Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Cool Offers from the Best Cash Back Credit Cards


Cash back credit cards are a shopper's delight and have proven to be a huge success after the innovation of the credit card itself. True to its name, the cash back credit card provides cash rebates or cash rewards to cardholders for making purchases using the card. The best cash back credit cards give a higher rebate on purchases. Cash back programs have been in vogue from the middle of the twentieth century. Initially, they started with a flat rebate (about 1%) of the total purchase made by the customer.

Components of the Best Cash Back Credit Cards
The best cash back credit card can be evaluated on two components - the percentage earned on purchases and the method of its delivery to the customer. With plenty of options to entice you into spending more, it is important to consider certain things when choosing cash back credit cards. This includes - the rebate percentage, Annual Percentage Rate (APR), card partnerships with merchants and other services (like gas, restaurants), the method of getting the money back, and your annual fees. Some cards may have limitations like a number of rebate points earned per year and validity period of the earned rebate points.

These cards are more suited for those who do not carry monthly balances. The APR for these cards tends to be higher than the normal cards, which in effect means that if the bill is not paid in full, it would cost more for the borrower than it should and could be. As a customer, you should be aware of the APR on the card, in order to determine if the ultimate finance charges will be more or less than the actual reward benefits earned. Most of the cards do not have an annual fee, have very low or 0% introductory APR, with the facility of balance transfer and attractive gifts. The best cash back credit cards have a higher percentage rebate on certain category purchases like grocery or fuel.

Most credit card companies offer a standard cash back percentage of 1%. Some might offer 5% or 2% in mutual partnership with select merchants like gas stations or drug stores. Certain cards may offer higher rebate percentage for the introductory period and then revert to a standard 1%. The customer should look for higher rebate percentage as higher the rebate percentage; the greater amount of money that can be earned by them. Some cards may offer higher cash rebate percentage with increased usage and others may offer a higher cash back percentage at the select merchant or retailers like gas stations or supermarkets. It is important for the customers to choose a cash back credit card that provides special incentives with merchants or services the consumer uses frequently.

How the Best Cash Back Credit Card Works
Typically, most of the best cash back credit card companies offer cash back or reward on purchases, not on balance transfers or cash advances. Cash back programs can prove to be very expensive for credit card companies and they normally charge an annual fee for it. Nevertheless, with competition, many of these cards now have zero annual fees. In case annual fees are charged, it is worthwhile for you to ensure that enough is earned by way of a rebate to justify the annual fee payment.

The best cash back credit cards credit the rebate back to the cardholder account. However, different credit card companies adopt different methods of repaying the customer. Some companies pay the cardholder once per year, some payback as statement credits, while others require the cardholder to request for the refund once enough points have been accumulated. Cash payment methods could be as varied as the reward credit cards. These include gifts, gift vouchers, statement credits, cheques, or deposits to bank accounts.

Eligibility for Cash Back Credit Card
Generally, companies require you to have a good or an excellent credit history to qualify for the best cash back credit card. With the myriad of options, shopping for the best cash back credit card can be an overwhelming task. Yet with prudence, cash back credit cards provide a fantastic opportunity to get back part of the money that is spent on purchasing and using your credit cards.

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Friday, September 9, 2016

Are You Living Beyond Your Means?


Do you find that keeping control of your finances is becoming increasingly difficult?

In today's society, advertisements bombard us with offers which encourage us to Spend! Spend! Spend! With promises such as-

"Easy Credit!"

"Pre-approved loans!"
"3 years interest-free credit!"
"Free gift when you apply!"

To most people this can all seem rather tempting, given the current "live for today" attitude. But too much can be spent on luxuries, leaving not enough to pay the bills.

Certain kinds of debt may be appropriate, such as a mortgage or a car. Many people, however, try to buy more than they can afford. Indeed, banks and businesses encourage us to do so.

Credit cards can be too easy to obtain yet too difficult to maintain, especially when people find themselves borrowing from one card to pay off another.

Credit may even be advertised as free - but we still have to pay in the end.
Many families can loose up to Pound1,000 a year in instalment debts, resulting in a drop in their future standard of living. Families often live from payday to payday with little or no savings for emergencies.

In America personal bankruptcies have doubled in the last 10 years. Most of these people had jobs yet unexpected bills or reductions in pay caused their bankruptcy.

Many economists agree that a global recession is on its way.
British people have over Pound130 billion of personal debt. It is estimated that, on average, there is Pound3,000 of debt from credit cards, loans and overdrafts for every adult in the country - and that's excluding mortgages.

The amount borrowed from credit cards has more than doubled in the past 4 years.

Debt is fine, if you can afford the repayments. But what if you lost your job?

The time to get out of debt is now!

One major benefit of getting out of debt is avoiding interest payments. For instance; if you owe Pound1,000 on a credit card with an interest rate of 18.9% per year, and you only pay the minimum, say 3% per month, it will take over 13 years to pay it off plus a HUGE Pound848 in interest.

But if you double your payments to 6% per month, the debt will be gone in less than 5 years and the interest paid will be Pound292.

Savings can be gained by switching mortgages and if you fix your interest rate for 2 or 3 years then you can rest easy knowing what your repayments will be for the next few years. But make sure your mortgage is flexible so that you can pay off more if you do have some spare money.

Bank loans or hire purchase agreements can be trickier to pay off, as there may be penalties for early repayment. Just stick to the repayments and make sure that you don't get tempted into any more debt. Remember that covetousness (i.e. desiring what we see) = debt! This is because we often get into debt over what we want, not what we need.

There are warning signs to indicate whether you are heading for financial difficulties. Look at the following list of 10 signals. If any one applies to you then it's time to take a closer look at your budget. If more than one applies then you could already be in financial difficulty.

-Using a credit card for purchases that you normally pay for with cash.

-Taking out loans to pay off debts.

-Paying only minimum amounts due on credit cards.

-Receiving "overdue" notices.

-Using savings to pay bills.

-Cashing-in or borrowing from, life insurance policies.

-Working overtime to make ends meet.

-Using your overdraught to pay bills

-Juggling debts and only paying the most demanding.

-Obtaining credit card cash advances for day-to-day living expenses.

If you're seriously worried about your overspending, The Citizen's Advice Bureau offers free debt information.

Once your debt is under control, you need to think about saving. A standing order straight into your savings account is a good idea as the money goes straight out of your current account every month along with the bills.

Always remember never to get into debt over things that have no long-term impact on your life. For instance, do you really need an upgrade on your computer? Is a new DVD player really such a necessity? And what about a second car? Is it really essential or just an expensive convenience?

Don't forget to also take a close look at the small things in life. For example, do you really need to go and have a cappuccino every time you pass a coffee shop? And packing a sandwich for work instead of buying one can save you about Pound40 a month.

But by far the most important thing to do when it comes to personal finance is to keep a constant check on your outgoings. Don't wait for your bank statement to scare you next time it comes through your door. Remember the old saying that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.



Sunday, August 30, 2015

Credit Cards and Minimum Payments - Living in Debt

Credit Card Debt Explained With a Glass of Water

Many people rely on their credit cards. It's a fact of life and the figures expose this reality. If you look at the rate at which UK credit card debt is rising it is quite amazing. Millions are being spent all day, every day in an endless frenzy of spending. Pretty soon, three quarters of all adults in the UK will have credit cards and if you were to ask any of them to give them up, you can bet their answer would be no. The convenience and security of carrying a credit card is so great that once people experience it, they rarely go back.

One of the favorite features of credit cards for many people is the minimum repayment option. This is usually in the region of five pounds or two per cent. This means that even if you spend a thousand pounds on a shopping spree, your bill at the end of the month could be as low as twenty pounds if you choose to make the minimum payment. This is what most people do. It is what credit card providers want you to do, as it is how they manage to rake in billions in profits every year. 

If you do have a significant outstanding balance, then making the minimum repayment is one of the most dangerous habits you can get into. Most minimum payments will barely cover the interest and finance charges that are due on the balance. This means that you are really just servicing the debt. This is what many third world countries are forced to do with their national debts and most people do not want to be the personal equivalent of sub-Saharan Africa do they? Servicing debt means you pay the interest due, but pay nothing against the principal debt. So all those monthly payments that you make are doing absolutely nothing to reduce the amount you owe. 

If you continue spending on the credit card, the minimum amount, required simply to service the debt, will grow and grow each month. And all the while you are paying back nothing. If you aspire to becoming debt free, then you really have to pay a good deal more than the minimum payment level. Also, if you are serious about clearing your credit card debt, but recognize that it is going to take you more than just a couple of months, you may wish to consider consolidating the debt.

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Are You Living Beyond Your Means?








Do you find that keeping control of your finances is becoming increasingly difficult? In today's society, advertisements bombard us with offers which encourage us to Spend! Spend! Spend! With promises such as- "Easy Credit!" "Pre-approved loans!" "3 years interest-free credit!" "Free gift when you apply!"


To most people this can all seem rather tempting, given the current "live for today" attitude. But too much can be spent on luxuries, leaving not enough to pay the bills. Certain kinds of debt may be appropriate, such as a mortgage or a car. Many people, however, try to buy more than they can afford.


Indeed, banks and businesses encourage us to do so. Credit cards can be too easy to obtain yet too difficult to maintain, especially when people find themselves borrowing from one card to pay off another. Credit may even be advertised as free - but we still have to pay in the end.


Many families can lose up to Pound 1,000 a year in instalment debts, resulting in a drop in their future standard of living. Families often live from payday to payday with little or no savings for emergencies. In America personal bankruptcies have doubled in the last 10 years.


Most of these people had jobs yet unexpected bills, or reductions in pay caused their bankruptcy. Many economists agree that a global recession is on its way. British people have over Pound 130 billion of personal debt. It is estimated that, on average, there is Pound 3,000 of debt from credit cards, loans and overdrafts for every adult in the country - and that's excluding mortgages.


The amount borrowed from credit cards has more than doubled in the past 4 years. Debts are fine, if you can afford the repayments. But what if you lost your job? The time to get out of debt is now! One major benefit of getting out of debt is avoiding interest payments.


For instance; if you owe Pound 1,000 on a credit card with an interest rate of 18.9% per year, and you only pay the minimum, say 3% per month, it will take over 13 years to pay it off plus a HUGE Pound 848 in interest. But if you double your payments to 6% per month, the debt will be gone in less than 5 years and the interest paid will be Pound 292.
 

Savings can be gained by switching mortgages and if you fix your interest rate for 2 or 3 years, then you can rest easy knowing what your repayments will be for the next few years. But make sure your mortgage is flexible so that you can pay off more if you do have some spare money. Bank loans or hire purchase agreements can be trickier to pay off, as there may be penalties for early repayment.


Just stick to the repayments and make sure that you don't get tempted into any more debt. Remember that covetousness (i.e. Desiring what we see) = debt! This is because we often get into debt over what we want, not what we need. There are warning signs to indicate whether you are heading for financial difficulties. Look at the following list of 10 signals. If any one applies to you then it's time to take a closer look at your budget.


If more than one applies, then you could already be in financial difficulty.
-Using a credit card for purchases that you normally pay for with cash.
-Taking out loans to pay off debts.
-Paying only minimum amounts due on credit cards.
-Receiving "overdue" notices.
-Using savings to pay bills.
-Cashing-in or borrowing from, life insurance policies.
-Working overtime to make ends meet.
-Using your overdraft to pay bills
-Juggling debts and only paying the most demanding.
-Obtaining credit card cash advances for day-to-day living expenses. If you're seriously worried about your overspending, The Citizen's Advice Bureau offers free debt information.


Once your debt is under control, you need to think about saving. A standing order straight into your savings account is a good idea as the money goes straight out of your current account every month along with the bills.


Always remember never to get into debt over things that have no long-term impact on your life.

For instance, do you really need an upgrade on your computer?
Is a new DVD player really such a necessity?
And what about a second car?
Is it really essential or just an expensive convenience?



Don't forget to also take a close look at the small things in life. For example, do you really need to go and have a cappuccino every time you pass a coffee shop? And packing a sandwich for work instead of buying one can save you about Pound 40 a month.


But by far the most important thing to do when it comes to personal finance is to keep a constant check on your outgoings. Don't wait for your bank statement to scare you next time it comes through your door. Remember the old saying that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.







Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Spiritual Growth: the Spiritual Challenge of Modern Times



 
To grow spiritually in a world defined by power, money, and influence is a Herculean task. Modern conveniences such as electronic equipments, gadgets, and tools as well as entertainment through television, magazines, and the web have predisposed us to confine our attention mostly to physical needs and wants. As a result, our concepts of self-worth and self-meaning are muddled. How can we strike a balance between the material and spiritual aspects of our lives?

To grow spiritually is to look inward.

Introspection goes beyond recalling the things that happened in a day, week, or month. You need to look closely and reflect on your thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and motivations. Periodically examining your experiences, the decisions you make, the relationships you have, and the things you engage in provide useful insights on your life goals, on the good traits you must sustain and the bad traits you have to discard. Moreover, it gives you clues on how to act, react, and conduct yourself in the midst of any situation. Like any skill, introspection can be learned; all it takes is the courage and willingness to seek the truths that lie within you. Here are some pointers when you introspect: be objective, be forgiving of yourself, and focus on your areas for improvement.

To grow spiritually is to push your potentials.

Religion and science have differing views on matters of the human spirit. Religion views people as spiritual beings temporarily living on Earth, while science views the spirit as just one dimension of an individual. Mastery of the self is a recurring theme in both Christian (Western) and Islamic (Eastern) teachings. The needs of the body are recognized, but placed under the needs of the spirit. Beliefs, values, morality, rules, experiences, and good works provide the blueprint to ensure the growth of the spiritual being. In Psychology, realizing one's full potential is to self-actualize. Maslow identified several human needs: physiological, security, belongingness, esteem, cognitive, aesthetic, self-actualization, and self-transcendence. James earlier categorized these needs into three: material, emotional, and spiritual. When you have satisfied the basic physiological and emotional needs, spiritual or existential needs come next. Achieving each need leads to the total development of the individual. Perhaps the difference between these two religions and psychology is the end of self-development: Christianity and Islam see that self-development is a means toward serving God, while psychology view that self-development is an end by itself.

To grow spiritually is to search for meaning.

Religions that believe in the existence of God such as Christianism, Judaism, and Islam suppose that the purpose of the human life is to serve the Creator of all things. Several theories in psychology propose that we ultimately give meaning to our lives. Whether we believe that life's meaning is pre-determined or self-directed, to grow in spirit is to realize that we do not merely exist. We do not know the meaning of our lives at birth; but we gain knowledge and wisdom from our interactions with people and from our actions and reactions to the situations we are in. As we discover this meaning, there are certain beliefs and values that we reject and affirm. Our lives have greater meaning, purpose and significance. This purpose puts all our physical, emotional, and intellectual potentials into use; sustains us during trying times; and gives us something to look forward to---a goal to achieve, a destination to reach. A person without purpose or meaning is like a drifting ship at sea.

To grow spiritually is to recognize these interconnections.

Religions stress the concept of our relatedness to all creation, live and inanimate. Thus we call other people "brothers and sisters" even if there are no direct blood relations. Moreover, deity-centered religions such as Christianity and Islam speak of the relationship between humans and a higher being. On the other hand, science expounds on our link to other living things through the evolution theory. This relatedness is clearly seen in the concept of ecology, the interaction between living and non-living things. In psychology, connectedness is a characteristic of self-transcendence, the highest human need according to Maslow.
Recognizing your connection to all things makes you more humble and respectful of people, animals, plants, and things in nature. It makes you appreciate everything around you. It moves you to go beyond your comfort zone and reach out to other people, and become stewards of all other things around you.

Growth is a process thus to grow in spirit is a day-to-day encounter. We win some, we lose some, but the important thing is that we learn, and from this knowledge, further spiritual growth is made possible.

Friday, May 30, 2014

Low Interest Credit Cards - Help for Debtors

 
Living Off Credit Cards...


Low interest credit cards are an ideal option for those who are looking for the much needed financial flexibility to go debt free. Many of you many question how low interest rate credit cards can help draw you out of debt, when it comes out on the surface, that most credit cards seem to help bring people into debt. Only if used wisely and with discipline, these types of cheap credit cards can provide the right kind of financial assistance during any tough financial crisis.

How Can I Get Out of Debt with Low Interest Credit Cards?

You need cash immediately to get out of the debt created by high interest credit cards, but you have no option to raise the money right? What if a company offers low interest credit cards as low as 0% APR as an introductory offer? And, what if they sacrifice the choice of removing your card balance from your high interest rate credit card to your low interest credit card? Yes! You would probably think it a windfall because it can really help bail you out of your current financial position.

If you are smart, you can make great use of such low interest credit cards to assist you in paying your outstanding debts. There are several credit card companies offering their service at unbelievably low rates. The truth of the matter is that these types of cards utilize different promotional offers in order to rope in new customers, but also to retain existing customers as well. You definitely should not need shy away from this type offer because of owing debts. In fact, these types of low interest credit card offers are tailored uniquely to your circumstance. The competition among credit card companies is so high that there will be several companies willing to do business with you irrespective of your financial situation, good credit or not so good.

The greatest advantage of low interest rate credit cards is obviously their low APR. It allows you to save a lot of money on interests. The savings from these types of cheap credit cards should be used to aggressively bring down your outstanding card balances. Remember, it is the balance on credit cards that gets you in trouble. So, you should try to get rid of it as quickly as possible. You might think that by making a small payment that you are at least paying something, however, it does not solve the problem as the principal amount actually grows if you only make small or minimum payments.

Financial Discipline

Some people use low interest credit cards as a license to overspend as the APR is so low and cheap. But nothing could be further from the truth. Low interest rate credit cards alone cannot get you out of debt traps. Strict financial discipline and proper financial planning are necessary for it. Low interest credit cards can then act as a booster or catalyst to solve your debt problems.

To avoid further debt traps, you should aggressively pay down the low interest credit card and utilize the card for additional purchases only if you can pay off both the new purchases as well as the existing debt payment. Remember, however, that if your card balance is large, it is best not to charge additional items on the card. You should focus on paying down the balance before incurring additional debt.

Things to Remember

Before applying for low interest rate credit cards, you should thoroughly assess your current financial situation. Keeping your personal financial situation in mind, you can mindfully search for the different types of low interest credit cards. Most people obviously want to transfer balances on high interest credit cards to low interest credit cards, and this is a very good option as it can save substantially on finance charges.

Make sure that transfer fees or other miscellaneous fees that might be involved do not negate the savings captured by a low interest card. Some cheap credit cards might have high interest rates that are applied to balance transfers, but lower APR's on an ongoing basis, while some low interest rate credit cards only give introductory rates for a specific period of time. Before selecting any one of the low interest credit cards, get a clear idea about the introductory rate, balance transfer rate, cash advance rate as well as the ongoing long term APR.
 
 

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Credit Card Application, The First Step To The Credit System

Only If We all Could Print Money!
 

A credit card is a very valuable asset for almost anyone. The credit card system provides a numerous number of benefits that the cardholder can enjoy. And although it can be an instrument to revolve your credit and budget your finances, it can also cause complicated troubles on multiple debts...
 
The ambivalent character of the credit card causes a tough competition among credit card providers. Its popularity nowadays, encourage these providers to promote different modules in order to stand out in the market. Different incentives are offered to attract consumers to avail of a credit card in their company.
 
All the incentive programs, as a marketing tool should be equally beneficial. So it is up to the customer to weigh what incentives are more valuable to him. For instance, the common program is the cash back incentive which functions by giving the card user a portion of their payment back to them. Usually, it occurs annually. Another program usually promoted by creditors is the discount programs. This provides discounts on certain items upon membership. Other programs include free services like automotive assistance and more.
 
Because of the myriad offers, these benefits should be cautiously considered when choosing your credit card provider. And the primary thing that you should do is to know what exactly you need. This will determine what features will apply to you. And then compare the offers of the different companies and assess the terms before filing your application. 
 
And when you have sorted out these things, its time to fill out an application form. This is a prerequisite in order to enjoy the benefits of the credit card. This application can be made through the internet or through personally visiting the company. Nevertheless, online application is suited for people who are too busy and whose free time is very rare. In both ways the application however is just similar. The details required and the processing has no significant differences in the technical aspect.
 
Because of the fast pace of living, online application is more popular presently. This saves the applicant on time and effort. But when applying online, some people don't trust that their personal information to be kept confidential. One tip to check if the website is secured is when the website address starts with HTTPS. 
 
For most credit card providers, they offer a no interest rate for the first year of application. This will be a help for those who had not fully decided on what type of terms they wanted for the rest of their lives. And also, this will serve as a determinant or trial period for you to know how well the present credit card works for you. If you find the terms friendly, then you may want to make it your partner in managing your lifestyle.
 
The credit card holder then is issued the card after completion of an application form and after the approval of the credit card provider. Upon activation of the card, the cardholder can then use the card to purchase goods or pay for services with companies accredit by the provider.  And after all these, expect that every month, the cardholder receives the statements of goods and services which he had purchased. This bill should be paid on time to avoid charges. And make sure you use your credit card wisely.