Three Credit Card Benefits to Stay Away From
Credit card holders are offered many perks in an attempt to lure individuals into being customers for the long haul. Most of these benefits are provided to holders for free, but are not always the “perk” they seem to be. While some benefits may actually be help, here are three you should definitely stay away from.
* ATM Withdraws
Many consumers get lured into thinking the card is pulling from their actual
saving or checking, but it is not. The funds are being taken in the form of
a loan. Using this withdraw method with a credit card is actually putting
a person into credit card debt. You must also take into account, the fee's
you will have to pay, if you use an ATM machine that is not connected to the
credit card you use. This benefit is a huge profit maker for the credit card companies. They
get to collect on fees and interest on increasing balances. Is it really
worth paying high interest rates and fees associated with this perk, in
return for quick cash? In the long run, most people using this service are
only going to build on debt problems and potentially help to put them into
serious financial trouble.
* Balance Protection Insurance
The credit card companies push this service as a way a person can protect
oneself against an unforeseen difficulty. They make claims that it will help
pay credit card bills in the event of lost employment, disability, become
critically ill or accidental death. The catch comes with the method of charging
for this. They typically charge for this protection service based on the credit card
balance. There is generally a specific percentage of the card balance that
becomes the fee for the service. The more debt you have on the card, the
higher the rate they will charge you for this insurance. Also, keep in mind,
the protection only covers the minimum payment on the card based on the
contract terms.
* Convenience Checks
Almost every time you open mail from any of the credit card providers, you
will see convenience checks being pushed as a way to get quick cash. This
is one of the most popular "benefits" the credit card companies will market.
The reality of this fast cash is, they are just another way to get people
to accept cash advances. They tend to have the highest interest rates of all
the services offered by card issuers.There is almost no limit to what they can charge for the convenient check
services. They almost always have a minimum charge, but place no cap of
the fees. The interest rates have been found as high as 25%. Convenience
checks do not offers a grace period to avoid interest charges. They begin
charging interest immediately after the check has been cashed.
In Conclusion
Do you homework and learn all you can about services before you agree to any of them. There is always fine print. Most of us skip right over the terms of agreement, but it’s always a good decision to gain some understanding on what you are getting into. It will be worth your time to learn the pros and con’s of any credit card services your thinking about using. The three services explained here are ones I would surely stay away from, but they are not the only ones. There are sure to be more. Credit card issuers are always looking for new ways to make more money. Be on guard and stay informed.
Previous Next
See also
refinancing a car loan with navy federalfree bankrate mortgage calculatorfree credit report no credit card needed commercialhome mortgage calculator excelcnn breaking news live streamdata analysis softwarebankrate mortgage calculator bankrate auto calculatorlast minute cheap tickets to las vegasmsn hotmail sign in hotmail mailmoney network carddirect tvwashington mutual bank fallon nvaol de emailpaypal number for customer servicehotels nearyahoo peopleparty city near mesa az restaurants with low-carb menuscare credit full sitegoogle play gift cardcraigslist san jose carsinternet radio tunerbetter than youtube video siteva refinance home mortgage ratesyahoo mail classique gratuitdish network schedules tv listingstraveltodo tunisie agence de voyagepaypal cardexpedia commercials location is it thailandtravelocity cruises 2017pottery barn baby registry