[And even if the you end up not having to pay, you may feel less than jubilant.] Being a victim of credit fraud is like being rear-ended, ... It can really ruin your day. |
[If you carry a balance, you should by all means use this low-rate environment to lower your finance charges and trim your debt. But rather than blindly shop for the lowest rates, consider your credit history and search accordingly.] You have to be realistic about your credit, ... If your credit is spotty, don't waste your time applying for a 9 percent rate. |
[Unfortunately, your chances of qualifying for Pulaski's card, or any small bank's card, are slim.] Pulaski only has 32,000 accounts and is only adding 1,000 new accounts a month, ... About one in 100 applicants will qualify for it. |
[While more conscious of risk, issuers are still aggressively courting new customers. In fact, teaser rates and balance-transfer rates are the lowest they've ever been.] You can get zero percent rates that last as long as a year, ... We've never seen anything like this before. |
Creditors get nervous if they see a lot of inquiries in your credit history, ... They may think you're ready to leave the country or something if you just applied for 40 cards. |
Don't be swayed by bells and whistles, like reward programs or miles. A lot of consumers are drawn to these, but if you carry a balance, the interest rate may not be worth it. |
If someone rips you off, it's a real mess to clean up. |
If you're looking to transfer a $5,000 balance, you need to look to the largest issuers. |
If you're very loyal to that particular retailer, it makes it easier to handle returns and so on, |
In the short-term, you're probably not going to see much of a change. |
It just makes real good sense to carry more than one credit card. |
It's a very expensive way to borrow money. |
Just pay attention. Make sure you're not given a product you don't want. |
Making the minimum payment ... is probably one of the biggest expenses any consumer can make, ... You can end up paying for this Christmas for years to come. |
Many issuers have a charge back form built into the monthly billing statement. |