Zero Interest Balance Transfer

May 25th, 2009 | Posted in 0 Balance Transfer Credit Cards, Zero Percent Credit Cards

When looking for a Zero Interest Balance Transfer Credit Card there are some pitfalls to avoid.

Hidden fees- Some credit cards charge a 1%-4% balance transfer fee. I can not stress how important it is to read the “Terms of Service” at the bottom of the credit card application.

Bait & Switch- Just because you applied for a Zero Interest balance transfer card does not mean that is what you got. Be carefull to read the credit card agreement carefully before using it to doa balance transfer. They may have given you only 3 months at zero percent instead of the 6 months you were hoping to get.

Tricky Terms- Be sure that  the Zero Interest on a credit card offer refers to balance transfers and not new purchases.

Lastly, I should point out that most credit cards will null and void a zero balance transfer offer, with a single late payment. It is of utmost importance to be sure to pay the bill on time every time. If you are late on a second payment your interest could jack up to 30% or more.

Digg it Stumble it Add to del.icio.us No Comment

Hidden Dangers with Credit Card Rolling – Credit Scores.

October 13th, 2008 | Posted in Credit Card Tips, Tricks, and Trivia

I would like to take a moment to explain what Credit Card rolling is.  Credit Card rolling is when you incur debt on one credit card and want to transfer a balance to another credit card.

So will Credit Card Rolling hurt my Credit Score? Temporarily, the answer is yes, but only by a couple of points in the long term, no. It my take 1 to 6 months to show the original card paid in full, plus a credit check inquiry and balance for the new credit card. It really depends on how fast a credit card company reports to the scoring agencies. After 6 months your credit history will look better than it did previously. If you are not in the market for a loan, for a new car or house, it is perfectly okay to roll  your Credit Cards.

The hidden danger in Credit Card rolling is adding balance on top of your transfer. It works like this; Lets say you transfer $10,000 at 0% for 12 months, then you go Christmas Shopping and add another $1000 on top of that at 5%. Lets say you pay $100 a month on this same card. What happens is this; you are paying on your new debt, and at the end of the year your 0% will be barely paid on.

If you transfer a balance the first thing to consider is whether or not there is a hidden transaction fee, from either card. And the next thing to consider, is whether to keep your old card or get a new credit card to put additional spending on.

Digg it Stumble it Add to del.icio.us No Comment

Join Credit Card Money Community at MyBloglog! < Credit Card Money at My Zimbio Credit Card Money at BlogCatalog Blog Directory