Like me, you’ve probably been offered a fair old number of these by now…

..and, if you’re like most people, chances are you maybe own at least one or two.

They always seem to put in an appearance at just the right (or wrong) moment…

It might be Saturday and you’ve just seen the clothing item of your dreams.

That can be a pain, though, if this month’s paycheck isn’t due for another week.

You’re undecided.

Until, that is, you’re offered…

..a store card.

One of the horrible ironies about store cards is that the vast majority of people who sign up for one actually had no intention of making a purchase before they left the house.

But if you’re caught in the above situation, the convenience factor frequently wins the day, doesn’t it? Add on top of this all the little goodies thrown in as a sweetener…

An introductory discount on goods - typically around the 10% mark - extra money off during sales periods etc…

But let me tell you what the sales assistant probably won’t…

For starters, did you know that many department stores will currently charge you anything up to 30% interest on that little card they offer you? (yes, even those ones with the pretty pictures.) That’s around double the interest of your standard credit card!

Sound scandalous?

Well, hang around… it gets a lot worse!

Here are just a few of the pitfalls you should look out for the next time you’re offered a store card…

• Buy now, pay within the next three months. Sure…great deal if you do actually manage to pay it off within that time. If not, some stores will charge you interest from the first day you bought!

• Ask questions: In a recent study, it was found that in one third of cases, information on the interest rate on the card (among other things) was not freely available.

• Don’t be tempted to take out expensive and often useless insurance. This can be a monthly amount of 1.5%. With interest repayments of 30%, you could end up with an annual rate of 56%!

• Also, steer clear of any payment protection insurance scheme. If you were to lose your job or couldn’t work due to illness or accident, you’ll find that this ‘insurance’ generally only pays the minimum monthly payment, not the whole balance!

• Be on your guard. Staff will usually ask you to fill in the application form in store. In many cases the insurance box will already have been ticked and you will simply be asked to sign up for insurance.

• Study the terms and conditions carefully in the store. Staff have been known to refuse customers to take away the form.

Probably the worst thing about store cards is that it’s very easy to build up an array of them so that, before you know it, there seems to be more of them in your wallet than there are coat hangars in your wardrobe.

And in what seems like no time at all…

.. you’ve just spent way, way beyond your means!

If you feel you must buy on credit why not use a credit card with a low or even 0% rate? After all, if you’re going to have debts, you may as well make them cheap ones!

A store card might seem handy and convenient but they generally come with a horrendous hidden cost.

So next time you’re a tempted to take on another piece of plastic, make sure you get all the facts up front.

Your bank balance might just thank you for it.

Copyright © 2004 by Colin McCaig mailto:colin@cmcaig.com

About The Author

Colin Mc Caig is dedicated to helping others become debt free and start their own home-based business. Get his free 6-part mini-course. Learn the powerful secrets to becoming debt-free using only the money you have today. Send a blank email to: mailto:colindebtfre@demandmail.com

If you are unhappy with the interest rate you currently receive for your credit then there are a number of steps you may wish to consider taking in order to get yourself better rates and more favourable terms. These include:

Ensuring that you credit report is accurate and up to date
Requesting better rates from your existing credit providers
Applying for better rates from new credit providers
Consider switching to secured credit or less flexible credit over a longer term
Put effort into improving your credit rating

All of these steps have a potential to get you better credit card interest rates and reduce the amounts you have to pay in monthly repayments. If you have a lot of loans and payments on credit cards and other high interest accounts, one of the best ways to reduce your monthly payments is to consolidate this debt into one loan. This loan can be secured over your home if you are a homeowner and this will give you access to far better interest rates. You should be very careful before securing any debts over your home as it may put your home at risk if you find that you are unable to meet your repayment commitments. A consolidated loan, over a period of two to five years usually, can give you access to far lower rates of interest and this alone can save you hundreds of dollars each month in bills.

Ensure your credit report is accurate…

Another step you may consider is checking that your credit report is accurate. Since all credit-reporting companies have a legal obligation to ensure the accuracy of their reports, they will usually be happy to amend your report if you find that there are errors contained on it that will make it harder for you to receive credit. You may also wish to put some time into improving your report if it is bad, by paying your bills on time, reducing the amount of overall credit you have outstanding and making other alterations that get reported on your rating.

For credit card advice please visit here http://www.creditcards-gb.co.uk/creditcardadvice.html

If all else fails, just ask…

One very simple way of getting better interest rates is simply to ask for them. If you have been with your credit provider for some time and have always managed to pay your bill in full and on time, you may be entitled to have your credit rate lowered. If you have other credit cards with lower rates, tell this to the company and they may be willing to match this in order to keep your business.

Peter Kenny is a writer for creditcards-gb
For additional articles and an extensive resource for everything about credit cards, please visit us at www.creditcards-gb.co.uk and www.creditcards2go4.com

If you are looking for the optimal price on Dishwashers, looking on the web can be an exciting method to make sure you don’t waste valuable time and currency. If you’re tired of wading around outlet after high street retail outlet surveying the market for your brand new dishwasher then why not get to your computer and get on the world wide web and start shopping. Dishwashers are a big investment so it’s important to choose wisely.

You should consistently buy from stores you really trust, still, when presented with a scattering of unfamiliar companies on the internet picking will be problematic. A excellent tactic to ward off using poor quality options is to purchase with on-line options who additionally possess a prevalent physical location. You really should additionally be certain to extensively read the terms and conditions of every one of the online stores you are actually mulling over purchasing your dishwasher from.

Yet another method to recognise a trustworthy on-line shop when you’re surveying the market place for dishwashers is to check whether the store own a dispassionate and informative shoppers guide. Consulting a shoppers guide can of course bring out some considerations you might often not have thought of if you were merely buying independently. The aforementioned may well include; power consumption, additional features and storage capacity amongst other considerations.

Be very wary of hidden charges - value added tax and home-delivery charges which are tacked on at the payment stage could commonly modify that first unbelievable price that you found for your families dishwasher into something very unremarkable.

a large range of on-line options are also quicker than others - if the speed at which you obtain your dishwasher is really not a problem then this may simply not bother you very much. On the other hand, if you’d rather not be manually scrubbing the knifes and forks and pans over Xmas then you might wish to select a shop which makes available guaranteed home-delivery times.

Dishwashers can commonly look the part when they are in a display room or on a web site but wind up disappointed when they reaches your house. So be extra sure to check the returns policy of the website you’re ordering from.

Credit card is known today as the plastic money. But it stretches the limit of a typical paper money. Credit cards increase the buying power of a consumer because of what is known as the credit limit. Payments are made easier because you don’t have to make stops to the billing centers. What’s best is that owning a credit card gives you a worldwide access to cash.

MasterCard is one of the credit cards in the market. Today, MasterCard offers the Automatic Bill Payment. With this, you can now pre-authorize the participating companies to charge your card on a regular basis. This includes your insurance companies, your cable provider as well as your electric and water companies.

What’s good about owning a MasterCard?
1. Avoid the trouble of writing checks. With MasterCard Automatic Bill Payment, you can save time from writing check and the trouble of tracking the issuances you’ve made.

2. No more late payments. Paying your bills will always be on time. Take care of your bills even while you’re working at the office.

3. Keep your money growing. Your money is safe on the bank until the time comes for you to pay your bills. This means the time your money is sitting on the bank, the interest is growing.

Choosing the right MasterCard that would best suit your needs is a must. The following is a list of MasterCard Credit Card Types.

1. Standard. This is the type of credit card for starters. Whether you’re a student or simply starting out on a credit, this is the card that would suit you.

2. Gold. Once you acquired a considerably good credit history, you can now switch from your Standard Credit Card to the Gold Card and enjoy added benefits.

3. Platinum. This card offers the best every card has to offer. Plus it gives you the extended purchasing power for expensive items. You can also earn points that could be exchanged for rewards whenever you use your Platinum MasterCard.

4. World. This is the premium card that embodies your dream about hassle-free spending. MasterCard World offers a no pre-set spending and whole new personalized benefits.

Now let’s check what’s in store for MasterCard Holders…

Enjoy free nights’ stay on selected destinations worldwide. Use your MasterCard to pay for your stay and get another night stay for free!

Nothing beats the feeling of getting discounts and savings! Get favorable discounts on participating merchants and service-oriented shops when you use your MasterCard.

David Riewe is a Publisher and Online Marketer. Visit his Credit Resources Blog Below: www.push-button-online-income.com/creditcards/

The TRW free credit report now comes from Experian, one of the three main credit reporting agencies. However, the free credit report that you are entitled to by law is not covered under the TRW free credit report. To obtain this free report you will have to visit another website. The TRW free credit report, whilst it is free, carries with it the possibility of incurring monthly charges.

When you log on to the TRW site for a TWR free credit report, you have to make sure that you read all the instructions. It covers the credit report that Experian has on you and while you may have a really good score here, you also need to check out your credit report from Trans Union. These are the two agencies that provide credit reports to American consumers. When you request your TRW credit report, you will get it online instantly.

Along with your free TWR credit report, you will also get a free trial version of Check monitoring. This offer is free for one month only and if you do not cancel before the month is up, you will have to pay $9.95 a month thereafter. Any credit report that requires you to register and give a credit card number is one you should avoid. Unless you are really diligent and do cancel the membership, your TRW free credit report could be costly, rather than free.

The home page of the TRW free credit report gives you all the reasons why you need the check monitoring service. Maybe once you read the reasons, you will decide that it is something that you need. However, the main thing is to get a free copy of your credit report. While you can get a free TWR credit report giving you your Experian credit history, Experian, itself, is required to supply you with a free copy once a year when you request it. Why bother with the hassle of the middleman when you can go right to the source?

The TWR credit report will give you the same information about your credit report as any other free online credit reports. Along with your TWR free credit report, if you sign up for a membership, you will get newsletters and toll-free customer support. Do you really need that when all you want is a free TWR credit report? You do have to read the fine print to make sure the TWR free credit report you receive is actually free.

You can get a TRW free credit report, but they certainly do try to sell you more than that.

To find out more about Credit Repair visit Peter’s Website www.credit-repair-answers.com/“> Credit Repair Answers and find out about www.credit-repair-answers.com/credit-bureaus.html“>Credit Bureaus and more, including Credit Repair Services, Free Credit Reports and Online Credit Repair.

A low credit rating or bad credit report can negatively affect virtually every aspect of your life. Whether you are consistently late on your mortgage or utility bills or you are over your limit on your credit cards, bad credit can make purchasing on credit virtually impossible, and it can limit your lifestyle in many different ways. Though over time you can recover from a bad report, there are still many aspects of your life that can suffer from poor financial management and low credit scores.

For instance, if you are planning to purchase a new or used car, it may be virtually impossible to secure a financing loan if you have a low credit report rating. Even if you can obtain a loan, you interest rate may be up to one hundred percent higher than it would if you had excellent credit. Rather than paying six or seven percent interest, you could end up with a fifteen or sixteen percent interest rate. Having bad credit can cost you thousands of dollars over the course of paying back your car loan. Not only will you not be able to get that new car you want, but you will also end up paying much more for the old car that you have to choose instead.

If you are interested in purchasing your own home, you will have to take out a mortgage. If you have perfect credit, you can secure a low interest rate of around five percent or even less. This will make your monthly payments rather low. However, if you have bad credit, you might only be able to secure a loan that charges nine or ten percent interest, making your monthly payments much higher, and costing your thousands upon thousands of dollars over time.

Credit card debt is one of the causes of poor credit, and it is also one of the ways poor credit can cost you the most. If you have several thousand dollars in credit card debt, and you are paying up to twenty percent in interest, it will be virtually impossible for you to ever pay off your debt within your lifetime. One the other hand, if you have excellent credit, you may be charged rates as low as eight percent, or possibly even lower still.

Poor credit report ratings can affect not only your loan and credit card situations, but they can also affect your car insurance premiums! Though it seems unfair, automobile insurance companies sometimes consider people with bad credit as high-risk drivers. Having poor credit can cost your hundreds of dollars per year in car insurance premiums.

If you are renter rather than a homeowner, some landlords and property management companies run credit checks before allowing you to rent from them. If your credit report shows a low score, you can be denied housing. If you do end up being able to rent, you might not be able to turn on utilities in your name, especially if you have been negligent in paying your bills in the past.

Bad credit report ratings can affect virtually every aspect of your life, from your car to your house to your insurance premiums. Because of this, it can certainly also affect your health. Financial worries are a leading cause of personal and relationship stress, and this stress can lead to mental and physical health problems. There are many consumer credit counseling services that can help you gain control of your finances and get you on the right track toward good credit. Many of these companies are non-profits with their sole purposes of existing being to help people get back their financial and mental health.

With many years experience in the lending industry, Sintilia Miecevole’s site www.fixurcredit.com will inform you of everything from credit cards, scores, payments, repair, theft, approval and quotations to loans and financing. Be sure to visit www.fixurcredit.com to learn about all aspects of credit.

There is almost nothing more troublesome than having too much debt to pay each month. Consumers incur debt for many different reasons. Sometimes illness, accidents, or just bad luck can make it seem impossible to get finances under control. Other times it is simply because we spend more money than we earn. The first step toward taking control of your financial situation is to learn how to eliminate your credit card debt.

Develop a budget. Start by listing all sources of income. First list fixed expenses such as mortgage payments, insurance premiums, and auto loans. Next, list the expenses that vary from month to month such as utility bills, recreation and clothing. If there is any hope of controlling your credit card debt you must create and stick to a budget.

There are different kinds of debts. Mortgages and auto loans are debts secured by collateral. In the event of default on a secured debt, a lender may foreclose on your home or repossess your car. Unsecured debts are loans with no collateral and often have variable interest rates and are assessed a fee for late payments. In the event of default on an unsecured debt a lender may report to a credit-reporting agency, contact the debtor repeatedly by mail or telephone, and in general make life miserable for those who find themselves in financial trouble.

If you are among the millions who have found themselves in a financial crisis, consider your options - budgeting, debt consolidation, or bankruptcy. Which works best for you? It depends on your level of self-discipline, how much debt you have, and your future financial prospects. While eliminating debt may seem next to impossible, your life does not have to go from bad to worse.

Self-help may be the easiest, cheapest way to eliminate debt. First, stop charging now. Incurring more debt will only compound the problem. Make a list of all your credit card bills starting with the smallest. Pay as much above the minimum payment as you can afford on the card with the lowest balance. Continue until this debt is paid in full, and then proceed to the next card. Systematically paying off your credit cards one by one will reduce your debts dramatically. The fastest way to eliminate credit card debt is to put every penny you can towards paying off your credit cards. Do not underestimate the effect an extra five or ten dollars paid repeatedly over time can have on eliminating debt.

You may be able to reduce the amount of your combined monthly payments and lower the interest rate by obtaining a home equity line of credit or a second mortgage. Think carefully before taking this route. Your home becomes collateral with these loans. If you make late payments or miss payments you could lose your home. These types of loans may provide certain tax advantages but the fees can really add up. The same goes for debt consolidation. You eliminate or reduce interest rates and the amount of your monthly payments, but the length of the contract and the fees can be more than your original debt.

As a last resort, bankruptcy could be considered. A bankruptcy remains on your credit report for 10 years, making it difficult to obtain credit, get life insurance, or buy a home. However, it can be a fresh start for those who cannot otherwise satisfy their debts.

About The Author

Noel Hynes is the owner of http://1st-for-credit-cards.com. Easy online credit card applications.

If you have negative information in your credit file, as reflected by the Big Three reporting companies, Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion, proves to be accurate, there is little you can do about it. Only the passage of time will guarantee that information’s ultimate removal from your file. The reporting companies will generally list negative credit information for seven years, and bankruptcy information will remain on your report for ten years. The time limits generally begin being counted from the time the event initially took place.

There are other limitations, as well, such as unpaid judgments against you. Those can be reported in your credit file either for seven years or until the statute of limitations for that particular type of judgment expires, whichever is longer. However, there are no limitations as to how long criminal convictions may be listed. The same is true for information that was reported due to your applying for employment that would pay more than $75,000 a year, or because you’ve applied for credit or life insurance in excess of $150,000.

If you decide to seek professional help, the Credit Repair Organizations Act (CROA) has clearly detailed your rights as a consumer. You must be given a copy of the booklet “Consumer Credit File Rights Under State and Federal Law” BEFORE you sign any legal contract with an organization. Your contract must be in writing, and must clearly spell out all your rights and obligations. Of course, it’s then your duty as a diligent consumer to read all the documents you’re given, and then to ask questions if they contain anything you don’t understand BEFORE you sign.

The CROA contains a number of quite specific provisions designed to protect consumers. The most obvious provision is that no credit repair company can make deliberately false or misleading claims about the services they’re capable of providing to their clients.

There are a number of specific points that must be clearly addressed in a contract with a credit repair company. The company’s name, address, and contact information must be included, the contract must specify the total cost for their services, as well as a detailed description of the services they’ll perform in order to earn those fees. The time frame for the work’s completion must also be clearly specified, as well as any guarantees they may offer for their services.

You can’t be charged up front for a credit repair company’s services, and you can’t be required to pay until they’ve performed all the services they initially promised you in the written contract. Credit repair companies are also prohibited from performing any services in your behalf until you have signed a written contract and then have been given a three-day waiting period. At any time during those three days, you have the right to cancel your contract with a credit repair company without being required to pay any fees.

Don’t let your difficult financial situation blind you to your rights under the CROA. You have specific rights when it comes to dealing with credit repair companies. Insist on them.

Copyright © Jeanette J. Fisher

Jeanette Fisher teaches how to get out from under credit card debt, how to use credit to make money, and six ways to build strong credit to finance your first home and multiple investment properties. For free credit advice and free ebook “Credit Tips for Mortgage Financing,” see worryfreecredit.com

One Saturday afternoon, after watching the advertisement on television about a 0% interest rate credit card, people in town started to talk about it.

Did you get amazed when you heard the part about a 0% interest rate credit card? Does it make you think of its trustworthiness? Definitely, it is.

Some of the credit cards start with the so-called “teaser”. This simply refers to cards that offer no interest for even more than 12 months. You can avail this on either your Visa Card or other major credit cards through your bank accounts.

If you find it a problem when shopping on limiting yourself with the items that you want to buy, with this credit card you can follow your desire for a particular duration of time.

However, when you have 0% interest rate credit card, you have to bear in mind three important factors.

1. Duration of no interest rate- Even though there is a clear specification that it can last even more than 12 months, better be clear about it. You may be shocked if ever you will be charged with a very high interest when the time comes because you are not informed about the duration.

2. If transfer of other balances to 0% interest rate is allowable- It is also important for you to know if you can avail this benefit. It will be a great advantage on you if you can apply the 0% interest rate to your other account.

3. If the offer will still end of it will be for life- Good if it is for a lifetime promo. You try to ask the company if this offer will be for life so that you can also encourage your friends to get one.

There are also some disadvantages when you go for this offer. Other 0% interest rate credit card only lasts for about 6 to 12 months. If you plan to transfer balances as well, you will suffer from high origination fees. Likewise, it will give you high interest rate after the introductory period.

After hearing all the details about 0% interest rate credit card, it is now up to you if you want to try it and enjoy the benefits for a duration of time. It is also your responsibility to consider the terms and conditions of the credit card.

If you are planning to transfer balance, make sure that you do it prior to the expiration of the introductory stage of your credit card. Do not forget that this credit card is not intended for paying your previous credit cards.

Be careful in transferring balances as well. Avoid transferring balances that go as high as thousands of dollars especially if you are not sure if you cannot pay it on time. This could leave you a high interest rate than the original balance that you have.

After a thorough analysis, you may now realize that a 0% interest rate credit card is just appealing. Unless you get to know more about it, you will not understand the disadvantages that it can bring you.

Despite of this, 0% interest rate credit card help you in a lot of ways. All you need to do is to be wise enough to avoid the possible consequences of your action. Be very careful to know exactly what your credit cards will cost you and what actions you need to do to make it work to your advantage..

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning Credit Cards. Get the information you are seeking now by visiting 0% Interest Rate Credit Cards

Great leadership is the key to success. Great communication is the key to great leadership. Think of any great leader in modern time: Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr, and John F. Kennedy come to mind immediately. They were powerful leaders because they could inspire people to follow them. It was their ability to articulate their vision that made them successful in achieving their goals.

In your organization you must be the leader who inspires the team to great heights. To get them to follow you, be sure they are listening to your values and your vision, and then establish the right environment for them to thrive and grow.

Values

When I mention values, everyone nods their heads as if of course, Kerri, that’s obvious. But, when I check up on this piece, I find the last time they discussed their values - personal and professional - with their team, was often in the interview before their people were even hired.

You must clearly know your personal values and your organization values to lead effectively. For example, do the answers to these questions come readily to mind?

Personally:

1. What do you stand for?
2. What is most important to you?
3. What would you like your life to demonstrate?
4. What is your personal mission in life?

Professionally:

1. What do you stand for?
2. What are you willing to do to get new business?
3. What are you not willing to do?
4. Do you have a professional mission statement?

Quality leaders don’t change their values over time or to achieve short-term success. Consistent core organizational value systems form the strong foundation for long-term success.

A simple definition is that your values are the rules by which you play the game. A well-defined value system makes all decisions easier and encourages your team to go where you lead.

Vision

It’s easy to say you have a vision for your business. It’s your lifeblood. You know it inside out. Writing it down is the next step. Sharing it widely with your team is imperative too. Even more importantly, your vision for the business must provide a unifying picture so that everyone on the team - regardless of job function - can see exactly where you’re going and the importance of their role in getting there. Therefore, the clearer the concept and the clearer (i.e., short and simple) the message is, the more likely you, and your team, can achieve the goal. Your vision needs to answer three questions. And it must answer those three questions for everyone on the team.

1. What do we do?
2. How do we do it
3. For whom do we do it?

As Jim Collins proved in his book, From Good to Great, this is not a 30 minute, one meeting exercise. This requires 100% participation. It can’t be a top-down decision. It must be iterative and inclusive.

Environment

Andrew Carnegie said: “You must capture and keep the heart of the original and supremely able man before his brain can do its best.” When you understand what is at the core of your team members, you can serve them and allow them to reach their full potential. Value their uniqueness. Your team members are your internal customers. You must treat them at least as well as your external customers. This is the highest level of customer service.

Shape the right work environment and you’ll have loyal team members to lead. That means, you have to create a work environment that respects each person, appreciates them and rewards their effort, and encourages an openness to change. Make it a safe environment, one which encourages trying new ideas. When you unleash personal creativity, each team member has a stake in the outcome. It’s an environment that promotes growth at all levels. Combine all three elements and you have a formula for inspiring greatness and leading to breakthrough success. Do it now!

Kerri Salls, MBA runs a virtual business school to train, consult and coach small business CEO’s and entrepreneurs in 10 key strategies to make more profit in less time. Learn more at www.breakthrough-business-school.com/products.html or sign up for a free weekly newsletter at www.breakthrough-business-school.com/newsletter.shtml