Capehart Blog » Banks

No Fee Balance Transfer, 0% Intro APR Credit Cards Still Exist

admin — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 08:09:47 +0000

Ever since zero percent introductory annual percentage rate (intro APR) credit cards were introduced to the American market several years ago, they’ve been very popular. All types of consumers have been taking advantage of 0% offers. Most consumers use 0% deals to save money by avoiding interest charges on their credit card debt, while other money-savvy consumers use 0% offers to make money by playing the 0% credit card arbitrage game (also known as “stoozing.”) Many 0% card offers come with a catch: you have to pay a fee for transferring a balance. There are, however, a few select credit card products out there where you don’t have to pay a fee for the first or initial balance transfer.

Feeless, 0% intro APR balance transfer deals — perhaps the most sought-after 0% deals on the Internet — are a dying breed. Dying, but not dead. The pool of banks that offer feeless 0% deals has been shrinking. Why? Because the banks and card companies know that by eliminating the balance transfer transaction fee, a balance transfer “surfer” can transfer a card balance to a card, sit out the interest-free period, then transfer the balance out to a new 0% deal — thus denying the bank any opportunity to make money off the surfer. The balance transfer transaction fee gives a bank the opportunity to get at least something out of the deal.

The Discover More family of credit cards, offered by Discover Financial Services (DFS), has been exceedingly popular for transferring credit card balances. Why? Because, heretofore, with any Discover More card, you could transfer a card balance and pay no interest on the transferred funds for 12 months, with no balance transfer transaction fee. But that’s not all: with Discover More, you could (and still can) get a 0% rate on new credit card purchases for 12 months to boot. Its no wonder that the Discover More family of credit cards has been a top-ranked collection of cards at many top-rated websites.

But DFS recently made a change to the terms and conditions associated with the Discover More family of credit cards: you now have to pay a fee for transferring a balance; the minimum transfer fee is $10. The Discover More group of cards still offers great value, with a 0% intro APR rate on both balance transfers and new purchases for one year, but the nascent balance transfer transaction fee may turn off some folks out there in the market for a hot, 0% card deal.

OK, now for the good news: Bank of America, Washington Mutual (Wamu) and Pulaski Bank still offer consumer credit cards where you can transfer a balance at zero percent for 6 or 12 months (depending on the card) and pay no balance transfer fee. Furthermore, Capital One has business cards that provide an option to transfer balances without assessing a balance transfer transaction fee.

If you plan on hunting (or continuing your hunt) for an attractive 0% card deal after reading this article, remember two things:

In your search for “no transfer fee” 0% deals, you may find articles, blog posts or other website content with claims that feeless 0% deals no longer exist. Don’t buy it. Feeless 0% balance transfer offers can still be found today — even with certain business cards — if you know where to look. Credit card deals are constantly evolving, so if you’re planning on signing up for a specific 0% offer that you’ve had your eye on for a while, try not to drag your heels. The sexy, feeless balance transfer offer you find today may be gone tomorrow. Thankfully, the selection of “no fee” 0% deals is still quite healthy, so you don’t have to panic if the offer you wanted disappears.

Why you have to live with two jobs if payday loans can help you?

admin — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 00:51:05 +0000

Nowadays, the economics in almost all country is become a national disaster. They have to face that the price of goods is increasing day by day. They have faced it with patient. For a hard worker, they will feel unappreciated because they have worked hard but the payment is also increase equal to the increasing of good’s price. They become confuse how to buy many things about the daily needs or pay the kid school’s fee. They have a payment but the amount of payday is running out before the next payday. You have to make a quick thinking if you want to get out of this disaster. You have to find the help immediately. There are many people live like you. They have a payday but the amount is equal with the needs for whole months, so they cannot save a little on banks. But now there are many loaning company that help to solve this problems. They help you by give you a payday loan. They do it to make you still can live your life and your family. They make the process also easier. They no need about your applications, they only need you to meet them face to face to make a deal, and if they accept it, you will get the money. Easy isn’t it? Everything that easy as those payday loan is also running concurrently with responsibility. You know what it means. You have to make a loan that you still can pay the installments every month. Or if you object with this payday loan, you can make a double job. So you will have more than one salary. But rarely people want to do it. They prefer choose to make a payday loan, so they still can buy the need and they have a small pay back installment.

How to Pay No International Credit Card Transaction Fees

admin — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 01:41:29 +0000

Every major U.S. credit card company with the exception of one charges a two to three percent foreign transaction fee when you use your credit card abroad. Until recently, many credit card companies did not clearly disclose these fees in their terms and conditions. Consequently, many people received a notice of a class action lawsuit settlement in regards to these fees earlier this year. Now that the lawsuit has been settled, credit card companies are required to clearly state foreign and international transaction charges on credit card applications. Here, we will look at ways to minimize and avoid these fees.

First, if you do not know how much your current credit card company charges for international transactions, contact customer service to find out. The vast majority will inform you that this fee is three percent. With the US dollar sagging, paying an extra three percent on every purchase can really hurt the wallet. Fortunately, there are a few ways to avoid these charges.

If you have cash available, using a debit card eliminates this fee. Most banks do not tack on a transaction fee for ATM withdrawals. Plus, the foreign currency rate you’ll get from your bank is often significantly better than what you would get at a foreign currency exchange booth. Again, exchange rates and potential fees vary from bank to bank, so it is important to call ahead.

While ATM withdrawals are generally free of foreign transaction charges, using your debit card as a credit card comes with some risks. First, a credit card provides much better fraud protection than a debit card. If, for example, an unscrupulous merchant overcharged or fraudulently used your credit card, you can easily contest the charges and get a refund. If, on the other hand, you debit card was fraudulently used, you will not only be faced with a depleted bank account, but it often takes a great deal longer to get your money returned. For this reason, using a debit card to make purchases abroad can prove risky.

Ultimately, the only way to pay no international transaction fees is to use a credit card doesn’t charge these fees. By using a no fee credit card, you get the security a credit card provides without the annoying added expenses.

Find a Bank With No Overdraft Fees

admin — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 00:52:15 +0000

If you were a parched traveler in the middle of a hot desert looking for water, you can imagine what a welcome sight a lush oasis spotted in your path just up ahead would be. That is exactly how jaded bank customers who have been paying too much money in overdraft fees to their bank each month feel when they find a no-overdraft-fee bank: a sense of pure relief.

Why We Pay Too Much in Overdraft Fees

Banks bring in over $25 billion each year in overdraft fees alone. That is “billion” with a “b.” Guess who is footing the bill? Average citizens just trying to scrape enough money together each month to pay bills and get by, that’s who. If asked, most people would agree that they do not feel they need to help banks out financially in this way. (Banks are already getting plenty of help as it is).

But, what exactly brought us to the situation with overdraft fees that we find ourselves in now? How is it that banks can be making such a killing in fees? The answer lies in the relatively recent rise in two related banking phenomena: overdraft protection programs and the debit card.

Overdraft Protection Programs Are Not Your Friend

Overdraft protection programs certainly sound friendly enough. When they were introduced about a decade ago, most consumers took them for what the name implies: a way for the bank customer to be protected from checks and other charges “bouncing” due to insufficient funds in the accounts. And, in a way, this understanding is accurate: these programs do indeed protect bank customers from having their checks bounce or debit card transactions rejected.

However, that’s where the “protection” ends. You see, even though your bank will cover those charges for you, they will also turn right around and charge you an overdraft fee for the trouble. These fees usually range from $25 to $35 or more. That means that just three overdrafts in a month can cost you over $100!

Debit Cards Make Things Worse

What really has made the whole situation more difficult is the rise of the debit card. Debit cards that are attached to a checking account are so convenient to use. After all, it is so easy to make a charge on your debit card for the goods and services you need. But here is the catch that most consumers don’t know about: your debit card transaction will be honored by your bank, even if you do not have sufficient funds to cover it.

Now, this sounds like your bank is doing you a favor, but remember, when you have overdraft protection in place, the result is – ding – yet another charge to your account. These can really add up fast, putting you more in the hole. The whole situation is set up to basically invite more overdraft charges into your life.

How to Find a Bank with No Overdraft Fees

If you want to find a bank with no overdraft fees, check out these tips:

1. If you live in the U.S., make sure that the bank is FDIC-insured. This means that, even if they were to go under, your funds would still be safe.

2. Choose a no-overdraft-fee bank that allows you to sign up online.

3. Make sure the bank gives you access to a nationwide ATM network so you have ready access to your cash.

Once you find your no overdraft fee bank, you will be glad that you made the switch. The monthly savings will be noticeable right away, since you will never have to pay an overdraft fee again!

Taking advantage of small business loans

admin — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 07:37:07 +0000

If you have enough in your savings to finance your new business started, then you can use it to help your business. However so many residents had no choice and this is where small business loans come into play. You see, you must have the money to build a website, purchase a hosting service, advertising, and much more. These hidden costs that may not be considered in the beginning can add up quickly. Business loans are designed to help you in this case.

You just check around at several different financial institutions and ask about small business loans they have. Remember that you are not limited to banks, you also can check with the Small Business Association to get guidance on this subject, you can check with the credit union, and many more. It is not personal loans, you should remember it.

Utilizing all available resources are available to you. You’re opening a new business, although may be located in your home and you will be able to work in your pajamas if you want. Financial expert will ask any weaknesses that arise in your business plan if they find it at bank, hence it is your application might be rejected for a loan.

How should society react to the problems of the poor?

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:15:34 +0000

There’s a darker side to America. It boasts it’s the land of the free. It claims it’s a level playing field and everyone can make it if they try hard enough. This myth of hard work always being rewarded with big bucks is dangerously misleading to the many who hope to improve their lot. Now add in the tenet that everyone should take responsibility for their own lives. This is the land of the individual, they claim. People should keep what they earn. Everything else is socialism and evil. Society should never help the weak and disadvantaged because it only encourages freeloading. As an example, you only have to look at the campaign against reform of the healthcare industry. Raise taxes on the rich to pay for healthcare for the poor is dragging the US into the same pit as Russia and all those other communist states.

So looking around the newspapers recently, there have been a number of editorials and articles attacking the loans offered to the low paid. If you think this was meant in defense of the low paid, think again. The general tone was to judge the disadvantaged members of society as feckless and inept. Apparently, it’s their fault they fall prey to the short-term loan industry charging extortionate rates of interest. If they were only more responsible and managed their resources better, they would be able to avoid falling into debt.

Well, these newspapers are edited by people who are well-paid and never have a financial emergency. Although the story always used to be that everyone was only ever one pay check from losing their homes, all this is forgotten when it comes to the unlucky and the low paid. Now, no-one responsible ever gets into trouble. All the best people are prudent and wise in the management of their affairs. This is the new myth. It’s a myth because it ignores the fact that the unlucky and the low paid are denied access to the usual banking system.

Instead of banks and the conventional finance companies being prepared to hold out a helping hand to those in trouble, they turn away everyone with a low credit score. There are loans and overdrafts available but they are reserved for the people who, for the most part, already have enough. That’s why the low paid are driven into the arms of the payday loan companies. If they were treated with some respect, as being just as capable of repaying a loan as anyone else, there would be no need for them to be sucked dry by the high interest rates charged for payday loans.

This is an opinion piece. It’s quite angry because too many people are denied respect and laid open to exploitation by others. Society should not wash its hands of these people. It’s not socialism to care about what happens to people when they are victimized. In this world, it’s there but for the grace of God that we all go. It only takes one real emergency and our own financial security is gone. Our one pay check is not enough and we find ourselves knocking on the door of a payday loan company.

Online Real Estate Loan

admin — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:56:45 +0000

Doing banque sur internet is easy because more than one type of institution providing these loans. Most of the sources which allows someone to do the application online, and then make real estate loans easily. Mortgage lenders, credit unions, online financing centers, banks, etc are some places that may be contacted to obtain real estate loans. If you prefer to know more on mutuelle complementaire sante or emprunt Immobilier so I think you should explore creditfonctionnaire.org.

They’re among the most beneficial services in this area, contribute greatly to know how to find all the best interest rates on loans, remember to read their comments about real estate, all of these reviews were written by professional team in order to ensure that you’re going to read a helpful and useful resources. Do not hesitate to contact their customer support if you need assistant, they’d be happy with you all, the information you need will be found in very short time because you are served by a professional, so the service would be perfect.

Want to buy a house? Wait three years

admin — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 02:08:41 +0000

If, despite the obvious you are still thinking of buying an apartment or a house, and you’re in search of the best alternatives and the best price, our advice is without doubt: wait three years.

Why?

The Euribor will continue high. Despite a drop in interbank lending rates, the rate for calculating interest which are subject to mortgages, continue to rise, and it is believed that, at least for the remainder of the year, not lower than 5%. Without a restructuring of confidence in the financial system, money will remain expensive.

The banking crisis will peak in 2009. All done in macroeconomics takes nine months to affect the real economy. The credit crunch (due to which banks raising interest capitalized on all types of claims) may extend to the last part of 2009 and even 2010. Experts believe that inflation will decline only until 2011. Entoncs Only banks may be a liquid that will lower the price of mortgages.

The prices of flats will fall in two years. Although consumption has fallen by more than 40%, real estate agents refuse to lower prices. However, the contraction of its business, financial taxes, expenses and wear of the buildings, require a massive drop in prices could be around the 3rd% next year, and 50% for those same houses, apartments 3 years.

Should qualify for the mortgage moratorium?

admin — Mon, 18 May 2009 01:39:52 +0000

It has generated an enormous amount of noise and rumors about the moratorium mortgage launched by the government and supported by the ICO, designed for unemployed, low income workers and entrepreneurs into receivership. Although in principle this is a noble initiative, the approach itself is full of gaps and ambiguities that suggest that perhaps the remedy is worse than the disease.

1. Beneficiaries

Although raised with the unemployed in mind, only those with more than three months without work can be ascribed to her, which leaves out most of the workers displaced by the crisis at this time (the bulk of unemployment has been generated in January).

2. The amount

The moratorium only held mortgages below the 170,000 euros, which leaves out most of the people who might have trouble paying

3. The discount

It is important to note that the moratorium is not such but merely a postponement of debt, and that the amounts deducted from the monthly installments) shall not exceed EUR 500 and b) will have to pay from 2011, which is not a substantial discount and yes, however, increased the life of the mortgage

4. Banks

Not all banks have joined the initiative, nor all those who have announced they will have signed the agreement with ICO. Only 35 of the 60 banks that have been said participant has concluded the agreement and provide the benefit. The rest is an enigma …

5. Interest

Although advertised as a free benefit, not the case: the postponement of debt will have an interest of 0.8% ICO, although may prematurely cancel the deferred amounts.

With all this, the value of the initiative remains to be seen.

What requirements must I meet to apply for a mortgage?

admin — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 01:20:08 +0000

Banks use an equation in a triangle that covers the three main factors involving personal economy and housing prices, which are crucial to our ability to borrow: Income, Equity and Credit.

What requirements must I meet to apply for a mortgage?
Income: the rest of the relationship between what you earn (your actual income and taxable) and the total amount paid in respect of accumulated debts. Is measured monthly, and describes positive mind (from less than the amount that you leave your monthly debts, you are less attractive for the bank as a client).

Equity: Loan to value, a factor which measures the risk to the bank to lend money to purchase a property, and involves some fun facts:
The value of the home you’re buying (selling price) is not the same as its actual price (valuation) is possible through a mortgage to buy a house priced at 120,000 euros which is only valued at 90,000. The Loan to Value is measured by dividing the actual price of housing for the requested amount of the mortgage: a mortgage of 80,000 euros to buy a 120,000 house valued at 100,000, will have an 80% LTV, the higher the percentage, the greater the risk that the bank runs.
The devaluation of the real price of housing in Spain has meant that many mortgages have an LTV of more than 100%. That is, homes whose sale does not cover the loan amount.

Credit: The character of your history of credit from consulting, patterns of debtors and other sources that use banks