If you search the Internet for information or articles comparing various credit card companies and their card offers, you’re sure to find a number of comparison charts. Charts are a great way to evaluate one credit card offer against another because most cards carry the same types of characteristics – interest rates, grace periods, annual fees and bonus or loyalty programs – so it’s easy to make a side-by-side comparison. But finding the right card involves more research and consideration than simply looking at one of these charts and finding the “best” offer. Instead, you’ll need to use a somewhat...

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Your credit report is one of the single most important financial documents in your life. Depending on what’s contained in the report, you may end up having to pay tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars in higher interest rates when you borrow money for home and car loans, as well as credit card charges, over the course of your life. In fact, if your credit report has some problems listed, you may not even be able to get a loan at all. Despite the importance of your credit report, there are still a number of areas that people...

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Most credit card companies do a good job at publicizing the features that they believe give them an advantage over other credit cards. Sometimes this is a low interest rate, other times it may be concierge or other high end services that come included with the card. But there are probably some aspects and features to your credit card that aren’t quite so well publicized. You need to take all of these factors into consideration when you’re looking for a new card, or deciding whether to close an existing account. Here is some credit card advice about a few of the...

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Despite the fact that there is so much good financial information readily available online, some people prefer to seek out one-on-one interactions for financial guidance. This desire for individualized attention can be particularly strong if someone is experiencing financial difficulties. In light of the fact that so many individuals are experiencing financial problems these days, credit counseling services have become an increasingly popular option. While the fees charged by these services can vary widely, the process of going through credit counseling is usually quite similar across the different agencies. If you’ve never gone through it before, here’s some information and advice...

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Assuming that your credit is good enough, and you can get approved for a new credit card once every six months or year, you might be tempted to take advantage of the new account balance transfer deals that many credit card companies offer. The terms of a balance transfer usually involve a preferential interest rate (sometimes 0%) for a specified period of time for any amounts you transfer to the new card. It’s true that this type of transfer does have the benefit of saving you on interest charges. However, there are some direct and indirect expenses associated with this...

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While an increasing number of consumers are working to pay off their credit cards, it might take time for some to fully achieve it. Even someone who normally pays off their credit card each month could be hit with an unexpected expense that they’ll have to charge and which will take some time to completely pay off. As you’re working to pay off your credit card balance, it’s important to make sure you’re paying the lowest possible interest rate. Depending on your balance, and how long you carry it, getting your interest rate reduced by even a couple percentage points...

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Some people get themselves in trouble by charging too much on their credit cards. In many cases this happens because they might have a number of different cards. While there might not be a large balance on any one particular card, it’s sometimes easy for the aggregate indebtedness to get out of hand. But there’s not necessarily anything wrong with having multiple credit cards, provided that you manage them appropriately. Proper management of multiple accounts involves not just staying well-informed on your account balances and repayment terms, but also making the right decisions and taking the right steps to keep...

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Credit reports are compiled by credit reference agencies. Public information like court judgements and the electoral roll are recorded on credit reports, as well as the information that lenders provide about customers and their management of credit accounts. The primary role of a credit reference agency is to allow lenders to share information about the credit history of customers, which as you can imagine is a mutually beneficial arrangement that helps these credit providers combat fraud and avoid bad customers. However, companies like Experian – the largest credit reference agency in the UK – can also help ordinary customers by...

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Even as interest rates on home mortgages and some consumer debt remains relatively low, it’s as important as ever that you keep your credit score healthy. Not only can having a good credit score make it more likely you’ll get a good rate, it might also make the difference between getting the loan at all, and being rejected. While some will advise you to start looking at tricks and gimmicks such as credit piggybacking in order to improve your score, taking charge of your own financial future doesn’t have to be such a gimmick. Here is some borrowing and credit card...

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Perhaps more than any other single number, your credit score has a significant impact on your financial health. With a better credit score you’ll be able to pay a lower interest rate on your credit cards, car loan and home mortgage loan. On the other hand, if your credit score is too low you might not be able to get certain types of loans at all. It’s therefore vitally important that you manage your credit score and keep your number high. In order to do a better job of managing your credit score, you’ll need to be proactive. If you...

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