Balance Transfer Credit Cards Save You Money

by ART TAYLOR

There has been a lot of talk recently about taking advantage of 0% balance transfer credit card offers. Applying for a balance transfer credit card can reduce your interest fees and balance transfer credit cards are ideal for the consumer looking to consolidate several credit cards onto a single bill.

If you choose a balance transfer credit card, it can save you a lot. Balance transfers can be helpful to consumers in many ways. Let's face it, a lot of credit card providers are offering a 0 balance transfer credit card, so you are probably looking for a 0% balance transfer credit card that stands out from the crowd. First and foremost, understand what a balance transfer is. A balance transfer is when you transfer the balance from one card to another in order to get a better interest rate than the one that you are currently getting. Second, to find the absolute best deals, look to transfer balances on cards where the initial interest rate is 0% and the amount after that is lower than the one you have now. You must also realize that in order to qualify for the best balance transfer credit card deals you must have a solid credit history. You also need to discern whether or not the zero percent introductory rates are just for balance transfers or include purchases made during this period, and it will be well worth taking your time to understand all of the terms, rates and fees in order to find the best balance transfer credit cards that suit your financial need.

Transferring balances from high APR charge cards to low rate credit cards is one of the very best ways to keep your hard earned money where it belongs. When it comes to getting rid of credit card debt, the utility of these balance transfer offers is pretty obvious; simply transfer balances from higher-rate cards to a 0% credit card and save a ton on interest while you pay off your debt. Balance transfers are available for good reasons and should be used as such, in that way they will benefit the credit card holders in a big way. Some of these benefits include no annual fees, on most balance transfer credit cards, longer grace periods and additional rewards, rebates or points just for transferring your balances to one program.

Once you have transferred your balances over to a new credit card it is vital to pay your bills in full and on time, if you want to keep great rates and all your rewards benefits. Balance transfer credit cards don't tolerate late payments, so if you miss out on a particular repayment all the benefit is lost and instantly the high regular APR's are applied.

The biggest gotcha when it comes to balance transfers is fees. You won’t want to use a balance transfer if your fees outweigh your saving potential. Over the credit line fees is one of the biggest fees that are involved with balance transfer fees. Many people who utilize balance transfers are not aware of their new credit limits and if they go over the credit limit they will have to pay for it. You may get charged a set fee, usually between $15 and $35, or in many cases card issuers charge a balance transfer fee, typically in the ballpark of 3% of the amount transferred, whereas other card issuers do not. Obviously, if you’re looking to maximize the value of your balance transfer, you’ll want to avoid fees. So, the ideal situation would be to have a credit card which doesn't take any balance transfer fees. The good news is that there are a number of fee free balance transfer options, as well as others that normally have a fee, but waive it for new applications.

Balance transfer cards are a great way for you to reduce your rates and in most cases the banks do most of the transaction work. But, perhaps most important, is that balance transfer cards are a great way to save money by consolidating higher interest credit cards to a single credit card and reducing your interest fees.

Art Taylor has been a successful internet marketer for 10 years. He publishes articles about credit cards and other internet marketplace products and services. To gather more information or apply for credit cards visit his website at: Ecreditcardworld

Articles from August 2007
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