Credit Card Balance Transfer Tips

Eliminating high interest credit cards by transferring to a card with a lower rate can help you save a great deal of money, allowing you to regain control of your finances. However, it is important that you understand all of the terms and conditions of your new credit card before committing enrollment. You want to make certain that the card offer is fair and that you are truly going to benefit from it. Featured are tips that will help you choose and use the right credit card for transferring balances.

Pre-determining interest rates

Most balance transfer offers are good for only the first 6-9 months of enrollment. At the conclusion of the introductory rate, the card will convert to a more standard rate, typically between 14-20%. It is important that you determine what the interest rate is going to be once the intro rate is over. If you are not sure what interest rate the card is going to be charging at the conclusion of the intro offer, call the issuer and find out.

New purchase interest rates don't equal the balance transfer rates

The intent of transferring credit card balances is to obtain a lower interest rate and eliminate your debt quicker. It is important to note that the balance transfer interest rate is not going to be the same for new purchases made with the credit card. In fact, new purchase rates are going to be higher. Also, payments that you make towards your credit card bill are going to be applied towards the balance transfer debt first, until they are eliminated. As a result, you are going to end paying a lot of money in interest costs for new purchases. It would be wise for you to pay off all of your balance transfers prior to making any new purchases with your credit card.

You should also be aware that many issuers will apply the introductory rate to new charges only. Therefore, you will end up paying the full standard interest rate on your balance transfers, defeating the purpose of saving money while eliminating your debt. Obviously these type of card offers are not ideal for balance transfers and should be avoided.

Know what fees are associated with transferring balances

It is very likely that you are going to be charged a percentage when transferring credit card balances. This fee is usually 4-5%, with a $35-50 cap. Unfortunately, many credit card issuers have decided to eliminate the cap; resulting in consumers having to pay hundreds of dollars when transferring $1500 or more. Even worse, this fee is often considered a new purchase, meaning you pay a high interest rate for this portion of your card's balance. Therefore, you should look to apply for a credit card that offers caps on balance transfer fees and costs.

Be alert of bait-and-switch schemes

Offers are not always what they seem. Suppose your credit score is 550. It is likely that when you submit a request for a particular card offer, that the issuer presents you with an offer that is geared more towards people with bad credit. Specifically having a higher interest rate and no introductory offer. You can get approved, and not even be informed that the approval is for a different credit card. You probably won't even realize until after you receive your first statement. Therefore, it is crucial that you read the terms and conditions of the card you are approved for before you transfer any of your balances, or make any new charges.

Don't be late on your payment

It does not matter if you are one day late or ten days late. Being delinquent on your payment will result in you losing your introductory offer!

Jacob Joseph is a financial expert for http://www.starloanservices.com. At Star Loan Services you can apply for credit cards for people with bad credit

Balance Transfer Tips

The most expedient and convenient way (but not necessarily the most effective as we shall see later) of reducing the interest on your card is to get balance transfer, which basically means paying off one card with another. Obviously you need another card to do this and there is really no objection to this (unless you simply must abuse it.) Of course cards with no annual fee are best, but even a small annual fee is okay when you're saving more anyway. The number of card offers these days that have low or no interest periods makes this fairly easy. Here are a few things to take note of:

1. Balance transfer offer periods usually start on the card activation date, not the date you actually do the transfer. Once this period (usually about 6 mouths) is finished, the remaining transferred amount and any further transfers revert to the standard balance transfer rate.

2. Balance transfers at a later stage are still useful to eliminate cash out interest that may have been 'sandwiched' between purchase transactions. Learning not to get cash out is a good move in the long-run, but this will solve those impulse hiccups.

3. Transferring a whole card account balance frees your initial card to enable you to make use of the 'interest free days' or 'grace period' facility. (See Report.)

4. Depending on the credit card company's policy, you can do balance transfers over the phone, online or only by having a form sent out and sending it back. This last takes longer of course (though you could use fax if you're in a hurry) so allow for this extra time. On new card applications this is rarely a problem anyway as they'll ask you during the application process whether you want to do one (or you can wait until your card is activated if you like.)

William Ember is author of the Credit Card Conqueror Report which provides detailed and practical plans on how to save money on credit card interest and other charges (and in some cases pay none at all!) The report is available free from his website

No Fee Balance Transfer Credit Cards

Looking for a 0% balance transfer credit card that does not charge a balance transfer fee? Chances are, you?ve had some trouble finding one. Over the past year, the number of credit cards offering no fee balance transfers has decreased dramatically. Additionally, the maximum fees have risen on many cards from $50 to $75. Fortunately, there are still a few credit card companies that offer no fee balance transfers. The trick is to find the right offer and to read the fine print.

The standard fee for balance transfers is 3%, with a maximum fee of between $50 to $75. Now, if you are transferring a large balance, let?s say $5,000 the maximum fee of $75 amounts about 1.5% of the balance transferred. However, if you are transferring $5000 from three different cards, you will be charged 3% from each card. Thus, if you transfer balances from two credit cards with $1500 balances and one with a $1000 balance, your fees will amount to $120, or 2.4%.

Now, even with balance transfer fees, transferring $5000 to a 0% credit card from a credit card with a 15% interest rate will still save you over $600 over the course of 1 year. However, doing so with a no fee balance transfer credit card will save you about $750, or enough to buy a very nice dinner with a bottle of wine.

Clearly, moving balances from high interest credit cards to 0% credit cards is a great money saver. However, it is worthwhile to seek out a 0% credit card that offers no fee balance transfers, as the savings can add up quickly, especially when consolidating balances from multiple cards.

Now the hard part. Since credit card companies that offer 0% balance transfers aren?t making money on interest, they look to get it from fees. Consequently, many companies bury the details of their balance transfer offers in the fine print. After looking over credit card offers from every major issuer, I was only able to find one company that currently offers no fee balance transfers. And the offer was buried very deep in the fine print. However, if you look hard, no fee balance transfer offers can be found.

For information and links to online applications to no fee balance transfer credit cards, visit www.SmartCreditChoices.com. SmartCreditChioces features online credit card applications from every major issuer. At SmartCreditChoices, you can compare 0% balance transfer credit card offers and apply online for instant approval

Best Balance Transfer Credit Cards - Helping You Avoid Paying Interest

While considering balance transfer credit cards you must consider and understand that the expiration dates on balances that are transferred. You must also understand the APR and what fees you will pay after the introductory trial has ended. Ask the card lenders if the introductory rates will apply to the first transfer, or if the rates will only apply to balance transfers made throughout the introductory trial. You might also ask if the introductory rates are applied to balance transfers as well as purchases. It is also important that you understand the annual fee structure. Likewise, it is essential to know whether an annual fee will apply to the introductory period. Ask if the cards have any applicable fees on transactions.

Transfer Fees Asking questions upfront will help you to avoid pricey fees on balance transfers. Most balance transfer fees are around 3 percent; however, some lenders will charge 4 percent. Due to competition, credit card lenders' are working effortlessly to bring in new clients. Therefore, teaser ads are put up on the Internet to bring in new clientele. While the slicks claim that if you have good enough credit, you can take advantage of the low interest rates and 0 percent introductory rates, not everyone has the applicable credit that lenders will require.

Cash Back Rewards

A few of the cards, including the Chase Cash Plus Rewards Visa offer 5 percent cash back on any purchases made at grocery stores, drugstores, or gas stations for a limited time. Often the card lenders have stipulations though, i.e. only purchases at selected stores are applicable, which means if you do not shop at the store (s) stipulated in the agreement, you will not receive rewards. This card also offers an additional 1 percent cash back on all other purchases made. There are no annual fees, and there is a 0 percent introductory APR for up to 12 months on balance transfers and purchases.

Some of the balance transfer credit cards offered online include the Citi? Platinum Select. Some of these cards offer a 0% APR for up to one year on both purchases and balance transfers. However, the offers will expire; therefore taking advantage of the offers now can save you money. Many of the cards will extend an comparably low ongoing APR once the introductory trial has ended too. A few of the cards will offer advantages that the other card offers may not, like a free onlin, secured account management reports. So be on the lookout for these special features.

Features and Offers

If you're looking for security in balance transfer credit cards, consider the Blue card from American Express. With this card you get a 0 percent introductory APR up to 15 months and low rates thereafter. Still, the offers won't last long, thus taking advantage of the deals when spotted is in your best interest. There are no annual fees and it has a Smart Chip built-in, which provides security while shopping online, or viewing your online reports. Smart Chip is becoming one of the largest schemes for security, which is currently available throughout in the United Kingdom and will soon be available in the US. This card offers a free rewards program, but you must have excellent credit to get approved for the card.

For more information on finding the best balance transfer credit cards to help you avoid paying interest charges, Bert Wills recommends that you visit CreditCardAssist.com.

Save Money With A Balance Transfer Credit Card

It is estimated that about a third of people fail to pay off their credit or store card balances in full every month, and therefore pay interest on the balance. If that applies to you, the chances are you could save money by applying for a new credit card which offers zero (or low) interest balance transfers.

The way this works is that you take out a new credit card offering such a deal and immediately ask them to pay off the debt on your old card. The balance on your old card then becomes zero, and the entire balance goes on to your new card instead, with its zero or low interest rate.

A number of card issuers offer these deals. Zero rate offers typically last from five to twelve months. If you are confident that you can pay off the entire balance during this time, they are a good choice for saving money.

If you think it may take longer to pay off the outstanding balance, a better option may be to apply for a card which offers a low rate for the entire life of the balance (i.e. until it is repaid). American Express? offers a fixed, low APR for the life of the balance with its Platinum card.

If you are currently paying interest on a balance with your current card, it makes sense to transfer your existing store or credit card balance to another provider. There are a few points to watch out for, however.

1. Check if there is a charge for balance transfers

Balance transfer fees are becoming more common as credit card issuers try to recover some of the money they lose by offering interest-free periods. Fees range up to 2% of the total balance. However, there are still several card providers offering free balance transfers.

2. Remember to pay off your balance every month

Even though the card issuer offers an interest-free period, you will still have to make the minimum monthly payments by the monthly due date, or you will be charged interest.

3. Avoid spending extra on the card used for the transfer

Most credit cards pay off balance transfers preferentially, so if you incur any other debts on the card, they will not be discharged until the entire transferred balance is paid off. That means any new spending will be ?trapped? on the card, accruing full interest charges. If you are using your new card to service a balance transfer, therefore, do NOT use it for additional spending as well ? use another card instead.

4. Switch again when the introductory period expires

If you have failed to pay off the balance completely once the 0% introductory rate for balance transfers expires, you could apply for another card and transfer your balance again. However, if you plan to do this you should always remember, in the month the 0% deal ends, to move the debt again to another 0% offer. This means you will need to apply for another card about six weeks before the introductory period ends. You will need to be well organized and remind yourself to do this.

5. Note that your credit rating may suffer

If you apply for a number of credit cards, especially at the same time, your applications will be noted by the credit reference agencies, and your credit score may suffer. The most important preventative measure is to spread card applications out. Do this and most people with reasonable income and no bad debts will be fine, though be aware that there will be a small risk to your ability to get competitive credit in future.

Having decided on the type of balance transfer deal you are looking for, do take the time to study the market and see what is available. Do not simply fill in and return the next credit card application form that arrives in the mail. Credit card comparison sites such as www.finest-credit-cards.com can make this easier for you by listing all current card offers for you to choose from, and also have a range of articles offering unbiased advice and information.

Nick Davis is the owner of http://www.finest-credit-cards.com, which aims to match you up with the ideal credit card to suit your situation. With details of all the leading card offers updated daily, plus informative articles to guide you in your choice, you will never pick the wrong credit card again.