With so many choices available, it’s challenging to weed out the good offers from the bad. To find the best credit card deal for you, you’ll need to understand some basic principles regarding how credit cards work.
Choosing a Credit Card: The Basics
The first thing you’ll want to do when choosing a credit card is to evaluate your options. Rather than signing up for the first credit card that appears in your mailbox, save up the offers that appear for a month or two.
Evaluate the credit card offers you’ve received, realizing not all credit card offers are equal. You’ll want to take notes on how the offers differ, so you can be sure you are choosing the credit card that offers the best interest rates and lowest fees. You also want to make sure that the offer is optimal for your situation. Use a highlighter to highlight any terms or conditions that concern you. Read the fine print. Call the credit card company and speak to someone in customer service if you don’t understand something in the contract.
If you are a new creditor (either a young person just starting out, or perhaps you have never held credit cards in your name before), you may have to start with either a secured credit card or a credit card with a high interest rate. The options available to you will depend on your credit history. If you establish a good credit history through wise use of your first card, you can choose an unsecured credit card with a better interest rate, higher credit limit and lower fees later.
When choosing a credit card, you’ll often come across the term “pre-approved.” People mistakenly assume that because the offer says they are pre-approved, they will get the credit card offered. This only means the credit card’s initial information about you indicates you should be in their accepted credit rating bracket. The credit card company will still perform a thorough credit check before they approve your application, should you choose their credit card.
What to Look For When Choosing a Credit Card
Look for the best interest rate available. Check to make sure the interest rate on the credit card you are choosing does not change over time. If it does change, make sure you can absorb the increase in interest or will be able to pay off the balance each month so the interest rate hike will not adversely affect you.
Check the credit limit. Choose a card with a high credit limit and then use only half of that limit. This maximizes your credit health rating with the credit bureaus.
Choose a major credit card with a known name. Major credit cards such as Visa, MasterCard, Discovery and American Express all hold more weight with credit bureaus and other lenders than the lesser-known cards and department store cards. Responsible use of a major credit card (never maxing out the credit limit out and making all payments on time) is a solid baseline for establishing a healthy credit rating.
Ignore the special offers and perks, and focus on the actual terms of service. While gaining airline miles or cash back are nice perks, you need to choose your credit card based on the real benefits or costs-the interest rate and fees charged, the credit limit granted and the reputation of the card.
If you want to take advantage of cash advances, choose a credit card that will send checks to your home or let you get cash advances at an ATM. Remember that the interest rate and fees will most likely be higher for cash advances than the terms on the normal credit card usage, so you’ll need to factor these extra expenses into your credit card choice.
Compare credit limits, cash advance allowances and how the payments will be credited. Many creditors apply payments to the principal balance derived from purchases first, only applying payments to the cash advance balance after the principal has been paid off. This benefits the credit card company, but not you, the consumer.
