Home Page
Chase Announces the Freedom Credit Card and Lowers Interest Rates
November 7th, 2008
Today Chase announced a new credit card called the Chase Freedom Card. This new product offers the following features:
- 3% Bonus cash back on gas, groceries and fast food purchases for the first six months*
- 1% Unlimited cash back on everything else. No cap. No expiration.*
- 0% Intro APR on purchases only for up to 12 months.*
- No annual fee
In addition, the Freedom card has a low standard interest rate once the intro rate expires. To learn more and to apply securely online, go to the Chase Freedom Card information page.
Also, because the Federal Reserve has reduced interest rates, Chase has lowered its interest rates on all of its cards. To view all of the available Chase cards on CompareCreditCards.cc, go to the Chase Credit Card Comparison Page.
Announcing the Prepaid Green Dot Mastercard
November 4th, 2008
We are excited to now offer the Green Dot Prepaid MasterCard®. As you may be aware of, Green Dot is one of the most popular prepaid cards available, and can be found in thousands of locations nationwide, including Rite Aid, CVS, Eckerd, Radio Shack, The Pantry and others. The Green Dot Prepaid MasterCard® is now available at CompareCreditCards.cc!
The details are as follows:
-
As seen on TV-by far the most popular prepaid in America!
-
Available at over 50,000 retailers including Walgreens, CVS, Rite-Aid
-
Save $5 today when you order online
-
No credit check, EVER
-
Easy reload using Green Dot MoneyPaks
-
Extra bonuses with Direct Deposit
-
No bounced check fees or outrageous interest charges
Learn more and apply online by clicking here!
Iberiabank Reducing Interest Rates
October 27th, 2008
We received notice today that Iberiabank is reducing credit card interest rate, effecting of November 1, 2008. Here are the details:
Please note that the IBERIABANK Visa Product rates will be lowered effective 11/1/2008 due to the recent lowering of prime from 5% to 4.5% by the Federal Reserve.Product Rates are now as follows:
- Variable Rate APR ranging from Prime + 3% thru Prime + 5% (As low as 7.5% - 9.5%)
- Cash Advance Variable Rate APR ranging from Prime + 7% thru Prime + 9% (As low as 11.5% - 13.5%)
Lean more about the Iberiabank Visa Classic, and apply online by clicking here.
IBERIABANK Visa Gold
- Variable Rate APR ranging from Prime + 4% thru Prime + 6% (As low as 8.5% - 10.5%)
- Cash Advance Variable Rate APR ranging from Prime + 8% thru Prime + 10% (As low as 12.5% - 14.5%)
Lean more about the Iberiabank Visa Gold, and apply online by clicking here.
- Variable Rate APR ranging from Prime + 4% thru Prime + 6% (As low as 8.5% - 10.5%)
- Cash Advance Variable Rate APR ranging from Prime + 8% thru Prime + 10% (As low as 12.5% - 14.5%)
Lean more about the Iberiabank Visa Gold, and apply online by clicking here.
American Express Makes Some Changes
October 9th, 2008
American Express announced this week that they were adding a new Delta Airlines card to their lineup:
Delta Reserve Credit Card from American Express
- Annual First-Class companion certificate, which can be used for a First-Class or Coach-Class ticket!
- Earn up to 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after your first purchase
- Built-in Miles Boost(SM)— earn up to 30,000 MQMs and 30,000 bonus miles
- Complimentary Crown Room Club® access for you and two guests
- Access to American Express® Concierge Services
- Pay with Miles— pay for all or part of any Delta flight with your miles
Find out more here.
Fixing Bad Credit
September 12th, 2008
We often review credit card offers to help our readers save money, but we have not talked about what to do if you have bad credit and need help with qualifying for better credit card rates. Before you can qualify for the best interest rates and balance transfers, you generally have to have good credit.
One site we’ve recently come across to will help you fix bad credit. The site, repairmycreditnow.com, offers help with disputing inaccurate negative information on your credit report.
Federal laws allow you to have the credit reporting agencies review your report and verify the information. These steps are essential to fixing bad credit. Repairmycreditnow.com makes that process easier by giving you all the essential information you need to easily and quickly go through the process of implementing the right bad credit fix for you. They have very valuable resources and free information. We recommend that you check them out as a first step in improving your credit – allowing you to take advantage of better credit card offers!
Save Money and Help Others
August 6th, 2008
Today Advanta unveiled their new Kiva Business Mastercard. We’re excited about this new card offer because it combines the great interest rates and balance transfers that Advanta is known for with the opportunity to help the non-profit Kiva organization. What is Kiva? Here’s an excerpt from their web site:
Kiva’s mission is to connect people through lending for the sake of alleviating poverty.
Kiva is the world’s first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend directly to unique entrepreneurs in the developing world.
The people you see on Kiva’s site are real individuals in need of funding - not marketing material. When you browse entrepreneurs’ profiles on the site, choose someone to lend to, and then make a loan, you are helping a real person make great strides towards economic independence and improve life for themselves, their family, and their community. Throughout the course of the loan (usually 6-12 months), you can receive email journal updates and track repayments. Then, when you get your loan money back, you can relend to someone else in need.
We here at Compare Credit Cards are excited because we’ve contributed to Kiva and have enjoyed watching our money do some good in the third world. The great part about Kiva is that you can withdraw your money if you want it back.
The new Kiva Advanta Credit Card comes with the following excellent terms:
- Advanta will match your grant to Kiva made using your Kiva BusinessCard dollar for dollar up to $200/month per card account in total*
- Get 5% statement credit for grants to Kiva and charitable donations and up to 1% on purchases*
- Unbeatable APR — 0% on balance transfers for 15 months, and 7.99% fixed APR thereafter*
- No Annual Fee and No Limit on Earnings
- $0 Fraud Liability
It’s a perfect combination! If you are interested in applying, head on over the to the Advanta Kiva Business Card page.
Introducing the Compare Credit Cards Discussion Forum
July 24th, 2008
Today we have unveiled the Compare Credit Cards Discussion Forum! If you have questions about credit cards, credit reports, or debt in general, we welcome you to visit the discussion forum. The forum is open to everyone to discuss all issues related to credit cards. Visit the forums now to start the discussion.
Bad for American Express, Good for You!
July 23rd, 2008
This week, American Express announced that their corporate earnings were down by 37% in the last year due to problems with the credit markets in the United States. As the US economy dips, some credit card companies are experiencing problems with high rates of default. However, the bad news for American Express is good news for you!
Starting on Monday, July 21st, American Express announced better terms for four of their credit Cards. The details are below:
- Blue from American Express – The regular annual percentage rate is dropping from “as low as 9.99%” to “as low as 8.99%”
- Blue Cash from American Express – The intro 0% balance transfer rate is extending from “up to six months” to “up to 12 months.” This means that you get 0% interest on balance transfers for twice as long. In addition, the interest rate after the balance transfer rate expires is dropping from 9.99% to 8.99%, depending on your credit.
- Blue Sky from American Express – Same as Blue Cash – the intro 0% balance transfer rate is extending to “up to 12 months” from six months, and the regular interest rate is dropping to 8.99%.
- Clear from American Express – The regular APR of the “Clear” card is dropping to as low as 9.99% from 10.99%.
As you can see, American Express is working hard to get new customers. We’ve been consistently impressed by the offers that American Express has been making lately. These changes in terms are probably temporary, so if you’re looking for a better credit card or to transfer some balances to save money, we suggest that you apply for one of the above American Express cards. Head over the to the American Express credit card page for a full listing of what they are offering.
Transferring Credit Card Balances - What to Look For
July 21st, 2008
We’ve all received plenty of offers in the mail to transfer credit card balances at low interest rates. Usually the offers involve receiving a low interest rate on the transferred balance - sometimes 4.99% or even 0%. While these offers can be excellent deals if used properly, we think that it’s important for credit card customers to look at all the fine print and completely understand the offer before signing up. We’d like to make sure our readers are making informed credit decisions, so here are our tips on choosing the best balance transfer offer.
- The Teaser Interest Rate - The most important thing to look at is the “teaser” interest rate. This is the interest rate that is being offered on transferred balances. Of course, the lower the rate, the better. But does it make that much of a difference if the interest rate is 4.99% versus 0%? Let’s take a look at some numbers. First, let’s assume that you have a credit card balance of $4,000 and you want to transfer that to a low interest balance transfer credit card. If you go with the 0% interest rate balance transfer offer and make payments of $75 a month, at the end of one year, you’ll have a balance of $3,100. Since your entire payment goes to pay down the balance of the credit card, you’ll get it paid off much more quickly. Now, let’s say that you choose a credit card balance transfer offer with 4.99%. Over the same time period and with the same monthly payment of $75 a month, you’ll pay about $180 in interest. At the end of one year, your credit card balance will be about $3270. By choosing the 0% credit card balance transfer offer, you’ll save $180 and will have a $170 lower balance at the end of a year. Clearly, the interest rate is very important.
- The second important factor to pay attention to is the length of the balance transfer offer. Some offers are only for nine months, others are for up to 18 months. We’ve even come across some credit cards balance transfer offers that offer the low interest rate for as long as it takes to pay off the transferred balance. This means that the low balance transfer interest rate they are offering you will apply for the specified period of time. After that, the interest rate typically adjust upwards to the credit card’s standard purchase interest rate. This means that you should try to pay the credit card balance off by the time the balance transfer interest rate ends. Of course, not many people can do this, but you will be saving lots of money on interest in the mean time. The longer the balance transfer interest rate period, the better.
- Another important factor in choosing the right credit card balance transfer offer is if there are any transaction fees. Transaction fees are fees that some credit card companies tack on to the balance transfer when you move the balance to their credit card. Look closely at the credit card’s terms and conditions to determine the transaction fee. Many cards will waive the fees for balance transfer offers when you apply for a new credit card. However, be sure to check before you open a new account. Balance transfer transaction fees can be as high as 3% of the balance that you are transferring. On a $4,000 balance transfer, that is a fee of $120. Some credit card companies limit the amount of transaction fees they will charge - typically up to $100, but some do not.
- Finally, some credit card companies will take the low interest balance transfer offer away if you are late on a payment. This is another piece of information to look for when applying. It’s always important to read the entire terms of the credit card offer before applying. This is one items to look for. This is another reason to make sure that you pay on time. If you lose the low interest “teaser” rate becuase you were late on a payment, the company is unlikely to offer you that low interest rate again.
It’s important to make an informed decision when it comes to your credit and applying for credit cards. We hope this information is useful in making a good decision when it comes to applying for a new credit card in order to get a good balance transfer rate.
Based on the factors above, we can recommend a few excellent credit card balance transfer offers:
- Chase Platinum Mastercard - Chase is offering a 0% balance transfer interest rate for 12 months. There is no annual fee and there are no transaction fees.
- Blue from American Express - Blue from American Express is a great way to have a low balance transfer interest rate, plus a low purchase interest rate. Right now, American Express is offering 0% interest rate on purchases for 15 months, along with a 4.99% balance transfer interest rate for as long as it takes to pay off the balance transfer. Two excellent offers on the same credit card!
- Advanta Life of Balance Credit Card- This Advanta offers is, in our opinion, the best balance transfer credit card we’ve ever seen. Advanta is offering a 2.99% interest rate on transferred balances for as long as it takes to pay off the card. Unfortunately, this offer is only for businesses, but if you have a small business, this is an outstanding opportunity to lock in an extremely low credit card interest rate.
Latest Promotions from American Express
July 16th, 2008
American Express has announced the following promotions for their credit cards. I would expect these promotions to be temporary, so if you’re interested, head on over to the American Express Cards page to browse the available cards and to apply online.
- Blue Cash® from American Express: Earn up to 5% cash back on everyday purchases - even gas!
- American Express Platinum Credit Card - Earn 25,000 Membership Rewards® bonus points when you spend $1,000 in 3 months - Redeemable for one domestic round-trip airline ticket!
- Starting on July 14th, the Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express will offer a new incentive: Earn up to 25,000 bonus miles- enough for a total of $250 off Delta flights!
- Starting on June 15th, the Gold Delta SkyMiles® Business Credit Card will offer a new consumer incentive - Save a total of $250 off Delta flights. Earn 20,000 miles upon your first purchase on the Card Sign up for two Additional Cards and earn 5,000 bonus miles.
