How Much Will Your No Annual Fee Card Cost You?

There are so many features that come with credit cards now that it is difficult to compare the benefits and drawbacks of different offerings. You need to weigh purchase interest against annual fees, factor in any rewards or cashback you might get, look at introductory offers such as waived annual fees or balance transfer interest rates for the first six months … and on top of it all, factor in your spending habits in the future! Read the rest of this entry »

10 Ways to Protect Your Credit Card Online

I was first elated, then crushed, to learn of the existence of ‘virtual credit cards’ – a bank-provided service that allows you to generate a short-expiry, low-limit linked credit card number for online transactions, simply by entering your real card number on your own bank’s site. It’s a great idea – but unfortunately not available in Australia! However, that did inspire me to create this ‘big list’ of ways to keep your credit card information safe while shopping online. By all means, you should eBay away … but run through the credit card checklist below to make sure you haven’t become complacent!

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4 Ways to Overcome Credit Card Psychology

When all you have to do is type a couple of numbers into a PIN-pad, and the helpful store clerk will let you have anything you like, it is very tempting to overspend on credit cards! That little piece of plastic just sits in your wallet, alongside your license. You don’t always directly work for it … so it’s very easy to see credit cards as free money, and difficult to stick to a budget on them. Even if your low rate credit card only charges you 10% per annum on purchases, that still makes every $100 purchase cost you $110 over a year. That’s the psychology of the credit card … so what are some practical ways to overcome it, have your credit-cake and eat it too?

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4 Best No Annual Fee Cards for Early 2010

If you are a pretty moderate credit card user, mostly keeping it for emergencies and paying off in full by the due date … you are a financial planners dream and a paragon of upstanding banking practices! Not only this, but the biggest spend on your credit card is probably your annual fee. No annual fee credit cards are the way to go – here are four of the best for early 2010. Read the rest of this entry »