After all, it could be a lot of savings in the end as you no longer have to pay the APR (stands for annual percent rate). But before the bank representative gets successful by making you lured into applying for their credit card, stop there first and clear things up before signing up with them.
Credit cards with 0 APR are often too good to ignore. They usually come with the agreement that you transfer your balance from another credit card you are using and get the APR with zero interest; or you have the 0 APR on the first year of using the credit card. Added to that juicy offer, the bank will also give you fast approval, plus some other perks. Thinking you would get all tons of savings from this new credit card, before you know it, you let this representative procure your information, as well as your existing credit card information, and let them consolidate your debts to the new credit card company which offered you the 0 APR.
Now, after signing up with them, it could be too late for you. You have not learnt of the hidden charges of your new credit card, so here you are: about to receive future bills with even higher statements. This thing could have been avoided if you have been wise enough to carefully think of the offer thoroughly.
Such offers like 0 APR is indeed very interesting, but that happens too good to be true. The truth about this thing is that credit card companies typically start the offer being effective after people have accumulated so much debt from the holiday rush season shopping spree. And after this 0 APR thing has taken effective, the credit card company may cancel it at anytime of the year. The sad thing about this is, you do not normally notice that the offer is over leaving you with exorbitant prices with the statements.
Some may think the 0 APR offer lasts for years and years. But the fact is, it only lasts for six months or so, but not more than a year. And since, you do not know your 0 APR is over, you still believe you save even when the next bills are higher than the previous ones.
Another thing you should know about 0 APR is the offer which says inclusion of the amount of your balance transfer. Often, the credit card company actually applies the promotion for the purchases you made on your new credit card and not on the balance transfer. This is often something that clients overlook because it is usually not included on the flyers.
If you would not be careful enough, you can be trapped with this fraud claims. While it can be effective on the first season of using your new credit card, it will still get extremely higher and once again you will find yourself in the stream of high debts. To avoid these mistakes, make sure to read all details of their terms and conditions before signing up with them. It would not hurt as well if you can raise all possible questions in regards to the true nature of the 0 APR credit card.
0 Apr Balance Transfer Credit Card
You notice an advertisement that says, “Transfer your balance to our credit card and get 0% APR immediately!” Sounds tempting, but is there a catch behind this? It's unbelievable that credit card companies would give credit away for free without making a profit. Well, you are probably right as you explore the following before you apply for one:
It is only a limited-time offer
This means that you get to enjoy your 0% APR only for a stipulated period, usually between six and twelve months. During this period, all amounts charged to your card will not accumulate in interests. However, once this period is over, the credit card companies are open to charge you at an interest rate that may be higher than usual. In fact, there have been instances where these interest rates have escalated to levels as high as 20%.
How can you benefit from 0% APR?
If you are disciplined enough, you can actually take advantage of your 0% APR benefit. All you need to do is to make arrangements to pay your purchases in monthly installments within the 0% APR period. Therefore, if you transfer your balance of $1000 to your new credit card and break your repayments over a 4-month period, you will only need to pay $250 for the next 4 months – interest-free!
Read the fine print
Credit card companies will usually provide you with a set of terms and conditions in fine print on the usage of your credit cards. Most people don't read that, and get themselves into a whole lot of debt when they start overspending. If you go through the fine-print, you will find information on your 0% APR period, or whether balance transfers are allowed. There have been cases where 0% APR is only offered to new credit card charges and not for balance transfers. Apart from that, processing charges may be incurred for these transactions, something you should know before you make a decision.
Repay everything before the end of the 0% APR period
Bad budgeting, ignorance and a lack of discipline are some of the things that have gotten many people into credit card debt. Therefore, it is best to pay everything off before the default rate kicks in. Otherwise, you may be end up facing a problem of snowballing debt when the interest charges start to take effect.
Plan well and spend right
Designed for convenience, 0% APR credit cards offer a host of benefits if used in the right way. For one thing, they should not be used to pay for ALL your expenses, but only necessary ones. Additionally, monthly repayments are still applicable even during the 0% APR period. In fact, many credit card companies impose penalty charges for late payments, which will certainly add to your total debt.
Finally, there are both benefits and pitfalls when using credit cards. The trick is good money management and practical usage, a virtue that will make credit cards work to your advantage.
Both Mario R. Churchill & Alan Bernstein are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Mario R. Churchill has sinced written about articles on various topics from Credit Cards, Credit Card Offers and Credit Cards. Mario Churchill is a sales person and website owner. He manages a website, http://www.usa-credit-card-guide.com where you can find the best credit card offer fo. Mario R. Churchill's top article generates over 246000 views. Bookmark Mario R. Churchill to your Favourites.
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