The benefits of zero interest
Monday, April 20th, 2009
There is a myth running around that is as big as Bigfoot himself concerning zero interest credit cards. And yes Virginia just like there is a Santa Claus there too is such a thing as an interest free credit card. There are countless numbers of credit cards out there that offer zero interest on their cards, most will offer this for a time period of anywhere from three months to as long as a year. However before you get too excited and start charging your new card into submission be aware that some cards do have stipulations attached to the no interest so make sure you read all of the fine print.
The credit card industry is extremely competitive and will do almost anything for your business. Be sure to do your homework, research each potential credit card and know what your zero interest pertains to; if it’s on balance transfers only or new purchases. What happens after the introductory period if you don’t pay off the transferred amount? Will there be a retroactive interest charge? Does the zero interest become null is you make a late payment? These are questions that you need to know before making your decision and becoming a consumer of that card.
Traditionally these types of zero interest credit card offers are reserved for those consumers with excellent credit and high credit scores. However, with the state of the current economy there are more of zero interest credit offers for consumers with poor credit. But proceed cautiously, don’t get roped into a credit card that makes an offer of zero interest but charges high application fee’s or monthly maintenance and annual fees, it defeats your intention of paying only what you charge.
Programs such as zero interest are one of the best ways to get out of debt and back onto a stable financial track. Consumers are unaware of these programs for the most part. The most familiar “buy now pay later” programs are typically appliance and furniture stores. Zero interest credit cards work similarly to the store programs. You pay only for what you’ve purchased, thus potentially saving you hundreds of dollars each year.
After you have established an account with the credit card company you’ve chosen, then one way to continue to avoid paying interest is to transfer your balance at the end of your introductory zero interest period to another zero interest card. If you keep this cycle going; you will never pay interest ever! The only downfall is you need to pay attention to when your zero interest period ends and make the transfer in plenty of time to avoid getting hit with any interest fees. There are ways to trigger reminders.
Use a professional online credit card service. This service performs all the work in locating the right card for you and what your goals are in a zero interest program; these services also have the capability to send you a reminder when your zero interest introductory period is about to end. Not only have they done the work for you, they also offer online applications and processing. Credit made simple!
In today’s financial time no one can afford to throw away money, every little effort can make the difference in spending and saving. Utilizing zero interest credit cards effectively can save you money and only cost you a little time.