Category: Credit Cards

Canadian Credit Cards – Credit Cards Canada

5 Things You Need to Know About Balance Transfer Credit Cards

David Jackson

What if you were able to maintain your current spending levels in a way that is less punitive? Well, sometimes people pay a heavy price for getting too comfortable with their existing credit card providers and this article will explain exactly why. 

In Australia, the average credit card APR is over 17-percent, and this rate can be pretty high for those struggling with high credit card debt. Luckily, with balance transfer credit cards, you have the chance to manage your balance well and possibly clear it.

The best thing to do is to take advantage of the 0-percent promotional periods to repay the transferred debt in full.

There is no need to try and take full advantage of tips and loopholes or to overcomplicate things. It is really as simple as finding the right card. Using a comparison engine that specializes in low balance transfer credit cards, like Creditcard.com.au, is usually the easiest way to evaluate incentives and features side-by-side. On the same site, you can also read the commentary of financial experts like Roland Bleyer when Australian consumers ask questions on the topic. 

With the above in mind, here are a few things you need to know about balance transfer credit cards.

1. You Can Save Money

A balance transfer credit card can reduce your interest payments significantly, particularly if you get a 0% rate for 12 months or more. For instance, you have a $10,000 balance and paying a 15% interest rate p.a. This is about $125 monthly interest payments and $1,500 in a year. A 12-month 0-percent balance transfer card helps you avoid paying the $1,500 interest.

But, you have to pay the transfer fee, which can be about 3 percent to 5 percent of the balance. For example, if you’re transferring a balance of $10,000 at a fee of 5 percent, your fee will be $500.

You can get an APR period of 6, 15, 18, or 24 months. This means you can pay back the $10,000 before the period ends without interest payments, saving you money.

Watch the video below on related credit card tips:

embedded by Embedded Video
Download Video

2. It Can’t Be Used as a Regular Credit Card

It’s important to note that you can’t use the card as a regular credit card until you have cleared the balance.

Just because you got a 0-percent APR period doesn’t mean you can use it whichever way you want. The 0-percent rate only applies to the balance you’ve transferred. Any new purchases or cash advances will attract a higher interest rate.

For most balance transfer cards, repayments are usually applied to the highest-cost debt first. If you use the card for purchases, your repayments will cater to those purchases first, thus delaying the payment of the transferred balance.

3. You’re Transferring the Debt

With balance transfer cards, you’re not clearing off your debt. You’re transferring it to another card to take advantage of a lower or zero interest rate. So, don’t get too comfortable when you qualify for the card.

It’s advisable to be careful when searching for a balance transfer card if you want it to work for you. It’s pointless to get a card only to have your debts pile up again. Strive to pay the balance within the 0-interest APR period to take control of your finances.

When you get approved, find out when your introductory period ends. This way, it will be easier to know your monthly repayments and create a clear budget that accommodates the new balance.

4. You Might Need Good Credit

Applying for balance transfer cards is similar to applying for regular credit cards. You can easily qualify for zero-interest balance transfer cards if you have a good or excellent credit score.

Before you apply for the card, get your credit report, and ensure it’s free of mistakes. For Equifax reports, a great score is anything from 622 to 1200.

You’ll also need to provide identification documents and personal information like name, address, and phone number. Lenders will probably need your financial information, such as current bank account balance, outstanding debts, and expenses.

5. No Interest-Free Days

Regular credit cards usually offer interest-free days for purchases if you make repayments on time.

But that’s not the case with balance transfer credit cards when you use them for regular spending. This only applies when you have not completed paying the transferred balance. If you’re not ready to pay interest, it’s worth not using the card for purchases when you have an outstanding balance.

Depending on the card you picked, you may be eligible for 44 to 55 interest-free days once the balance is completely paid. You can then use the card normally.

Final Thoughts

When used the right way, balance transfer credit cards can help to save money on your credit card debt repayments.

Once you apply for the card, it takes about 24 to 48 hours to get a response. Once approved, the new provider will transfer the balance to your new card using the card details you provided during the application.

Be sure to cancel your old credit card as soon as the balance is transferred. This is something you have to do yourself. Failure to do so could see you paying annual fees for a card you’re no longer using. Leaving it open can also tempt you to start spending again, increasing your debt.

Remember to set up a repayment plan and limit your future spending. Also, lower your credit limit to focus on paying the balance. You can request a limit increase later in the future.

Reference:

https://www.newstrail.com/countries-where-personal-debt-is-an-epidemic-australia-switzerland-ranking-high/

How Social Payments Are Transforming Financial Transactions As We Know Them

Bo Zou

In honor of arrival of the Year of the Dog in February, I sent my nephew in China a gift of money through a chat app on my phone. He pocketed it happily, using the same app to express his appreciation, thanks and best wishes back at me for the new year.

It was another day, another dollar, as they say, or the everyday sort of transaction that people in some countries like China don’t think twice about. For people in most Western nations, though, this sort of payment system is still something of a curiosity.

That’s changing fast, though. And as the social sharing economy continues to evolve, look for such peer-to-peer transactions over people’s social feeds to become the norm. It quite possibly may disrupt the traditional banking system as we know it.

Venmo, PayPal’s free digital wallet, was an early player in Western economies, launched in 2009, but really taking off in 2014 as Android Pay and Apple Pay made their much vaunted debuts. Other entries since – Facebook Pay, Google Wallet, Square Cash – speak to a concept whose time has come. Case in point: Venmo handled $17.6 billion in transactions in 2016; that almost doubled to $34.2 billion last year.

If there’s a model for the rest of the world to follow, it’s China’s. Its system was a response in a country that had no credit card use, and whose banks were inefficient and underused. In less than 10 years, two rival payment services, Tencent’s WeChat and Alibaba’s Alipay, have transformed China’s financial ecosystem by making mobile payments – especially social mobile payments – an easy and accessible option.

As social payments continue to catch on in the U.S., the U.K., Canada and other nations, it’s moving us ever closer to becoming cashless economies. In fact, Sweden may be an example today of how we’ll all be operating in the not-to-distant future. A mere 1 percent of the value of all payments made in Sweden are in coins or notes. Its citizens live for their bank cards, but over half Sweden’s population depends on the leading social payment smartphone app, Swish.

It’s not just the world’s more privileged societies that stand to benefit from this evolving financial ecosystem. Social payments stand to bring much needed financial services to countries with significant populations of unbanked or underbanked people. Financial inclusion, of course, is key to lifting them from poverty.

Even if traditional banking services aren’t available to such populations, mobile phones increasingly are. Their pace of adoption is on a positive trendline, at 37 percent of the populations of underdeveloped economies.

Not surprisingly, both Tencent and Alibaba affiliate Ant Financial (formerly known as Alipay) see an opportunity to make inroads in countries where people may be unbanked, but not unphoned. Both are moving aggressively in Southeast Asia as part of that quest; at the end of last year, the Alipay service reportedly had 280 million users of its four local payment platforms in Thailand, India, Hong Kong and the Philippines.

The sharing economy is real and expanding rapidly. By 2025, a PricewaterhouseCoopers study found, spending in the five components that comprise it (travel, car sharing, staffing, streaming and, no surprise, finance) may hit $335 billion – or half of total spending in those areas.

It’s not just social payments that will help to reshape the financial sector. Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin will be another facet, a means for settling payments directly and without much hassle or effort.

Either way, though, if this new social order we’re developing can advance those who currently have no access to things the rest of us take for granted like financial services, then it’s all to the good.

4 Credit Mistakes You’re Making

David Jackson

When you have a credit card, you suddenly find yourself with access to all sorts of things you wouldn’t otherwise have without this magic tool.  It’s easy to swipe your card and make purchases. However, it’s more complicated to learn the steps that follow making charges.

Having a credit card isn’t just about running your card, but it’s also about knowing how to use credit as a tool.  Understanding how it works and how to avoid common challenges is important.  Here are some of the most common mistakes that people make when it comes to credit cards and what you can do to avoid them.

Using More Than 30% Of Your Total Limit

When you look at the total amount of money that you are allowed to put on a credit card it’s important to remember that you will have to pay this back.

Maxing out your cards isn’t a smart move since it can send you under a whopping pile of debt. Rather than allowing yourself to get into this situation, experts recommend always staying under 30% of your total limit.  This won’t just ensure that you don’t find yourself in financial troubles, but it will benefit your credit score.

Paying Only The Minimum Due

When you receive your credit statement and see the minimum amount due, it’s important to remember that this is only a minimum.  Paying this minimum means that you will take much longer to get out of debt and will incur much more fees overall.

Therefore, pay as much as you can rather than just this minimum. You’ll thank yourself for it in the end and will be debt free much sooner.

Not Signing Up For Auto-Pay

It’s easy to find yourself in a situation which you forget to pay your cards.  Either your schedule is busy, you didn’t see the alert pop up on your calendar, or maybe you just plain forgot.

When this happens you don’t just find yourself with a fee, but a red flag pops up on your credit report which will remain there for years.  

The way to avoid this is to sign up for autopay so that your payments go through with your having to remember or even lift a finger.

Continuing To Charge Your Cards

Many people find themselves in debt, however, continue to run their cards and make purchases.  This only sends them further into debt and it’s more difficult to get out of.

Make a commitment to pay off your cards and then stop charging them.  This is the fastest way to get out of debt much sooner. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself in an endless cycle of never being able to get out of debt.

Top 5 Ways to Get Credit Cards for Bad Credit

David Jackson

A good credit score helps you in getting a loan with lesser interest rates, a credit card with a higher credit limit and many similar financial options. That doesn’t mean there are no options for people with a bad credit score. If you have a poor credit due to some unfortunate financial crisis in your life, you don’t need to worry and sink in the pressure of financial burden. In this article, we will guide on how to come out of a financial crunch by describing top five ways to get credit cards for bad credit. So without further delay, here are top five ways to get credit cards for bad credit. Essentially, because your credit score marks you as a High Risk Pay bad credit merchant account to the lender, they need to have someone with a higher credit score held responsible for paying them back if you end up defaulting on the loan. 

1. Decide your credit limit

The first thing you need to plan is your credit limit on your credit card. If you already have a bad credit, getting a credit card with a high credit limit becomes more difficult. That said it is not impossible to get a card with higher limits but you will have to bear a very high interest and the card fee is also high in most cases. Hence it’s always a good idea to decide a credit limit which is according to your need. Meanwhile, you can work on improving your credit score on old cards and continue using it later. Once your credit score is fine, your old cards should be good enough to provide you with a high credit limit. It’s always considered better not to close the cards. Have patience and till then pursue a card based on your need. Reputable financial advisors like the ones at Dri Financial Group Scotia Wealth Management teach that the first thing you need to plan is your credit limit on your credit card.

2. Search for credit card companies that require no credit check

Yes. You have read it correctly. There are many credit card companies these days who offer you a credit card even when you don’t have a decent credit score. For them, all that matters is your earning capability and an approximate estimation of your expenditures. Based on this calculation, companies are willing to give credit cards to people with bad credit. In turn, they get a little higher but yet a reasonable interest rate and an annual fee too.

3. Enquire and know about the approval chances

While there are many credit card companies promising nominal interest rates, their approval chances are not always guaranteed. So if you are in search of a credit card with immediate approval, search for the ones with guaranteed approvals and no credit check. You have an option to have both unsecured as well as a secured credit card. Though, for getting credit cards for bad credit a secured credit card is considered to be a good option. In such scenario, you need to deposit a fixed sum and that will be the credit amount available to you from the card company.

4. Compare cards on below vectors

Once you have done research finding of various credit card companies giving a credit card with a bad credit, next step would be to compare the various features offered by the very cards. Such features can be APR rates, annual fees, the credibility of the credit card company, reward programs offered by the credit card company and the ease of approval. Based on above features you can make your best choice.

5. Do the paperwork

After finalizing the credit card company, make an appointment with the agent or at the office and start the paperwork. If it’s online you can save yourself some travel. Make sure you read each and every line carefully. Sometimes there are hidden charges which are important to know beforehand.

In the end, above five points are very crucial and a step by step guide for people with a bad credit. Make sure to do a good research before you sign the contract with any credit card company.

5 Easy Ways to Find Personal Loans for Fair Credit

David Jackson

Personal loans have become the most common form of loan these days. There are many reasons behind the success of personal loans. The prime reason is the fact that it is more tailor-based for a borrower. The loan amount and rates of interests are not any different from other loan options and in some cases are even lesser. Especially for people with a bad credit history, a personal loan is the best choice. However, it doesn’t mean that the personal loan is not for someone with a fair credit history. There are many options available for people with a fair credit and personal loan is also among one of such option. So in this article, we will tell about the five easy ways to find personal loans for a fair credit.

1. Make a list of Loan giving companies

Finding personal loan with a fair credit is not a gigantic target. Anyone would like to prefer a borrower with a good credit over other applicants. So the first thing you need to do is to make a list of all loan giving companies. This will help you to compare various features and differences between the deals they give.

2. Reduce the number of loans

Sometimes a debt reconsolidation loan helps to reduce the number of loans you have. With a single loan, it is easier for you to get another loan. With more number of open loans on your name, the lender would feel under a cloud. However, the fact that you have maintained a good credit will help your case.

3. Go beyond traditional loan options

These days you don’t have to rely on the loan companies near your area. There are many companies who have an online presence and have a reputed record. There are online lenders who can give you lower interest rates than the rates a typical credit card companies have to offer. There are options for online installment loans which can fulfill your need as well. Further, if you see the application process for an online company giving personal loans, you will find that the credit scores matter lesser to them as compared to other loan providers. Hence to get personal loans for fair credit, online lenders are always an available option.

4. Secured loans

In case you are opting for a secured loan, the chance of approval gets quite higher. With a good credit score, you can also expect a lower APR rate. However, it is advisable to go for a secured loan only when the loan tenure, amount and acceptable rates of interest are not offered by any other lender. There are many lending companies who give more attention to people with a fair credit

5. References

Sometimes the companies giving personal loan might ask for a reference signature or guarantor. The guarantor is the person who can be accountable for the referral of the loan applicant. If you bring someone with a strong credit score and better financial condition as your guarantor, the chances of approval become very easy.

Conclusion

Most importantly, as a borrower, your focus should be on the companies who deposits the credit amount quickly to your account. While your good credit score should act as a positive point in the application process, it is also important to understand that some companies don’t bother too much about the past credit. Hence if you are getting a good deal without having to look back at your credit background, you should accept the deal. If any company offers a reduced rate of interest owing to your fair credit, you should definitely prefer that over any other option.

How To Repair Your Credit Score All On Your Own

David Jackson

With the downturn of the economy, many individuals have found themselves falling on hard times, which hasn’t done their credit any favors. Even if you have kept up with all your payments and ensured that everything was paid on time it is possible for some of your lenders to make errors. Whatever the situation is, both of these circumstances can have huge negative effects on your credit score. This is why it is imperative that you are constantly monitoring your credit and making sure that everything is as accurate as it should be. So, what are you supposed to do if something is wrong or mistakes were made? Below, you will learn some tips and tricks for repairing your credit score all on your own without having to spend tons of money of a professional.

Taking Advantage Of Your Free Credit Report

Many individuals avoid getting a credit report in the first place because they are under the impression that they have to pay for it. Well, you might actually be surprised to learn that you are entitled to one free credit report a year. In fact, you can get a report from several different credit bureaus. You can either get in touch with Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion. It really doesn’t matter which one you take advantage of as long as you are getting a credit report from one of them.

Auditing Your Credit Reports

Keep in mind that depending on where you got your credit report from some of the information might be presented in a different manner. However, everything should still be accurate and correct. When auditing your credit report, your main concern should be to make sure that all the information is entered accurately and correctly. Some of the key areas that you want to keep an eye on are missed payments, depth of credit, your accounts, recent activity on your accounts, and amount of credit that you have.

  • Missed Payments – Missed payments are one of the most important sections because it makes up the largest portion of your credit score. If you do in depth research on how to remove bad credit quickly, any expert will tell you that missed or late payments will without a doubt greatly hinder your report. If any information in this section is incorrect, you want to start disputing them right away.
  • Depth Of Credit – Just because you have debt on your credit report this is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, as long as you are making payments on time when you are supposed to this can actually make your credit look good. So, make sure you greatly weight the pros and cons before completely closing out any account, because making payments shows lenders that you are capable of handling obligations.

Properly Disputing Error And Mistakes

If you do find any incorrect or wrong information on your report it is important to report it right away. The major thing that you need to know is that disputing mistakes and errors will not cost you a dime. You can use a variety of different credit bureaus to help you dispute these mistakes, but usually only one will suffice. If the lender does discover that the mistake was made on their end they are required by law to contact the credit bureau and report the corrected information.

Just keep in mind that mistakes and error can greatly hurt your credit score, disputing credit errors does not cost anything, and disputes are not reported on your credit report, so it can hurt you to dispute anything that you think is wrong. If you cannot get the information corrected, but still feel like you are right, you can add a “Statement Of Dispute” to your credit report, which will show other lenders where mistakes were made on your report.

4 Tips For Using Your First Credit Card

David Jackson

Getting your first credit card can be extremely exciting.  It means that you have finally taken a huge step in establishing yourself in society.  Without a strong credit score, it can be difficult to do many things.  From renting an apartment to getting approved for contracts, credit can be a huge factor in your future.

It is important, however, to remember that it is not something that you should take for granted. Credit is something that shouldn’t be seen as free money.  It is a luxury and responsibility which should be taken seriously at all times in order to ensure the best possible future for yourself. Otherwise you run the risk of having to pay off large amounts of debt.  Here are the best tips for ensuring that you use your first credit card wisely.

Build Your Credit

credit cardIt is important to use your first credit card as a tool to build your credit.  Building your credit means establishing yourself as a credit card holder ensuring that you have the maximum score possible.

Scores range up to a score of 850 and when you reach this amount you can be sure that you qualify in an excellent range.  Having an excellent score means that you can qualify much easier for further lines of credit, and will have no problem being approved for loans should you ever want to apply for one.

Never Max Out Your Limits

It is crucial to never go to the maximum amount of your credit limits on your card.  This is because a huge factor on your score is credit utilization.  Meaning that the ratio between credit owed vs credit available must be balanced.

Most experts advise staying within 30% maximum of your total credit limit.  This way, you can still keep your credit utilization amount low on your credit score, which plays a large factor in your overall credit report.

Check Your Credit Score Regularly

It is extremely important to keep a close watch on your credit score so that you can know exactly what is happening.  By knowing what is going on you can monitor any changes that occur in your credit report.

Sometimes your score may go up or down depending on what comes up.  Sometimes you may get derogatory marks on your score.  These may be because of something that you have failed to pay or sometimes it is an error.

In order to correct these errors, it is essential to keep an eye on your credit report so that you are aware when they come up.

Always Pay On Time

It is crucial to always pay your debts on time otherwise you run the risk of getting late payments on your credit score which will take points off of your overall score.

Should parents hand over credit cards to their kids?

David Jackson

There are numerous stories about heinous teen spending all over the media. Judging by the recent article in the New York Post, teens have been whipping out their plastics in and around New York City. A 14 year old girl, Rebecca swipes her Chase Visa card twice in a single day to pay for taxi fares and also adds a 20% tip. When she accompanies her friends for dinner at costly restaurants, they split the bill and each of them throws in their credit cards while making payments. Parents, instead of encouraging such financial behavior should limit them in order to help them avoid a financial doom. This gives rise to the question about how wise and intelligent parents should let their kids handle credit cards.

Things to consider before handing over credit cards to your children

As soon as children hit their teens, they soon want to taste financial freedom. From credit cards to trending smartphones, there’s a huge list of things they’ll immediately start wanting. As parents, what kind of responsibility should you show? Let’s find out.

Comprehend the power of your child: Before you give in to the demands of your children and hand over their first credit card, know whether or not your child can get a grip on the complex financial issues related to a credit card. Ensure he’s capable of paying back the balance amount with the pocket money or allowance that he is offered. You as a parent may even boost your child to take on some offbeat passive jobs to earn money for repaying the debt amount.

Find out the actual reason behind his demand: In case you find your child repeatedly demanding a credit card, don’t hand it over without asking him anything. The foremost thing to enquire is the purpose he is going to use it for. Is the demand simply due to peer pressure or for other credible reasons? It’s your responsibility to propagate the basic knowledge with regards to your credit card. If you think he has enough handy money, ask him not to use his card.

Keep a close watch on his activities: Even though you hand over the credit card to your child, keep a close eye on his activities. Try to know the ways in which he is using his card. Keep a record of his credit card statement, advise him to keep all the receipts of the purchases just to recheck it with the statement, ask him to spend an amount which doesn’t exceed his pocket money and restrict him from granting his credit card access to someone else.

Don’t hesitate to share your mistakes: There are many who hesitate to share their mistakes with a fear that they may get a bigger chance to reinstate their own. But this is the wrong approach! You should show them the right path by telling them not to repeat the same mistakes committed by you. If only you share your mistakes with your children will they think hundred times before repeating the same.

If your kid starts incurring debt even after following your advice, you should teach them not to procrastinate and seek immediate debt help from professional companies. Debt when left unattended can soar up to an unmanageable level. Hence, take prompt decisions about getting rid of high interest debt.

Norma Walton: How Much is Enough?

Norma Walton

North American society promotes the concept that having money creates happiness.  Certainly having enough wealth to cover your basic needs is important – a roof above your head, sufficient money for food, a clean supply of water, basic clothing and a healthy environment.  A lack of those essentials will create misery.

money happiness

Once you achieve the above, there is value in considering how much more money you need.  Beyond covering your basic needs, below are some reasonable objectives that you may want to consider when you decide how much money you require:

  1. A reasonable spending plan: Charles Dickens proposed the theory that if your income is $100 per day and you’re spending $99, you will be happy.  If your income is $100 per day and you’re spending $101, you will be miserable.  That is wise advice.  If your expenses exceed your income, you will be constantly scrambling to cover your bills and will head into debt, which is stressful.  Focusing on reducing your expenses or increasing your income so that your income is greater than your expenses is time well spent.
  2. A plan to pay off existing debt: My grandparents’ generation saved their money before they would buy a car.  They saved their money to fund their vacation.  They paid off their mortgage as soon as they reasonably could and would have considered it baffling to refinance to pull out wealth from their house.  Debt often causes stress and tension in your life.  Debt sometimes makes you feel out of control of your financial situation.  Hence a focus on paying off debt will permit you to enjoy your money more as you pay the debt down.

    3d people - human character person carrying word "debt" on his back. Debt concept. 3d render
    3d people – human character person carrying word “debt” on his back. Debt concept. 3d render
  3. An emergency fund or line of credit: If you were to lose your job, do you have enough money to survive until you find a new one?  For some this amount will be one year’s worth of income savings; for others this amount will be a month or two.  It is prudent to have some money available if something happens that impacts your ability to earn an income for a period of time.
  4. A retirement fund: The Canadian banks focus on retirement planning.  They sit down with their customers to discuss how much you would need to save to fund a comfortable retirement.  They create charts and objectives for savings to try to get people thinking about where they want to be when they are ready to retire.  This is a good exercise for most people and helps people set goals for savings and calibrates their financial expectations for when they finish working.
  5. An insurance policy to provide for your dependants: If you were hit by a bus today, who would be in trouble without you around?  Think about the financial needs of your dependants and ensure that you have term life insurance in a sufficient amount to cover those needs.  Once you no longer have dependants who need your income to survive, you can reduce or eliminate that insurance.

piggy bank

Once you turn your mind to how much money is enough for you, you can review the above items and create a plan to ensure you have what you need.

CanadianMoney.mobi

James Dean

Get connected to MONEY through your smart phones and tablets with the new mobile friendly site of CanadianMoney.mobi

MONEY.CA

embedded by Embedded Video

YouTube DirektCanadian Money Mobi Video

online a going concern with Canadian’s and their money brings to you everything you wanted to know about money, personal finance and financial literacy. Money Canada Limited is proud to serve Canada as the top MONEY and personal finance sites with everything you would expect and more.

MONEY is online, in print, empowered by mainstream media and achieves mastery in video and television with The Financial Show especially made for tv. Check out MONEY.CA – the Money Magazine in full four color process. Access The MONEY Newsletter monthly for free. Money Media is partners with newswire.ca marketwired.com  businesswire.com prweb.com prnewswire.com 24-7pressrelease.com accesswire.com fscwire.com newsfilecorp.com einnews.com with direct access and syndication to all world class press and media organizations.

Join us at MONEY.CA or Canadian Money Mobi to take advantage of the products, services and insight you will get for Canadian Money. ONLINE – PRINT – MEDIA – VIDEO – TELEVISION