The Top Chase Credit Cards for Every Consumer

Written by David Long on June 22, 2011 – 7:53 pm

The bank’s national presence makes Chase credit cards a solid choice for nomadic students and frequent business travelers as well as for more settled types. We’ve often ranked certain Chase cards among the best in travel, gas and overall rewards, and while the low interest rate cards are usually nothing to write home about, many cards come with unusual perks that make them worthwhile.

Among Chase’s best benefits is access to the Ultimate Rewards Mall. This online marketplace allows you to earn cash back on any number of retailers, as long as you click through Chase’s website. You can earn 10% back at BananaRepublic.com, 6% at Gap.com, and 6% at Macys.com (rates which, by the way, are better than those of the stores’ branded credit cards). An online shopper will find the Ultimate Rewards Mall reason itself to get a Chase credit card.

The ongoing APR for the Chase Freedom is a minimum of 11.99% (variable, as of June 2011), but it shines as a rewards credit card that won’t gouge you if you carry a balance. In addition to a 1% base rate, there’s a lovely promotional offer going on now: plus 5% back on gas, hotel and airline purchases from July 1st through September 30th (up to $1,500 in purchases). That’s on top

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Tags: Cards, Chase Credit, Chase Credit Cards, Credit Cards
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BankAmericard® Visa® Card Review

Written by Kimberly Bennett on June 22, 2011 – 6:58 pm

The BankAmericard Visa Card is a basic credit card that is ideal for those that want a card that offers a 0% introductory rate on balance transfers. This card does not have a rewards program, but does off a low rate if you qualify. There is no annual fee and cardmembers receive all the great benefits Bank of American offers their cardholders.

  • 0% Introductory Rate on Purchases and Balance Transfers
  • Low Standard APR
  • No annual fee
  • Automatic auto rental insurance
  • Purchase replacement coverage on any purchases that are stolen, damaged or lost within 90 days of purchase
  • Cards for additional users at no extra charge

The BankAmericard Visa Card offers an introductory rate of 0% for 9 to 12 months on balance transfers. Balance transfers must be made within the first 60 days of applying in order to receive the 0%. Balance Transfers are subject to a 4% transaction fee. After the introductory period the standard APR is 10.99% to 19.99% based on your creditworthiness. The APR can vary based on changes to the prime rate.

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Cash Back Credit Cards: Finding the best that suits your lifestyle

Written by Kimberly Bennett on June 22, 2011 – 10:25 am

It seems to be a great idea to earn money while you spend. But is it really possible? Yes, it is. You can earn lot of money with the help of cash back credit cards. The incentives on these cards have proven successful for those who charge everything like cloths, dinner, etc.

These cards can be best evaluated on two components: the percentage earned on purchase and method of its delivery to the customers. These cards are best suited for those who do not carry monthly balances.

These credit cards require good credit ratings. Every purchase charged on the card gains you points. After attaining a certain number of points, you can get some more points for redeeming your cash.

A cash back credit card is an advantage, if you have no outstanding balance to your credit. A disciplined cardholder is always preferred by companies. The best cash back credit cards are those that offer better cash backs with low and long-term annual percentage rates.


Tags: Back Credit, Back Credit Cards, Cards, Credit Cards
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Pros and Cons of Paperless Billing Statements

Written by David Long on June 21, 2011 – 1:59 pm

Many credit card companies, store charge cards, and other companies are moving toward a greener approach with their billing statements. You’ll often notice when you log into your account online that there is a big push to get consumers signed up for paperless billing. Often a screen pops up before you can access your account details, giving you a pitch to sign up for the paperless statements. You’ll even notice that the button to accept these greener statements has a more enticing appearance than the button to decline them. Before you click that button to accept paperless billing statements, it’s important to consider the pros and cons of both options.

Pros of Paperless Billing Statements * It’s an eco-friendly, green approach that is good for our planet. * Reduce the amount of mail you have to go through every month. * Sometimes companies give you a statement credit or a special reward or promotion when you sign up for paperless billing. * This definitely helps you to embrace the digital age.

Cons of Paperless Billing Statements * Without a physical paper statement in the mail, it becomes more likely that you will forget to make a payment, causing all kinds of bad situations with your credit.

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Tags: Billing Statements, Statements
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TradeKing Review —Easy for Beginning Investors

Written by Kimberly Bennett on June 21, 2011 – 9:13 am

One of the most desirably parts of using TradeKing is the extent of which their investment options run.  They’re seemingly limitless on the matter and keep up with everything in today’s industry.  And they, like many others, offer a tutorial website to help the consumer find the right path to take.

On par with several other sources, TradeKing offers multiple resources to help the consumer get through the process of stock trading and investing.  Their services include easy access to your portfolio, streaming quotes, interactive charts, and similar services.  They also include detailed options trading, an options screener, a probability calculator, a profit and loss calculator and volatility charts.

If you’re wanting more information about your stocks Tradeking also offers personalized assistance like many other online services.  However, unlike the others, their customer service is not available 24-7 which can be a problem considering the other sources have such a leg up internationally, both in regards to other markets and to being utilized by those in other countries.

Tradeking offers $4.95 flat rate stock buying broker assistance rates.  They also cut special deals depending on how much you’re going to be investing.  In many cases you can get a substantial discount by purchasing or trading a larger number of stocks or bonds.

Unlike other sites, TradeKing’s website isn’t particularly the most user-friendly.  It’s straightforward, which might appeal to many.  Their approach gets straight to the point, outlines the site’s key services, provides information about stocks and bonds in general, and otherwise helps the consumer get to the right conclusion and find the stocks that are right for them.

But they don’t have all the bells and whistles of some other similar companies.  Granted, these bells and whistles are sometimes the downfall of the site—people get too caught up in them and then realize they don’t fully understand their own portfolio or what they’re investing in.

With Tradeking, however, you don’t need a large sum to initially invest.  In fact there’s no minimum so you can pay as you go, unlike other services.  And even after you’re started, there’s no required minimum that you keep in your account.

Tradeking, thusly, is ideal for a new investor.  It’s easy to get going, and they’re straightforward enough to make the process easy.

Similarly, the reviews of Tradeking are mostly positive as well.  People are fond of the no minimum account balance and the extremely cheap broker fees.  If you’re not a high-income employee and still want to get going in trading, Tradeking might be the route you want to take.

Different from other services, with TradeKing you can get a $150 bonus if you refer somebody else.  Even if that person had been with another service before, TradeKing will still offer you and them a $150 bonus for converting.

TradeKing has earned the distinction of receiving four out of five stars from Barron’s—the leader in investing criticism and insights—running from 2007-2011.  Smartmoney also named TradeKing number one in customer service in 2010.  Overall, TradeKing comes with several distinctions and promising awards.

They also feature online chat service, but like the rest of their customer service it’s not offered 24-7.

But with TradeKing’s extensive trader network, the consumer learns more about investment through the actions of others.  Popular trades are analyzed and explained in full.  This option differentiates their services from that of other online trading sites.


Tags: Tradeking, Tradeking Review
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