5 Easy Steps to Lower Your Credit Card Interest Rates

Lowering your credit card interest rates could save you hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. The lower your interest rates, the more money you save. Call your credit card company and request a lower rate. Many consumers are intimidated by the thought of requesting a lower rate. Don't be one of those consumers. You'd be surprised at the results. Your chances are good if you have been a customer for some time, you are not at your credit limit and you have been making timely payments. Any extra money you can save by lowering your credit card interest rates may certainly be put towards the rising costs of gasoline.

(1) Review Your Credit Card Statements

Review all of your credit card statements. Note the annual percentage rate you are paying on all of your credit cards. You should also note any late, over-limit or any other extra fees. Many credit card issuers practice universal default which means they can raise your rates if you fail to pay another bill on time, even a utility bill. You may not even be aware if you have been a victim of universal default because the credit card company does not have to warn you. In this case, you really do need to negotiate a lower interest rate.

(2) Research the Competition

Do a little research to find out what other credit cards have lower interest rates. You should also look for cards which offer 0% balance transfers and no annual fee. Be sure to note what the interest rate will be after the initial period. It is not uncommon for various credit cards to have vastly different interest rates. Some banks issue several different credit cards and there can be great interest rate and fee disparities within those cards. You could be paying twice the interest as someone else for the same credit card. Rates constantly fluctuate so it's imperative you check all of your monthly statements.

(3) Contact Your Credit Card Issuer

Speak with a representative and request your credit card interest rate be lowered. Always stay calm, professional and polite. You should always mention that you have been a good customer and that you would like nothing else but to continue your relationship with them. Point out the fact you pay on time. You may also want to mention you have a zero percent or other low interest card offer that you can transfer your balance to. If they agree to lower your interest rate you don't have to stop requesting. Call again in a few months and request an even lower rate. Getting your credit card interest rate lowered is not a one time deal. As long as you are a good customer you can periodically request lower interest rates.

(4) Be Persistent

Sometimes the first person you speak with will tell you they are not authorized to lower credit card interest rates. Don't give up. Request to speak with a manager if this occurs. Someone in that company can lower your interest rate. Remember to be polite when asking to speak with upper management. At this point if you cannot negotiate a lower rate ask the reasons for the denial and inquire as to when you may call again to request a lower rate. Even if you threaten to close your account, do not close your account. Remember that length of credit history is 15% of your credit score so you do not want to close any old accounts.

Call back every few weeks if you are denied. Being persistent increases your chances of getting your rate lowered. Your persistence lets your credit card company know you are serious.

(5) Pay-Off Credit Card Debt

Another alternative to a denial of your request would be to pay off that debt. Take any extra cash and apply it to that debt. Every extra dollar you put towards your credit card balance means you pay less in interest rates over time. For example, making a minimum payment of $50.00 a month on a credit card balance of $2,500 at 19.9% interest rate will take approximately 9 years to pay the entire balance. If you double that payment to $100.00 a month on that same balance and interest rate it will take only 2.5 years to pay off that balance.

According to the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group (MASSPIRG), more than half of consumers who called their credit card company to complain about their high annual interest rates were successful in reducing those rates by an average of one-third. Your chances of getting a lower rate are good. It never hurts to try. For additional information on reducing debt please visit: Eliminate Debt

By Lisa Phillips

Lisa Phillips is a marketing consultant specializing in business expansion and development. Because many small business owners lack the personal and business credit necessary to grow and expand, she has developed a free website to aid consumers as well as entrepreneurs in rebuilding and taking control of their credit.
http://www.rebuildcreditscores.com

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Credit Card Tricks

Generally, these tricky tactics are hidden in the small print of your statement, which can easily go unnoticed. Honestly, how many people take the time to read their entire statement each and every month?

One of the most common tactics these lenders are practicing is the raising fees associated with the card. Today, the average late fee is $34. The average over-limit fee is an outrageous $31.

So in the event that an individual is late making a payment and the late fee puts them over their credit limit... they could be charged as much as a $65 more than their normal minimum payment, for that month alone.

If they don't have the additional cash to pay the exorbitant fees, the account will remain over limit the next month and extra fees will be added at that time, as well. It is a situation that can really snowball out of control, in a very short period of time.

Many credit card issuers are now raising interest rates, based on an individual's credit score. If that person's credit score decreases for any reason, whatsoever, credit card companies can raise their interest rate to 30% or more.

There are even cases where individuals with a good credit score are being charged the highest interest rate, without any warning. Some credit card companies feel that those who pay only the minimum payment each month are probably doing so because they are overextended. This automatically moves them to the high-risk category.

As unscrupulous and uncaring as this seems, under the current law credit card companies are legally permitted to do this.

If you are struggling with a great deal of debt that only seems to be getting worse, you may want to consider a debt relief option. There are several choices available, including debt settlement. Remember, there is help available. You are definitely not alone.

By Tom Bates

Tom Bates, CEO and President is an IAPDA Certified Debt Arbitrator, he offers years of experience in both the credit and collections industry and has founded Absolute to assist consumers in need of quality debt settlement at a reduced rate. We understand your already faced with mounting debt and want what is best for you.

http://www.absolutedebtsolutions.com

239 W Pecan
Suite 100
Celina, Texas 75009
1-877-332-8303

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How Do I Pay Off Credit Card Debt Quick? A 9 Step Formula to Pay Off Credit Card Debt

Many people would like to pay off their credit card debt. Use this simple formula to pay off your debt and get your life back in order:

1. Stop creating debt! If you want to eliminate your debt, the first step is to not create more of it.

2. Pay cash. Leave your credit card at home. Make a monthly budget that will allow you to live on cash. Use cash, checks, or a debit card for your purchases.

3. Get committed to a debt free plan. With a little focus, it's amazing what you can accomplish. Listed below is the best way to get started.

4. First, make a list of all of your debts.

5. Next, list the balances of each debt with the minimum monthly payment. For example, you may have a Mastercard with $2,000 and a minimum payment of $20.

6. After that, divide each debt by your minimum monthly payment. This will give you an estimate of how many months it will take you to pay it off each one.

7. Find a way to lower expenses and apply the savings to your first debt. For example, maybe you could start using coupons and save 10% on your grocery bill each month. Or maybe you could take your lunch to work instead of eating out and save over $100 a month. Now take this new savings and start eliminating your debt. Generally speaking, it's best to pay off the credit card with the smallest balance.

8. After your first debt has been completely paid off, roll the entire amount into the second debt. For example, if you were paying $20 a month to Mastercard and now it's paid off, go apply that same $20 a month to your second credit card. By the time you get to your last credit card, you'll have a sizeable amount of money to attack the last bill.

9. Keep this rolling process up until you experience the debt relief you desire. Once you have your credit card debts paid, then you may want to start paying off other debts such as your car and house using this same idea. In fact, that's what some people do. You can have your credit cards, cars, and house totally paid for faster than you've ever thought possible buy using this system.

By Michael G. Harris

Interested in paying off your credit card debt fast? Visit http://www.debt-destroy.org/pay-off-credit-card-debt-quick.html for more FREE ideas on how to pay off credit card debt. Also, sign up for our FREE email course that will show you how to live life on your terms by destroying your debt! Take our free course at http://www.debt-destroy.org/pay-off-credit-card-debt-quick.html

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Bad Credit Help - Things You Really Need to Know

Many Americans find themselves struggling with poor credit ratings. Although it is required to function in modern society, not everyone knows how to use credit responsibly. Soon you can develop a bad record that will get you rejected for a variety of activities.

The irony is that even after you learn how to get good credit you are limited because you need it to establish a good rating. The only way to get bad credit help is to learn all you can about alternatives to boost your rating. You aren't alone in your poor score. That is why there are so many services available for helping people get bad credit help to improve their prospects for the future.

It may seem daunting to get from debt to a good rating, but it can be done. It starts with getting good help. Watch out for the debt help services which are actually scams to get more money out of people who tend to be bad at making financial decisions. Generally, if the help services makes everything sound too good to possibly be true, you should consider it too good to possibly be true. Bad score can't be repaired in an instant. It takes years of responsible credit usage to get good score. At best it takes months of proper usage to get back to even a respectable level that will qualify you for the most basic credit cards.

You may not want to hear about how bad credit help is a slow process requiring years of responsible action, but that is the way it works. Beware of those who say it doesn't have to be difficult or it doesn't have to take very long. The only things that can be repaired quickly on a bad report are inaccuracies. But one or two inaccuracies will only hurt your rating, not ruin it. If you merely have less than a great score, you may be able to get great rating quickly by simply getting your history repaired. You can get a free credit report once a year by law from the reporting agencies. They also must try to help you resolve disputes with your report. The three main reporting agencies are TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax.

Debt help and counseling services are not all scams. Many of these agencies actually do good work for a small fee, or even free. But, many of them are not so good too. Check out government references to find good debt counseling services if you need help. If it is expensive, you should be vary wary of what kind of services you are being offered. Do some research on the agency before you use them for your bad credit help.

By Peter Lisdorf

To learn more about how to eliminate negatives from credit report you might also want to check out how to get free credit repair help for some good advice.

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Stock Split Essentials - What Every Stock Trader Needs to Know

Stock splits present one of the most misunderstood aspects of the stock market. Psychologically stock splits feel like you have gained value, but in reality you just own twice as much paper. Much the same as if you changed a ten-dollar bill for two five-dollar bills. Once a stock splits 2-for-1 you have twice as many pieces of paper (shares) as you did before. But your shares still represents the same percentage of the total outstanding shares of the company as it did before.

Why do companies split their stock? Investor psychology motivates the issuing company to do this. Stocks are generally sold in lots of 100. When a stock splits it's more likely to the needs of a small investor. For instance suppose a stock is selling for $60 a share. A lot of 100 shares would cost $600. If this stock splits 3-for 1, the price of a share goes from $60 to $20; and the cost to 100 shares goes from $600 to $200. Suppose a small investor has $400 he would like to invest. A hundred shares for $600.00 is out of his reach, but 200 shares for $400.00 meets his needs exactly.

Although there are many ratios a stock could split, the most common splits are 2-for-1, 3-for-2, and 3-for-1. Also possible is a reverse split where a company reduces the outstanding shares. A reverse split results in each holder being issued less shares than before. A reverse split gives you less paper but you still own the same percentage of the company. One reason a company might decide to do a reverse split is that price per share is so small it looks like a poor investment. If the price of a share becomes too low it might get de-listed by the stock exchange. Other reasons for a reverse split could be to push out minority stockholders, or as a way to go private.

What are the advantages of a Stock split? The biggest advantages of a stock split is greater liquidity. As mentioned before stocks are sold in lots of a hundred. So the lower the price of the stock, the more likely they will meet the criteria of a small investor's budget. The bid/ask spread is the difference between buying and selling prices. Typically the smaller the price of a stock the smaller the bid/ask spread. A high bid/ask spread can put off larger investors.

Psychologically, a split is perceived as bullishness. The spit is seen as a sign that the company is doing well. A stock split generally sets off a short-term rally, although the market usually normalizes shortly.

One of the disadvantages is that a split raises investor expectation about the company's performance. If these expectations are not met, there is a rebound effect and the investor's lose confidence which may result in falling share prices.

When all is said and done a stock split doesn't change the value or performance of a company. The investor may own twice as many shares, but the total value is unchanged. Probably the most important thing is that you now own more shares. This will, of course, benefit you if the price of the stock continues to rise.

By Reginald T. Hobbss

Master profitable stock trading with our exclusive info, tools, and tips. Trade stocks with super confidence with our complimentary Online Stock Trading and more newsletter available to you now. Get your free copy here at Effective Stock Trading today.

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Hot Penny Stocks - How to Find Them Early

p align="justify">Penny Stock investing can be an exciting and very profitable way to make some extra money from home or on a part-time basis. For beginner investors, penny stocks are a low-risk entry into the stock market. What is most appealing, though, is that the promise of a huge upside is incredible. It is a daily occurrence on the over-the-counter market to see multiple stocks jump over 100% in a day, or in an hour. Or 200% and more. Incredible.

What would be more incredible is if you knew how to identify these stocks before they take off like a rocket.

If you have spent any time picking penny stocks, then you know how difficult it is to use traditional technical analysis to predict these huge gainers. Many times, there doesn't appear to be any technical trend underlying the movement. And looking back on the fundamentals, there may be no clues there as well. It can be very frustrating to watch a big gainer take off, only to find yourself sitting on the sidelines, or worse, chasing the stock on a fast rise.

Well guess what? There is a reason that many of these stocks make such a sudden, dramatic gain.

These huge moves are almost always due to promotions.

That's right, out of every 10 stocks that run up 100% or more, it's likely that at least 7 of these huge gainers are driven by stock promotion campaigns. And just like any other product, when the promotional campaign begins, you'll see a big spike in demand. And with penny stocks, that's when you see a big spike in the stock price.

In the past, these promotions have been known by only a select few and I am guessing that you are not one of them. But there is a well-known stock promoter who has made lots of people a lot of money. A lot. His name is Jason Fuller. He understands how promotions drive the huge gainers in the penny stock market because he is one of the guys doing the promotions. The Wall Street Journal wrote, "Unlike other penny stock 'experts', Jason has managed to turn these investment vehicles into a tool for riches."

You may be wondering how you can get in on these promoted stocks before they take off? Well, the truth is that you simply couldn't do that - until just recently. Jason has opened up this information on a select basis and it is well worth any investor's time to look into it.

By Daniel B. Johnson

Daniel B. Johnson is vice-president of a wireless company based in Dallas. He successfully trades penny stocks and other small cap stocks on a part-time basis. To learn more about Jason Fuller's newsletter and how it can help you generate substantial profits with penny stocks, visit http://www.PennyStocksRising.com

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Everything You Need To Know About Online Stock Trading

Do you know that there are 800,000 millionaires in North America and 98%of them increase or create their wealth by investing in the Stock Market? And the most intriguing part of the information is that 80% of these millionaires started investing with almost nothing.

Whatever profession you are in, whether you are in service, are a housewife bringing up kids, doing any business, you must know that billions of dollars are being made daily through online stock trading in the markets of the USA and the world. This gives you a chance to put some of this money in your pocket.

You too can join this exclusive league of millionaires only if you have (some) money to invest, earning mindset and the ability to learn and adopt the money making methods of online stock trading and investment decisions to increase your personal wealth.

Choosing the right options in online trading can find you the treasures beyond your wildest dreams and help you live the freest life ever.

The first and the most important step in making money through online stock trading is to educate yourself and acquire an in-depth knowledge of the subject that will not take you weeks to get through. Self education means investing in your personal resources. You are creating an independent and life-long resource for successful online stock trading.

Education will familiarize you with the basics of stock trading and empower you with some smart trading tricks and tips which will enable you to outsmart your competitors.

Education in stock trading enables you to understand the rules and laws of investing, the psychological dilemmas that often afflict the traders. You get a general knowledge of economics and how it influences the stock market. Education in stock trading will help you to remain out of the 80% of investors who lose their investment right from the beginning of the stock trading. If you want to be one of the chosen few comprising of 20% successful stock traders, you must educate yourself so that you understand the value of discipline, judgment and the art of online trading.

Learn the Basics of Stock Trading

You may have come across two terms, investing in stocks and trading in stocks. The two terms may appear same, but are not. You put your money both in stock investing and stock trading. Both ways are investments. You must, however, understand that investing money in stocks denotes long term investment, but investing your money in trading denotes short term investment. You invest the money in buying stock when the market opens and get it back with profit or loss by selling off your shares before the market closes. This is called stock trading.

A trader will make fast movements in and out of stocks during the course of a day, whereas an investor is in for a long haul. He is more interested in consistent growth and will wait patiently over a long term. As an intelligent investor in stocks, you must distinguish between the two goals. You should keep separate the stocks that you trade and those you invest in. While you are trading, you are interested only in making fast bucks. You are not interested in the stock itself. That means when the value of the stock is rising or falling, you sell it off, of course, at the right moment and reinvest your profits in next trade. In case of long term investment, you almost love your stock and understand its long term potential. You understand that the value of the stock may rise and fall several times over the term you hold it in your portfolio and you remain patient.

Internet has revolutionized every aspect of our life and business. It has facilitated trading in stocks online. A click of the mouse can fill up your coffers and even empty them. So you must learn the tools for online trading provided by your brokerage firm on its website. If you learn to use the online trading tools intelligently, making money online becomes a child's play.

The next logical step is to choose your stock broker. Low brokerage commission is an important factor while settling for your broker especially when you are a day trader, a heavy trader or even a casual investor. But low commissions should not be the only guiding principle in selecting your broker. There may be several other issues like the speed of order execution, ability to contact the real broker when the need arises or customer service that play an important role in selecting a stock broker.

By Micheal James

Pricing and Features for Sogotrade Investment Packages: online investment

Sogotrade Interest Rates and Fees: trading stock options

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How to Minimise Risk on the Stock Market

Risk is a part of life, and investing is inherently risky. But just because something is risky doesn't mean we shouldn't do it. Often a risky activity carries with it some significant payoff, and investing on the stock market is such a case. The trick with the stock market is to reduce risk wherever possible, and here's how...

• Firstly - decide what it is that you want our of your investments - what is your goal? Include a timeframe for achieving your goal and make a firm decision to get there... we'll get to how in a minute.

• Next - educate yourself... Do you know anything about the world of finance and investment? If not, don't worry about it, don't be intimidated - it's honestly not a problem. Take some steps to learn about it - take a course, read read read, talk to others who do know about finance and investing.

• Come up with a trading plan - when you've done all your preparation and you think you're ready to throw some money at the stock market, you're not. There's no point trading on the stock market without a plan. Research strategies you'll use and stocks you're interested in and look at their past performance. All that information is widely and freely available.

• Do some paper trading - 'paper trading' is a term used to describe the practice of conducting hypothetical trades merely on paper. This is an excellent way to put your own trading plan to action without risking any of your money. All you're risking is hypothetical money, and that's the best type to lose.

If you follow the above steps to prepare yourself for trading on the stock market, you will significantly reduce your exposure to risk. Trading on the stock market can be an extremely profitable experience, but it can also lead to financial loss - the best way to try to avoid that is with with careful planning.

Finally, it is crucial that when you implement your trading plan you have minimum and maximum sell points set for any stocks or contracts that you own. This will allow you to have predetermined exit and entry points - further limiting the risk factor, and creating some safety in the market. Remember, don't make trading decisions based on emotions - the stock market is often a passionate place, but not when traders make trading decisions. These must be made in accordance with the trading plan together with careful analysis - not on a whim.

By Erik Rosenzweig

To learn more about share trading, stocks, options, cfd's, education, finance, shares, futures, stock options strategies, options trading, investing and a whole range of other things you need to know to gain your financial wealth and freedom you need to visit http://www.lockstockenbarrel.com

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The 10 Golden Rules of How to Trust/Use Company Analyst Reports

For the last two decades, I have been interested in and specifically writing about the restaurant and investing communities. I also like to manage my own portfolio; so when a colleague told me about the research and writing of Ian Campbell and his new stock research portal, I was fascinated by the depth and breadth of the information and how it could save me time and money.

I had been spending untold hours reading company analysts' reports; and finding them everywhere and nowhere in terms of their coverage, depth and reliability. After reading Campbell, I have to say he made things crystal clear vis-à-vis these reports. Now I take them with a huge grain of salt. I use these 10 golden rules to keep me on track.

1. I read each analyst report with a cynical eye, being very careful to notice whether the company has paid the analyst firm directly to generate the report. If it has, I judge myself accordingly.

2. As a long-time market researcher, I'm always looking for bias; so I want to know whether the firm that employs the analyst generates financing or other fees from the company - or otherwise has relationships with the company that might be construed as a conflict of interest or might promote bias. For me, bias blocks transparency.

3. No two analysts are alike; I therefore take into consideration that such reports are written by persons of differing knowledge and experience, which experience may or may not reflect industry or company specific operations knowledge - and that as a result the opinions expressed may not always be sound. I believe in caveat emptor.

4. Realize that one analyst's definition may not even be close to another's. How do you 'know' what defining words mean? For instance, What do the definitions of 'Strong Buy', 'Speculative Buy', 'Buy', 'Hold', 'Wait', 'Sell' or other 'recommendation terms' adopted by the firm that employs the analyst actually mean? Definitions of such terms typically are found in the fine print and disclaimers on the last page of such reports. Each company is often different.

5. Don't make the assumption that the analyst has access to all the pertinent, complete, information that would be available to corporate acquirers and their advisors who have signed confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements. S/he likely can't access any more data than you can.

6. How do you know what methods analysts have used in their valuations? Moreover, they also don't typically set out the theoretical and practical strengths and weaknesses inherent in the valuation methodologies they adopt.

7. Ask yourself about the reasons why an analyst has chosen any specific company to be a 'peer group' company. Have they given those reasons? Be aware that analysts may not adjust 'peer group' multiples for comparability issues, which they typically should do.

8. In my judgment, opinions expressed in analyst reports should be recognized for what they are: opinions; they should be weighed accordingly. Additionally, they should be read with a critical eye as to the merits of the analysis they contain.

9. Investors need to be aware that their decisions - and the data/opinions they use to make those decisions - are their primary responsibility. They should not simply adopt stated 'target prices' as being reliable without understanding the fundamental assumptions underlying them; where investors themselves conclude those assumptions make sense; and,

10.Investment decisions should never be made in isolation from other inputs. Analyst reports should always be studied as a supplement to each investor's own research and due diligence.

With these 10 'golden rules' I can use analyst reports as the supplemental tools they are...and no more. I know the risk involved and adjust my thinking and decision-making accordingly.

© Roy MacNaughton, 2008, All Rights Reserved

By Roy MacNaughton

Roy MacNaughton is the author of the free, just-published "Restaurant Marketing for Free" ebook. Please read more at his new blog: http://www.restaurantmarketingjournal.com

To learn more about Ian Campbell and his innovative stock research portal, go to: http://www.stockresearchportal.com

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