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A Guide to Finding the Best Student Credit Cards

2005-10-29T12:58:00.000-07:00

Author: Sharon Cowles

Article: Student credit cards annually bombard freshman as they enter

college. It has become a fall ritual. Parents should be vigilant

in discussing the importance and responsibilities that go along

with having a credit card before the students ever leave home.

Don't get me wrong, I think it's a great idea that students have

their own credit card when they go away to school, but it is

extremely important that they get the right card and use it

wisely.

The best student credit cards are the ones that have low

spending limits. A high limit credit card given to a college

student could be a recipe for disaster. It should be made clear

to the students that their credit card is for emergency use

only, unless they want to get a job and pay for any of the

charges that are made on it. That sounds like a good idea, but

probably isn't very realistic.

When finding the best student credit cards, it is imperative to

seek out the lowest interest rates that you can find. This is

really obvious, but nonetheless needs to be stated. Many credit

card companies will offer 0% teaser rates for the first six

months. Beware of these rates because they're often followed by

exorbitantly high interest rates and then you are stuck. It is

most certainly not uncommon for students to carry balances for

more than six months, so I suggest that you avoid this option.

Just about all student credit cards offer some type of

incentives such as rewards points or cash back incentives. This

is done for obvious reasons. The most common of which is to

entice the cardholder into using it more often. Overall it is a

pretty good deal to receive rewards for credit card charges as

long as you bear in mind that this is not free money. Whether

you realize it or not, you have already paid for those points.

Managing your account online is a great feature for students.

For starters, just about every student has access to the

Internet and can easily access their credit card statements. The

second great reason for this is that the parents can also

monitor the activity on the card even if they are thousands of

miles away. This kind of accountability for impressionable young

students is an excellent way to keep them from getting

themselves into trouble. It also keeps the parents from getting

stuck paying their kids huge credit card bills.

For a student credit card it is important that they have a lost

or stolen card feature that guarantees protection against

unauthorized activity. Lets face it, sometimes kids are not as

responsible as we might like them to be. Having this protection

goes a long way in easing the parent's mind when they hand their

student a credit card

About the author:

Sharon Cowles is the owner of the popular site

http://www.cardbankusa.com. Cardbank
offers a diverse selection

of credit cards available to students and other types of cards

for airline, business and personal. Get your Free Credit Report

Today!
http://www.cardbankusa.com/categories/related-offers

Stop Using Your Credit Cards

2005-10-29T00:02:00.000-07:00

Author: Charles Kassotis

Article:

The average household now carries an average of between $6,000

and $10,000 in consumer credit card debt. But there an

unfortunate number of people who have more than $100,000 in debt

from using multiple credit cards. Consumers rely on credit cards

more than ever before and may pay interest rates of more than

twenty percent. Added to annual renewal fees, membership fees,

and other expenses, the cost of using a credit card, not to

mention making minimum monthly payments on the balance, can take

a sizable bite from most people's budgets. If you are having

trouble using credit responsibly and would like to stop using

credit cards as much as you currently do, or perhaps for good,

start by following a few basic steps to stop being so dependent

on plastic money.

1. Cut up all credit cards but one. If you can't use it, you

can't run up more debt. Some consumers keep a single card for

emergency purchases only, and they store the card in the bag of

ice that stays in the freezer so that the card must first be

defrosted, thus heading off impulse shopping. If your budget

will let you use cash only, cut up the last card, too, and don't

open any new accounts.

2. Make out a monthly household budget and follow it. Include

mortgage and utility costs, medical deductibles or insurance

premiums, food and gasoline, car payments and credit card

accounts, clothes, pets, haircuts, auxiliary expenses like the

newspaper subscription, entertainment, and anything else that

your family uses on a regular basis. Don't forget about car

insurance and car maintenance, even if you don't pay these each

month but use a six-month or annual payment plan, instead. It's

also a good idea to open a savings account for emergencies, even

if you can afford to deposit just $25 or so each month. 3. Use

an envelope system. A popular plan that many people use is to

put cash in monthly envelopes marked for specific purposes,

although some bill payments may automatically be deducted from

the paycheck first. For example, put $300 in an envelope for

groceries, $50 for medical deductibles, and perhaps $100 for

clothes. Whatever you don't use in a given month can be added to

the next month's amount and used for larger purchases. 4. Don't

even open credit offers that come in the mail or email. Discard

or delete them immediately so you won't be tempted.

5. Carry just enough cash to cover planned purchases. Bringing

more may tempt you to spend for things that aren't in the

budget. But if you carry too little, you may end up getting

tempted to open a charge account at one of the stores where you

shop.

6. Get an accountability partner. Ask someone you trust, like a

spouse or close friend, to hold you accountable for credit

management. Perhaps you can become that person's confidante for

an area of special need in his or her life. Make a weekly or

monthly report to let your adviser know how you're doing. Just

knowing that someone is watching may help you stay on track.

Pay off small balances first, and then add those payment amounts

to larger credit card payments to eliminate those, too. Before

long, you will be debt free and enjoying your newfound sense of

self-control and economic freedom.

About the author:

Solve money problems permanently by checking out Debt...Be Free!

at http://www.debtbefree.com

Tips for Finding the Best Credit Card Rates

2005-10-28T23:36:00.000-07:00

=>Title: Author: Morgan Hamilton

Article: If you are interested in getting a credit card, you probably

want the best rate you can get. There are a lot of different

credit card companies that offer varying rates. In order for you

to decide which credit card company to select, you should look

at who has the best credit card rates. There are many ways to

discover the best credit card rates. Let us look into some ways

for you to do this.

You can compare credit card rates by calling various credit card

companies and asking them about their credit car rates. This can

be time consuming however. The best way to compare credit card

rates is to go online. There are many websites that offer you

ways to do this. One website you may consider looking at is

comparecc.com. This website lists several credit card companies

and all of their credit card rates.

When you first go online and start comparing rates, first look

at the introductory APR. This is the APR you will first pay when

you first get the card. Some credit card companies offer a low

APR for the first 12 months,while others offer no low

introductory APR at all. If you happen to be lucky, and if you

have good credit, some credit card companies will offer no APR

for 12 months!

Next, when comparing credit card rates you should see what the

rate is after your introductory rate. Some are 9.9 percent,

while others jump to 20.99 percent. Some credit card rates even

skyrocket to 29.99 percent. Now a card like this is hardly worth

it in the end. So try to get a credit card that has a low APR

rate the entire time you have the card.

Lastly, when you compare credit card rates, be sure to find out

if the rate is in fact an APR (annual percentage rate) or a

variable or daily rate. The variable or daily rate will end up

costing you more in the end because the percentage rate often

fluctuates day to day. This can also mean you are charged on a

daily rate as well. Be very wary of these kinds of credit cards.

They will get you into debt faster than anything. This is how

you can discover the best credit card rates. Be careful and take

your time before choosing a credit card. There is no need to

jump for the first credit card you see. If you are wise and

patient, you can get a credit card that has the best credit card

rates available. This way you can have more peace of mind and

perhaps feel better about your decision.

About the author:

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding

all aspects concerning Credit Cards. Get the information you are

seeking now by visiting Best Credit Card Rates