. Maybe you received a rebate cheque on your mobile. Send it in mid-month to lower your average balance, which will lower your interest charges for the month.
Student loan repayment: This is another area where automatic debits can help. Try to send more than the minimum payment, if possible. You can also contact the lender and ask about re-negotiating the interest rate or terms of the student loan. While not always possible, it never hurts to ask.
If you use some of these tips on credit card consolidation, tips for paying off credit card debt and student loan repayment tips, you can find yourself getting out of debt much faster than you ever thought possible!
Compare Credit Cards
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You have or want one or more credit cards and you know having one can help your credit score if used wisely. However, you also know that credit scoring is adversely affected by having too many cards. So where does one stop and how do you find your credit score?
A free credit report will show you every creditor you’ve had within the past several years, including current ones, but a free credit report is not the same as a free credit score. A free credit score is a little more difficult to come by and you’ll need to talk to a specific lender, because each one scores you differently. Therefore, your credit score from the furniture store is likely to be different than your credit score from a bank or credit card company. However, if you request it as part of your potential credit application with a lender, that lender is sometimes willing to provide your free credit score.
What if you find out your credit is not so good? How can you rebuild your credit score? Well, there are credit cards for people with bad credit. These typically have lower credit limits and higher fees, because when you apply for credit cards for people with bad credit you can only select from lenders catering to that category of borrower.
If you use credit cards for people with bad credit and pay faithfully on time, be sure to call and see if you can re-negotiate the fees and interest rate after a year or so. If you’ve improved your credit score, you should be rewarded for that.
Compare Credit Cards
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Using credit cards can be a wonderful way to build great credit. They can be used for credit repair by making small charges and paying them off each month. If you periodically obtain a free credit report, you can watch your credit improve. What is a good credit score can vary a bit by lender, but generally the higher the better.
Potential creditors generally look to see that you’ve had some credit in the past and repaid it timely. Getting a free credit report is a great way to see where you stand before applying for new credit. If you see any incorrect items, immediately take action towards credit repair, usually by sending letters and providing proof that the item is incorrect. You may have to dig out old cheques or contact the lender, but it’s well worth the effort.
Since each lender has some leeway in determining what credit level they will accept, it’s a good idea to contact a potential lender in advance. If you think you might apply for credit, call and enquire what is considered a good credit score as far as that provider is concerned. With that free credit report in hand you’ll know if you meet that score, or if some credit repair is in order.
If you don’t have any credit cards, it might be a good idea to get one, make a few charges, and pay the bill promptly when it comes. While what is a good credit score can vary, no credit at all means no score, and that could make things difficult down the road if you decide to borrow money for a car or a mortgage.
See all Credit Card Comparisons
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Are you trying to decide which is the best credit card? It depends on what’s most important to you, but here are a few to check out:
- Interest rate: If you’re looking for a low rate, try the St. George Vertigo (11.89%), the Citibank Clear Card (11.99%), or the St. George Starts Low Stays Low card at 12.99%. All of these cards also have a 55 day grace period, which also makes paying them off easy.
- Balance Transfer: This is tops if you’re trying to cut down your debt. The St. George Vertigo card offers 0% balance transfers for up to six months, as does the ANZ Balance card and the ANZ Low Rate card. All of these cards also offer a 55 day grace period. The St. George Vertigo card has the lowest rate of the three, once the 0% balance transfer period has expired.
- Annual Fee: This fee is very difficult to escape in Australia, but a few cards are trying to help you out in this department. The Commonwealth Bank No Fee Card has no fee, as the name implies and its 18.24% rate is about average, as rates go. The St. George No Annual Fee card also has no fee and its interest rate is only slightly higher, at 18.75%. The Citibank Ready Credit card has no annual fee and an introductory interest rate of 2.9% for the first six months, after which the rate will rise.
- Rewards: This varies widely. Qantas offers their American Express Premium card, which gives you 20,000 points just for joining. However, the interest rate and annual fee are high, so you need to consider your use of the card before you sign up.
Check out http://www.jimmysdeals.com.au/Credit-Card-Comparison.php to learn about and compare cards, so you can make the best choice for your particular situation.
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Balance transfer credit cards can be a tool to help you get out of debt. Used wisely, no transfer balance fee credit cards or 0% balance transfer credit cards can give you that extra boost toward freedom from debt. If you’re religious about not charging anything more on your new card and paying as much as possible each month, you’ll find your debt dropping like a stone.
Consider the following strategies:
- No transfer balance fee credit cards: If you want to transfer a high balance to a new card with better terms, look for one with no balance transfer fee. Some cards impose a limit on the amount of fee they’ll charge, others don’t, but one with no fee at all is clearly best. Be sure to watch the interest rate, so you don’t get stung.
- 0% balance transfer credit cards: These cards may charge a one-time balance transfer fee, but the interest rate on the balance itself will be 0%, at least for a time. You’ll want to ensure you can pay the balance off, or transfer it to another card, before the time limit expires. After that date, the rate usually rises to a very high percentage.
- Tiered payment structures: These cards will allocate portions of your payment toward various rates and the fine print will tell you which interest rate receives the money first. A balance transfer credit card that puts your funds toward the higher-interest balance before the lower one is preferred.
Balance transfer credit cards are designed to bring new customers to the bank. The bank will not make much money with no transfer balance fee credit cards schemes unless you then carry a balance for a while. The same applies with the 0% balance transfer credit cards. During the 0% time period, the bank makes no money. They’re hoping you’ll leave a balance owing long enough for them to make a profit and often, they will have other fees in the “fine print” to help them make that profit. The way to protect yourself is to read all of the advertising and legal jargon before opening the account, so you know exactly how to make these cards work for you.
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If you’re looking for a new credit card, are you wondering about the pros and cons of rewards credit cards versus cash back credit cards? Which is better? Well, a cash back credit card does just what it says - gives you cash back after you reach a certain level of purchases. Rewards cards offer things other than cash—typically air miles, extra petrol, or points towards other benefits.
If you’re considering cash back credit cards, how do you decide which are the best cash back credit cards? One thing to look at is the interest rate charged. Yes, you should pay your card in full every month, but if you can’t, how much will it cost you. Another thing to consider is the amount of cash back, and what types of purchases will earn the cash back. Are they purchases you typically make, or will you be buying things you don’t need just to get the cash back? The best cash back credit cards for you will offer cash back on items you’re already buying on a regular basis.
A cash back credit card may have other benefits, like low or no annual fee. Often, large banking houses like ANZ or Citibank offer a cash back credit card tied in to other banking benefits like a free account, and that might be a great benefit for you.
Cash back credit cards can be very useful, but make sure you’re not letting the cash back or rewards portion of the cards overshadow the interest rate and any fees. The rewards won’t help you dig out if you create a mountain of debt for yourself!
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Sometimes people find themselves in a financial crush and absolutely have to lay their hands on some quick cash. There are several ways to get such a fast cash advance and at reasonable rates of interest.
First of all, nothing beats advance planning. You don’t want to be forced to obtain what is known as a payday cash advance, instant cash advance, or cash advance loan. These are very expensive and will not be a good financial move for you. So, when you negotiate your mortgage loan, terms of your checking account, and other financial services packages that you require the providers to make available to you, include at least a small line of credit that you can draw on in the event of emergencies. This line of credit, which could be activated as an online cash advance can be accessed at an ATM via your regular debit card. It should always be paid back as soon as possible after it is used; so that it will be there the next time you need it. You should only access this line of credit in true emergencies — for those times when you absolutely need an extra 50 dollars or so, and need it quickly.
The interest rate on such lines of credit, especially if they are tied in with the equity in your home, can be very reasonable, and if you pay back these short-term loans in a rapid manner, such as when you get your next paycheck, the amount of interest paid can be almost negligible.
Do not, if at all possible, use a cash advance store. These loans, also called a payday cash advance, instant cash advance, or a cash advance loan, are very expensive and the lenders making them charge some of the highest interest rates around for these loans, meaning that sometimes you will wind up paying back almost double what you borrowed – certainly not a good deal from the borrower’s point of view.
In advance of having an urgent need for cash, have a talk with your bank and see what they can do for you when you are faced with these sorts of emergencies. Often they can arrange for a small line of credit to be established in your name, even if you don’t have security against which to base a home equity line of credit. Such a line of credit will be a lot cheaper to use than the payday cash advance loans of these storefront vendors.
Regardless of the interest rate charged by your bank, you are guaranteed that it will be considerably less than that charged by a “payday loan” store, and having such a line of credit available to you will provide for peace of mine in the event you are ever faced with an emergency requiring you to lay your hands on some quick cash to deal with some unforseen financial event.
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Rewards credit cards offer many benefits, and you’ll need to decide which one suits you best. Credit cards with rewards range from travel benefits to “points” cards, cash back and petrol cards and balance transfer credit cards. Many people want to maximise benefits by transferring purchase costs from one to the other. But will this really help?
Generally the answer will be, no.
Most credit card issuers are aware of this practice. The rewards credit cards often have fine - print rules that exclude gaining rewards or points when you pay another card with the rewards credit cards.
Balance transfer credit cards frequently offer an introductory interest rate, good only for a specified period of time. After that time period has expired, the rate goes up - often way up! While balance transfer credit cards can be an outstanding way to lower interest rates and your monthly payments and also reduce the time until your debt is cleared, be warned that if you go past that date you could end up paying much more than you anticipated.
In fact, that’s the general rule for all credit cards with rewards. These cards typically have higher interest rates and fees than other cards, and you should avoid carrying balances on them if at all possible. But used judiciously, rewards credit cards offer benefits you can’t find elsewhere, so they can make debt management a bit easier for you in the long run.
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