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0% Balance Transfer Credit Cards- Too Good to be True | APR Credit Card

0% Balance Transfer Credit Cards- Too Good to be True

Filed Under (Credit Card) by APR Credit Card on 19-03-2009

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There are several credit card companies out there that will offer you 0% deals on either balance transfers or purchases. Most of the time, they just seem too good to resist.
You may be attracted to a credit card because it promises you an outstanding interest rate that seems very enticing especially when you are just too desperate because of your debts. Most of us have at some stage jumped for one of these attractive offers. These offers will be very tempting particularly if you have a large outstanding credit card balance that you are currently paying a lot of interest on. Many 0% balance transfer offers will save you hundreds of pounds on interest that you would otherwise have had to pay on your credit card balance. You should only ever take on another credit card if you have taken the time to review your finances and are satisfied that it is the right financial move for you at this time but no matter how attractive such offers may appear at the time.
Suppose you have one thousand pounds outstanding on a credit card that charges 10% APR, over the course of a year, this balance will cost you 100 pounds in interest charges. When you find a credit card that offers you 0% on balance transfers for six months, you will immediately think that it is the best answer to your problems. Why? Because no one can say no when it tells you that it is pretty obvious 0% is better than 10 if you were to take up this offer. Now, assuming there are no balance transfer fees, then how much will you have saved over the six month interest free period? Yes, it is 50 pounds. However, what will the interest rate revert to once the interest free period has come to an end? This is something you should be thinking about before you opt for the credit card, and not when the interest free period is about to expire and everything is more urgent. Suppose, for the sake of our example that the interest rate reverts to a rate of 25%. This means that over the next six months you will pay £125 in interest. Is it still a good deal?
Just because a credit card offers you 0% does not mean it is the best deal out there. The most important thing to do is to research and compare. Look at the long term rates that the card will offer you, and compare these to the rates you are already getting from your credit card. Maybe you should remain loyal to the card you have if your existing rate is better than the rates that you will get from the new card once the introductory offer expires.
Always think of the pros and cons of your actions. You  may not know what kind of frustration is waiting for you just because of your early decision without researching.

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