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A business credit card can be a great way to take control of you business and ensure your business stays financially secure while still moving forward and growing. The trick is knowing how to use a business card to help make your business a success rather than a failure.

Consolidating Debt

Once of the great aspects of business credit cards is that you can keep all of your business expenditures on just one card. This makes it easier to keep track of what you have spent on your business when it comes to paying taxes. In addition, receiving a monthly bill helps you see just how much money you are spending on your business each month. This ability to monitor expenditures makes it simpler for you to make modifications as necessary. In addition, most business credit cards provide end of the year summaries that make it much easier for you to analyze your annual expenses.

Many business credit cards also provide special introductory offers with low APRs. Some even waive balance transfer fees, making it possible for you to transfer all of you business expenses from other credit cards on to one card. The lower APR can save you money a great deal of money in the long run, particularly if you are unable to pay the bill in full at the end of each billing cycle.

Investing in the Future

A business credit card provides you with a revolving line of credit that makes it easier for you to expand your business whenever necessary. Many business owners, particularly those that are just starting out, need to have money available to them quickly. After all, the only way to grow a business is to invest in it. A business credit card allows you to bypass long loan application processes, thereby making it possible for you to make investments quickly and keep the momentum rolling in the growth of your business.

Look Professional

With business credit cards, you can often get your company logo in addition to its name on the card. There is no doubt this makes your business look more professional. A business credit card is a sign that you are an established, serious business. In addition, just using a business credit card is a great way of marketing your business. As cashiers see your business logo and name, word slowly spreads about your business. It’s one of the easiest marketing strategies you can utilize!

Perks of Business Credit Cards

Many business credit cards provide extra perks that are nice to have as a business owner. Take the time to compare business credit cards to discover what each has to offer and whether or not the benefits are helpful for you and your business. For example, some provide special travel benefits to business cardholders. But, if you do not need to travel frequently for your business, this benefit may not be too attractive. On the other hand, some business credit cards provide discounts at certain office supply stores. If you frequently purchase office supplies for you business, this benefit could potentially save you a great deal of money. Of course, be sure the business credit card you get provides discounts to a store you actually use. Otherwise, you are once again failing to take full advantage of your business credit card.

If you take the time to compare business credit cards, you are guaranteed to find one that offers benefits or rewards programs that will be beneficial to you and to your business. Make sure you weigh all of the benefits and stipulations, including APRs, annual fees, rewards programs, and other perks before deciding on which business credit card is best for you.

For more information on how to use a business credit card to take control of your business, Steve Bert recommends that you visit CreditCardAssist.com.

The growing prevalence of identity theft and increased concern about good financial health has led many consumers to seek copies of their credit reports online. Doing so is certainly laudable; the more you know about how potential creditors and lenders see you, the more prepared you can be when it comes time to apply for a loan or credit. An added bonus is that consumers can obtain one copy of their credit report from each of the three main credit bureaus once a year through the official Web site set up for such purposes at AnnualCreditReport.com.

Unfortunately, there are still many Web sites that exist for the sole purpose of tricking consumers who are seeking copies of their free reports. A quick Google search for the term “free credit report” today turned up no fewer than twenty four million sites in the search results. There certainly are not twenty four million Web sites that are going to provide copies of credit reports for free, so what is this all about?

It’s about money. Aside from the “official” site, the others are there to profit, and they can profit in one of two different ways:

Sell you something - Some of these sites actually belong to the credit bureaus; they have set them up to give you the credit report while selling something else to you in the meantime. These sites will offer the “free” report in large letters, while telling you in smaller ones that by accepting the free report you are agreeing to buy a credit monitoring service, which can cost you $10-15 per month. The credit bureau-owned sites will also tell you that you can get your report for free at the “official” site. That is usually stated in fairly small print near the bottom of the page.

Steal something from you - Unfortunately, there are still many unscrupulous crooks out there on the Internet who see the interest in credit reports as the ideal way to steal personal information from people. Their sites will offer a “free” report, and perhaps some other services for which you can pay. But when you fill out the application and provide your name, Social Security number and credit card, you get nothing in return. Instead, the operators of these sites use the personal information to borrow money and take out credit in your name, leaving you to pay the bills.

If all you want is a free credit report, the best way to avoid this problem is to obtain it from the official Web site at AnnualCreditReport.com. Alternatively, you can call 1-877-322-8228 to receive your report by mail. That way, you can avoid being victimized by the thousands of Web sites that might cause you to pay dearly for your “free” credit report.

©Copyright 2006 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including End-Your-Debt.com, a site devoted to credit counseling , debt consolidation payday loans and personal bankruptcy.

One of the most fearsome beasts inhabiting the financial world is the credit card bill. This frightening monster can continue to grow, even as the monthly minimum is paid month after month, until it eats up a great deal of the household income. There are steps every consumer can take to get control of the credit card bill monster, but it is important to use proper planning, good budgeting, and some good planning.

Looking at the 0% interest rate

There are always plenty of offers for 0% interest rates on balance transfers, and these 0% offers can be a great way to pay down those high credit card balances and help to get a handle on them. The key to using the 0% balance transfer strategy is to read the fine print carefully and to know when that great introductory rate expires.

The most sure way to keep track of the low 0% offers is to post them on the calendar and take note before they expire. With all the 0% credit card offers on the market, many people have used this strategy to consistently pay down their balance and pay it off over time.

Exceed the minimum

The worst thing you can do when it comes to credit cards is to pay only the minimum balance. Paying only the minimum on a credit card balance is a great way to never get out of debt. It is vital to pay more than the minimum, and to control further spending on the card going forward.

Watch the interest rate

You would probably be surprised at how many people do not know the interest rate they are paying on their credit cards. Knowing the interest rate is absolutely essential to getting a handle on credit card debt, and with the number of credit card offers landing in mailboxes every day, it can be quite a simple matter to find a card with a lower interest rate and transfer the balances to that low interest card.

Often the consumer does not even have to change cards. Credit card companies do not like to lose customers, and one of the little known tricks of the trade is that many banks will lower the interest rate on the card for those who ask, or at least for those who threaten to close their accounts. If you are looking for a lower interest rate on your credit cards, do not be afraid to ask the credit card company. The worst they can do is say no.

Brooke Sikula is a freelance writer based in Ventura, CA and writes on a wide range of topics from home improvement to credit repair and everything in between. She is a regular contributor to http://www.loan-mortgage-auto.com and http://www.home-improvement4u.com For more information and advice on credit issues, check out http://www.credit-card-faq.com

In these times of sky high gasoline prices and rising costs of transportation, consumers are increasingly interested in credit card services that give them discounts on gas. Instead of looking into a specific gas credit card from an oil and gas company, you might look at the offer for a Chase credit card that gives you gasoline rebates when you use your card.

You can find the Chase credit card offer online at their website, http://www.chase.com. Simply look for the card called the Chase PerfectCard MasterCard. There are several credit card services offered along with this card that consumers find attractive.

When you use your Chase PerfectCard MasterCard to buy gasoline for the first ninety days, you receive six percent of your purchase price back on your card. So you can go to any gas station anywhere and fill up your car or truck knowing that six percent of your bill will be come back to you. This gas credit card gives you the rebates in the form of credit on your account towards future purchases. So you will not receive a rebate check or cash back award at the end of the year as with some credit card services. Instead, you will automatically have access to this rebate amount when you use your Chase credit card in the future.

After your initial trial period of ninety days is complete, Chase gives you three percent back on all gas purchases. Anywhere you fill up your tank, you get this rebate benefit. This is better than having a traditional gas credit card with only one gas company, as you would not have the freedom and flexibility you have with the Chase PerfectCard MasterCard.

But the rebate deals do no stop there. You also receive one percent of all your purchases made on other products and services. This means that no matter what you buy with your Chase credit card, or when or where you buy it, you receive one percent of your purchase price in the form of a rebate. The one percent will be credited to your account for use in the future. Most cards only offer cash back rewards like this. But the Chase PerfectCard MasterCard offers you not only a return on your purchases, but a way to cut down on your transportation costs as well.

With the Chase PerfectCard MasterCard, there is no annual fee. This is a great deal. You get rebates on all your purchases and you do not have to pay a fee for the credit card services.

Chase also offers you the all important feature of quality customer service. The Chase customer service hotline is available to you where ever you live or travel at any time of day. If you have a question about your rebates or a need to review your account information, the Chase customer service representatives are at your disposal. And remember that Chase is a banking institution that has been around for many years and is one of the most reliable financial companies you can find.

Thomas Ohlum is the owner of www.find-solid-credit.com a website providing information about credit card offers and finance aspects to consider when applying for a credit card.

Companies that issue credit cards want to make a profit. No one disagrees with that. The problem is that, we as consumers have, is when they have hide or disguise what it really cost for you to use a card.

Here are some ways that you could be paying more, not even knowing it for your credit cards.

Those Teaser Rates

As these rates are low at the beginning but rise after six months or a year. This is a popular way for credit card issuers to attract new cardholders. I don’t know if you’re aware of this but when the low rate expires, any balance that you may have left on the card automatically jumps to the new rate and just not on new purchases. This is something you should discuss or read before you even get a new credit card with low teaser rates

Those Costly Cash Advances

There is usually both a finance charge or interest and a transaction fee for cash advance cash even though the as may say “no finance charges”. There is no grace period for that cash advance. You will pay all the interest from the day you take that advance. The transaction fee may be as high as 2-5%.

Extra Fringe Benefits

Cards that were offering benefits like percentage discounts, rebates, purchase protection, etc., may have been cutting back on those benefits and without any notice. Watch your mail when you get those updated versions for your credit card. If you don’t read it, then you didn’t know it changed and unfortunately it’s your fault.

The Grace Period.

These high limit cards may sound great but may not have a grace period. If you ever noticed on your credit card bill, you may receive the bill five days before the due date. How are you supposed to then pay your bill on time?

If you don’t want to take any chances in having to pay a finance charge, then pay your bill in full each month. If you receive your bill late, call the credit card company and tell them that.

Two cycle billing.

Two cycle billing means the credit card issuer charges interest the first month that you don’t pay your of balance in full.
Always read through your terms and conditions on your credit card bill and if you have any questions just call the credit card company and ask questions!

Copyright 2005 Fern Kuhn, RN
Specializing in Diabetes

http://www.diabetestestingcenter.com
http://www.mortgageratecenter.info

You may reprint this article as long as you keep the links active

Credit card debt is a growing sickness in the United States and Europe. It is very important to eliminate debt and take control of your financial health.

In the below section, I have listed the best strategy to erase credit card debt. This strategy is tried and true and often recommended by financial planners and debt consolidation firms.

• In an Excel spreadsheet list all your credit cards, balance, credit card interest rate and minimum payment from your most recent credit card statement. If you are not computer savvy, you can list them on paper.

• Sort the list in ascending order of interest rate so that the credit card with highest interest rate is at the top and the credit card with lowest interest rate is at the bottom.

• Make a count of minimum payment of all the credit cards in the list you just created.

• Now calculate how much money you can save to pay off your credit card debt and become debt free. If you cannot pay off more than the minimum payment, it is time to do some budgeting to save more and pay towards your credit cards.

• Each month pay off the minimum on all your credit cards. However, on the credit card with the highest interest rate, pay the minimum plus the additional amount you have saved to pay off your credit card debt.

• Continue to follow this strategy until the credit card with highest interest rate is completely paid off. In a similar manner, work on paying off your second credit card but remember to make minimum payments on the remaining cards.

• Besides the above golden strategy, you can call your credit card companies to request for a lower interest rate. Due to stiff competition, many of the credit card companies will readily agree. Lower interest rates mean you can pay off your debt much faster.

• In some cases, credit card companies will not be willing to reduce your interest rate. This might be a good time to hop on the internet and do some research on credit cards and get a new low interest card. Many companies will allow you an introductory rate for your new credit card.

“@Copyrights 2005″ - Bill A Smith is a debt consolidator for Ameri debt consolidation services. Bill has over 10 years of experience in providing debt consolidation, debt counseling and debt management services to clients.

Bad credit loans seem to be a hot topic these days. In fact, if you need a bad credit loan, you’re likely to find an overabundance of information.

See if this sounds familiar. You need a loan. Maybe you want to buy a car, enroll in college, or take out a home improvement loan. Or perhaps you’re a first time home buyer and you’re looking for a mortgage. The problem is, you’ve got a bad credit history, and you’re afraid you won’t be able to find a lender.

But then you do a little research on bad credit loans and find that, lo and behold, there ARE loans for people with bad credit available! In fact, EVERYONE wants to give you a loan. Loans for cars, mortgage loans, student loans, personal loans, loans for just about anything you want. Not only loans, but credit cards too. Why, who would have ever thought is would be so easy to get a loan when your credit history is so dismal?

So, that’s great news, right? RIGHT?

Let’s just stop for a moment. Ask yourself “Why is everyone so eager to extend credit to me when my credit history is so bad?”

The question can be answered in two words — HIGH RATES. Sure, you can get a bad credit loan easily enough. But you’ll “pay through the nose” when it comes to the interest rate.

So “What’s the ‘big deal’ about paying a little higher rate?” you ask. Let’s look at a few figures.

Suppose you want to buy a car. After looking long and hard, you find the “perfect” car for $20,000. So you apply for a car loan and get a loan with no trouble, but because of your poor credit, you have to pay 20% interest. On a 60 month loan, your monthly payments will be $529.88.

Now if your credit were very good, you might have gotten the same 60 month loan at an interest rate as low as 10%, with monthly payments of $424.94.

The bottom line is, over the life of the loan you’ll have paid an additional $6,296.40 in interest that you would NOT have paid if you had you gotten the loan at 10% interest. Your bad credit loan will have cost you $6,296 more FOR THE SAME CAR!

But if you think that’s bad, take a look at a home mortgage loan.

Suppose you want to buy a $100,000 home and you’re just thrilled to find a lender willing to give you a 30 year loan in spite of your bad credit. He’ll charge you 12% interest, and your monthly payment will be $1,028.61.

If your credit had not been so bad, you could have gotten the loan for a rate closer to 9%. If your credit had been very good, you might have been charged only 6% interest and your monthly payment would have been $599.55.

The bottom line? That bad credit loan will have cost you (over the 30 year term) a staggering $154,461.60 MORE than you would have paid had you gotten a loan at the 6% rate.

No, this is NOT a typo. Your lender will pocket $154,461.60 in additional interest payments because you were charged a higher rate for a bad credit loan. That’s over 1 times the cost of the house itself!

So why did he charge you the higher rate? Because he knows he can get it! After all, he’s got you “over a barrel.” He knows (and you know) that you need a loan, but because of your bad credit no one’s going to give you one at a low interest rate.

Do you see now why people are so eager to lend you money in spite of your bad credit? In fact, credit reporting companies make a fortune selling lenders the names of people who have bad credit. Those lenders know they can charge them high rates, and that if they need credit, they have no choice but to pay them.

So what’s the solution? You may be thinking “What choice do I have anyway? My credit is bad, I need a loan to get a house (or car, college education, or whatever) and there’s just nothing I can do about it except find a lender willing to give me a loan at whatever interest rate I can get!”

But consider for a moment whether you might be looking at the situation from a completely wrong angle. Rather than resign yourself to the situation, you should be thinking about repairing your credit.

Now if you just found the house of your dreams, you may have no choice but to act now before someone else buys it. But if you can wait a couple of months, it’s highly likely you can make some major improvement in your credit score and THEN look for a loan.

Maybe this isn’t what you wanted to hear. After all, you’re looking for a loan, NOT credit repair advice. But wouldn’t it be worth it to postpone getting that house or that car if it would save you thousands, tens of thousands, or maybe even $150,000.00 or more over the long haul?

If you’re thinking your bad credit history is something you’re just stuck with, or that it will take years to improve, you’re mistaken. It’s often possible to make major improvements in your credit rating in just a few months, and in some cases in as little as 30 days!

It’s not that difficult either. You basically have 2 options. You can hire a “Credit Repair Agency” or you can take the “do it yourself” approach.

If you decide to hire an agency, you can easily find one in your phone book or online. Just look for “credit repair.” However, it won’t be cheap. Agencies usually charge from $2,500 to $5,000 or more to repair your credit. But that’s still a bargain compared to how much you’ll be saving in the long run.

But if you think only a professional agency can fix your credit, think again! In spite of their high fees, they won’t do anything for you that you can’t easily do for yourself. If you can write a few letters, address, stamp, and mail them you can repair your own credit.

If you choose the “do it yourself” route (recommended) you can learn how by doing some online research. Unfortunately, along with all the good information you’ll find some misinformation as well. A better option is to find an authoritative book on credit repair and follow the advice therein.

In conclusion, you should seriously consider postponing your search for a bad credit loan. First spend a couple of months improving your credit rating. Then you can abandon the search altogether, and begin looking for a GOOD credit loan!

(c) eBusiness Power

Jim Eastman is the support contact for www.ErasingBadCredit.com. People wanting to repair

their credit rather than pay thousands too much for a bad

credit loan, can visit the site and sign up for a free mini-coures on credit repair.

FBI statistics reveal that identity theft is one of the fastest-growing crimes in the United States, with about 1 in 5 families in the U.S. being a victim of identity theft. Identity theft is obtaining another person’s personal information (e.g., name, social security number, credit card number, passport) without that person’s knowledge and using that information fraudulently. For someone who discovers they are a victim of identity theft, it is important to act fast. Here are some immediate steps to take in order to stop further misuse and to restore your good credit:

1. Contact the fraud departments of any one of the 3 credit reporting companies to place a fraud alert on your credit report. When a fraud alert is placed on your credit reports, creditors will contact you before opening any new accounts or making any changes to your existing accounts. You only need to contact one of the three companies to place an alert, and they are required to contact the other two, which will place an alert on their versions of your report, too. Once you place the fraud alert in your file, you’re entitled to order free copies of your credit reports. When you receive them, check them over carefully for any new accounts that may have been opened without your authorization. Also be aware of any new inquiries by banks, lenders and credit card companies that you were not familiar with.

2. Report the crime to your local police or sheriff’s department and request a police report.

3. Contact your creditors, banks, phone companies, and utility companies and have them freeze your accounts. Banks, credit card companies and other creditors may require a copy of your police report. You may be liable for a small sum of the fraudulent charges; check with each of your card issuers for their policies. Most creditors promptly issue replacement cards with new account numbers.

4. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.

5. Monitor all bank and credit card statements and other bills carefully to ensure there are no fraudulent charges. If you find fraudulent checks or withdrawals on your bank account, notify the fraud department of your bank in writing immediately.

Stop payment on any missing checks and/or close your existing account. You can also notify the check verification companies not to accept further checks under the account number that was stolen. To find out if the identity thief has been passing bad checks in your name, contact SCAN @ 1800-262-7771.

If unauthorized credit card charges appear, notify your credit card company in writing without delay.

6. If you believe the theft involved your social security number, contact the Social Security Administration. They may re-issue a lost or stolen social security card or may, under some circumstances, give you a new social security number.

As you know, your credit rating is all important. Every precaution should be taken to protect your credit rating. Once you have your identity straightened out, you might consider registering with Equifax Credit Watch. Equifax Credit Watch makes monitoring your report easy by automatically alerting you within 24 hours of key changes in your Equifax Credit Report - like when someone tries to get credit in your name or there are sudden changes in your credit card balances. - so you can act before serious damage is done.

Below are important phone numbers you will need for reporting your identity theft:

Credit Reporting Agencies:
Equifax 1800-525-6285
Experian 1888-397-3742
TransUnion 1800-680-7209

Federal Trade Commission Hotline:
FTC Hotline 1877-438-4338

Check Verification Companies:
Telecheck 1800-710-9898
Certegy 1800-437-5120

To find out if the identity thief has been passing bad checks in your name:
SCAN 1800-262-7771

Copyright 2006 by Debbie Pettitt who is the webmaster for Understanding Identity Theft, providing essential information on identity theft, it’s prevention and what to do if you’re a victim. For more information on how to repair your credit, this page may be helpful: Fixing Identity Theft

Properly every one of us has some sort of credit card debt, but when do we know that it’s spiralling out of control? Well one way is if you’re pay more than 15% of your monthly salary to your credit card bills then start to worry, but a worse way of dealing with this is borrowing cash from one credit card to pay another, this will only put you into more debt.
If a light comes on in your head after reading the start of this article then it’s time to sit up and take some action, don’t think for a minute you are the only one dealing with credit card debt, almost 40% of credit card holders are in this position why! I will tell you minimum payments.

Yep-minimum payments if you only pay the minimum payment on your monthly balance, what once was a small credit card bill will turn into a very costly one you’ll end up paying back thousands, and will take years to clear.

How can I help myself sort out this problem!

Well if you have more than one credit card and you pay the minimum payment on them all, then this is what to do get the credit card with the highest APR and pay the most to this card, keep paying the minimum payment to the rest of your cards once the credit card with the highest APR is cleared go on to the next highest APR and so on until all the credit cards are paid off.

Another way to help is balance transfer deals try switching your card with one that has this on offer, they also offer 0% interest free period for 6-9 months great way to save some money.

People with only one credit card try not to use your card if that’s not possible monitor what you spend you’ll be amazed at the silly things you put on your credit card, including groceries, petrol, and night’s-out you’ll be amazed at how much interest is added on. People tend to forget about money I agree that credit cards are handy but they don’t have to be used all the time, I guarantee if you monitor what you spend for a few months you will see the difference.

I know these things sound easy but it’s amazing how many people just use their plastic friend to pay for everything, and really when you sit down and think it really is just common sense, hopefully following these simple steps will get you back on track.

Peter Kenny is a writer for creditcards-gb
For additional articles and an extensive resource for everything about credit cards, please visit us at www.creditcards-gb.co.uk and www.creditcards2go4.com

Listed below is a useful guide to credit card terms. It is a list of definitions of credit card terms that may or may not be familiar to you.

Annual Fee

Various card issuers charge an annual fee, which can help offset costs that issuers incur in maintaining accounts and providing services.

Annual Percentage Rate (APR)

Stands for ‘annual percentage rate’. A figure, expressed as a percentage, which incorporates the interest charged upon the credit card as well as any additional fees.

Association for Payment Clearing Services (APACS)

The banking industry body that oversees money transmission and payment clearing activities in the UK.

Automated Teller Machine (ATM)

Another term for a cash machine.

Balance

The total amount that you owe your credit card provider and includes charges such as interest and fees.

Balance Transfer Rate

The interest rate that will be charged on any balance transferred from a previous credit card onto a new one.

Cash Advance

Withdrawing money from a cash machine using your credit card. There is usually a charge imposed for this service. A cash advance is different from a withdrawal you make with your ATM card.

Charge Card

This is a type of credit card often favoured by businesses on which the balance must be paid off in full each month.

Credit Limit

This is the maximum amount you can borrow using your card.

Credit History

A record of how you have paid accounts in the past; used as a guide to determine whether you’re likely to pay accounts on time in the future.

Credit Reference Agency

Organisations that specialise in providing credit reports that assess an individual or business’s credit risk.

Credit Report

An assessment of an individual or a company’s credit risk. These reports are composed using a variety of informational sources and are used by lenders in order to assess applicants.

Finance Charges

The price paid to a lender for the use of borrowed money.

Fixed Rate

A set annual percentage rate that does not change in response to interest rate changes and conditions.

Interest

The charge that the lender imposes on the borrower for the granting of credit.

Interest Free Period

The period during which no interest will accrue on credit card transactions.

Period

The period during which the Introductory Rate applies to balances outstanding on your account.

Introductory Rate

A special annual percentage rate that applies for only a limited time.

Minimum Payment

This is the minimum amount that you will need to pay back each month on your credit card balance.

Online Banking

Online systems enable you to access a host of banking services from a personal computer by connecting with the bank’s computers over the Internet.

PIN

Stands for ‘personal identification number’ and is issued to a credit card holder in order to enable them to use cash machines to withdraw money.

Rewards Program

A point accumulating program based on purchases or transactions made on your card.

You may freely reprint this article provided the author’s biography remains intact:

About The Author
John Mussi is the founder of Direct Online Loans who help UK homeowners find the best available loans via the http://www.directonlineloans.co.uk website.