|
|
How to Get the Best Rates on Your Current Credit Cards?
So you’ve got a few credit cards, and you’re quite happy with them overall. Still, wouldn’t it be nice to save a little money on interest? It all adds up over time, and more quickly than you’d think. If you’re a good customer, you’d be surprised how easy it is to get a better rate.
Pay on Time, But Not Everything.
The most desirable customers for the credit card companies are the ones who make a payment on time every month – but don’t pay off the whole balance. After all, running no balance every month means that you pay no interest, and the company makes no profit. If you keep up the pattern of running a relatively small balance each month, then the companies will start falling over themselves to offer you better interest rates.
Threaten to Go to Their Competitors.
Have you ever noticed that it seems like every company offers a credit card? That makes the credit card industry extremely competitive. Collect ads and offers for better rates than your company has given you, and then phone them up and tell them all about it. A good rouse is to start the conversation like this:
“Them: Hello, what can I do for you today?
You: Oh hi, I was just calling to ask if there’s anything that you need to do to transfer my balance to this new card I’m getting?
Them: Well… may I ask what card that is?
You: Oh, I got the offer in the mail this morning. [Tell them all about the great interest rate and everything. You could even make things up – they won’t know].
Them: And you’ve accepted that offer?
You: I’m just about to, yes.
Them: Well, hang on… we might be able to offer you a better rate on the card you’ve got…”
The trick is in getting the company to think you’re just another fool who responds blindly to advertising, and they’re in danger of losing you as a customer. Don’t whine about how you’re such a good customer – they already know what kind of customer you are, but they definitely want you to stay their customer.
A fun alternative is to phone your current company, get an offer from them, and then phone around more and try to get them to beat it. Once it’s beaten, call your company back and let them know.
Drive a hard bargain, and be prepared to walk away (well, hang up). If you turn down their so-called ‘best offer’, hang up and wait half an hour, there’s a good chance that you’ll get a call offering you a better one!
It isn’t just on credit card companies that these tricks get results. It works because it costs a company so much to get a new customer (the ‘cost of acquisition’), and so it’s cheaper for them to offer you a better deal, just to keep you. Try it with your Internet Service Provider (ISP) sometime.We recommend the following credit card and debt resources. They are highly reputable and will help you in choosing the best available solution for you, as well as in finding the best credit cards around.
Credit Card Resources
CreditAxis guarantees anyone a bad credit loan or credit card approval through their directory of little-known lenders. They also offer a unique credit repair kit and a do-it-yourself bankruptcy filing kit. Their information is applicable to residents of the U.S., Canada, and the UK.
LowerMyBills is a comprehensive service that helps consumers lower all their monthly bills, all in one spot. They offer a broad range of savings opportunities, with a special focus on home loans. LowerMyBills has established itself as leader in the online comparison shopping marketplace.
Debt consolidation is one of the hottest offers online today and DebtAdvocates.cc (from Intermark Media) is the first in the industry to give consumers the choice to either consolidate or eliminate their debt - based on their financial situation.
Credit Card Debt Strategies
The strategies on this site are based on various reports and the
financial experience of respected authorities.
Interest Rates Strategies
For all people shop around for the best rate, there are few who have taken the time to sit down and add it all up.
Terms and Conditions
When you're looking at a credit card offer, take a look at the small print - it seems like a maze, but it's vitally important.
Top Five Credit Cards Mistakes
There are plenty of people out there who make all sorts of dangerous mistakes with their credit cards every day.
A Credit Card Jargon Buster
Credit cards, as part of the financial industry, use a massive array of jargon. You can't be expected to recognize all these technical terms - so here's a quick guide, in alphabetical order.
Beware the Sudden Rate Hike
There are some credit card lenders out there who are trying to scam you. They'll offer you a good interest rate, wait for you to spend a lot of money, and then suddenly jack up the interest through the roof.
Always Avoid Payment Holidays
Once you've been paying off a credit card for a while, you might be offered a 'payment holiday'. You'll get a letter, offering you a month off from paying, as 'a special present'.
They Don't Want You to Pay!
In all your dealings with credit cards, remember this one thing: they don't want you to pay. They want you to keep on paying them a little every month for the rest of your life, making them a steady profit on things you long since forgot about buying.
More Articles about Credit Card Debt ...
|
|
Credit Card Debt Strategies
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
