Articles About Getting Clean Credit

Credit Card Balance Transfers Explained

What is a balance transfer ?

A balance transfer can be explained simply as a balance transfer! When a balance is transferred usually from a credit card, but possible from a bank account or loan to a credit card with a offer interest rate (usually 0%) for a set period. It does not have to be the entire amount. The card receiving the balance will an interest rate for a set term, normally 6 months, but can be 9 months or even a year. Take a look at the current balance transfer deals currently available. This will give you a flavour of the typical kind of deal available.

Should I apply for a balance transfer ?

It is important to remember that a balance transfer does not mean that the debt has gone away. It just means you are not paying interest on it. You will still have to maintain payments.

This may seem obvious but many people do not get this straight in their mind.

The basic criteria for getting a balance transfer is when you regularly have an outstanding balance after making your monthly payments. This is the amount you should look to transfer to another card. This will mean that for the period of the offer you will pay no interest on the balance (provided you make the minimum payments).

You should be very wary of taking up a balance transfer, if your overall debt is increasing. A balance transfer is not a green light to spend more money. The money you save should be used to decrease your debt.

What should I look for in a balance transfer ?

You need to be aware of the following when looking for a balance transfer card

Good things

• Length of offer period.



• Offer Interest Rate.



• The zero or low interest rate charged on the balance.



• Possible transfers from loans and overdrafts.



• On some cards you can transfer from existing loans and overdrafts and still get the offer.

• Cut-off period for the balance transfer offer.



• Hidden Charges on transfers.



• Some banks will charge a handling fee on the balance transfer.

There is usually a cut off point from the account opening when the offer is no longer valid. Be very aware of this otherwise you could end up transferring a balance to a higher rate !!

What about new purchases ?

Unless there is also a 0% interest rate on new purchases then you should avoid making new purchases on a balance transfer card. This is because the banks will look to reduce the balance transfer debt quicker than the new debt. Provided your credit history is reasonable, there is nothing stopping you having several cards for different purposes. A good way is to have a card, which specialises in 0% on new purchases and another card for balance transfers.

What happens when the balance transfer period finishes ?

When the balance transfer offer period finishes the debt will revert to the typical variable APR. The lenders hope at this point that the cardholder will retain the card and some of the debt, so they can then start charging interest and making some money! So take into consideration the low interest rate credit cards. However, there is nothing stopping the disciplined credit card holder from switching to another balance transfer deal and closing the account. The cycle then starts again. Always allow 6 weeks to 8 weeks before the end of the offer period to apply for a new card. This means you can get the balance transferred to the new card before the lender can start charging the higher rate. You have to be organised to do this, but if you are it does work. People who regularly switch balances are know as card tarts.

The Golden Rules

There are three things to look out for with a balance transfer card

• As mentioned previously, the unsuspecting can get caught out when spending on a balance transfer card.



• Maintaining regular payments. If you miss a payment you incur some penalty, so be aware. To be safe set up a direct debit.



• The interest rate applied when the offer period finishes.

Neil Brown is a freelance writer and regular contributor to the credit card sites Choose A Credit Card and Search4 Credit Cards.

Other Article Sites

findabook.com  moneycd.info  a-mortgage.info   about-lemon-laws.info  aboutstudentloans.info
all-about-publishing.info  auctions-articles.info  bestcollege-university.com  bestispconnection.com
biblefolder.com  blogger-website.com  books-used.info  brokers-guide.info  buywindows.info  cable-dsl.info
career-miner.com  carpel-tunnel.info  cashinaflash.info  cashloanreviews.info  casinobell.com  chat-house.info
clearmycredit.info  collegeloantips.info  crones.info  depression-articles.info   dirnic.net  dishguides.info
divers-below.com  expodog.info   financewizz.com  fire-insurance.info  getgood.info  handleit.net   it-idea.info
health-supplies.info  hosting-right.com  insidealert.com  insurance-facts.info  jobs-employment.info
justgood.info  lookgold.net   lowcost-travel.info  money-source.info  myhostzone.info  numisblog.com
peoplesearchfinder.info  pr-articles.info  realeas.com   refinancing-guides.info  spyware-remove.info
telelot.info  the-law.info   toppaid.info  travel-deals.info  travelcorrect.com  wedding-guide-site.com
your-blog.info  your-credit.info

MORE ARTICLES:

Credit Repair: Repair Bad Credit Card Debt Yourself
Credit repair and eliminating your credit card debt does not mean that you have to hire an expensive credit repair service. In fact, if you want to fix your credit you can do it yourself for free. I cannot promise that it will be easy but despite the glib promises made by professional services those are not easy either.

Bad Credit Home Loan - Apply Online and Keep Your Credit Score as High as Possible
If you have a poor or bad credit history with something in your past like a bankruptcy or a foreclosure, you know how difficult it can be when you try to get financing for a home mortgage purchase, refinance, home equity or second mortgage loan. Its important to be persistant in looking because there are home mortgage loans out there for people with bad credit.

Debt Relief Credit Repair - Using Loans to Repair Bad Credit
If you are dealing with bad credit and you want to repair it, you should first search out a debt consolidation loan But if you have bad credit, what firm will help you acquire a loan to relieve your financial situation

Bad Credit Cash Loans: Immediate Funds for People with Bad Credit Score
People with bad credit score are very similar to other people and their financial needs are similar too. For the above written reason bad credit cash loans are designed to meet the emergency needs of these borrowers. These are unsecured loans and used by the borrowers for their personal and small needs. These loans are used for paying medical bills, buying groceries, paying other payments and many more. The lenders do not interfere in the use of these loans.

Bad Credit Remortgage Loan: When Bad Credit Plays Mischief With Your Mortgage
Financial difficulties are married to bad credit. It is a tough marriage but can be peaceful with a little bit of counseling.

Bad Credit Home Financing - Get The Mortgage Loan You Want Even With Poor Credit
Having poor credit alone cannot hold you back from getting the home loan you want. Buying a home that is everything you want in a home, is a very exciting experience.

Low Credit Score Home Loans - Mortgages For People With Poor Fico Credit Scores
Whether you are refinancing, getting a second mortgage or home equity loan, getting a mortgage loan with poor credit history can be tough. In the eyes of the lender, having credit problems puts more emphasis on the other qualifying factors to determine whether or not you can get approved.

Bad Credit Tenant Loans: Designed For the People Who Have Bad Credit Score
Tenant loans are designed keeping in mind about their capabilities. But tenants with bad credits are different and face more problems than tenants with normal credit score. So to give them a much needed respite in times of financial exigencies bad credit tenant loans have been fabricated.

Compare Bad Credit Credit Card Offers: Credit-Card-Surplus.com Adds 2 New Bad Credit Credit Cards, Offering Consumers a Complete List of Bad Credit Of
www.Credit-Card-Surplus.com announces the addition of two new bad credit credit cards to its website, creating more options for those who have less than perfect credit. Consumers that have filed for bankruptcy or have a low credit score qualify for bad credit credit cards. When used properly, these cards enable customers to rebuild their credit and improve their standings among lenders. With the addition of the Total Visa® Card, and the Access Visa® Card, www.Credit-Card-Surplus.com provides a total of 13 bad credit cards for consumers to compare.

Instant Bad Credit Loans - Loans for People with Bad Credit Score
Everyone ruins his or her credit score at some point of time or other. Not that they simply want to ruin it, the circumstances or lack of experience leads to bad credit score. Consider a student who just got his credit card. He will use it to the maximum in the excitement without even giving a though to the repayment, thereby getting a bad credit score. A bad credit score later becomes a hindrance to avail loans. One method to improve your credit score is to take instant bad credit loans.

Personal Loans With Bad Credit- Getting Personal Loans With Bad Credit Has Never Been Easier
Are you in need of a personal loan? Are you afraid that because you have bad credit you will struggle to find a lender that will be able to help you? Getting personal loans with bad credit has never been easier because lenders are struggling to find business right now. There are so many foreclosure, repossessions, and bankruptcies with the downturn of the economy that they lenders need to make loans just to make money. This is good for those of us with bad credit and here are your loan options.

Credit Cards For People With Bad Credit, Poor Credit Or Poor Credit Score
Bad Credit is a term used to describe someone who is considered a "high risk" to lenders and other finance companies such as factors.

Affordable Bad Credit Mortgage Loans - 3 Tips to Reasonable Bad Credit Mortgage Loans
Finding a mortgage loan with a bad credit rating can be an absolute nightmare: Driving from broker to broker, bank to bank, getting turned down every time, all the while your credit keeps dropping with every credit check. Fortunately, this painful process can be avoided with just a few simple tips.

Bad Credit Personal Loans - How To Get Approved For Bad Credit Personal Loans
Are you looking for a personal loan, but have bad credit? Do you need a loan for a car, debt consolidation, or any other reason whatsoever? If you have bad credit you will find it hard to get a good personal loan. Here is how to get bad credit personal loans without the hassle.