Borrowing on a Credit Card

One of the easiest ways to borrow money of a financial institute is to use a Credit Card, available from all banks, building societies, and other financial organisations. The choices available are enormous, with a wide variety of interest charges, annual charges, loyalty schemes, and bonus points available. However there are two broad areas that you should look at:

Annual Interest Rate

Firstly if you do not intend to pay off your Credit Card bill at the end of each month, then you should look at the Annual Interest Rate (APR), this rate is typically between 13-17% at the moment, and you should be looking for a card that offers as low an interest rate as possible. You should also bear in mind that you are charged much higher rates of interest than other forms of borrowing money, so if you do not intend to pay of your bills for a long period of time, then you should seriously consider a different form of loan that is less expensive.

Extra Benefits

On the other hand if you do intend to pay off you credit card bill at the end of each month, then you should be more interested in the loyalty schemes that are on offer. These vary from being awarded points every time you purchase something (these points can than me used to purchased gifts or air miles etc), to simply being given 'Cashback' on everything you buy (typically 0.5%-1% of your purchase). You should also look at the level of service that your card company offers. They are obliged under law to offer certain protection to the consumer, but often they will increase this protection with other guarantees. Some offer extended warranties on electrical goods, extra travel insurance when you are on holiday, accidental damage insurance for any goods you buy, and even free commission on cash withdrawals when abroad.

Also some companies charge an annual fee for using their card (especially business credit card accounts), so these fees should be weighed up against the cards benefits.

Even if you usually do pay off your credit card bills at the end of each month, when you open a account you may be offered 6 months interest free credit. This is often an excellent way of saving money as you are basically given an interest free loan for 6 months. It is even more useful if you are allowed to transfer some credit card debt from a different company into the interest free offer. However there is a danger of becoming trapped in a bad debit cycle here, transferring your debt from card to card until it is completely unmanageable. The best advice is to make sure you always have enough money in the bank, or in a savings account, to pay off your debt when you are taking advantage of the interest free credit period. That way you benefit from earning interest on your savings in your bank, but as soon as the interest free credit period has expired, you can pay the entire bill off without being stung for high interest charges.

So to summarize

If you are not paying off your monthly credit card bills, look for a card that offers a low interest rate

If you are paying off your monthly credit card bills, looking for additional card benefits

Interest free credit periods are good news for saving money, but beware of being caught in a debt spiral

Credit Cards are an expensive way of obtaining a loan or borrowing money, and you should investigate other cheaper forms if you intend to borrow money in the medium to long term.

Alastair Taylor runs a website that tries to give the consumer the truth about how to save money on Financial matters as well as home improvement. Visit Whatprice to saves yourself time and money.

More Resources

Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting

More Credit Information:

Related Articles

Collection Agencies: What Do They Do?
Collection agencies are businesses that collect past-due bills and accounts receivable for other persons or businesses in exchange for a fee. Collection agencies charge for their services one of three ways:1) A flat fee.
Choosing the Right Credit Counseling Agency for You - Some Tips Part 2
Credit counseling companies come in all shapes and sizes. Whether you are looking at working with a local credit counseling organization or a national credit counseling organization there are some very important factors to calculate before choosing the right credit counseling option for you.
A No-Brainer Way Of Getting Credit And Credit Cards
What Is Your Credit Rating Now?If you have any charge accounts now, or have ever borrowed from the bank to buy a car, or if you ar paying on a mortgage, there is credit information on you.Up until a few years ago, you could only guess at what your credit rating was, because the credit bureaus who keep track of borrowers wouldn't tell the borrowers anything! But that's been changed through several laws, and now the bureaus have to send you your credit file when you request it.
The Truth About Credit
What you might not know about credit.Some people don't know about a loop hole in the credit reporting system.
5 Surefire Ways To Eliminate Credit Card Debt
Do you have enormous credit card debt? You are certainly not alone. According to research, the average family in the United States has $7000 in credit card debt and pays about $1000 in interest each year! Throw in a late payment or two, or an over-the-limit charge, and that number skyrockets.
What You Should Know About Credit Counseling
Credit counseling is a free service that many people with money problems have turned to in the face of financial ruin. Credit counseling companies negotiate with your creditors to reach financial solutions that benefit both you and your creditors.
Avoiding College Credit Card Traps
Congratulations college freshman! You're about to embark on one of the most exciting times of your life. By now your parents, siblings, and friends have offered you all kinds of advice on how to make your transition to college smoother - how to get along with your roommate, what classes to take and which ones to avoid, where to find the best off-campus food, and how to stay safe on campus.
Tips for Choosing a Credit Card Company
Credit Cards are essential for any consumer today. However, when choosing a new credit card company, many people do not know what to look for.
Your Credit Score
Credit scores: all lenders use credit scores to determine interest rates and credit limits.The credit scoring system was developed in the early 1950's.
How To Get a Low Interest Credit Card
Consumers often have the first credit card that they ever applied for, never really analizing how the interest rate affects their payments, but many other options exist and can help consumers decrease their payments and achieve financial stability.With interest rates on some credit cards rising to over 23%, even low balance credit card debt can be crippling.
Credit Report Hassles
There is no end to the amount of pain that your credit report can cause you. If you have a bad credit history this is something that can follow you around and wreak havoc on your life without you even knowing it.
Credit Cards: How To Use Them
Credit cards can be a very quick way of getting into even more debt if you do not know how to use them properly. UK debt is now at an all time high and, excluding mortgages, Credit Cards are one of the main contributors.
Credit Card Benefits and Drawbacks
Credit cards have both benefits and drawbacks. It is wise to consider both before applying for a credit card.
What To Look For In A Credit Card
When you are deciding what type of credit card to get it is important to compare credit cards to each other and find the best deal for you. There are a variety of different credit cards available, from low interest cards, cash back cards and even reward credit cards, it's hard to decide what exactly the best credit cards are.
Identity Theft - Who Would Want Mine?
With all my bills who would possibly want my credit? Let them steal my identity and pay my bills! Unfortunately, that's not the way it works. Many of us mistakenly believe that identity thieves hit only the wealthy.
It Takes Credit To Build Credit
Using a credit card wisely is an important step in building a good credit rating. If you're trying to re-build your credit or if you're young and just starting out, pay close attention the next time you receive a new card offer in the mail.
Dont Fall For A Scheme When Trying To Rebuild Your Credit History
For people with a spotty credit history or bad credit, getting approved for a standard credit card can be difficult, if not impossible.There are a number of credit card options that are aimed specifically at people who have bad credit and are trying to rebuild or repair it.
How to Order the Right Credit Reports to Repair Your Own Credit
In this week's article, I am going to offer some tips and insight regarding how to order the right credit reports needed to repair your credit.Believe it or not, a majority of the credit reports offered on the internet don't have the required information (File Number, Confirmation number, or Report number) needed to repair your own credit.
Triple AAA in 30 Days
Have you ever wonder about how to get good credit with spending alot of money. Well here is a little secret I used to get my credit back up to par.
Credit Card Balance Transfers Explained
What is a balance transfer ?A balance transfer can be explained simply as a balance transfer! When a balance is transferred usually from a credit card, but possible from a bank account or loan to a credit card with a offer interest rate (usually 0%) for a set period. It does not have to be the entire amount.