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You’ve probably heard the old joke that a weekly budget is just something to help you explain why the money ran out about Tuesday. To small business owners, keeping a lid on costs is no joke. Consequently, small business owners are ever vigilant about cutting corners to make ends meet.
One way to stretch your small business budget is through vendor savings programs. More commonly known as reward and/or discount vendor programs, vendor savings programs are offered by business credit card providers to help small business owners save money on necessary purchases. With them, you get everything from free travel to cash back, helping you to grow your small business more efficiently.

Cash Back

Most of the major credit card companies offer programs that will fit your small business needs. For example, the American Express OPEN Small Business Network offers up to 5 percent cash back that can add up if you consider you might spend $10,000 over the course of a year. Doing so would net you $500 in cold hard cash - not bad for the cost of doing business. What’s more, cash-back bonuses can generally be applied directly to various vendor accounts, allowing you to use your cash-back rewards for such things as paying your phone bill.

Business Debits

MasterCard offers its small business customers a MasterCard Cash Rewards program via its Debit MasterCard BusinessCard. The card provides cash-back offers to support small business debit cardholder activation efforts, while also providing usage-incentives for infrequent card-users. Additionally, they offer creative services targeted to business card users, such as help in developing customized direct mail packages in which they will handle rewards fulfillment and cover postage costs for users. The card also provides targeted discounts at a number of leading business merchandise providers, such as Office Depot, Pennywise.com, The New York Times and IBM.

They also allow Debit MasterCard BusinessCard cardholders to earn one reward point for every $2 in small business debit, signature purchase transactions. Equally important, according to a company statement, is the feature that allows cardholders to combine points earned from Debit MasterCard BusinessCard transactions with purchases made with personal MasterCard debit cards, accelerating your ability to accumulate points. In addition to free air travel on any airline with no blackout dates and built-in extras (e.g. free travel insurance), points can be redeemed for electronics, hotel stays and travel packages, as well as discounts at Home Depot, Office Max and Best Buy, among others.

Outside the Box

If you really want to get creative when it comes to leveraging these types of programs, you might consider using some of the available rewards as employee incentives. Giving free mileage or gift merchandize to staff members to reward their hard work is sure to boost morale, enhance loyalty and garner you some good will, which is sure to come in handy at some point.

Finally, consider the fact that using a business card to save money and earn discounts can also help you manage cash flow and streamline accounting paperwork, which frees up your time so you can concentrate on growing your small business by leaps and bounds. That, small business owners might agree, is the biggest reward.

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Managing Your Credit Debt

Buy now and pay later. It’s become the American way. There’s no doubt that a credit card can be a powerful and useful tool. However, as more and more Americans discover every year, too much of a good thing can lead to big trouble.

According to CardWeb.com, the average American family owes over $8,000 in credit card debt. Remember, this is an average. For every family that’s way below this average, there’s another family that’s way above the average. Where you fall in relation to this average can help you determine exactly how serious a problem your credit card debt really is.

It’s important to recognize that no matter what you do, you’re not going to get out of credit card debt over night. It probably took you several years to accumulate the debt you have now, so it’s understandably going to take you some time to get this debt under control. The good news is that as soon as you start, you’ll begin to see both financial and psychological benefits.

Change your spending habits

The first step in gaining control over your credit card debt is understanding how you use your credit cards. Do you save them for unusual expenses like automobile repairs and medical bills? Or do you routinely find yourself reaching for your credit card to pay for a TV Guide, a bag of Cheese Doodles, and a bottle of shampoo?

If you use your credit cards to pay for simple, everyday items, your debt is sure to creep up. You should make a commitment to reserve your credit cards for significant and/or unexpected expenses.

Stop using all your cards

Once you’ve established smart usage guidelines for your credit cards, you need to apply those guidelines. In other words, stop using your credit cards. This may seem obvious, but it’s the most important step you can take to reduce your credit card debt.

Do you have any cards that are maxed out? Cut them up into little pieces. After all, they’re of no real use to you. They only represent temptation every time you get a few dollars paid down.

Each time you look at your credit card statement, you probably grumble over the fact that a huge portion of your minimum payment was applied to interest, reducing your actual balance by only a small amount. The way to combat this effect is to pay more than the minimum amount. Even if you can only pay $10 extra each month, this is an important step, because every extra dollar you pay is applied to your balance. You’ll be surprised at how quickly your balance begins to drop.

Transfer balances to Lower-interest credit cards

One popular approach is to transfer your high-interest credit card debt to some lower-interest loan - either a home equity loan or a low-interest card. This can save you a lot in interest, but be careful. This strategy requires quite a bit of discipline.

If, for example, you use a home equity loan to pay off your credit cards, the only thing keeping you from running those credit cards back up is your own will power. If you’re careless, you could find yourself in a worse position than you were before - maybe even with your home ownership in jeopardy.
The rise in credit card debt has also given rise to the so-called credit counseling industry. These firms promise to negotiate with your creditors for reduced interest and payments. While some of these firms are better than others, it’s important to note that your creditors are not legally required to negotiate with these firms. Most creditors will negotiate because they know the alternative - bankruptcy.

File for Bankruptcy only as a last resort

Bankruptcy should be used only in the most extreme cases. While having your credit card debt completely erased may seem tempting, bankruptcy has several long-term, negative effects. The most obvious is that your credit is essentially ruined for several years, meaning it will be difficult if not impossible to obtain credit even when you really need it.

This may not seem so bad, since your goal is to get out of credit card debt anyway. However, on a more practical level, bankruptcy means having to live completely on an all-cash basis. If the car breaks down, you either pay cash or don’t get it fixed. When it’s back-to-school time, you either write a check for the kids’ new clothes or send them to class in worn-out items from last year.

Once you get your credit card debt under control, it’s just as important to keep it under control. The popular thinking is that you should never charge more than you can pay off at the end of the month. This is, of course, easier said than done.

A more practical approach is to impose your own limit on each card, regardless of its actual limit. For example, if your card has a limit of $2,000, you may choose to impose your own limit of $850. That way, you’ll always have your credit card debt under control, and you’ll have plenty of cushion in case of emergency.

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Your credit card is a powerful tool for the management of your financial life. It can help you to extend the value of the products and services you need by obtaining them before paying for them. It can reduce the need for cash or check in places far from home, and allow you to conduct personal and professional business by phone, mail or Internet over long distances. Cash Advances

Like all-powerful tools, though, it needs to be used carefully. And that’s especially important when using the ultimate power of your credit card: it’s ability to give you immediate cash in large amounts. The two most popular ways of obtaining cash from credit cards are through the ATM machine at your local bank, or by filling out and cashing a check-like document that is often attached to your monthly credit card statement. Last year the amount of cash borrowed from just one major credit card company totaled more than 104 billion dollars. That was an eight percent increase over the previous year, and it tells us that credit card users are increasingly seeing the easy use of plastic as a substitute for the discipline of using banks and credit unions for borrowing.

Credit card companies in turn are increasingly willing to loan cash. It can be a very valuable service for their customers. But credit card companies are also increasing the fees and interest charges for cash advance. Your monthly statement gives you some of the fine print on how those charges are billed, but in most cases it doesn’t tell you what those charges are. If you don’t know it’s always a good idea to call the customer service number on your statement and ask. It’s no different than shopping for the best terms on a loan among banks and credit unions before signing on the dotted line.

The Cost of Buying Cash

When you use your credit card to buy new shoes or the latest CDs those products are yours to keep. You can use them for years to come and pay for them over a few months if you wish. But when you use your credit card for cash advance to pay for daily necessities like groceries and gasoline y ou will pay much more for that privilege. And you will have to give it all back as quickly as you can.

If you borrow $500 from one of the major credit card companies in the United States at contemporary rates, for example, you will be charged 3% of that amount (or a minimum of $5 for smaller loans) as an upfront transaction fee. You’re interest rate (APR) for the loan will be set at 19.9%. If you determine to pay off the loan in four months your costs in fees and interest for the purchase of $500 will be $35.88 or more than 7% of the loan amount. If you pay it off in 8 months the cost will be $53.24 or nearly 11% of the loan amount.

But that’s not all. If you read the small print on your statement you will learn that in most cases payments you make to your credit card company will be applied first to lower interest charge purchases before they begin to erase your debt for higher interest borrowing of cash. For example: If your credit card balance of $1000 includes a $500 cash advance and you pay back only $200 per month it will be three months before your payments begin to cover the advance That’s three more months that the credit card company can charge you 19.9% interest on your original purchase of cash.

Why does a credit card company with a typical 12% APR charge for goods and services charge nearly 20% plus fees for cash? They say that it is because cash transactions which require delivery of a product by the card company - cost more to process than other purchases, and because frequent users of cash advance are more likely to default in repayment of their loans.

Plan Ahead

Plan Ahead when You Use Cash Advance, and Increase Your Financial Power
Cash advance can be very useful in many cases, especially those that give you flexibility in managing your day-to-day life. But you have to plan ahead if you are going to use the service. First, be sure you understand the rules and fees. Second, save on interest charges by having a plan in place to repay the money and its additional fees and interest at a definite time in the near future. Credit card companies will be the first to tell you that this is a service to be used only as necessary and with a disciplined schedule for repayment. They know that those borrowers who don’t have a plan to repay the cash advance in a timely way are more likely to fail to repay it at all.
How can you use cash advance to enhance your financial health and power? Most credit counselors know that the more discipline you can gain over the ways you earn, spend, invest and save the more you can make your money grow and create the assets you will need as a foundation for life’s many pleasures and surprises. Those same counselors will tell you that the best lesson you can learn from the use of cash advance is that if you need to use it often especially to pay for essentials like groceries and gasoline something is wrong in the financial management of your life, and it’s time to find a better strategy for earning and spending your money.

When that strategy is working well for you, the next time you go to your local ATM to get cash you will be able to use a debit card, instead of a credit card, and take the money from your own assets rather than borrow it from someone else.

“I don’t remember charging those items. I’ve never even been in that store.” Maybe you never did charge those goods and services, but someone else did, someone who used your name and personal information to commit fraud. When imposters take your name, Social Security number, credit card number, or some other piece of your personal information for their use, they are committing a crime. Identity theft is the fastest growing financial crime. One of the first things the FBI discovered about the September 11 hijackers was that as many as half a dozen were using credit cards and driver’s licenses with identities lifted from stolen or forged passports.

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Are you tired of fighting high credit card fees? Why not lower your interest payments by transferring your balance to another card. Balance transfers are one the smartest and easiest ways to reduce credit card costs. Just be sure you understand the terms and conditions of the new card, so you can maximize your savings. Guide to Balance Transfers

Before you run out and switch credit cards, consider whether you want to keep your current card. If you do, simply ask for a lower interest rate. Tell your credit card company you’ve found another card with a much lower rate and you’ll have to transfer your balance if they can’t cut you a deal. However, be prepared to do so if they refuse your request.

Why Use a Balance Transfer?

Balance transfers can provide card holders with a number of advantages. Transferring balances to a lower rate credit card can drastically reduce your interest rate and fees. Credit card companies charge varying interest rates on balance transfers and purchases. The most common rate is 0 percent for six through 12 months.

For example, the Chase Ultimate Rewards MasterCard and Citi Platinum Select MasterCard charge no interest for 12 months on balance transfers and purchases. The Discover Platinum Card and the Hess Visa from Chase drop the introductory rate after eight and six months, respectively.
Some cards link the introductory annual percentage rate (APR) to billing cycles. The GM Card and Fifth Third Bank Cash Rewards MasterCard, respectively, charge 0 percent APR for the first six and four cycles.
Transferring balances can also give you access to more perks. For example, you may be able to get a new card that has no annual fee, a longer payment grace period or cash back on purchases and other rewards. Some cards also offer car rental insurance, identity theft protection programs and money saving discounts.

How to Transfer Balances

Credit card companies commonly use low interest rate balance transfers to attract new customers. There are three main ways to transfer the balance on a card. One way is by simply filling out the paperwork provided by your new card issuer. Or you can contact the credit card company that you want to transfer a balance to and make arrangements for a balance transfer.
You can also shift balances by writing balance transfer or convenience checks. These simple checks look and act like regular checks. You simply write a check for the amount of the balance transfer and send it to the company you want to transfer a balance from. Some checks have an expiration deadline, so make sure you use them within the appropriate time frame. If you don’t, you’ll be charge the regular interest rate set for your card.

Regardless of which transfer method you use, you can only transfer as much as your credit limit on the card you are transferring allows.

Transaction Cost and Other Fees

Banks generally treat balance transfers like cash advances and have similar transaction fees. There’s no fee for balances transferred in response to special offers. But for Citi Platinum Select and many other companies, the transaction fee for balance transfers is 3 percent of the amount of each balance transfer, with a $5 minimum and $50 maximum. Keep in mind that a small amount of funds may not be worth transferring because the transaction fee may outweigh your potential savings.
In addition to standard transaction costs, banks also charge special fees that can take you by surprise. Some of the most common special fees include:

* Late fees - Some banks wait a few days before assessing a late fee, but many impose it the day after the payment was due. Companies either charge a flat fee, such as $10 or $15, or a percentage, such as 5 percent, of the minimum payment due. To avoid late fees, mail off your payment so it arrives in plenty of time before it’s due. If you pay your bill at the bank’s branch or ATM, find out how long it will take to process your payment. Sometimes payments made at a branch or ATM aren’t credited for a few days.
* Over-credit-limit fees - Most cards assess a fee if you charge more than your credit limit. These fees are charged each time you go over your limit, so you could be hit with several of them during the same billing period. Banks typically charge $10 or $15 for this fee or up to 5 percent of the amount you’re over your limit. These fees are in addition to interest charges.
* Lost card replacement fees? If your card has been lost or stolen more than once and you need a new one, some companies will charge you for a replacement. These fees are range from $5 to $10.

Making Payments

After you transfer balances, be sure to make all your payments in full and on time or you’ll automatically be hit with higher fees. Generally, there’s no grace period for repaying balance transfers, so interest will accumulate immediately. (No interest will actually accumulate if you have an introductory 0 percent APR.)

When making payments, it’s important to understand that the payments you make will first be applied to balances with lower or promotional balances and then allocated toward higher APRs. That means you’ll be paying down 0 percent balance transfers before you even touch the balance on regular purchases which can be charged at a rate of 9 to 18 percent. As a word of advice, consider using a different card for your regular purchases and pay off the balance each month. Keep your balance transfers restricted to a separate card.

After the Promotional Honeymoon Ends

You need to keep a close eye on the promotional period. As soon as it expires, normal interest rates will apply. The standard variable APR for Citi Platinum purchases (8.99 percent) will be applied to all remaining purchase and balance transfer amounts. Likewise, the standard variable APR for cash advances (19.99 percent) will be applied to all remaining cash advance amounts. If you default on Citi Platinum’s card agreement, the company can immediately increase the APR on all balances including any promotional balances to a variable default rate of 28.99 percent.

Your post-introductory APR will depend on your credit history. If this interest rate is significantly higher than the rate on your old card and you have a remaining balance, you’ll wind up losing money. Of course, you could always transfer your balance to a new card with a lower promotional rate. Just be careful not to entangle yourself in a vicious cycle that could backfire later.

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Although at times it seems as if the credit card companies have dominance over everyone, Congress continues to remind us that they have the final say in the way things are run. With Congress looking at several issues that deals with credit card companies, there is sure to be some kind of regulations on policies in the coming years.

As the internet continues to develop, more and more people are using credit cards for an array of different things. Credit cards are used for everything from purchasing clothes or computers online to gambling and online auctions. With the freedom that is allowed thus far, Congress is bound to step in and begin regulating online policies.

One way Congress is helping people with credit cards right now is through the fair debt collection practices act. This is a law that was passed by Congress which regulates the methods collection agencies can use to collect money from debtors behind on their payments. For instance, collection agencies are not allowed to contact relatives or employers of a debtor, and they are not allowed to contact the debtor by phone before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m.

While it is vital that you try and pay off as much of your debt as possible, sometimes debt piles up on you. With the FDCPA, it allows you to buy some time try to come up with the money without legally being contacted if you choose not to pick up the phone. If any collection agency does break any of the rules set, you have the ability to take them to court.

One of the main areas of concern for Congress is internet fraud and identity theft. Through online auctions, gambling and online stores there are thousands of credit card transactions a day. However, there are also hundreds of reported identity thefts around the world every day. In fact, identity theft has climbed to the number one crime in the U.S.

Congress continues to look into what protection online sites are providing their customer with and what regulations they are going to have to make. The further the internet develops, the more websites are going to have to adjust to fit the needs of their customers. While things are alright at the time being, many sites won’t be good enough in time with a growing number of people purchasing items online.

What types of regulations Congress will make to protect you and your credit card is still unclear. There has been continuous research and discussions regarding how Congress will make things safer online and only time will tell what types of regulations they set.

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While credit card debt is a major distributor to millions of bankruptcies every year, the sad part is that it can be easily avoided. Too often people get themselves into trouble by applying for credit cards without researching what kinds of interest rates and fees are tacked on to the card.

People tend to look solely at what they will be putting on the credit cards themselves. By the time you add up all of your charges along with all of the fees and interest rates, it can be overwhelming to make full payments on time. And that is where credit card debt comes into play.

What do most people do from here? Spend even more and dig them into an even bigger hole to try and get out of. It can be difficult to not run up high charges on your credit card, especially if you have a high limit on the card. However, the biggest factor to getting out of credit card debt is spending less.

Getting out of credit card debt is rather easy if you have some self control. To begin with, it is vital that you cut down on your spending and start spending less than you make. This is not going to completely eliminate your debt all at once, but this will be extremely beneficial to you in the future.

If you have a good credit report, there will be a number of options you have to get out of credit card debt. You can take out a home equity loan, a second mortgage or a personal loan. Once your credit score begins to nosedive, things become much more complicated. It may be to your benefit to call a reputable credit counselor if you do have a poor credit score.

If you do opt to talk with a credit counselor, make sure to meet with them in person. You will get a lot more out of meeting with them in person and can ask many more questions. A credit counselor will be able to help you come up with strategies to help eliminate your credit card debt on your own. Because this is their job, they will have a wide variety of options and strategies that can be used according to your specific situation.

Another feasible option is to transfer all of your credit balance to a card with a lower interest rate. Sometimes interest rates are extremely high on certain cards, but not so much on others. This allows you to cut down the cost of interest and focus more on paying off your charges.

You know yourself better than anyone and you know how you got yourself into this mess. It is vital that you take the time to write out how much you’re making and where your money is going. In doing so, you can plan ahead and cut down on your costs to help reduce your credit card debt as quickly as possible.

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What Creditors Look For?

The Three Cs. Creditors look for an ability to repay debt and a willingness to do so and sometimes for a little extra security to protect their loans. They speak of the three Cs of credit: capacity, character, and collateral.
Capacity. Can you repay the debt? Creditors ask for employment information: your occupation, how long you have worked, and how much you earn. They also want to know your expenses: how many dependents you have, whether you pay alimony or child support, and the amount of your other obligations.

Character. Will you repay the debt? Creditors will look at your credit history (see section on Credit Histories and Records): how much you owe, how often you borrow, whether you pay bills on time, and whether you live within your means. They also look for signs of stability: how long you’ve lived at your present address, whether you own or rent your home, and the length of your present employment.

Collateral. Is the creditor fully protected if you fail to repay? Creditors want to know what you may have that could be used to back up or secure your loan and other resources you have for repaying debt other than income, such as savings, investments, or property.

Creditors use different combinations of these facts to reach their decisions. Some set unusually high standards; others simply do not make certain kinds of loans. Creditors also use different rating systems. Some rely strictly on their own instinct and experience. Others use a “credit-scoring” or statistical system to predict whether you’re a good credit risk. They assign a certain number of points to each of the various characteristics that have proved to be reliable signs that a borrower will repay. Then they rate you on this scale.

Different creditors may reach different conclusions based on the same set of facts. One may find you an acceptable risk, whereas another may deny you a loan.

Information the Creditor Can’t Use

The Equal Credit Opportunity Act does not guarantee that you will get credit. You must still pass the creditors’ tests of creditworthiness. But the creditor must apply these tests fairly and impartially. The act bars discrimination based on age, gender, marital status, race, color, religion, and national origin. The act also bars discrimination because you receive public income, such as veterans benefits, welfare or social security, or because you exercise your rights under federal credit laws, such as filing a billing error notice with a creditor. This protection means that a creditor may not use any of these grounds as a reason to

* discourage you from applying for a loan
* refuse you a loan if you qualify
* lend you money on terms different from those granted another person with similar income, expenses, credit history, and collateral
* close an existing account because of age, gender, marital status, race, color, religion, national origin, receipt of public income or because you exercise your rights under federal credit laws.

Although creditors may not discriminate on the basis of national origin, they may consider your immigration status when making a loan decision.

Special Rules

Age. In the past, many older persons have complained about being denied credit because they were over a certain age. Or when they retired, they often found their credit suddenly cut off or reduced. So the law is very specific about how a person’s age may be used in credit decisions.

A creditor may ask your age, but if you’re old enough to sign a binding contract (usually 18 or 21 years old depending on state law), a creditor may not:

* turn you down, offer you less credit, or offer you less favorable credit terms because of your age
* ignore your retirement income in evaluating your application
* close your credit account or require you to reapply for it because you reach a certain age or retire
* deny you credit or close your account because credit life insurance or other credit-related insurance is not available to a person of your age.

Creditors may score your age in a credit-scoring system, but if you are 62 or older you must be given at least as many points for age as any person under 62.

Because individuals’ financial situations can change at different ages, the law lets creditors consider certain information related to age, such as how long until you retire or how long your income will continue. An older applicant might not qualify for a large loan with a very low down payment and a long term, but might qualify for a smaller loan, with a larger down payment, and a shorter term. Remember that although declining income may be a handicap if you are older, you can usually offer a solid credit history to your advantage. The creditor has to consider all the facts and apply the usual standards of creditworthiness to your particular situation.

Public Assistance. You may not be denied credit just because you receive social security or public assistance, such as Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF). But as is the case with age, certain information on this source of income could clearly affect creditworthiness. A creditor may consider such things as how old your dependents are (because you may lose benefits when they reach a certain age) or whether you will continue to meet the eligibility requirements for receiving benefits.

This information helps the creditor determine the likelihood that your public-assistance income will continue.
Housing Loans. The Equal Credit Opportunity Act covers your application for a mortgage or home-improvement loan. The act bars discrimination because of characteristics such as your race, color, gender or because of the race or national origin of the people in the neighborhood where you live or want to buy your home. Creditors may not use any appraisal of the value of the property that considers the race of the people in the neighborhood.

Also, you are entitled to receive a copy of an appraisal report that you paid for in connection with an application for credit, provided you make a written request for the report.

Credit Rules Bookmark

1. Credit cards are just like a loan-you have to pay what you owe.
2. Keep track of how much you spend. Remember that incidental and impulse purchases add up fast.
3. Save your receipts. Compare them with your monthly bill. Promptly report problems to the company that issued the card.
4. Never lend your card to anyone.
5. Owing more than you can repay can damage your credit rating. That can make it hard to finance a car, rent an apartment, get insurance-even get a job.
6. Pay your bill on time, and in full when possible. If you don’t, you’ll have to pay finance charges on the unpaid balance-and it takes forever to get caught up if you just pay the minimum.

Federal law limits your liability for unauthorized charges to $50 per card.

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It’s true. Everyone loves a bargain. Likewise, nobody likes to find out they’ve paid too much. It’s true when you’re buying, and it’s true when you’re borrowing. Who doesn’t want the best interest rate possible?
The problem is that if the interest rate on your credit card seems too high, it won’t just lower on its own (unless, of course, you have a variable-rate card and rates in general are dropping). If you’re paying too much in interest, you need to take action now.

Ask and You Shall Receive - Sometimes

The popular advice is to call your credit card company and ask for - or maybe even demand - a lower rate. This can actually work, but only if you have some leverage. Otherwise, asking for a rate reduction is just like asking your boss to give you a raise because you’re a nice person. Businesses don’t willingly part with their money unless there’s some compelling business reason to do so.

The typical American receives so many unsolicited credit card offers in the mail, it should be easy to create some leverage. Just go through your junk mail and find an offer that seems particularly attractive. Then ask your current credit card company to match the offer or risk losing your business. Sounds easy, doesn’t it?

Before you dial the phone, consider your record with your current credit card company. Are your payments frequently late? Is your balance over the limit more often than not? If your track record is less than stellar, your demands for a lower interest rate may be met with some well wishing and a couple of under-the-breath chuckles. Certainly you have nothing to lose by asking - except maybe a little dignity.

A Change Can Do You Good

Some credit card offers are just so good that your current credit card company may not be able to beat the offer, no matter how amazing your record. If that’s the case, you may want to consider moving your balance over to a new card.

There are a couple areas of caution in going this route. First, introductory rates are just that: introductory. Make sure you’re aware of the duration of the introductory period and what the rate will be afterward. Measure that against your current card’s best offer and the difference may not be as significant as you first thought.

Second, if you do obtain that new card, make sure you close the account on the old card. The best intentions can be fouled by the temptation of having two cards at your disposal. The low rate on the new card won’t help much if you run the balance back up on your old card. Being over extended is much worse for your financial picture than too a high a rate on your credit card.

Store Cards Are Not Your Friend

If you have credit cards at your favorite department stores, you should stop worrying about the rate on your VISA or MasterCard and take a look at these. Rates on these are typically in the 18-22 percent range and can even approach the 30-percent mark, no matter how sparkling your credit. And bluntly stated, the issuers of these cards won’t negotiate a lower rate.
The first step in getting this interest under control is to stop using your stores cards. Use your lower-rate major card instead. Don’t trust your will power, either. Cut those cards up now.

Next, if you have any room on one of your major cards, consider getting a cash advance to pay off -or at least pay down - the balances on your store cards. Be careful, though. Cash advances usually carry extra fees. Make sure the interest you save from such a move makes these extra fees worthwhile. And of course, once you have those store-card balances paid off, close the accounts.

In Conclusion

There’s no question that consumer lending is a highly competitive arena. And as you learned in high school consumer education, when competition is high, the consumer wins. Don’t just stand by and watch your money thrown away on rates that are too high. If you think you’re paying more than you should, take charge (pun intended) of the situation and get those rates lowered.

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Getting approved for a credit card can be difficult without a positive credit history working in your favor. It’s a Catch-22: To obtain a credit card, you need a good credit history. But to have a good credit history, you need to establish good credit!

This no-win cycle can keep people with a non-existent, limited or negative credit history from getting approved for a credit card. But it doesn’t have to if you understand the type of credit cards available and how to build a good credit history.

When it comes to credit cards, the type of card you apply for will depend on your situation. If you’re a student, you’ll, naturally, sign up for a student card. But if you’re a non-student with a non-existent or bad credit history, a card that is secured or obtained with a co-signer may be your best option.

Secured Credit Cards

With a secured card, you secure the card by depositing cash up front in a savings account or CD. The amount of funds you place on deposit will generally match your credit line. Your card issuer maintains a lien on the deposit account, which you stand to lose if you fail to make timely credit card payments.

While many people have heard of secured credit cards, unsecured or regular credit cards are more common. With an “unsecured” card, the issuing bank has no right to take specific assets of yours if you don’t pay your bill. Instead, the bank would have to sue you or force you into bankruptcy to collect.

A secured MasterCard or Visa looks just like a regular one, and the law ensures that it has all the same consumer protections. However, a secured card typically carries a higher interest rate. But a secured card can be a good deal because it offers you the convenience of having a credit card while you work on establishing or rebuilding your credit.

Credit Cards with a Co-Signer

With co-signed credit cards, the co-signer guarantees and is responsible for the debt. This means that the co-signing person is responsible for paying the full amount of the debt if the card holder doesn’t pay. In fact, when co-signed debt goes into default, three out of four times co-signers are normally asked to repay what is owed, according to the Federal Trade Commission.

Furthermore, the issuing bank can attempt to settle the debt without first trying to collect from the card holder. The bank can also use the same collection methods against the co-signing individual, including suing and garnishing wages. If the debt is not paid, it can leave a negative mark on the credit history of the co-signer, as well as the card holder.
Despite the risks, a co-signed credit card can be great tool for helping a friend or relative build their credit history so they can one day obtain a card on their own.

Building a Strong Credit History

Secured, co-signed and pre-paid credit cards offer viable options. But you should start building a strong credit history, so you can obtain a regular credit card on your own in the future.

First, you need to understand how credit card issuers determine credit worthiness. The approval criteria varies from among issuing banks, but generally relates to what’s often called the three C’s of credit: capacity, character and collateral. Capacity refers to your ability to pay based on your income and existing debt. Collateral refers to any assets you have that can secure payment, such as bank accounts or home ownership. Character refers to factors like your payment history, length of employment, etc.
To get a good idea about how your application will fare with credit card companies, check your credit history with one of the major credit reporting agencies: Experian (www.experian.com), Equifax (www.equifax.com) and TransUnion (www.tuc.com). These agencies access your payment information directly from the companies you have credit with, as well as from government agencies such as the legal court system.

Credit reporting agencies use the information in your credit history to determine your credit rating or credit score. Credit scores, also known as FICA or Beacon scores depending on the CRA, generally range from 350 to 850. Most banks will approve you for credit if your score is at least 620. If your rating is 720 or higher, banks will offer you their lowest interest rate.
Generally, y our credit score is determined by your payment history for the last two years. T echnically, CRAs calculate your score using a closely-guarded formula. TransUnion, for example, determines credit scores using a variety of factors, including: how you pay your accounts, how much you owe and how often you’ve applied for credit.

Repairing Your Credit

You should obtain a copy of your credit report (from any of the three major credit bureaus) at least annually and check it for accuracy. As you review your report, make a list of items that are incorrect, out-of-date or misleading. In particular, look for mistakes in your name, address, phone number, Social Security Number, and for missing or outdated employment information.

You have specific rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. For example, you are entitled to a free copy of your credit report if you’ve been denied credit, insurance or employment and request the report within 60 days of notice, or if you can prove that (1) you’re unemployed and plan to look for a job within 60 days, (2) you’re on welfare, or (3) your report is inaccurate because of fraud.

To repair questionable items on your credit report, you can seek help from consumer credit counseling agencies or law firms such as Lexington (www.lexingtonlaw.com). You can also clean up your credit report on your own, so beware of credit repair scammers that offer ?exclusive? credit repair remedies for high fees.

There’s no charge to dispute mistakes or outdated information on your credit record. Simply ask the credit bureau for a dispute form and submit it with any supporting documentation.

Once you’re satisfied with your credit report, you can proceed with applying for a credit card with confidence. After you receive your card, be sure to use it responsibly to enhance your credit history. Never spend more than you can afford, and always pay your bills on time and in full.

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Whether you have the intentions of lowering your current credit card interest rates or want to transfer your balance to a different credit card, there is a lot of money that can be saved by having low interest rates. By paying a lower interest rate on your credit card, it allows you to focus more on the principal balance. The ending result will be a lower total balance when you receive the bill in the mail.

If you are trying to lower your current credit card interest rates, you will have to check with the credit card company you have. The reason for this is because most credit card companies don’t offer to reduce your rates. However, over time more and more companies are beginning to offer this to their best customers to entice them to stay and spend more.

Whether you are considering switching to a different credit card company or not, using this is a great way to get your company to lower your current interest rates. By talking with a representative and telling them that you have received several credit card company offers in the mail that have far lower interest rates, many times you can get your current company to drop your rates a little.

Persistence is another key factor to getting your credit card interest rates dropped. If you have been a good customer in the past, no company will want you to drop them and go to another company. Therefore, the more you call them and threaten to go to another company, the more likely you are of getting your rates dropped. You may also consider asking for a supervisor to attempt to persuade them.

All of these things will help you potentially drop your current credit card interest rates, but it’s not guaranteed that it will. If you can’t budge them then you should begin shopping around. By searching online you can find various credit card companies and read up on what they have to offer.

After you do a little research, give a few companies a call to speak with a representative. Be prepared to tell them you are currently looking to drop your credit card company to lower your interest rates and want to know what they have to offer. If you have questions, write them down prior to calling so you remember to ask them. Make sure to keep it simple and straightforward for what you are looking for.

Lowering your credit card interest rates can ultimately save you a lot of money on your monthly bill. It can be difficult to lower your current interest rates, but it is becoming more common amongst credit card companies. A little research and shopping around never hurt anyone though, so be prepared to find the best interest rates available.

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