Helping Your College Student With His Or Her Visa Card By Robert Michael

Teens and those in their early twenties are very savvy these days, but not necessarily about money. So when Visa comes calling, they snatch up credit card deals (often aimed at the university market) and start piling on the “deals”, only to find themselves in debt later.

You can help your child by giving him or her some helpful tips on using a Visa card for good, not evil.

Visa card tip #1: Only use in emergency situations

For many students, an “emergency” equals the need for a new pair of shoes. Of course, this not an emergency at all, and a Visa that’s already maxed out should never be used for a luxury item. Instead, tell your teen that if the answer to the question, “Can I live without this?” is “yes”, the Visa card shouldn’t be used. On the other hand, if the teen finds him- or herself in a bind (such as on a date with a loser or someone violent and thus needing a quick ride back to the dorm), the Visa can be used without question.

Visa card tip #2: Pay off all the balances

Many young Visa users think that they can just pay the minimum amount due and never worry about paying the piper later. Consequently, they get into all kinds of debt later. Make sure your child understands that the best thing he or she can do is to pay the entire Visa bill every month. And if he or she makes a purchases that cannot be paid off within two or three months, it probably isn’t necessary.

Visa card tip #3: Check your bill

Even big companies like Visa make errors at times, so it’s imperative that cardholders check their statements every month. Thus, they won’t wind up paying for a charge that shouldn’t have been attributed to their accounts. Younger Visa holders (and even some seasoned ones) are known for ignoring this rule, and it’ll only cost them time and money later when (and if) they figure out they were charged in error.

Visa card tip #4: Report stolen cards immediately

If your student has a Visa card, make sure he or she understands that, should it become lost or stolen, it must be reported ASAP. Otherwise, someone could use it to steal his or her identity, which happens far too frequently in today’s economy. If he or she is fearful that mom or dad will get angry, assure him or her that although you might not be overly pleased, you’d rather find out from him or her that the Visa card was stolen.

Visa card tip #5: Don’t be afraid of a credit card

Finally, make sure that your kids understand that credit cards are not some terrible form of monetary exchange. Actually, they can be quite useful, especially for building a credit history. Again, it’s all in the way your Visa is used; if you are savvy, you can start on the way to a very high credit score, which will be helpful later.

With your help, your child will become knowledgeable about how to use his or her Visa appropriately.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=93012&ca=Finances

Finding The Right Brokerage Firm For You By Robert Michael

Are you looking for a brokerage that fits your style? Have you hesitated because you’re not sure how to begin? Check out this guide for some hints to uncovering the right brokerage firm for you.

Brokerage Firm Hint #1: Decide what you want/need before shopping around.

Before you ever begin looking for a brokerage firm, make sure you understand your own personality when it comes to finances. For example, how risk averse are you? Do you throw money at potential investments with gusto, or are you hesitant to even play a $1 slot machine, thinking that your buck could buy a candy bar? You must know who YOU are before you can ever schedule an appointment with a broker; otherwise, you’ll never be satisfied and it will actually be more difficult for him or her.

Brokerage Firm Hint #2: Shop around.

Even if you fall in love with the first brokerage you visit, you really need to evaluate at least one or two more brokerage firms before deciding with whom to work. This is for your own benefit as well as the benefit of the brokerage firm. After all, if you start working with one brokerage firm and suddenly come to the conclusion that it doesn’t reflect who you are as an investor, it’ll be difficult and even costly to remove yourself. It’s better to investigate many brokerage firms when you’re just starting out; then, you can make an informed choice.

Brokerage Firm Hint #3: Ask for references.

When you decide on the brokerage firm with whom you’d like to work, ask for references before giving them any money. Then, follow up on whatever lists or names they give you. Ask their clientele how satisfied they have been and whether they would choose that brokerage firm if they could do it again. Listen for hesitation or any phrases that appear to be “canned” or even outright lies. And if your gut tells you something is wrong, it probably is.

Brokerage Firm Hint #4: Ask questions and be honest.

Once you’ve chosen a brokerage firm, you need to make sure that all your meetings with your broker (or brokers) are efficient. Be open and honest and ask plenty of questions right off the bat. Any broker worth his or her salt will be happy to answer any inquiries and will follow-up over the phone and via email. Remember that if you’re not forthright, it’ll be tough for your broker to make the best suggestions to you. Instead, be upfront from the “get go” and you’ll reap the benefits.

Brokerage Firm Hint #5: When you find one that works for you, refer your friends.

If you find a brokerage firm that absolutely knocks your socks off, you’ll want to share your find with others. Make sure you do so frequently; not only will that be good for the brokerage firm, but they might give you a discount on some future service if you bring a lot of business through their doors.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=93003&ca=Finances

Are 0% Apr Credit Cards A Magic Debt Solution? By Robert Alan

0% APR credit cards are becoming extremely common in the world today, thanks to a growing problem with credit card debt and a growing awareness on the part of banks and credit card companies that people want to find a way out of their financial trouble. And 0 interest credit cards at first seem like an ideal way out. Imagine, no additional finance charges accumulating while paying down your existing balances... It's almost too good to be true! And it is almost like magic--in the sense that magic is often an illusion.

This isn't to imply that the credit card companies are being deceptive when offering 0% APR credit cards, because they aren't. Their exact pricing policies are right there on the application pages to any 0% APR credit card, though many people just see the big zero and coast on through the application. But before making any financial agreement, especially an agreement to enter into what amounts to a borrower/lender agreement with a bank or corporation, it pays to stop and take a closer look at exactly what you're agreeing to.

First of all, there's the well-established fact that 0% APR is always an introductory rate, lasting anywhere from six to twelve months. Since the major way a credit card company makes money is through interest rates, it wouldn't make much sense for the company to do anything else. At some point, they will have to charge you interest, even on a 0% APR credit card, which is no problem, as long as you know how much interest you're getting, right?

But it's still important to look deeper. Many credit card companies charge extremely high interest rates--18% and up--on even 0 interest credit cards, once the introductory period has expired. Often, there are variable interest rates to justify this: a fairly low rate (maybe 11% to 14%) for cardholders with the best credit rating, a medium rate (17% to 19%) for cardholders with still okay credit, and a standard rate (as high, in many cases, as 23%) for cardholders with average credit. Still higher is the default rate, which you enter if the credit card company decides, for whatever reason, that you've been making too many late payments or that you've become a bad credit risk. At this point, your interest rate shoots up to as many as twenty-four percentage points above the prime rate (8% as of June, 2006), leading to a default rate of a massive 32%.

So imagine this scenario. You've gotten into some difficulty with credit balances and you're looking for a way to stabilize your finances before paying everything off. Say you've got $1,000 in your existing balances across several cards. You apply for a 0% APR card with a balance transfer option and consolidate all of your debt on the existing card (assuming there's no fee for balance transfers.) So now you have a 0 interest credit card with twelve months to pay it off. For whatever reason, your expected financial windfalls don't come through, or required purchases offset your balance payments and your balance remains constant at $1,000 after a year. Because you've got average credit, your APR starts at 22%, adding $220 to your balances the first month, and more thereafter. You miss some payments, bringing your APR up to almost 33%. At this point, a full third of your balances are being added on to your debts every month, and you may start looking around for still more 0% APR credit cards for salvation

With some sound financial prudence and a determination to pay off your balances within the introductory period, 0% APR credit cards can be valuable resource for getting out of debt. But make sure, when you're trying to get out of debt, that you know what agreement you're getting into first.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=94284&ca=Finances

Cash Back Credit Cards Offer Equal Benefits By Robert Alan

Cash back credit cards are becoming more common as more and more merchants and retailers accept credit cards as a form of payment. Although cash back cards might seem like an altruistic move by card issuers, the reality is that these cards generate significant profits for them. But the truth is that these cards also provide the significant opportunity for cash back rewards and rebates, offering potentially equal benefits for all parties involved.

Thanks to the growing resurgence in online business (and thus the growing resurgence in online credit card transactions), the market is seeing a variety of new, individualized credit cards unprecedented in history. And, in keeping with the online retailing trend, one of the most prevalent of the new credit cards is the cash back credit card. Cash back credit cards work on a very simple principle: when you shop--using your cash back credit card--at certain targeted retailers or stores, a portion of the money you spend comes back to you, either in the form of a credit to your account or a check (or in some cases a gift certificate to a particular retailer.) Although the rewards are fairly small, the money you get at the end of the year amounts in some ways to a free gift from the credit card company: a way of saying 'thanks'. How generous the card issuer is, right--altruistic, even?

It's a bit more complex than that. Cash back credit cards can only function as a promotional mechanism for the card issuer and can only offer them as an incentive for increased purchase activity. You might think that the company just doles out these rewards from the money that cardholders inject into the company in the form of monthly interest, annual fees, and such, or simply from the credit card company's cash reserves. But that's not usually the case. The money that returns to you when you use a cash back credit card at a retailer wasn't originally your money, or the credit card company's money. It comes out of the retailers and merchants pocket where your transactions occur.

If you've ever had a credit card turned down at a restaurant or retailer because they don't take your particular credit card, here's why: in order to process credit card transactions, retailers pay a small percentage of the purchase amount as a fee that is payable to the credit card company. These fees are a significant profit center for the card issuers who have figured out how to co-op increased purchase activity be sharing a percentage of the merchants transaction costs with the cardholders. Ingenious, isn’t it?

If a credit card company has a cash back credit card that offers 5% of your money back on all gas purchases, you have a real incentive to buy gas from your local station more often and to buy it on credit. This means that the credit card company benefits, first because you're using their services more often (and thus accruing higher balances), and second because every time you use your card at a gas station, the station pays right along side you.

However, this is not a bad deal for the gas station, either, since more cardholders are frequenting their station and buying more gas, only a percentage of the price of which goes to the credit card companies. This means that they're more likely to deal with that particular credit card company, since doing so is now a powerful source of revenue for them (as well as a slightly more powerful source of expense.) And finally, once cardholders get their cash back, guess where they'll probably take at least a portion of it, using the freshly-added credit on their cash back cards?

It's a clever, yet symbiotic relationship. But everyone in the cash back credit card circle seems to benefit. The credit card company and the gas station generate more business, and the individual cardholder gets essentially a discount on purchases in the form of cash rebates or rewards. While the cost of these programs for card issuers will likely increase as more cardholders begin to understand and utilize these card products more effectively for their personal gain, the popularity of cash back credit cards with consumers is not likely to wane anytime soon. While not entirely altruistic, for everyone in the cash back benefit loop, cash back cards still make sense.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=94279&ca=Finances

Business Credit Cards Offer The Ideal Choice By Robert Alan

Business credit cards are something that most business owners need to have. There are business trips and expenses to pay for. There are meals to cover and costs for rewards for good employees. To handle all of these needs, the right credit card should be in hand. Yet, if you are choosing credit cards simply based upon advertisements that you receive in the mail you may be missing out on some of the best card options out there. For large and small businesses, there are plenty of opportunities for success to consider with the right business credit card.

To gain the right benefits with these credit cards, you do need to consider all that they can offer you. Each and every one of them is quite different. To help you to sort through all of the benefits, take into consideration your needs as well as your needs when considering how to beef up the strength of your credit standing. Here are some tips to help you in your search:

* Determine flexibility in spending -- In many business credit card accounts, the goal is to have an open spending limit so that you and your employees can have the available credit necessary without worrying about hitting an over limit. Take some time to consider what opportunities either a charge card or a credit card can provide in terms of their charging limitations.

* Determine the Ongoing APR -- Even though this is a business credit card, you still should pay some attention to the APR that is being offered to you. In many cases, the slightest difference either way can make a huge difference if the balance is not paid for in full each month. Taking the time necessary to determine which card has the best ongoing APR is very important for your long-term success.

* Multiple Card Option -- Having the ability to give your employees the credit cards they need is also important. It is likely that you will want all of these cards managed under one plan. Yet, you may want to put restrictions on how much credit will be extended to each individual employee. That being the case, special consideration should be given to the card options that provide flexibility with multiple cards and customizable credit limits for individual employees.

* Fraud Protection -- Something that is being offered most card issuers is fraud protection. If someone should use a credit card in your name without your authorization, simply report the disputed charge and they will mark the disputed charges for further investigation, offering significant protection against fraudulent use.

* Access to Credit -- In the case of a small business, the right business credit cards will provide you with access to additional credit, and in some cases, substantial additional credit. Take some time to determine what it is that you need then apply for a credit card to help in making that happen. In many cases, these credit cards actually provide the means for getting over hurdles.

Business credit cards, like any credit card, should never be chosen without careful consideration. If you are looking for a means to securing the funds that you need to make things happen in your company, then consider this tool. You are sure to find several business credit card opportunities to call on to help you to do just that.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=94004&ca=Finances

Are 0 Interest Credit Cards Reality Or Myth? By Robert Alan

If you are looking at owning a new credit card then obviously 0 interest credit cards hold a lot of appeal for you. Anything with 0 interest does grab attention, for that matter! But in the name of 0 interest credit cards, there is a lot of subtle dodging that credit card companies are playing with,to ensure you catch the bait. The question is will you?

Admit it. You are hooked on the 0 APR credit card ad that you just saw in the morning newspaper,and your interest is piqued. Are these 0 interest credit cards a reality or are they just a myth?

The truth is, they are and they are not! They are for real because there are cards that live up to the promise to a certain degree, but the truth is also that this 0% interest does not last long. It might just be an initial gimmick to get you to apply and once you’re a cardholder, you will only have the 0 APR credit card for just a short time (3 months, 6 months, or if you’re very lucky 12 months) before they start charging you a higher rate of interest. Truly, this credit card game is an interesting one to watch, if you are the suffering player. Read on to know what you can do to make sure you are not the sufferer.

Understanding 0 APR Credit Cards

Admittedly, 0 APR credit cards hold a lot of enticement. But here’s what you’ve got to do when you find that a 0 APR card that has piqued your attention. Pay attention to how long the no-interest period will last, whether you can transfer other balances at the 0% rate, and, most important of all of these, what the APR rate will be when the offer ends! When you are done assessing these parameters you can properly finalize from the card options available.

The Luxuries of Owning a 0 APR Credit Card

If you’ve already accumulated a huge debt on your previous credit cards, there’s good news for you. A 0 APR credit card is known to benefit users with large outstanding card balances in a big way. Not only are these users able to cut down the amount of interest incurred upon their debt, but with the help of a 0 APR credit card they can also gain access to competitively priced cash advances, which can help consolidate outstanding high APR debt. There are fees and APR's attached to these cash advances, however.

Pitfalls of 0 Interest Credit Cards

*Most (in fact all) 0 interest credit cards offer 0% interest or no interest only for a limited amount of time, which varies between 6 to 12 months.

*If you’re thinking of transferring balances from high interest credit cards, some of these cards might not even allow you to do so during the introductory 0% offer period.

*Certain 0 APR credit cards might also charge expensive balance transfer fees.

*Some of these 0 interest credit cards also carry very high penalties for late payments and automatically switch you to a variable APR rate for a late payment.

*Certain 0 APR credit cards charge a very high interest rate after the introductory (read honeymoon) period expires.

Yes, the picture is definitely not all rosy, even though you can undoubtedly save money through the use of some 0 interest credit cards, not using them judiciously can be an expensive proposition. So choose and use them wisely.

Resource: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=94009&ca=Finances