Six Top Tips for Picking the Best Credit Card for Your Needs
1. A Debit Card Isn't Always Better than a Credit Card
People often think that they can keep better control of their finances if they use a debit card instead of a credit card. Certainly, that's what Peter Means thought when he went back to graduate school.
But the New York Times reports that he later lost track of his balance and used the card seven times in one day when he didn't have the funds to cover the transactions. None of his purchases came to more than $12, but his bank still charged him $34 each time. That's $238 in a single day's charges.
2. Check Out a Credit Union Credit Card
For-profit credit card issuers usually make significant income from fees and penalties for late payments and exceeding credit limits. Generally, credit unions either don't levy these charges or charge much lower rates. Their annual fees are generally cheaper and they often provide longer grace periods.
3. Take an Interest in APRs
The annual percentage rate (APR) is the single most important factor when choosing your best credit card deal--but only if you don't pay your balance in full every month. If you're unlikely to incur penalties for late payments or exceeding your credit limit, but you sometimes keep a balance running over a number of months, then you should choose a card because of its low APR.
4. Know Your Credit Card Issuer's Balance Computation Method
Credit card issuers use different balance computation methods:
- Adjusted Balance
- Average Daily Balance excluding new purchases
- Average Daily Balance including new purchases
- Average Daily Balance double-cycle
5. If You're Worried about Your Finances
If your personal finances are already in a mess, then you probably won't be able to get a new credit card. However, if you currently have a good credit score, but are worried that could change soon (and right now millions of Americans are in that position), then you need to shop around for a card with low penalties.
There's no point in getting a great APR if it's going to shoot up to something ruinously expensive if you have to skip a payment or exceed your credit limit.
6. Take an Overview
You may have to live with your credit card for many years, so take your time choosing the best deal for you. There's no single criterion but consider all the factors listed above and a few more--annual fees, grace periods, and rewards programs.
Before you start filling in applications, think how you plan to use the credit card, and calculate how much it could cost you over a year. Be realistic about your likely spending and repayment patterns, and take into account any penalties that you may incur. That's the only way to ensure that you find the best credit card for your needs
Disclaimer: The information in this article is believed to be accurate as of the date it was written. Please keep in mind that credit card offers change frequently. Therefore, we can not guarantee the accuracy of the information in this article. Please verify all terms and conditions of any credit card prior to applying. Check our full list of credit card offers for updated terms and conditions.
This content is not provided or commissioned by American Express. Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of American Express, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by American Express. This site may be compensated through American Express Affiliate Program.
Discover is a paid advertiser of this site. Reasonable efforts are made to maintain accurate information. See the Discover online credit card application for full terms and conditions on offers and rewards.
Published 10/05/09 (Modified 04/22/12)
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