An instant approval credit card offer can get you an account in sometimes just a few seconds online! For example, the American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Card is rumored to approve applicants in less than 60 seconds online.
Once approved you are likely to receive the card itself within a few days in the post. Occasionally further research is needed to approve your application, which can take about ten days.
Instant approval used to be only available for those with the very best credit scores, but these days the range of possible applicants is far greater, so even if your credit rating is not great, you still might qualify. Finding out is quick and easy online.
If you don't qualify right now, it is usually possible to improve your rating through careful changes in your financial activity. However a lot of the information which claims to be able to improve your rating, is misleading or dangerous. Non-profit organizations are one of the best sources of correct unbiased information if you wish to know more about improving your rating.
While obtaining the card rapidly is sometimes best, other factors should be taken into account when comparing offers. Zero percent interest for an initial period is one common benefit which can be of huge value. If applied to balance transfers it can be used to either avoid paying interest on existing borrowing or to actually make a profit by transferring funds to an interest-paying savings account.
Other details to consider when comparing cards include rewards and fees. Rewards can be of great benefit if you choose those which fit your needs the best. Such rewards as air miles, price reductions on certain items, cash-back, or even payments towards a mortgage, can all be useful to certain people. So before you compare features, think carefully about your financial activity and which types of rewards would benefit you most.
An instant approval credit card offer, also sometimes known as online approval, can be of great value, and if the features of the account are chosen carefully, can be a real help to your finances.
Showing posts with label credit card deals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label credit card deals. Show all posts
Tuesday, 1 May 2012
Monday, 30 April 2012
Best Credit Card Deals
The best credit card deals are those which offer benefits which match your personal financial needs the best. As with many such areas, there is a lot of advice which attempts to tell you that there is one "best" offer. Since such "advice" completely fails to take into account that different people have very different financial situations, it is misleading and should be ignored.
The best way to see which offers will be of most benefit to you personally is to start by having an honest look at your own finances. Take a good look at your spending. What categories do you spend most money on? Also look at your existing debts and how they are progressing.
There are a wide variety of different benefits offered by credit cards. These might include 0% interest rates for an initial period as well as various rewards. Rewards can include a wide range of different things such as air miles, discounts on hotels, travel, and purchases, cash-back, special offers and free gifts and even payments towards a mortgage.
0% interest on balance transfers for an initial period can be one of the most valuable offers for some people. The two main uses of this benefit are as follows. Firstly one can transfer existing borrowing onto the new account and so save having to pay any interest on it, and thus focus on paying down the borrowing itself rather than just paying off the interest each month.
The second use of such an offer is to use the available money to make a profit by receiving interest payments. This can be done by putting the funds into a savings bank account for example.
Cash-back can be a very valuable offer for some people, particularly larger percentages on particular categories of expenditure that you use a lot, such as gas. Other types of rewards can suit different individuals better. As this article is explaining, the way to find the best credit card deals for you personally is to ignore any general advice recommending a particular offer, and start by looking your own financial situation.
The best way to see which offers will be of most benefit to you personally is to start by having an honest look at your own finances. Take a good look at your spending. What categories do you spend most money on? Also look at your existing debts and how they are progressing.
There are a wide variety of different benefits offered by credit cards. These might include 0% interest rates for an initial period as well as various rewards. Rewards can include a wide range of different things such as air miles, discounts on hotels, travel, and purchases, cash-back, special offers and free gifts and even payments towards a mortgage.
0% interest on balance transfers for an initial period can be one of the most valuable offers for some people. The two main uses of this benefit are as follows. Firstly one can transfer existing borrowing onto the new account and so save having to pay any interest on it, and thus focus on paying down the borrowing itself rather than just paying off the interest each month.
The second use of such an offer is to use the available money to make a profit by receiving interest payments. This can be done by putting the funds into a savings bank account for example.
Cash-back can be a very valuable offer for some people, particularly larger percentages on particular categories of expenditure that you use a lot, such as gas. Other types of rewards can suit different individuals better. As this article is explaining, the way to find the best credit card deals for you personally is to ignore any general advice recommending a particular offer, and start by looking your own financial situation.
Sunday, 29 April 2012
Credit Card Ratings
Credit card ratings usually refers to consumer comparisons of different credit cards showing which is said to be better. Another use of the term is with reference to investment in such areas, but this is a much rarer and more specialized use of the term. This article will focus on the use of the term in the more common consumer comparison meaning.
It is easy to find comparisons of credit cards on the internet, with different scores given to different aspects of their performance, such as overall satisfaction, fees, billing and payment, rewards etc. For example, one such comparison rates American express and Discover card as best, with National City and Wells Fargo next.
However, it should be realized that many such comparisons are biased as the business which makes the comparison makes money out of the results in some way such as by advertising on the same page. So it is obvious that such a comparison is unlikely to rate a card that they are making money from advertising, as really low, because they won't make them so much money. So don't believe too fully what you see in such comparisons.
Another vital point often overlooked is that any comparison which says that one card is "better than" another, is not really correct. The reason for this is that each individual's financial situation and financial needs are different. So what might be the very best card for one person might not be suitable at all for someone else. So really there is no "best" card, and the intelligent approach is to first consider ones own financial needs then find one which best provides benefits that help your own situation.
One of the most useful offers for some people is zero interest for an initial period. If applied to purchases this can be beneficial for those who need to buy certain items, and if applied to balance transfers this feature can avoid all interest payments on existing borrowing, by moving the existing debts onto the new account.
Rewards are another area which can offer great benefits to some people, but different people might benefit from different rewards. Some people might find cash-back most useful, especially if it has higher percentages on categories which they spend a lot such as gas. Others might find air miles or special discounts more valuable. There are even cards such as the Disney Credit Card which offer a whole range of benefits relating to a specific merchant. While not of much use to many people, such specific rewards might be of huge value to particular consumers.
So while credit card ratings can be of some value, it is much more sensible to consider your own financial needs more than some averaged overall comparison.
It is easy to find comparisons of credit cards on the internet, with different scores given to different aspects of their performance, such as overall satisfaction, fees, billing and payment, rewards etc. For example, one such comparison rates American express and Discover card as best, with National City and Wells Fargo next.
However, it should be realized that many such comparisons are biased as the business which makes the comparison makes money out of the results in some way such as by advertising on the same page. So it is obvious that such a comparison is unlikely to rate a card that they are making money from advertising, as really low, because they won't make them so much money. So don't believe too fully what you see in such comparisons.
Another vital point often overlooked is that any comparison which says that one card is "better than" another, is not really correct. The reason for this is that each individual's financial situation and financial needs are different. So what might be the very best card for one person might not be suitable at all for someone else. So really there is no "best" card, and the intelligent approach is to first consider ones own financial needs then find one which best provides benefits that help your own situation.
One of the most useful offers for some people is zero interest for an initial period. If applied to purchases this can be beneficial for those who need to buy certain items, and if applied to balance transfers this feature can avoid all interest payments on existing borrowing, by moving the existing debts onto the new account.
Rewards are another area which can offer great benefits to some people, but different people might benefit from different rewards. Some people might find cash-back most useful, especially if it has higher percentages on categories which they spend a lot such as gas. Others might find air miles or special discounts more valuable. There are even cards such as the Disney Credit Card which offer a whole range of benefits relating to a specific merchant. While not of much use to many people, such specific rewards might be of huge value to particular consumers.
So while credit card ratings can be of some value, it is much more sensible to consider your own financial needs more than some averaged overall comparison.
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