Can You Do a Balance Transfer From Someone Else’s Credit Card?

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Transferring someone else’s balance onto a card that you carry is possible, but not always wise. It can either be very helpful for the person you are transferring the balance for, or it can be very hurtful to you if you take on the responsibility of someone else’s debt by transferring the balance from their card onto yours. Here are a few pros and cons.

Benefits

Some of the things you can get out of a balance transfer from someone else’s credit card to yours is that they have a much better annual percentage rate. Their credit card interest will go down considerably with a credit card balance transfer. The fact that you have paid your bills on time and have a good credit score and credit history will also be advantageous to them in more ways than one, especially if they have had a bad credit history themselves.

If the person that has recently been added to your credit card has a good credit history and is responsible with their spending, it will be a great benefit for you as well. Their good spending habits will reflect on your credit report as well as theirs, because the card is originally under your name. It is important to know if someone can be of benefit to you in this way before you allow them to transfer the balance of their debt onto your credit card.

Fallbacks

The biggest risk you are taking when you allow someone to transfer their debt onto you credit card is if they spend on your card unwisely and build their debt problem back up to where it was before. A lot of the time, when people get in trouble with interest rates because they have bad spending habits, it is very difficult for them to change those habits in order for it not to happen again. The part that makes the situation even worse than it was before is that it is YOUR credit card, and YOU are going to suffer along with them.

If you have bad spending habits, this will rack up their debt and interest rates as well. Say you just got a brand new credit card with a great APR, but you have had some trouble paying your bills in the past. The people you allow on your credit card are going to want to know about this in order to decide whether or not they will really benefit from joining their balance with yours. Just like they can ruin good interest rates for you, you need to be certain that you will not leave them stuck with higher interest rates than they had on their first credit card.

Tips

You finally decide that it’s safe to do the transfer. Now what? Just like shopping for any other card with low interest rates, you need to be careful of what cards you settle for. Be sure to get one with a low fixed rate, and know how much it may increase, when, and why.

How is Your Credit Card Balance Calculated to Figure Out the Finance Charge?

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You get your credit card bill every month, review it, and see that the interest has changed, yet again. You wonder how on earth they ever decide how the interest rates are figured into your expenses. Is it all a scandal or do they really havea formula for this type of thing?

Believe it or not, they do have some rhyme and reason for the differing amount of interest they charge you each month. It is based on the type of balance that is being figured. Here are a few of the types of balances that are important factors when it comes to calculating the finance charges that are charged by the credit card company you are with.

Average Daily Balance

First, your credit card company takes all the money you spent in one day and averages it out. After that, they average all the days of the month together so that they have the average daily balance for that certain month. Once they have that, it is multiplied by one twelfth of your APR. That is one method of coming up with the finance charges on your credit card balance.

Previous Balance

Some credit card companies will charge you more interest based on how much of a balance you carry over from month to month, rather than paying off your credit card debt completely. The beginning balance and the ending balance are both shown on your bill, and you will see how much you have left that you did not pay last month, or the last time you were billed. This amount of money from the previous month and the amount that billed to you this month combined will be what determines your finance charges for this specific month.

Daily Balance

The company will take the amount that you spent each day within the specified month and, rather than multiplying it by one twelfth of the APR, which fraction represents the months in the year, they multiply it by 1/365th of the APR. This, of course, represents each day in a full year. This method is based on how much you actually spend in a day, and therefore is more precise because it has more detail than an average daily balance, which only takes into account the possible average amount spent in a month.

Two Cycle Balance

This type of calculation of your finance charges is basically the same thing as your average daily balance, but instead of involving one month, it takes into account the last two months or billing periods. This can be difficult to handle if you carry a balance over each time. The interest rates build up and climb with each billing period.

The Best Credit Card Offers

Good credit cards are hard to come by. Even half descent credit cards are not easily found. You can get one that looks great when you apply, but down the road you learn that you could have had it better. Sometimes looking at the credit card advertisements alone will make it difficult for you to know just how good the card actually is. Here are some things to look for when you are searching for a credit card that will be of benefit to you when you use it to buy items on credit.

Interest Rates

Any credit card can offer you a great interest rate to start out with, but will that rate change after a certain period of time, and what will that rate change to once that time is up? Knowing what your interest rates are at the beginning, what they will be if they change, and what they could be if you make late payments is important. If you have a good idea about just how much you will be paying on interest, it is easier to shop for the best card and figure out what card will save you the most money because of their rates.

Credit Limits

What the credit card limit should be depends on what you want to buy, how punctually you will be able to make the monthly payment, and how long it will take you to pay it off. Many credit card companies will offer you sky high maximum credit limits, but the best thing is to determine yourself how high you can allow your limits can be. The credit limit will differ for each person according to their credit rating, but credit cards should give you a fair range of money in which you can spend.

The Companies

The credit card you get is only as good as the company it belongs to and the people that run it. They decide what the terms are when you apply for their credit card. You have to know what you’re getting into and who you are dealing with so that you can not only compare credit cards, but you can also compare the companies that make them.
Services

You need to be able to take advantages of certain services offered by credit card companies. You need to be able to do things such as cancel your credit card and cut it off from your account if it ever gets stolen. You need to be able to talk to someone who is willing to listen if you feel that there has been a mistake made by that company.

Rewards

Any kind of credit card you get should have some sort of rewards program. Not getting rewards on your credit card is like buying something at one place when you could have gotten the exact same thing somewhere else on sale. It’s a really good way to save money, and any credit card that saves you money should definitely be considered.

The Best Credit Card Ever

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You shop around for weeks, perhaps even months before you apply for a credit card. You have looked around in what feels like all the possible places for a good credit card company, good interest rates, a descent rewards program, and good possibilities for credit limits. You finally decide on one, but you’re still not sure you’ve found the right one. Well, my friend, you need to take advantage of the best credit card ever. We call it the credit card from heaven, which where you have to go to apply for it. Here are a few of the benefits of a credit card you can only get after you die.

Interest Rates

None whatsoever. Other companies offer you zero percent interest for a certain period of time, then rack it up after that time expires. With us, we’ll let you keep the zero percent interest… forever. You never pay a dime of interest. With us, the only interest you pay is taking interest in our company and signing with us. Having a customer like you is a privilege, and we want to keep you, no matter what it takes.

No Monthly Payments Until The End Of Time

Not only are you free of interest for the entire time you have this card, you don’t even have to pay back what you spend. The greatest pay we could ever receive from you is your beautiful smile every time you run that card through the machine and pack home that new $9,000 hand bag that’s too small to hold your cash anyway. Spending thousands of dollars is monthly payment enough, just knowing you are holding our card between your tightly clenched fingers.

Rewards Rewards Rewards

You may want to get bigger pockets and more vacation time. For every dollar that you spend, you get ten points back. You can trade those points in for just about anything you want. Cash, gasoline, skymiles, lottery tickets, peanut butter… whatever you want. Just spend the money, and we’ll give you the rewards, just because we love you.

Always Qualify

No matter who you are, where you come from, or how bad your credit is, you will never be turned down at our company. Getting this credit card is as easy as getting free samples at Costco. All you have to do is come to us and ask for it. Even if your credit score is in the negatives, which is impossible, by the way, you will still qualify to have our credit card. It’s our way of helping out the little guys, and helping out people who are otherwise rejected.

So whatever kind of credit card you have now, it’s probably not as good as ours. Come in and get one now. We hand them out like dinner mints at a cheap restaurant, and we want you to partake of the advantages that are in store for you.
This advertisement for the credit card from heaven is brought to you buy BS Inc. We’d like to thank the Over My Dead Body Association for making this credit card offer possible.

Can You Buy a Car With a Credit Card?

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Buying a car is a big step for most people. Whether you have done it once or a dozen times, buying and financing a car is an important issue because it determines where a lot of your money will be going for the next several months. It is kind of like having a credit card. You make monthly payments on something that you have, but that you have not paid for yet. Credit, in that aspect, is quite the same. But the kind of credit that you get is quite different.

So can you kill two birds with one stone and pay for your car with the credit card that you make monthly payments on? Yes. It is possible to buy a car with a credit card. For some people this may be the perfect solution, but it depends on the circumstances.

Buying a car with a credit card requires a much higher credit limit than it would if you were just using the card to make random purchases at a clothing or grocery store, depending on the price of the car. Getting high credit limits can be risky. This is because it could possibly hurt your credit score if creditors believe that you may buy something that expensive on a credit card and not be able to pay it back.

Interest rates

One advantage to financing your car on a credit card is lower interest rates. If you shop around and search for a good deal, you could get a credit card that would allow you to pay less for your car in interest than you would if you took out a loan. This, in the long run, will save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars in interest.

Still, the risk of increased interest rates are greater with credit cards if you make late payments, making it so that you may even spend more on interest. It all depends on the circumstances, and how you will be able to make your payments. It also may depend on the terms of the credit card. Make sure that you know what your introductory interest rates are, if they will change, and what they will change to if they do. Knowing the terms of your contract before you buy a car with that card will make a huge difference in whether or not you save money by taking this route.

Rewards

If you buy your car using a rewards card, you could get benefits that you also would not get by just paying for it by taking out a loan. Rewards cards give you benefits based on how much you spend. Since buying a car is such a huge purchase for a credit card, it would give you many more rewards than it would if you had just used the card to buy groceries. These kind of rewards can be cashed in for things like gasoline, travel, air miles, and cold hard cash. This is another way you can benefit from your purchase.

How Do Charge Cards Differ From Credit Cards?

You have probably often heard of a credit card being called a charge card. Or you may have heard of a charge card being called a credit card. Many people believe that they are the same thing. However, the two are quite different.

1. One difference between a credit card and a charge card is that credit cards allow you to have a balance. Charge cards do not, because they require that you pay in full the amount that you charge on an annual basis. This is how credit cards can be used for long periods of time without ever being paid off, though payments are made monthly that may reduce the balance, but never actually eliminate it. With a charge card, you must pay off the amount you owe periodically, no matter how great the amount is.

2. Another difference is that credit card holders must pay interest fees. This is because the card holders are not required to pay their debt in full periodically. They only have to pay the minimum monthly requirement. Interest is where credit card companies make their money. Though they do not require you to pay your bill completely by a certain deadline, they do charge you interest for the entire time that you do not have it paid off.

3. Credit cards give you the opportunity to pay off your balance whenever you want, but charge cards have more rewards. There is such a thing as a rewards credit card, but many charge cards outweigh these in benefits.
Depending on who the card holder is and what their spending habits are, preferences between charge cards and credit cards differ depending on the person. The different aspects of each can determine which one is the best for you.

Credit cards

Credit cards are beneficial to you if you need to buy on credit and can afford to pay on a balance along with the interest fees. It can be better to have a credit card because they have no annual fees and they allow you to pay off your debt when you like.

Charge cards

If you are the kind of person who would be able to pay off your debt when the card company requires it, charge cards are a good investment. They allow you to buy things that you cannot pay for now, but because of the periodic pay off requirement, it keeps you from getting into debt further than you can escape from.

Whether you are willing to pay on interest rates and be allowed a credit balance or pay annual fees and get great rewards is up to you. Depending on what kind of spending you need to do and how well you will be able to pay it back are big factors to consider when comparing the two types of cards. There are benefits and pitfalls to both sides, but if you manage either or both of them wisely, you will be able to reap the benefits they bring and control the expenses they incur.

Top 3 Pitfalls Of Misunderstanding Promotional Interest Rates

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Interest rates are commonly misunderstood. It is difficult sometimes to take in all the detail that comes with them, and the many different kinds of interest rates. Still, understanding how interest rates work is an essential part of having credit cards. The penalties for misunderstanding interest rates, especially introductory or promotional rates, can be a mistake that ends up costing you way more than you thought it would. It is important to know everything about the interest rate on a credit card before you even get it. That way, there are no surprises.

Top 3 Pitfalls of Misunderstanding Promotional Interest Rates

1. Buying on credit cards and paying later… in more ways than one

This seems to happen a lot when you buy things on credit from specific stores. They promise you a tempting 0% interest rate for a certain period of time, during which you do not even have to make any payments if don’t want to. But the thing about interest rates is that whether you are paying interest or not, it still builds up, slowly increasing during that time and adding up to be more than you bargained for. For instance, you could buy a couch from a furniture store because it promised a low interest rate for the first six months, in which you don’t pay a dime, and then find out six months later that the interest rate has been climbing and is suddenly ten times more than you started out paying.

2. Balance transfer offers

Along with low interest offers that you often find in stores, balance-transfer offers present great promotional interest rates. But if you find out more about it, you may come to see that these rates may only be in effect when transferring a balance or when a new purchase is made with your card. Sometimes it only applies to one of those cases, leaving you stranded with a high rate when you use one or the other. For example, if you were to transfer your balance to one credit card that seemed to have a low interest rate, but proved only to apply that low rate to new purchases, you come out paying way more than you thought you would starting out.

3. Having low promotional rates sky rocketed into high regular interest rates

Find out exactly when your seemingly perfect interest rate expires. You could get a great interest rate on a credit card at first, but because you did not read the fine print, you come to find out that great rates only last for so long. Many credit card companies will start out with low interest rates, but can increase them after a certain period of time, making you pay ten times more than you started out paying.

Understanding how interest works and knowing just exactly what you’re getting into when you apply for a credit card that has low rates is very important. Paying on credit cards is much easier when you know how much you will be paying now and what you will pay once the promotional rates expire.

What Are The Pros And Cons Of High Credit Limits?

Pros and Cons of High Credit Limits

When using a credit card, a limit is set upon how much you can spend before you max it out. This limit varies for each person and each credit card. So how high can your limits be? Or, more appropriately, how high should they be? Many would agree that a high credit limit would allow you freedom to buy as much as you want of whatever you want. Oh sure, you can pay for it later, it’s no big deal. Others would say that in reality, high credit limits bind you with debt that you cannot pay back. So who’s right? Is it really that bad to have high credit card limits?

Advantages of High Credit Card Limits

• Using your credit card more, as long as you pay the bills on time, adds points to your credit score.
• Purchasing expensive items is less of a hassle.
• You have money on hand for emergencies should the need arise.
• You do not have to worry about maxing out your credit cards.

Disadvantages of High Credit Card Limits

• If you cannot pay your monthly bills, the interest rates increase more quickly with a high credit card limit than if you were to have a low limit.
• Someone may steal your credit card, and with so much space within your limit will allow them to spend more money that you would have to pay back.
• With a higher limit, it would be more tempting to buy things with money you don’t have, even if you know that you could not pay it back.
• There may be less of a risk using some other form of credit, like taking out a loan.

Do It the Smart Way, Or Don’t Do It At All

When you put a limit on your credit card, be sure that even if you got to the limit that you could pay the money back without strain. Anything that you want that is more expensive than the amount you have within your limit is probably more safely purchased with a loan. It may even be worth it to save up money to buy it. Otherwise, if you cannot afford to increase your credit limit, you probably cannot afford to buy something that expensive.

Make It Easy To Give Back What You Borrow

It is good to keep in mind that no matter what you buy on credit, whether it is expensive or not, it is not yours until you have paid back the money that you borrowed to get it. The pros and cons of high credit limits do not change the fact that credit is money that you do not have, and so the best type of credit is affordable credit. Keeping your limits low will allow you to more easily pay your monthly bills and pay off your credit cards more often, and overall, you will be less likely to get trapped in debt that you cannot get rid of.

Canadian Student Credit Cards

Student credit cards in Canada are different from what you might find in America if you are a student going north of the border. There are some common traits that you will have to have whether you are in Canada or America. It is important that you establish good credit. The best thing you can do is build your credit. If you have none then there are some things that you can do to improve your situation.

First of all you can open a saving account and a checking account before you apply for student credit cards. These are great ways to get the ball rolling. This isn’t going to solve everything, but it will help start off on a good note. You can start paying your bills in college such as rent and utilities on this fund. This will allow for credit bureaus to see that you are good on paying your bills. Then it is good if you can get a store credit card from a clothing outlet that will allow you to build more value with credit bureaus. This is all in vain if you don’t pay your bills on time. That is the biggest thing you can do.

For Canadian students to get a credit card it will probably require an annual fee of some kind. The limits are usually around $750 and the interest rates are similar to those of American credit cards. They are usually around 15% or so. This is a good way for you to build a credit history during school. This can help you to eventually lower your interest rates and then be able to raise your credit limits higher. If you are struggling to get a card then you might have to get a cosigner. This is fine and can be a good way to make sure that you are taking care of that card because someone else is responsible with you. I would also ask advice from this person as to how to properly spend wisely with a credit card.

If you are having issues getting a credit card and you can’t get a cosigner then it would probably be good to go after a secured line of credit. This can be a good option for students that are struggling to get a credit history establish and are easier to come by. You will probably have to make an initial deposit equal to the amount of money you want to have as a credit limit. Whatever type of card you are able to get, build a first initial impression with the credit bureaus and your creditor so that they are able to offer your better rates in the future.

Credit Cards For People With Bad Credit And Student Loans

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Well there are many former students out there that have finished college and are trying to establish a career, but they have years of bills to pay. This is a big hassle because potentially you can have bad credit, especially if you have missed payments on your student loans. Obviously there are a lot of things that go into what your credit score is and a student loan can have an impact on that. If you miss a payment then you are going to get hit on your score. It will take a good six months of on time payments to bring your credit up or to even be considered. So don’t miss any more payments if you have.

Student loans usually have lower interest rates then credit cards, so I would probably stick to using that loan for expenditures before going after a credit card to use. On average interest rates for student loans are around 5%, but a credit card can have an interest rate around 15% and if you have bad credit or little credit history then it could be up to or over 20%. This can be silly for you to take on if you don’t know how to use it correctly. So first before getting a credit card, consider your spending habits and how you can improve it.

Students With Bad Credit And Loans, Looking For Cards And Checking Accounts

If you do decide to get a credit card then the first thing that you should probably do is set up a checking account and a savings account. Look at some store credit cards as options to get your credit going, just don’t spend like a 13 year old girl before her first day of school. Use it sparingly and pay off all debt quickly. The next step would be to get a secured credit card that will require a deposit and probably an annual fee (not always). There will be high interest rates, but the same rules apply for this as with the store credit cards. Use this simply as an experiment to improve your credit. You would be amazed how many people go nuts and think this is actually their money. I deal with this everyday and it boggles my mind.

This will take a few months and continue to pay off your student loan. If you have to, look at using the student loan to pay off any credit card debt as a last option. This can be intelligent if you are in a bind because the rates for the credit card will be higher and you want to always pay off higher interest rates first. In the end if you are a student with bad credit and student loans, finding credit cards and checking accounts can be very beneficial if you decide to use your dollar bills wisely.

Capital One Student Credit Cards

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Capital One is a great provider for a lot of people with struggling credit. I suggest that you take a strong look at them if you are a student and you have had some bad credit in the past or just simply don’t have any credit history. Everyone starts from scratch. If you are in high school or college it is best if you can get some good history going before you buy the home and get the nice car or for future investments where credit is important like real estate or security systems.

Capital One has some solid rates for first time credit holders. Their range can be anywhere from the high teens to the low twenties in APR. This credit percentage can very. Understand that it isn’t fixed and even if it was, it would be probably for a few months and then the rates would alter. It also might be news to you that the interest is high, but you just have to be diligent with your payments. There are no annual fees,which is a nice plus. Some card companies can nail students with a lot of fees. This is a safe option that you won’t have to face a lot of hidden charges with.

For those that are trying to improve a lackluster credit then you will probably have lower interest rates by 5% then a new credit customer. Although if you are late on a fee, then expect your interest rates to double. They put bad credit customers on a short leash. If you are late you will also pay a fee anywhere between $20-$40. You will have to pay an annual fee, usually around $19. The credit limits for both of these types of cards will be between $300 to $3000. You probably have a better chance to get a higher limit if you have previous history, even if it is bad.

Capital One Student Credit Cards For Canada

These tend to be guaranteed credit cards, but they do have some hurdles that you are going to have to jump. It is interesting to see how Canada runs their credit cards compared to America for students and people with a challenged credit history. There is an annual fee of around $60 and a security fee for the account. This security fee is basically similar to many secured credit cards in America.

The interest rates are the same as a secured credit card too, around 20%. You won’t be able to get as high of a credit limit as an American student, the highest they offer is only $750 Canadian. Even with the currency rates that is still an advantage to the American student. Never the less, this is a great opportunity for a Canadian college or high school student to build a strong history or rebuild a shaky past.