There are three things certain in life.
Death, taxes, and credit card junk mail.
If you have lived in the U.
S.
for more than a few months, you are probably familiar with the experience of getting tens of credit offers in mail every week.
Credit companies often excel in direct marketing campaigns (which includes sending folks credit card junk mail).
But even if you can take the load of junk mail, you should not apply for the first offer than you receive in the mail.
There are many credit card offers that come with the "pre-approved" tag to encourage you to sign up for them, but the smart consumer does the proper due diligence before applying for a card.
So how do you find the best credit card offer among 1000s of offers that are out there? Simple.
You have got to have an action plan.
Whether you are planning for credit arbitrage or just hoping to transfer your high interest debts to a lower interest account, you may want to consider the following approach: oBe selfish: when it comes to dealing with card issuers, you need to be as selfish as possible.
What's in it for you? If you are into credit arbitrage, you are probably looking for a card that comes with an introductory offer for 6, 12, or 15 months.
If you want to transfer your balances to your card, you should go with a card that has a low balance transfer rate (BTR) and low transfer fee.
oBe ambitious: just because a card comes with a great APR doesn't mean that you should settle for less features in other areas.
You should also compare bonuses, rewards plans, and cash back offers.
Credit card companies make billions from their cardholders, so you should not do them any favor by settling for an inferior credit card offer.
oBe demanding: expect the best from your issuer.
Features such as $0 fraud liability and online payments are standard these days.
Any card issuer that is not capable of offering you these features is probably not worth having a business relationship with.
oBe cautious: getting in a business relationship with a credit company is very similar to playing with a poisonous snake.
Credit corporations are out there to make a profit.
Putting your 100% trust in them is similar to putting your hands in front of the snake, expecting it not to bite you.
Read the terms and conditions and find out as much as you can about credit card terms.
There is simply no excuse for being reckless when it comes to dealing with credit cards.
If you look around, you will find a lot of lucrative credit card offers.
But if an offer seems too good to be true, then it probably is.
Create a list of what you are looking for in your ideal card and what companies are offering and rank credit card offers.
That way you can make a more knowledgeable decision.
And don't forget to be cautious! It's better to be safe than sorry.
Death, taxes, and credit card junk mail.
If you have lived in the U.
S.
for more than a few months, you are probably familiar with the experience of getting tens of credit offers in mail every week.
Credit companies often excel in direct marketing campaigns (which includes sending folks credit card junk mail).
But even if you can take the load of junk mail, you should not apply for the first offer than you receive in the mail.
There are many credit card offers that come with the "pre-approved" tag to encourage you to sign up for them, but the smart consumer does the proper due diligence before applying for a card.
So how do you find the best credit card offer among 1000s of offers that are out there? Simple.
You have got to have an action plan.
Whether you are planning for credit arbitrage or just hoping to transfer your high interest debts to a lower interest account, you may want to consider the following approach: oBe selfish: when it comes to dealing with card issuers, you need to be as selfish as possible.
What's in it for you? If you are into credit arbitrage, you are probably looking for a card that comes with an introductory offer for 6, 12, or 15 months.
If you want to transfer your balances to your card, you should go with a card that has a low balance transfer rate (BTR) and low transfer fee.
oBe ambitious: just because a card comes with a great APR doesn't mean that you should settle for less features in other areas.
You should also compare bonuses, rewards plans, and cash back offers.
Credit card companies make billions from their cardholders, so you should not do them any favor by settling for an inferior credit card offer.
oBe demanding: expect the best from your issuer.
Features such as $0 fraud liability and online payments are standard these days.
Any card issuer that is not capable of offering you these features is probably not worth having a business relationship with.
oBe cautious: getting in a business relationship with a credit company is very similar to playing with a poisonous snake.
Credit corporations are out there to make a profit.
Putting your 100% trust in them is similar to putting your hands in front of the snake, expecting it not to bite you.
Read the terms and conditions and find out as much as you can about credit card terms.
There is simply no excuse for being reckless when it comes to dealing with credit cards.
If you look around, you will find a lot of lucrative credit card offers.
But if an offer seems too good to be true, then it probably is.
Create a list of what you are looking for in your ideal card and what companies are offering and rank credit card offers.
That way you can make a more knowledgeable decision.
And don't forget to be cautious! It's better to be safe than sorry.
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