What are the advantages to you when you get a Platinum Master Card? Every time I get a credit card, or consider getting one, I ask myself a question. I ask myself what the advantages are and whether or not it is something that is worth my time. You should do the same thing. A Platinum Master Card has certain advantages to it that will likely make it a worthwhile card for you to have in your wallet on a day to day basis. It is useful, inexpensive, and will accommodate your spending needs no matter what.
The first advantage to a Platinum Master Card is that there is no annual fee. An annual fee for a credit card is the amount of money a company charges you each year to carry the card. For the most part, there is no reason to have a card with an annual feel because so many are available without it. If you are looking at a card that offers airline miles or something of that sort, then it might be worth an annual fee, but for the most part you should stick to free cards. Since a Platinum Master Card does not have an annual fee you shouldn’t feel obligated to use it more than you want and will thus control your spending just that much more.
The second thing to consider about your Platinum Master Card is that it can be used most anywhere. With some other credit card companies you will run into places that take credit cards, but not that specific credit card type. The Platinum Master Card is pretty universal and you will find that most any place that does accept credit cards will accept it. That can go a long way in making sure you can spend where you want when you want. In fact, any time you are looking to a credit card of any brand you should make sure that it is going to be accepted in the places you frequent the most as well as places you will need to go in case of certain circumstances.
Thirdly, if you qualify for a Platinum Master Card, you will qualify for a significant monthly limit. You never know when you are going to want to or need to make a large purchase and it sure would be good to know that your card will accommodate the amount you need to spend. Most Platinum Master Cards have fairly high limits and should be able to help you in most any spending situation. That makes it a versatile and worthwhile card in itself.
Getting the right credit card is confusing at times since there are so many available out there. The Platinum Master Card should at least get a look from you for its usefulness, inexpensive or non-existent fees, and high limits. Those three factors mean that you will be able to use it when you want and that with it in your wallet you will have peace of mind. Given the chance, a Platinum Master Card just might be the right card for you.
If you would like to find more of my personal articles on credit cards please check out my website on online credit applications!
If you were to tell someone that they can have a certain item for free, more than likely their response would be, “what’s the catch?” In the case of credit reports there is no catch, you can now get a free copy of this report through the three credit reporting agencies: Equifax, TransUnions, and Experian. Let’s take a look at the law and how you can benefit from it.
An amendment to the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires the three national credit reporting agencies to provide one free copy of your credit report to you annually. Beginning on December 1, 2004 and culminating on September 1, 2005, the Federal Trade Commission is requiring that these agencies offer reports on a rolling, phase in basis. In other words, on December 1, 2004, if you live in certain western states you became eligible at that time and every three months later additional states were added. By September 1, 2005, residents of all states are eligible.
Fortunately for consumers, you need not contact the three reporting agencies separately to obtain your free credit report. You can order right online at www.annualcreditreport.com; or by calling 877-322-8228; or by completing the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mailing it:
Annual Credit Report Request Service
P.O. Box 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281
The form is available online where you can print it out and mail it in: www.ftc.gov/credit.
If you need copies more often, you can contact the three reporting agencies and request copies. You will pay for this service.
To buy a copy of your report, contact:
Equifax
800-685-1111
www.equifax.com
Experian
888-EXPERIAN (888-397-3742)
www.experian.com
Trans Union
800-916-8800
www.transunion.com
There are also private companies who will obtain all three copies of your credit report for you as well. There is a fee involved, but you may find their services to be less of a hassle than contacting the three companies separately.
So, how can you benefit from the law? By ordering copies of your reports from the companies on a four month rotating basis. Most consumers will find this plan to be sufficient and it will allow for you to compare/contrast the reports of each agency. Of course, if you already suspect fraud you will want to order all three reports at once and notify each agency to place a “fraud alert” in your credit file.
All in all, the new law is a big win for consumers. Take advantage of this “windfall” as soon as you become eligible to do so.
Copyright 2005 — Matthew Keegan is the owner of a successful article writing, web design, and marketing business based in North Carolina, USA. He manages several sites including the Corporate Flight Attendant Community and the Aviation Employment Board. Please visit The Article Writer to review selections from his portfolio.
Cash back credit cards are becoming more and more popular these days owing to its attractive cash back option. Cash back reward programs offers a flat percentage rate, generally 1% of purchases, rebated back to the customer in the form of a check at the end of a statement credit or at the end of the year.
Several merchants as well as established department stores offer cash back credit cards to entice its regular customers and new customers to encourage shopping at their stores by charging the purchases with their respective cash back credit cards. The customers who utilize this scheme will get the cash back reward for the total amount of purchases done at the end of a billing statement.
Most of the cash back credit card issuers create their own cash back credit programs. The two most popular types of cash back credit card programs will provide the customers with a credit to their balance card amount whenever the customer makes a purchase with the card. However, the original amount of the cash back reward a customer obtains will depend on the original terms and conditions of the cash back credit card program. This varies from one card issuer to the other and the amount of total purchases made by a customer using the card.
There are several points you need to consider before applying for a cash back credit card. The first step is to determine your spending habits and calculate how much credit is needed for you every month. If you are a frequent shopper and you buy a lot of products from a particular store which offers a cash back program, then obviously, it is a good idea to obtain a cash back credit card.
However, all credit cards offering cash back rewards are not limited to a particular shop. There are several credit card issuers who provide an ordinary MasterCard or Visa credit card which the customers can use at any shop which accepts payments, providing cash back reward offers for goods or services purchased using the credit card. If you are using these types of cash back credit cards, you need not purchase from one specific shop all the time. You can use these cards to purchase products from any store which accepts these credit cards.
Before you apply for any of the cash back credit cards, read the terms and conditions of the card carefully, paying particular attention to any annual fees or hidden charges that you might need to pay for obtaining and using these cards. To obtain cash back benefits, some credit card issuers will require customers to carry forward a card balance from one month to the next. However, often times these types of card offers are not useful as cardholders end up to paying more in higher interest rate charges just for keeping a balance on the card.
So, before applying for any cash back credit card it is a good idea to estimate how much you will spend each month and calculate the cash back benefit you will receive every year. Now, subtract the amount of the annual membership or total fees you will need to pay to obtain the card. The result, if positive, is the net benefit you obtain by using the cash back credit card. If the result is negative, you need to rethink your motivation for needing this type of card. Keep in mind that the best cash back credit card is the one which will help you to secure the most net benefit in cash back rewards less any fees or surcharges that will be incurred.
For more on cash back credit cards, Robert Alan recommends that you visit CreditCardAssist.com
What is a Free Instant Credit Report?
Some may know that credit report is actually your credit history. It contains the data collected from various sources by the credit bureaus. Credit report gives detailed information about financial position in your business life. This report also reflects your late credit payment. Hence it’s very important that you pay all your debts on time. Remember that a good credit report is an added advantage if you are looking to purchase something very expensive. For instance, if you are considering buying a house in the near future you need to have a healthy credit report. A healthy credit report is the best way of impressing your bank or money lenders.
Is it necessary to keep a check on our Credit report?
Many people want an answer to this. Knowing your current credit report is important, but one has to be equally cautious while getting this information. You need to check your credit report at least once in six months. Remember checking your credit report helps in protecting your credit rating. Moreover, it also helps you to keep a check on your creditors. There may be times when your creditor might fail to report a past due balance.
Free Instant online credit report contains a complete summary of your personal information. It contains your name, your residential addresses, contact number, Social Security number, month and year of birth as well as your employment information. It also contains information about any bankruptcy in your credit report. Your financial institution may periodically obtain your credit report so as to maintain your up to date records.
There are various types of credit report such as business credit report, consumer credit report, yearly credit report, etc. Initially there was strict prohibition on disclosure of instant credit report but now any person can apply for his/her credit report. Many lenders and retailers who extend credit facilities entirely depend on credit report and score to give credit to their customers.
At http://www.free-instant-credit-report.info you can get all the latest and useful information you would like to know about free online instant credit report.
My name is Isabel Rodrigues. I am a professional writer. I am specilaized in writing articles. If you have any comments about the above article kindly let me know