Winning your war on plastic
How many credit cards do you have in your wallet? And — perhaps a better question — are you taking advantage of them or are they taking advantage of you?
SBI Credit Card.com would like to see more and more consumers learning to take full advantage of all the perks that credit card companies are offering its users these days. It’s only right that if you, as a consumer, are giving them thousands of dollars of business, you should be getting something back too. Credit cards are a great tool for consumers. They offer the convenience and security that is necessary in today’s hectic lifestyles. They are also here to stay and so all consumers need to learn how to best benefit from using them in their daily lives. Read more
Congress Takes Aim At Pricey Colleges
It’s estimated that 17 million students will arrive at college campuses across the nation this fall. Many will be the target of credit card marketing campaigns designed to get them to sign up for credit cards endorsed by their college, and many students will take lenders up on their offers.
As the saying goes, little kids=little problems, big kids=big problems! As college time approaches, we try to instill as much wisdom and knowledge we can in them, so as to ensure that they will make the best possible decisions for themselves, when we are not there to guide them. It is obvious that we must talk to them and warn them about being responsible when it comes to things like drugs, alcohol, sex, etc., but there is also a topic that not all parents discuss with their children before they send them off to college life. Read more
Credit card gripes flood Fed
Consumers are filing a record number of comments — mostly complaints — about credit cards with the Federal Reserve, adding momentum to efforts to reform the industry.
SBI Credit Card.com advises all consumers to get their voice heard if they have anything on their minds when it comes to the dealings of the credit card industry. You have until Aug. 4 to weigh in. Already the Fed has heard from a record number of people, the most ever concerning a credit card proposal. Read more
Take the ‘GMA’ Credit Card Challenge
Americans are addicted to their plastic. Credit cards — those bright, shiny cards with 16 magic numbers that make all your purchases come true — are fast and easy to use.
SBI Credit Card.com – This sounds like a great challenge for all of us who need to get a handle on our credit card spending habits. Credit cards can be just fantastic tools if used in the proper, responsible manner. They are convenient, allowing us to purchase items without having to go to the bank every time. It also gives us a sense of security in that we don’t need to carry wads of cash when we go shopping. It’s a lot easier to keep one credit card secure than many dollar bills. In addition, if lost, credit card can be cancelled without losing any money, if you take timely action. Cash on the other hand, is lost forever. With competition in the credit card industry growing, many cards offer rewards that are just incredible and hard to pass up. Read more
Credit Cards: The Next Financial Crisis?
With banks limiting home equity lines, gas and food bills on the rise, and homeowners struggling to make their mortgage payments, some Americans are turning to credit cards to make ends meet. Many, however, are finding their cards more expensive to use as credit card companies increasingly raise interest rates, lower credit limits and cancel inactive accounts.
SBI Credit Card advises that the best way for consumers to stay out of credit card turmoil is to stop living beyond their means. Gone are the days when you can whip out your handy credit card when you spot something you really want and worry about paying for it when the bill comes. With the uncertainty in the economy and jobs being lost left and right everyday, consumers must really be sure to have the money in the bank before they decide to use their credit card for any purchase. If you make purchases thinking that the situation may change in a month or two and you’ll be able to come up with the cash, think again! If your financial situation does not turn around by the time the monthly bill arrives, you will be looking at paying who knows how much in interest and for how long. If you already have debt on your plate, compounding it, will land you in a bigger hole. Read more
Credit Cards Can Cut Off After $75
Record high gas prices are frustrating enough, but now drivers are facing a new problem at the pump: people who pay with plastic are discovering some pumps just shut off when they hit a certain dollar amount. With gas prices approaching $4 a gallon, more drivers are hitting that limit and not getting a full tank.
SBI Credit Card.com sympathises with merchants and consumers at this time of economic turmoil throughout the United States. Everyone wants to protect themselves from getting “ripped off” in any way and it’s really getting rough out there. With Visa and MasterCard only covering upto $75 of a gas purchase, gas station owners don’t want to be left responsible for anything over that, in case the credit card ends up being stolen or customer has insufficient funds. As a result, customers are seeing more and more gas retailers shutting off the pump after that $75 limit is reached. Read more
What Makes Rewards Cards UNREWARDING?
These days every consumer seems to want a credit card that offers some type of rewards program. Whether it is incentives like cash back, gas rebates, gift cards, or any other reward for using a credit card, consumers want to get the most out of their spending, and credit card companies are going out of their way to come up with newer and better ideas to entice consumers to use their particular credit cards. Which credit card is right for you depends on where you do most of your spending and what type of rewards you would find useful and enjoy. If you travel a lot, you will want a card that offers travel rewards and if you enjoy eating out, you may want a credit card that gives back rewards in the form of gift cards to your favorite restaurant. Read more
Are store cards as good as credit cards?
Of course there are some benefits with these cards, such as discounts at certain retailers or on certain products and a range of other perks. However, you need to ask yourself whether these limited benefits are worth the lack of choice that you will have and the very high rate of interest that you will have to pay if you do not clear your balance in full each month.
SBI Credit Card advises that there are great benefits of store credit cards, depending on what you are looking for. If you shop at a particular retailer a lot, then obtaining their store’s credit card may be of great benefit for you. The store may give you an initial discount on your first purchase when you apply for the card and offer special discounts on an ongoing basis every time you use their credit card to make purchases. Read more
Fees, Fees, and more Fees…
It’s amazing how many different types of fees there are associated with using credit cards. Some are the obvious ones, but there are some that are hidden and sneak up on us and we have no option but to pay. Before signing up for any credit card, SBICreditCard.com recommends that you read the Terms and Conditions very carefully in order to avoid surprises when you are charged fees that you didn’t know existed. Here is a list of some of these fees that your credit card may or may not charge.
· Annual Fee – This is a fee charged just for having the card. You can find cards that don’t charge this.
· Balance Transfer Fee – This fee is charged when you transfer the balance from one card onto another.
· Set-up Fee – This is charged when you open a new credit card account. Read more
Get travel bargains with major credit cards
You’ve got a major credit card, right? Did you know that card can unlock a number of bargains for your next trip?
SBICreditCard.com – The summer is a great time to take advantage of the numerous additional perks many credit card companies are offering. Everyone wants to travel at this time of the year and with prices on everything going up, it’s sometimes hard to come up with the extra cash to enjoy a few days of leisure. Read more
Earn MAXIMUM cash back rewards
SBICreditCard.com gives you ideas that will help you SAVE BIG. If you have a credit card that offers cash back rewards for every dollar you spend on it, there are some things you can do to maximize your rewards earnings. Here are a few tips that will help you earn more:
· Use the cash back credit card to pay your regular monthly bills such as phone bill, mortgage, electricity, cable, etc. These are expenses that you have to pay anyways, so you might as well make some money in the process. Read more
Why have more than one credit card?
With all the convenience and benefits of using credit cards these days, more and more consumers are choosing to have not only one credit card, but two or more. They are finding that there are various advantages in having multiple credit cards. Here are just a few ways that consumers are benefiting from using more than one card.
· Separate Household and Business Expenses: By using a different credit card for family/household expenses and another one for your business expenses, you can closely monitor where your money is going and make changes in your spending habits if need be. Read more
Credit Cards for BAD Credit
Credit Cards for BAD Credit – Many people with bad credit can rest assured that even for them, there are still many credit cards to choose from out there. If you have made bad financial decisions in the past and are looking to get a new start, you too have many options that can help you rebuild or re-establish your credit. There are two types of cards for people with bad credit—Secured and Unsecured credit cards. Read more
Business Credit Cards
Business Credit Cards – Business Credit Cards are especially designed with features to cater to the needs of all types of businesses. They are suitable for the small business owner or corporate executive. They allow businesses to manage all their expenses with detailed reporting features and online account access. Many business credit cards come with benefits like no annual fees, low APRs and higher credit lines. If traveling is a big part of your business, many cards let you earn frequent flyer miles and cut down on the cost of flying business class. To receive maximum rewards earnings, many business credit cards allow you to add employees as additional card holders. Read more
Getting the most out of Gas Rebate Credit Cards
With gas prices at all time highs and no relief in sight, many consumers are looking towards ways to soften the blow at the gas pumps. One such way is to look towards credit cards that offer rebates and other rewards on gas purchases. If you have long commutes and find yourself filling up way to often, then gas credit cards will be especially beneficial. Some offer cash rebates as high as 5%.
There are two types of gas rebate cards. One type is the kind that is affiliated with a particular gas company. These cards offer the highest rebates, but only when you purchase gas from that particular gas company’s locations. The other types of cards are the general rewards cards, which offer higher rebates or rewards on only particular purchases such as gas, grocery or other specific items. Read more
One Credit Card Deal That’s Hard to Beat
The skinny: Use a credit card to pay $750 worth of your bills, and you can get enough frequent flyer miles to save about $400 or more on a plane ticket.
The cards: The Citi Select AAdvantage American Express Card or the Citi Platinum Select AAdvantage World MasterCard. The deadline for new applications is June 30.
SBICreditCard.com – Sounds like a terrrrrific deal! It’s amazing the deals that credit card companies will offer these days to entice customers. If you have some time off and have a trip in mind, you can’t beat this. As mentioned in the article, remember credit cards only really work for YOU, if you pay off the balance every month. Otherwise, if you can’t pay off your bills and have to pay huge amounts of interest, any type of rewards offered by the credit card companies will not be worth it. Read more
The Best First Credit Card
many parents and their progeny are already sold on the benefits of plastic (especially for emergencies), making them ripe pickings for bad-guy credit card companies. Don’t let yourself or your child fall prey to one of the lousy lenders.
We at SBICreditCard.com agree that the decision to get your child their first credit card should be made very carefully. The manner in which your child uses this credit card can impact their credit history and many decisions that he/she will make in the future. Read more
Prepaid Credit Cards
Prepaid Credit Cards – Prepaid credit cards require advance payment to the credit card company. You can use this card until the amount loaded on it is finished. After that, the card can be re-loaded to use again.
The Good: A prepaid credit card is a good idea for people who tend to overspend and are impulsive. You can only spend how much you load on it.
The Bad: There are fees associated with these cards, so terms and conditions for use should be read carefully.
Prepaid Credit Cards – Top Picks from SBI-Credit-Card:
- AccountNow® Prepaid Visa® Card
- Vision Premier Prepaid Visa Card (Free with Direct Deposit)
- Bank Freedom Prepaid MasterCard®
- AccountNow® Vantage Prepaid MasterCard®
-
All-Access Prepaid MasterCard
Secured Credit Cards
Secured Credit Cards – These are meant for people who have not been able to handle credit cards in the past in a responsible manner. Basically, it’s “secured” because you put down a deposit with your application. It opens up a savings account as security for your line of credit.
The Good: Even though they may not have acted responsibly with their credit cards in the past, secured credit cards give people a second chance at enjoying the benefits of the plastic. In addition, most of these credit cards report to the credit bureaus, so using them can help you on the road to establishing or repairing credit. Read more
Student Credit Cards
Student Credit Cards – These credit cards are meant for high school or college students who can handle finances responsibly. They are not meant to just make buying things you “want” easier. A student should use this type of credit card to establish a solid credit history and make life easier in the future, when their credit report is pulled and decisions are based upon it.
The Good: Students can qualify for these without having an already established credit rating and get a head start in building their credit history. Many of these credit cards offer rewards points that can be used at places where students shop or even cash back. Many of them also offer 0% introductory interest rates.
The Bad: Some credit card companies charge higher interest rates to students. Also, inexperience in handling finances, sometimes lands students in high debt very quickly.
Student Credit Cards – Top Picks from SBI-Credit-Card:
- Capital One® Platinum for Students
- Citi® Platinum Select® Card for College Students
- Citi® Dividend Platinum Select® Card for College Students
- Capital One® No Hassle CashSM Rewards for Students
- Citi® mtvUTM Platinum Select® Visa® Card for College Students
- Citi® Bronze® AAdvantage® MasterCard® for College Students
