Know What to Look For With a 0% Balance Transfer Credit Card
If you have high interest rate credit cards with outstanding balances on them you may find that the monthly repayments that you are making on the cards are very high. In addition, if you are only making small repayments on the cards you may find that a large portion of what you pay on each balance in getting swallowed up in interest, which means that your actual balance is hardly being touched leaving you at risk of having the debt hanging around your neck for a long time to come.
This is the reason why many people have decided over recent years to transfer their higher interest credit card debts onto a convenient and affordable 0% balance transfer credit card. By doing this cardholders can save a considerable amount of money in interest payments, and as long as they remain within the credit limit on the new card can transfer balances from a range of different credit cards so that they have fewer credit card debts to deal with.
It is important to make sure that you get the best deal possible when you opt for a 0% balance transfer credit card, as getting the best deal can help you to save more money and buy you more time to repay the balance.
There are a number of things that you should check when it comes to finding a suitable 0% balance transfer deal, and by taking the time to compare different 0% balance transfer cards and compare these different factors you can increase your chances of getting the most competitive deal.
Of course, one of the most important factors that you will need to look at is how long the interest free credit period is, as the longer this is the more time you will have to repay the transferred balance without being charged any interest. Some 0% balance transfer cards offer interest free periods of just six months or so, but others offer 0% interest for twelve or even fifteen months in some cases. Make sure that you compare cards from a range of providers in order to find the best interest free period.
Most 0% balance transfer credit cards charge a transfer fee, and this is usually a percentage of the total amount that is being transferred. You need to compare the various 0% balance transfer cards and compare how much each charges by way of a transfer fee, as this can vary from one card provider to another. On average the transfer fee ranges from 2-3 percent of the total amount that is being transferred.
Although you should aim to repay the balance in full before the interest free period comes to an end on these 0% balance transfer cards it is worth taking a look at the interest rate that is charged just in case your have a remaining balance by the time the 0% period expires. However, this should not be the priority, as you should aim to have the balance cleared by the time that the interest free period ends.
This is the reason why many people have decided over recent years to transfer their higher interest credit card debts onto a convenient and affordable 0% balance transfer credit card. By doing this cardholders can save a considerable amount of money in interest payments, and as long as they remain within the credit limit on the new card can transfer balances from a range of different credit cards so that they have fewer credit card debts to deal with.
It is important to make sure that you get the best deal possible when you opt for a 0% balance transfer credit card, as getting the best deal can help you to save more money and buy you more time to repay the balance.
Of course, one of the most important factors that you will need to look at is how long the interest free credit period is, as the longer this is the more time you will have to repay the transferred balance without being charged any interest. Some 0% balance transfer cards offer interest free periods of just six months or so, but others offer 0% interest for twelve or even fifteen months in some cases. Make sure that you compare cards from a range of providers in order to find the best interest free period.
Most 0% balance transfer credit cards charge a transfer fee, and this is usually a percentage of the total amount that is being transferred. You need to compare the various 0% balance transfer cards and compare how much each charges by way of a transfer fee, as this can vary from one card provider to another. On average the transfer fee ranges from 2-3 percent of the total amount that is being transferred.
Although you should aim to repay the balance in full before the interest free period comes to an end on these 0% balance transfer cards it is worth taking a look at the interest rate that is charged just in case your have a remaining balance by the time the 0% period expires. However, this should not be the priority, as you should aim to have the balance cleared by the time that the interest free period ends.
Peter Kenny has been writing financial articles for 10 years and is a writer for The Thrifty Scot, please visit us at 0% Balance Transfers and Personal Loans Visit The Importance of Saving Money for the Future
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