When Credit Card Balance Transfer Is For You

Summary: My friends and I were once discussing how difficult it was becoming to stay on schedule with our credit card bills. There are the monthly insurance premiums, mortgages and car loans to think of, and we were not sure if our salaries (combined with our respective husbands' salaries) could take any more load. A balance transfer was at the back of my mind, but I did not have enough knowledge about it to even have the courage to bring up the topic. But I was fortunate to have ...

My friends and I were once discussing how difficult it was becoming to stay on schedule with our credit card bills. There are the monthly insurance premiums, mortgages and car loans to think of, and we were not sure if our salaries (combined with our respective husbands' salaries) could take any more load. A balance transfer was at the back of my mind, but I did not have enough knowledge about it to even have the courage to bring up the topic. But I was fortunate to have a friend in a finance company who was willing to give me advice on how to go about things. What is a balance transfer? If you have not been able to pay for your credit card debt, you can transfer the balance to another card issuer. If you do this, you might just worm your way out of additional expenses like late fees. Many people opt for balance transfer because another issuer is offering lower interest rates. How can you benefit from balance transfer? If you have been unable to pay off your credit card balance, it is most likely that the finance charges are adding up to your debt on a monthly basis. By transferring your balance to another credit card, you will have the opportunity of starting anew. You do not have to worry about being charged with late payment fees as long as you keep paying for the minimum amount due every month. It is always better if you pay more of course. If you are looking to save some money, give some thought to availing of a balance transfer card at a low rate of interest. How can I transfer my current credit balance? The first thing that you will have to do is look out for credit card companies that offer balance transfer. Make sure that their interest rates are much lower compared to your old card issuer - it's possible to get 1% to 2% interest if you take your time negotiating and researching for a reputable company. If you do your research right, you could end up with a bank that offers free balance transfers. Some will give you a grace period of six months to a year, where in they charge a lower interest on your transferred balance. Because these card issuers want your business, they will be more than happy to accommodate you. A maximum of four weeks is all that it will take. Would balance transfer have an effect on my credit ratings? This is the tricky part. If you are just going to transfer the balance to another card, your credit score is safe. Some say that it is better to close the old credit account, but that is not true in most cases. Not only does part of your credit history get "erased", your debt ratio will be affected negatively especially if your new card has a lower credit limit. On the other hand, having an open bank account will also affect your credit score, but not as much as closing it. The best thing to do is to keep both accounts open. The old credit card can be discarded, or you can use it as before. But take care to make payments on the transferred amount.