Chris Dodd asked: Selecting Your Credit Card Application
The first and most important step in applying for credit cards is being absolutely honest. How is your credit rating? Your credit score is going to be a major factor in the application process to grant you access to a revolving line of credit. If you don’t know your credit situation, I suggest that perhaps applying for a credit card is not your best option right now!
Choose a card according to your credit rating.
If your credit is poor to fair, apply for a credit card with the lowest APR and don’t worry too much about the rewards. Normally shouldn’t apply for the top rewards cards with fair to poor credit because they are reserved for excellent credit. When you have improved your credit score, then apply for one of the best credit cards with rewards like the chase freedom card.
If your credit is poor, apply only for credit cards that report to the major credit bureaus. Orchard bank credit cards are good for this and an excellent way to start rebuilding your credit.
If your credit is good to excellent look at credit cards offering cash back or shopping rewards. Just make sure there are no annual fees.
If you need a balance transfer credit card, make sure they are providing you with a 0% APR for at least 6 to 12 months. Chase visa cards are a very good choice for this purpose, if you would like more information or apply for a visa card, you can review chase credit cards [http://www.billsaddup.com/CreditCards/chase_cards.htm] and other card offers here.
Quite often many people are confused after they are rejected during the credit application process. In some cases, consumers that were given a loan are then rejected for a card even with a lower limit.
You should understand a few basic principles of how a bank or credit card company views you as a potential customer.
Take a typical hard working person that has a loan and then applies for a credit card with a an average credit limit. There was no problem getting the loan but the credit application for the card was denied. What happed? You need to think about how credit works and the difference between a loan and a visa or mastercard.
Normally it’s easier to get a line of credit for a home loan or personal loan than it is for a revolving line of credit such as a credit card.
An installment loan and a credit card have very different attributes and each is treated differently by the finance company when they make the decision to approve you. A loan is for a pre-set repayment amount on a monthly basis whereas a credit card is a revolving amount and is open ended and can be used whenever a consumer wishes to use it.
The main difference is that credit cards are unsecured debt but a loan is secured by your assets or the item itself and your down payment, which means there is much less risk by the creditor to grant you the loan. Technically you have something that the bank could take if you default on your payments.
Most people treat loan payments as the same as any other bill, when it comes to payments. Usually their priorities in debt repayment go in order of paying for the mortgage, installment loans and last but not least credit card debt. The problem here is that credit card debt is usually the one that causes us to a have poor credit rating.
The average consumer is more inclined to make their mortgage and loan payments well before paying their credit card. So, just from this fact alone, credit card debt takes the back-seat as far as most people are concerned. Credit card companies know and for this reason alone it is a greater risk. Don’t forget that credit cards are typically unsecured, increasing the risk to the lender and ultimately making it harder to obtain credit.
Most of us don’t even think of credit cards the same as a loan with re-payment requirements which ultimately impact your credit score, especially when credit cards get abused. A credit card is a loan! It is borrowed money!
Why don’t consumers view their credit cards as real debt?
I think it is due to the fact that it is a line of credit and easy to get at. Plus there is no approval process required before items are purchased. Credit cards are viewed quite often as cash in the bank account. Banks are cautious when lending money on credit cards for this exact reason. Credit companies know all too well how we think of money and credit.
Louis
