Save Hundreds on Your Credit Card Interest
The average American household is carrying more than $9,000 in credit card debt, with the interest rates on their cards averaging 16.5%.
$9,000 x 16.5% = almost $1500 per year in finance charges.
You may be overlooking one of the simplest and surest ways to immediately put a dent in your debt: Lower the interest rate you pay on your credit card balance. If you're paying more than 15% on your credit cards, listen up.
We're going to show you - step by step - how to slash your credit card interest rate and put hundreds of dollars back in your pocket. Before we get into switching to a new card and closing old accounts, let's see if we can get you a better deal with your current credit card company.
Credit card companies are pulling out all the stops to sign up customers. Competition is driving companies to lengths we've never seen before. And they're not just after new customers - they're doing cartwheels to keep the customers they've got. Use this competition to your advantage.
Over the next few days, take a peek at any credit card offers you get in the mail rather than throwing them right in the shredder. (We're getting about three offers a day at the Dolan household!) What interest rate are they offering? You probably don't even have to look inside the envelope - most times it's splashed in big, bold type right there on the outside. If any of these offers has a lower interest rate than you're currently paying, you've got the ammunition you need.
Before you chuck the envelope, check one more thing. Most of these flashy claims are only introductory interest rates that go up after six months or a year. To find out what your real interest rate will be, all you have to do is look for the "disclosure box," or as we like to call it, the "all the things we don't really want to tell you but we're required to by law" box.
In this box, you'll find the card's normal interest rate after the teaser rate ends. Finding the real interest rate in the disclosure box will keep you one step ahead in the negotiation game with your credit card company, as you'll see in a minute.
Debt Management
Family & Money
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Child Savings AccountsWhen opening a savings account for your child, make sure their Social Security number is used as the account's tax identification number. That way, as long as your child is under age 14, interest earned will be taxed at your child's lower tax rate, not at your tax rate. This rule holds true as long as your child earns less than $1,800 a year in interest. |
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