Aug
10
Filed Under Credit Card |
Balance transfers credit cards allow you to transfer your card balances over from your other credit cards. When used correctly, It can help you save a lot of money in interest payments on your debts. Most people keep a balance on one credit card, a separate balance on yet another, and pay a high APR to maintain both of them. Balance transfer credit cards have outstanding introductory APR’s. Some of the best balance transfer credit cards even offer an introductory APR of 0% for an extended period. Those people who are in a debt trap can take advantage of this offer.
0% APR balance transfers offer you the opportunity to transfer the balance that you have on one card that is charging you 17% to a card that offers 0%. With average credit card interest rates in the low to mid teens, transferring credit card debt from a high interest credit card to one that offers a 0% APR can result in substantial savings. The new card pays off the debt that you have on the old card and then the balance is on your new card at the lower, better rate. Then you will have the time until this introductory feature ends to pay off the debt without incurring any interest fees. It can also save you money on new purchases by deferring interest expenses for a full year. This is particularly helpful for people who intend to make a big ticket purchase, such as a flat screen TV or vacation. For example, by using a 0% interest credit card to pay for a $3000 vacation, you could save close to four hundred dollars on interest. Plus, you can free up $3000 in cash for a full year to invest with or simply put in a high yield savings account.
Some credit card companies may offer 0 balance transfers but they may also charge you fees for the transfer. Most charge between 2 - 3% for the total balance transfer. It is important to take these charges into consideration, because it may cost you more than the money you are saving if you have to pay a variety of fees. Make sure that the transfer fee does not negate the financial advantage you are trying to get from the whole process. However, you can also find companies that offer no fee balance transfers.
It is not difficult find a balance transfer credit card. Yet, it requires carefully considering which credit card offer is right for you.
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