Archive for December, 2006

Whats the top rated credit card?

Thursday, December 28th, 2006

The top rated credit card rated by you the customers is the Pulaski Gold Visa card. With an attractive 9.5% interest rate on both purchases and cash advances, no annual fee and a six month introductory 0% apr, there are many reasons to enjoy the benefits of Pulaski Gold Visa.

The Pulaski Gold Visa Card is issued by Pulaski bank. Pulaski Bank, started as Pulaski Heights Bank, was formed in March 1956 to meet the needs of Heights merchants and residents. Led by local landowners, Pulaski Heights Bank was chartered as a state bank and was the first bank charter granted in Little Rock since before the Depression.

Read more about Pulaski Bank here.

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Credit Cards - Bank of America Financial Rewards Visa Platinum Plus

Wednesday, December 27th, 2006

Earn points and get cash back with the Bank of America Financial Rewards Visa Platinum Plus. Some of the features of this cash back card are:

  • 0% Intro Annual Percentage Rate (APR)?? on purchases and balance transfers for the first 6 billing cycles.

  • Earn 5 bonus points with your first purchase.

  • Points do not expire for 5 years

  • Online Banking Service

  • Total Security Protection

  • No Annual Fee

  • Card issued by FIA Card Services, NA.

In addition Bank of America offers you travel and emergency assistance, automatic auto rental insurance, purchase replacement and guard (see website). You can request cash advance checks at no extra charge and additional cards are free.

You can redeem your points as cash back, have the balance transferred into your checking or savings account, or a reduction in your cards apr.

Financial Rewards Visa Platinum Plus Card? – Apply Now

Looking for more Bank of America Credit Cards? Click Here

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Apply for a student credit card

Saturday, December 23rd, 2006

Where can you apply for a student credit card? What are the interest rates on student credit cards? What student credit card should I apply for?

These are all valid questions that a student emerging into financial independence should be asking. Since students usually haven’t established any credit, credit card lenders see students as higher risk. Therefore the limits on the student’s credit card are usually lower and the interest rates are a bit higher.

However, there are many student credit cards that are willing to give an intro apr of 0% along with no annual fee. The following student credit cards are recommended to help students save money and keep their interest rates low.

A student can take the first steps towards financial independence through these credit cards. You can establish a good credit rating. This credit rating is very helpful if you plan to borrow money for financing a car, a house or a world cruise. If the credits are paid off regularly and in time, you will gradually gain a good credit rating and this will improve your chances of getting the entire loan improved.

To browse all student credit cards, click here

Choosing the right business card

Friday, December 22nd, 2006

Running your business as smoothly and efficiently as possible is the goal, and having a business credit card that fits that mold is just as important. The question then arises, should you have a business card and which one?

Research shows that many small to mid size businesses have been saved or boosted by the additional capital their business credit card has provided them. Without it, some business owners state their business could not have stayed afloat.

Is it ok to have more than one business credit card? Absolutely, if you have a business card that pays cash back on gas purchases, and another one that specializes in company expense reporting, and one that pays cash back for all other purchases, then use the gas business credit card for all your gas purchases, and the expense reporting business card for your employees, etc.

Just remember, rewards business credit cards offer great rewards, but don’t let those rewards points cost you more than what it is worth. Always read the fine print when applying for a small business credit card. Below you will find some of the features of some excellent business credit cards, with some of the fine print made big.

The Advanta Platinum BusinessCard with Rewards? features a 0% intro APR on? balance transfers? for? 15 months.? After the 15 months, the interest rate is 7.99% fixed. Your apr on purchases is a variable 7.99%. 5% cash back on all travel rewards. Advanta is the leader in business credit cards.

Business Gold Rewards Card from OPEN(SM) the small business team
Business Gold Rewards Card from OPEN the small business team


  • Business ownership has become more rewarding
  • Earn up to 40,000 bonus points in one year – enough for one domestic round-trip airline ticket plus other business supplies.
  • Points have no expiration date
  • No limit to the number of Membership Rewards® points you can earn
  • No annual fee for the first year – a savings of $125
  • No pre-set spending limit* and no finance charges
  • Save 3-25% on business purchases at companies like FedEx®, Delta®, Hertz®, and more.
  • Automatic Complimentary enrollment in the Membership Rewards® program
  • Redeem points for top-tier rewards including travel, merchandise, office equipment, and gift cards for you or your employees
  • Apply Now!

Discover® Business Card Sign up for a Discover® Business Card today and enjoy a 0% Introductory APR* on Purchases for 12 months. There is no annual fee and you can earn Up to 5% Cashback Bonus? on office supplies, 2% on gas and up to 1% on all other purchases.* Plus, PurchaseChecks that pay you back.

The Chase Business Cash Rewards Card gives you a great way to earn on every business purchase you make.

  • Earn up to 5% cash back with unlimited rewards potential.

  • With no merchant or category spending restrictions, you can earn points by shopping wherever you want, for whatever you want.

  • 0% APR*

  • on purchases and balance transfers for up to 12 months**
  • Pay No Annual Fee

  • Receive quarterly management reports

  • Receive additional cards your employees can use


The Business Edition® Visa® Card
The Business Edition® Visa® Card


  • 0% APR* on purchases for the first 12 billing cycles after account is opened
  • No annual fee
  • Separate business expenses for company travel, entertainment, supplies or other necessary purchases
  • Online access to view transactions, pay your bill, view up to 48 prior statements for both individual cardholders and for companies with multiple cardholders
  • Purchases automatically protected from theft or damage within the first 90 days
  • Receive easy-to-read management reports, itemizing your employees’ business expenditures
  • Get records of tax-deductible expenses
  • Receive up to 60% off regular rates at more than 11,000 hotels, motels and resorts in 146 countries and territories
  • $100,000.00 in travel accident insurance whenever you charge the full amount of your travel tickets to your Visa® Business Card
  • Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver when you charge the full amount to your car rental to your card
  • Apply Now!


American Express SimplyCashSM Business Card

  • Earn 5% cash back on gas, office supplies and wireless services

  • Earn 1% on cash back on virtually all other purchases

  • Cash back is automatically credited to the statement each month

  • No fee with the flexibility to pay in full or carry a balance

  • 0% introductory APR for the first 12 months

  • OPEN Savings? : Automatic discounts with FedEx, Delta?, Courtyard by Marriott?, and more

Looking at the above business credit cards. If you have balances that you would like to transfer and pay no interest, Advanta, Discover and American Express are what you are looking for. As far as purchases go, all business cards suit each of your purchases needs.

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Low APR Credit Cards

Thursday, December 21st, 2006

How do I find the best low apr credit card or 0% apr card. Is there a catch, what about hidden fees? These are valid questions that you need to know when applying for a low apr or 0% apr card. Another great question is how long is the low or 0% apr good for, is it limited or for life? Make sure you ask these questions before applying for a 0% apr credit card.

We are going to look at a few low and 0% apr credit cards. The first one is the Chase Platinum MasterCard. Chase Platinum offers 0% interest for up to 12 months, no annual fee, ? 1 point for every dollar spent, and the points are good for travel, cash, merchandise or gift certificates. Apply for more chase cards

The second low interest credit card we are looking at is the Discover Platinum Card. Discover platinum offers 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for the first 12 months. 5% cash back bonus on certain category purchases like gas, travel, stores and more. 1% automatically on all other purchases.? Cash rewards never expire, no annual fee and $0 fraud liability. See other discover cards

The third low apr credit card is Blue Cash from American Express. Blue Cash offers 0% intro apr for 6 months. Low 4.99% apr on balance transfers for life. No annual fee. Up to 5% cash back on purchases. Cash back rewards are unlimited. View all American Express cards

The fourth no apr credit card is the Bank of America Platinum Plus Visa Card. Bank of America Platinum Plus offers a 0% intro APR for 6 months (purchases and balance transfers). No annual fee, total security protection? and generous credit lines (up to $25,000). More bank of america cards

The fifth 0% apr card is the Citi Platinum Select Card. Citi Platinum Select offers a 0% apr for the first 12 months. This does not include cash advances. Your initial 0% apr may go up if you default on your payment terms. There is a fee for balance transfers. No annual fee, plus $0 liability on unauthorized purchases. See all Citibank credit cards

The majority of the 0% apr cards are introductory rates that expire after an average of six months to a year. After that point, the apr averages 14% or higher. The bottom line is, if you can afford to transfer balances to a low apr card for no longer than 6-12 months, then a? one of these 0% apr cards would be right for you. All cards have an atrractive no annual fee and most have fraud protection, in addition with no interest and no annual fee you can increase the benefit of the cards that have cash back bonuses.

Whats my credit score

Tuesday, December 19th, 2006

What is your credit score and what does it mean. Lenders look at credit scores now more than ever to determine your interest rate. The higher your credit score, usually the lower your interest rate on a loan, this in turn can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars each year, so it is important that you know your credit score and how to obtain the highest possible score on your credit reports.

The first step is obtaining your credit report. You will want to check this for any innaccuracies or errors, that are negatively affecting your credit score. If you find any inaccuracies or errors, you will need to dispute those through the 3 credit bureaus.

The major factors on your credit report that increase your score are

  • Always paying your bills on time

  • Length of time your accounts have been open

  • Low number of inquiries (credit being pulled)

  • Low ratios of debt to credit limit (According to Fair Isaac 30% of your credit score is based on debt)

  • One major installment loan (i.e. Auto payment, 2nd mortgage)

The above factors show that you are credit worthy and will greatly increase your credit scores. If you are working on rebuilding your credit, the first thing you will want to do is apply for a credit card. For those who need to rebuild I recommend orchard bank and the imagine gold card. These are two unsecured credit cards that most people with bad credit can get approved for. This will be the first start to rebuilding your credit scores.

You will want to try and get an auto loan or another major installment loan, and make timely payments on these. Over time you will see a nice increase in your score as you make payments towards the loan.

As a rule of thumb here is the breakdown of how your credit score is determined.

– 40% Payment History – 30% Amount of Debt (As compared to your limits) – 20% Length of Credit (How many years of established credit you have) – 10% New Credit (Opening new accounts within first 30-90 days)

Get a free copy of your 3 in 1 credit report with score here

New Business Card - American Express SimplyCashSM

Monday, December 18th, 2006

Business owners can earn 5% cash back on gas, office supplies and wireless services used through theAmerican Express SimplyCashSM Business Card business thanks to the SimplyCashSM Business Card from American Express.

Thats not all, business owners earn 1% cash back on virtually all other purchases and are awarded a 0% introductory APR for the first 12 months.

Many small business owners claim that this is better than raising capital as they get a “interest free loan” for a period of 1 year.

How the card works according to American Express is that cash back is automatically credit to the statement each month. You can pay your balance in full at the end of the month or carry a balance and make a monthly payment.

American Express SimplyCashSM business card can be applied for at the Amex website and you get a decision in less than 60 seconds with their simple and hassle free 1 page online application.

Creditimes.com? features a comprehensive list of business credit cards and small business credit cards. For more American Express Credit Cards click here.

Credit Cards for Poor Credit

Sunday, December 17th, 2006

Is there any hope for us people with poor credit? Absolutely! If you read my other post about rebuilding your credit, you will find that with some time and responsibility will get you there. But what about the catch-22. You get denied credit because you have poor credit, but you can’t rebuild your credit if nobody will give you a credit card.

There are several cards and solutions out there to get you on your way to rebuilding your credit even if you have poor credit. The first thing I recommend is opening up a secured credit card account. This is a credit card that you will need to deposit funds into (yes you earn interest) and the amount of funds you deposit is your credit line. You will want to make sure that the cards report to all 3 credit bureaus, to turn your poor credit into at least a good credit. I have researched several secured credit cards and the ones I recommend you look into are Orchard Bank, which has a secured and unsecured card. The other secured card I recommend is NMB or New Millenium Bank, gold card status, no credit checks, reports to all 3 credit bureaus, up to $10,000 in credit.

The nice thing about these secured cards is, especially if you don’t have a credit card at this time, is that you can pay at the pump, purchase online with your card, make reservations etc. Things you cannot do without a card. These secured cards are accepted anywhere visa/mastercard are accepted. Another cool feature, is you can load the cards through direct deposit through your employer, which makes it fast and hassle free. Most importantly, they report to all 3 credit bureaus, so you are rebuilding your poor credit.

For those of you looking for an unsecured card, and do not wish to deposit your own funds into a secured credit card account, there are a few credit cards that will approve you with poor credit. Orchard Bank, Tribute Mastercard, First Premier Bank and Centennial Visa are three banks that want to help you get on your way to better credit.

With a little time and some good payment history, your credit scores will go up and you will be able to get lower interest rates on loans and credit, and credit card companies will start issuing you unsecured credit cards with 0% apr’s and no annual fees. Having poor credit can be fixed, and the rewards of having good credit make all the work well worth it.

Please visit our Bad Credit Page for more offers

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Discover platinum credit card

Saturday, December 16th, 2006

One of the best cash back credit cards issued today is the discover platinum card. This card has been around for? quite some time and offers a generous 5% cash back reward on purchases. Not only that but the discover platinum card has no annual fee, $0 liability on fraudulent purchases.

Discover Platinum CardYour cash rewards with the discover platinum are unlimited and they never expire, so you don’t need to use them within a year or so.

As far as security goes, discover card takes security very seriously. Special alerts are given anytime discover feels your account has been compromised. Discover also issues secure online account numbers, that only you can view through your username and password. 24/7 fraud specialists ready to answer your questions and help you out.

No other card rewards you like the Discover Platinum Card. Enjoy a 0% Introductory APR* for Purchases and Balance Transfers for 12 months and earn 5% Cashback Bonus on Get More Program purchases throughout the year and up to 1% Cashback Bonus on all your other purchases*. Plus, for your peace of mind youll have a $0 fraud liability guarantee and pay no annual fee. You also have the option to DOUBLE your Cashback Bonus (turn $20 into $40) when you redeem for gift cards or certificates from many of our 60 brand name partners. APPLY NOW!

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Rebuilding your credit when bad credit gets you down

Friday, December 15th, 2006

Coming from someone who has been there, I can tell you first hand that bad credit takes time and responsiblity to repair and rebuild. In 1999 I filed bankruptcy after losing my job and tons of medical bills from a car accident. My credit was shot, I barely had any money and couldn’t get a car loan for less than 18%.

Immediately after filing bankruptcy I new that I would need to rebuild my credit right away, to get my credit scores up as the years go by. The first card I applied for was the Orchard Bank Classic. They gave me a small intial limit ($300) but they reported to all 3 credit bureaus and helped establish my credit by paying on time.

After a few months of paying on time, I decided it was time to get a bad credit auto loan. I was approved for a car through Instant Approval Auto Loans and my rate was a bone crushing 18.99%. They told me to pay this for six months or so and refinance for a lower interest rate. I did exactly that, and after approximately 8 months I refinanced my auto loan down to 12%. I was making progress and my credit score was getting better.

At this point I am about 18 months post bankruptcy and I have 2 solid tradelines one from a credit card and the ever important installment loan. I am back off my feet and I have a solid job, my credit is looking on the up and up, and mortgage interest rates are at an all time low. I come to find out that I can qualify for a conforming home mortgage after 2 years post bankruptcy, this is great as rates are in the 5.75-6% range! If your shopping for a home mortgage, whether its for good credit or bad credit, I used and recommend CompareLenders.com? they can find lenders that aren’t as strict as your regular state bank or national bank.

I look for houses and find the one I like. My mortage broker pulls my credit and my scores are all in the 660-680 range which is pretty good post bankruptcy. I end up getting a home mortgage for 6% and I am ecstatic. I have a bankruptcy and can still buy a house with a low rate like that.

Lower your monthly payments! Refinance – Consolidate Bills – Get Cash Out
Home Improvement – Buy a Home Lending Tree.com

As of now, my credit scores are between 690-740. My bankruptcy is 7 years and 1 month old and I have 5 platinum cards, a low interest rate on my house, a low interest rate on my car and a good paying job. Yes it took time, and a lot of responsibility, but the rewards of not getting said “no” to anymore feels better than anything else in the world.