0% APR Credit Cards – Free Information, Tips from Leading Website
June 19, 2006 (PRLEAP.COM) Business News
To people with credit card debt, there is nothing more attractive than a 0% APR credit card. CreditCardAssist.com, a leading credit card resource site for consumers, provides a wide selection of tips, advice and free information on 0% APR credit cards ( http://www.creditcardassist.com/lowinterest/creditcards.html ). The website offers this service to show consumers how to choose the best card available and to help get the most out of their 0% APR credit cards. The site provides background information on basic 0% APR credit card terminology as well as advanced topics. APR refers to the annual percentage rate of a credit card, which is the amount of interest that will be paid on the balance of the card. The rate is a standard between all lenders and allows comparison between different credit card offers and interest rates.
The APR is likely the single most important factor for determining which credit card is the right one for any given person. People who allow the negative balance on their credit card to roll over from month to month will most definitely want to get their hands on a 0% APR credit card. Those who pay off their balance month to month may never notice the benefits of such a card, but if ever they are unable to pay off the balance in the event of an emergency or because of a large purchase, a 0% APR will be very convenient for them.
Many financial institutions offer credit cards with 0% APR, but things are not always what they seem. The 0% APR is often an introductory rate to encourage people to switch their balance from one credit card company to another. This is called a balance transfer credit card.
Balance transfers have become a trendy way for people to avoid paying interest on their credit card debt as they switch from bank to bank taking advantage of introductory offers along the way. People are also taking advantage of such balance transfers to invest credit card dollars in other ventures without paying debt on the loan. While balance transfers are popular now, some institutions are getting rid of the service, because they are losing millions of dollars every year as a result of it.
Obviously, the freedom of 0% APR credit cards is tremendous, but is easily taken away. Minimum payments are generally higher with 0% APR cards and the 0% interest rate can be quickly retracted if people are late making a payment or miss one all together. Once the introductory period is over, this type of cards generally reverts to a fairly high interest rate.
While credit cards do help people get the things they need or want when they can’t afford them, unfortunately that is not their sole purpose. Credit cards are available to make credit card companies money and consumers need to be careful about any borrowing they do.
Despite this general truth, any time spent investigating a more suitable credit card is well spent. There are many different 0% interest credit cards out there with very subtle differences that can make a big difference to consumers. People can take advantage of the variety of low annual fee and reward offers floating around the global marketplace in recent years. The free information and tips provided by CreditCardAssist.com can go a long way in showing consumers how to find the right 0% APR credit card and how to use it to their best advantage.