Banks and Credit Card companies have made billions of dollars in fees over the years. But why should they have all the fun? This article is all about beating the banks at their own game by using the system to your advantage.
Don’t worry - this isn’t a scam! The reality is that banks and credit card companies make most of their money off a few customers. The rest of us can actually earn money from the rewards programs and free giveaways! I earned more than $500 in rewards on my credit card last year, paid no interest or annual fees, and improved my credit score along the way.
This isn’t just me talking – dozens of well-established financial gurus including Ramit Sethi and Robert Kiyosaki have tips on legitimately making money off banks while reducing debt and building your credit history.
But be careful! For every good offer, there are ten bad ones. Here are a few key points to consider when looking at new deals:
1) Annual Fees: NEVER pay annual fees on credit cards if you can avoid it. There are so many great cards with no annual fee; why should you pay for something that you can get for free?
2) Rewards Programs: How are the rewards paid out? What is the policy for redemption? Some rewards programs sound great initially, but are filled with complications when it comes to actually getting your money.
3) Interest Rates: Don’t be fooled by low introductory rates. These rates will jump up quickly regardless. Ideally, you should pay off most of your balance in full each month, but if you can’t do this, be careful about getting slammed with high interest rates six months in.
Here are some of the best credit cards available today – each of these credit cards features no annual fee and great opportunities for rewards. Used correctly, these cards will set you on the way to a great credit score and hundreds of dollars of free rewards.
If you are looking to reduce your overall debt, a 0% Balance Transfer credit card can help. These cards allow you to transfer debt from a high-interest credit card to a (temporarily) 0% card, which can significantly reduce your interest payments.
Let you have $10,000 in credit card debt, at 22% interest. Normally, you would pay $2,200 in interest on this. By rolling over the debt to a 0% balance transfer credit, you can keep this money for yourself!
The best options for balance transfer cards include:
- Discover More Card: 0% on balance transfers and purchases, plus great rewards!
- Citi Platinum Select: 0% on balance transfers and purchases, plus great online discounts!
- Discover Miles Card: 0% on balance transfers and purchases, plus 12,000 miles to start and additional earned miles with every purchase. A great way to subsidize your vacation!
