Due to the nature of this card, interest rates imposed for outstanding balances are high, with the minimum variable rates. This simply means that no matter how low the Prime Rate may get, interest rates imposed will not drop below this minimum. On top of that, the rates are tagged to the highest Prime Rate within a 90-day period making low APRs a distant fantasy.

As though these nerve-racking rates are not enough to scare intelligent folks away, the Aspire Gold Visa Card charges various fees that Regular Joes would not call ?loose change.? The minute your application is approved, a $150 annual fee for new accounts are imposed followed by a $29 account opening fee as well as a monthly maintenance fee of $78 per annum. All this adds up to $257 just within the first year, excluding any penalty or default fees should you be daft enough to use this card and not the outstanding balances off without fail.

On the other hand, there must be something valuable that this card has to offer in exchange for the steep fees. Well, some of the card?s ?additional perks? include various Internet account related activities, auto rental insurance, various travel and emergency related service, all of which are quite run-of-the-mill.

In summary, this card may not be suitable for everyone. In fact, the target market for the Aspire Gold Visa Card should be people who require just the basic credit card benefits, and who don?t mind forking out $257 for it.

Users who plan to pay the minimum on their credit card charges should look elsewhere, or they will end up paying for sky-high interests. Thus, the Aspire Gold Visa would not be suited for users who miss their monthly credit card payments time and again.

For more information or to apply for the Aspire Gold Visa Card, Eric Wasselman recommends Find Credit Cards.

Keep in mind that if you apply for a card that requires a better credit score than you currently have — you WILL be rejected. Consequently this rejection will be placed on your credit report and will adversely affect your chances for getting approved for other credit cards as well. So unless you are pre-approved make sure you know where you stand with your credit rating before applying.

On the other end of the spectrum if you have good to excellent credit you will have a much wider array of choices with much better rates, terms and conditions. Experienced credit cardholders usually base their decisions on the following criteria:

Introductory APR – This is usually the most alluring component of any credit card offer. Many credit card companies will offer 0% apr for certain periods of time. For instance these intro rates can last anywhere from 6 to 15 months. In these cases you should always check to see what the regular apr is once the intro period is over. Also be advised that if you are late with just one payment (default) all aprs associated with your card will automatically increase to an exorbitant rate — some are over 30.00%…pay your bills on time.

Annual Percentage Rate – Is the apr that represents (part) of the cost of credit on a yearly basis (after the intro period expires) and is usually applied to new purchases, balance transfers or both. You will need to check the cards terms and conditions for particulars — The lower the better.

Annual Fees – Many Credit Card companies will charge annual fees which can range anywhere from $25 to several hundred dollars depending on the type of card. These fees are usually associated with rewards based credit cards. On the other hand there are many card offers which have no annual fee – Shop around.

Transaction Fees – Unless otherwise stated, credit card companies usually charge a fee for exceeding your credit limit, making a late payment, getting a cash advance and on balance transfers. Make sure you know these fees before applying.

Grace Period – Accept for a limited or poor credit history, most credit cards offer some sort of grace period which can be 15 to 25 days. This is a free period in which you will not have to pay finance charges if you pay your balance in full by the due date. This doesn’t mean you have 15 to 25 days after the due date to make the minimum payment.

When trying to decide on a credit card the bottom line is to understand what you want from the card, your spending habits, your credit score, what the card has to offer, the terms, conditions (fine print) and all the expenses the card has associated with it so you can make a more informed decision and avoid any unexpected expenses or marks against your credit score.

Randy Savage is the webmaster of http://www.the-best-of-credit-cards.com/index.html where consumers can compare and apply securely for the credit card of their choice. For added convenience there is also a list of additional credit card resources at http://www.the-best-of-credit-cards.com/resources.html and http://www.the-best-of-credit-cards.com/credit-card-resources.html

You can find them through those you know who have learned a thing or two about the ups and downs of credit. You can definitely research for them online.

You can experiment and come up with your own tips. Or, you can read some tips for managing credit here.

But, remember this. There is no better teacher than experience. So, ask your parents and friends for there advice too.

Here are some tips for managing credit that will at least help you to get started.

Start early. Do not wait until you are out of college to have your first credit card. Get one when you are entering college and maintain a good credit rating.

Maintain a good rating. Do this by paying your credit on time. Do not go above your limit. Try to pay off your credit card bills each and every month in full.

Maintain low balances. You can do this by making sure that you do not spend more than you truly can afford.

A rule of thumb for big purchases is to wait at least 48 before deciding if you should do it. This will help prevent impulse buys that can get you down fast.

Look for good interest rates. It’s your money. Give it to the company that will provide you with the best rate. Or, if you already have credit, get them to lower your rate for being a good customer.

Pay off anything you can early. This include cars, furniture, store credits.

When purchasing big items like cars and homes you should shop around for the best deal.

Try to make additional payments on these big purchases in order to cut down on the time you have to pay them back. That cuts down dramatically on interest.

In the end, the best tips for managing credit cards will come from wisely making decisions about purchases. Don’t buy what you don’t need and can not afford.

It is that easy!

For More Tips Managing Your Credit Visit How-Is-Your-Credit.info And Learn More About Your Credit Understand Why Credit Reports And Scores Are Important As Well As Finding The Credit Bureaus’ Contact Information

A Look at the Top Three

The Bank of America Platinum Visa – The B of A Platinum Visa is a solid all around card. Categorized by Bank of America as an ?everyday credit card,? it is chock full of useful features and reasons to consider it. The Platinum Visa offers a six month interest free introductory period, and accepts initial and subsequent balance transfers with no additional fees. So, if you are on the market for an all around solid card with cheap and easy balance transfer options, this could be the way to go.

The Bank of America Visa Signature with WorldPoints – What on earth are WorldPoints? We?re glad you?ve asked. WorldPoints is one of Bank of America?s great incentive programs for cardholders. WorldPoints is a flexible incentive program that lets you apply your purchases to a number of categories: cash back, travel, merchandise, or personal services. In addition to this powerful rewards program, you will receive an introductory 0% APR for the first twelve months of membership. B of A offers a handsome black and silver design that really instills the impression that this is one of their top-of-the-line cards.

TripRewards MasterCard Credit Card – With its uniquely redundant name, the TripRewards MasterCard Credit Card has become a favorite for travelers. The 0% introductory APR on balance transfers is a nice feature (and a theme for B of A), but most users are attracted to its high powered rewards plan. Earn 2 points for every $1 in net retail purchases and earn 13 points for every $1 spent for qualifying TripRewards hotel stays, and that can add up quickly.

All Bank of America cards come with the same great 24 hour customer service, online account management, and fraud protection. Opting into a B of A card gives you all of the benefits and security of one of America?s largest financial institutions. So, if you are considering a general use card, check out the Platinum Visa; if you want flexible incentives, make sure to apply for the Visa Signature with World Points; and, of course, if you?re out to see the world, the TripRewards MasterCard Credit Card is the way to go.

Copyright Ed Vegliante. Free online reprints of this article are allowed provided the resource box remains intact with a live link back to www.credit-card-surplus.com.

Ed Vegliante runs the website www.Credit-Card-Surplus.com , a well organized credit card directory enabling the consumer to compare and apply for a variety of credit card offers. View more Credit Card Articles.

The Discover Credit Card has a variety of different credit cards that you are going to be able to choose. As for a personal credit card you are going to see that they are going to offer you cash back rewards for your purchases that you are doing when you use your Discover Credit Card. With the cash back rewards; you can do a variety of different things with the rewards that you have received. You are able to have it deposited in your bank, have a check sent to you, or receive a gift card and with it you are even going to double the amount on the gift card. That means that if you have 20 dollars in cash back reward you can receive a gift card for 40 dollars. That would be a big benefit to you if you were going to be going to the store that you chose to have the gift card made out.

The Discover Credit Card also has the option of receiving a credit card for the student you have going off to college. That is one option you may want to think about when it comes to making sure your kids in college are able, to purchase any and all of their school supplies, they may need. You may even feel a little better knowing your child is going to have a way to pay for any emergencies that may come up, when they are away from home. You just may half to make sure that your kid is going to use the credit card wisely and not max out the credit card the first month that they are away from home.

When you are planning to receive a Discover Credit Card you are going to want to make sure that you are going to check into all the different offers that they have to offer new customers. The Discover Card will even offer some good introductory deals on balance transfers and even new purchases for a certain amount of time. The period usually runs anywhere from 3 months up to a year. You are going to want to make sure that you are credit worthy for a Discover Card because they do have certain standards as far as the credit card they will give out to people. That way if you are not in good credit standing you are not going to waste the time and any credit points by applying for a Discover Credit Card that you may not receive because your credit report does not match the Discover Credit Card standards.

Visit http://www.SelectCreditFast.com for more information on credit cards and credit card offers. Apply for a Credit Card and review best credit card offers for the Discover Credit Card, cash back credit cards, Low Interest Credit Cards, and the Discover Card.

The Benefits

This card offers a $100,000 travel accident insurance, provides for extended warranties on purchases and provides for a free companion airline ticket. The card does not offer any introductory rates because of the amount of risk associated to the lender. The APR is that of 19.50% fixed, a decent rate to be offered. For cash advances, the APR is a fixed 19.50% one of the lowest rates available. The card uses the Average Daily Balance method of figuring finance charges which is beneficial to those that carry a balance yet it is important to note that there is no grace period with this line of credit. That means that interest accumulates from the purchase day on. There is an annual fee and an application fee as well. You will need to make a deposit to secure the card.

One of the benefits of the New Millennium Bank Visa is that you get a free membership to TheWorldsBestTravelClub.com, where you can get discounts on a variety of travel services. When you book your first condo, you get a $69 rebate for doing so. In addition, you have a referral bonus with this card at the rate of $50 per approved referral.

Those that have poor credit but would like an opportunity to earn some discounts through the use of a secure line of credit should consider the New Millennium Bank Visa. Although it provides for a bit of a costly annual fee, the APR on this line of credit is rather low. In addition, no one is turned down for the card and no credit check is run.

For more information or to apply for the New Millennium Bank Visa, Beth Derkowitz recommends Find Credit Cards.

It is a little known fact that credit scores from the different credit bureaus can differ markedly in the score they give the consumer. Each may have different credit card and mortgage loan histories, and one or all of them could have erroneous or incomplete data that can affect the credit score. Most lenders will report to one or two, but not every one of the lenders report to them all. FairIssac, the developer of the original credit scoring system, has always been the gold standard of credit score numbers. VantageScore may change that.

VantageScore is unique as the first credit scoring model to be developed jointly by the national credit reporting agencies. That way, VantageScore can enjoy the expertise of industry specialists to lessen score variability and increase consistency in the consumer’s credit score. This can eliminate confusion for you and your lender.

To start with, VantageScore uses a different score range than the FICO Score model. The VantageScore range is 501-990. Using multiple scorecard technology, VantageScore seeks to give the lenders superior risk prediction. This results in a stronger separation of good and bad performing accounts. The new scoring system returns more predictable scores on thin-file consumers, which are those with little credit history to score. So, even if you have limited credit history, lenders can use VantageScore to best assist you under varied circumstances.

The criteria that VantageScore uses and the weights attributed to each are:

Payment History 32%
Have you consistently paid your accounts in a timely manner?

Utilization 23%
How much of the total credit available to you are you currently using?

Balances 16%
What is the total of your current and delinquent account balances?

Depth of Credit 13%
How long is your credit history and do you have a healthy mix of credit types?

Recent Credit 10%
How many recently opened credit accounts and credit inquiries do you have?

Available Credit 7%
What is the total amount of credit you have access to?

So in conclusion, VantageScore will have significant benefits to the credit consumer because it is consistent, using identical scoring algorithms and leveled credit characteristics across all three national credit reporting companies. It is accurate, because knowledge of the data ensures the most accurate scoring algorithm. And, it is easy to understand and apply, having a score range of 501-990 with higher scores representing a lower likelihood of risk.

My hope is that if you are in the market for a credit card or mortgage loan, VantageScore can help you get a lower interest rate, or get you a loan when using the old scoring techniques would have denied you that loan.

To learn more about VantageScore go to http://www.vantagescore.com

Michael Ziegler is a sales person and website owner. He operates a website, http://www.usa-credit-card-guide.com where you can Apply for a Credit Card, and is interested in credit and using credit wisely. He lives in Texas with his wife and family.

A Glimmer of Hope

Low interest rate credit cards can provide you with the debt-relief you have been looking for. As an intelligent consumer, you can turn credit cards around and make them work for you rather than against you. Since credit card companies are in such fierce competition to acquire and to keep customers, many offer outstanding introductory offers. In fact, there are several cheap credit cards that offer an introductory APR as low as 0.00%. When used wisely, these low interest credit cards can be your ticket to financial independence.

Finding Cheap Credit Cards

Luckily for you, it is not particularly difficult to find low interest credit cards. In fact, a number of major credit cards send mailings directly to your home to offer you a card membership. On the downside, sorting through all of these credit card offers can be confusing and time consuming. For this reason, one of the best ways to find low interest rate credit cards is visit a web site offering side-by-side comparisons. Here, you can view introductory rates, annual fees, and how long the introductory rate lasts. You can also view the long term rate after the introductory rate is complete in order to determine which of the low interest credit cards will best suit your purposes.

Taking Advantage of Low Interest Rate Credit Cards

After selecting and applying for the low interest credit card of your choice, the first step to getting yourself debt free is to transfer your balances from high interest credit cards to the low interest credit card. This will help you start saving money immediately. In fact, a credit card balance of $9,000 with a 19.99% APR will cost you over $1,600 more per year than a credit card with an APR of 1.9%. Be sure, however, to look into possible balance transfer fees or other fees that might be associated with moving your credit card balance from one card to another. Also, low interest rate credit cards may have a higher interest rate on balance transfers, so be sure to be certain of the APR associated with the transfer.

After saving money with the lower APR provided by low interest credit cards, it is important for you to take advantage of the savings to become debt free. Too many people look at the savings as an excuse to spend more or they use the money elsewhere. Instead, you need to send the money you save back to the credit card in order to pay down your balance. After using the saved money on principal rather than interest, you will gradually start to see your balance disappear.

Creating a Budget

Of course, low interest rate credit cards are not the only answer for getting out of debt. Rather, they are one tool to help you get there. To get out of the red, you will need to create a budget that involves sending regular payments to the credit card that exceed the minimum payment amount. In addition, you need to either quit spending money on your credit card or make sure you have enough money coming in at the end of the month to completely pay for the additional debt placed on the card – and this money needs to be above and beyond what you already have set aside for your regular credit card payment.

For more on how to use low interest credit cards to get out of debt, Robert Alan recommends that you visit CreditCardAssist.com

If you can’t build a credit history without credit, and you can’t get credit without a credit history, what can you do? It’s nearly impossible to rent a car, stay in a hotel, or shop online without a credit card.

Let’s explore a few ways to work around this Catch-22.

Getting Started in Credit

Although many of the major credit card companies won’t give you a card without a credit history, some smaller ones will. Department stores are likely candidates. Gas station cards are also easier to get.

Also you can look for a credit card company that will review your overall financial situation, not just your credit history. Some lenders will look at your employment history, your housing situation, and how often you have moved. If all this meets their standards, they may approve your application.

Credit Unions

If you are a credit union member, or are eligible for membership, see what their card issuing terms are. They often have more relaxed conditions for members. You no longer have to work for a specific company to be eligible to join a credit union. So, it’s well worth checking to find out if there’s one in your area.

Student Credit Cards

If you are a student, then you’ll be best off with a student credit card. Student credit cards can be a great way of building the credit history you will need after graduation. Many banks will issue college students a credit card, especially banks that are located in college or university cities and towns.

Secured Credit Cards

As a last resort, because of their high interest rates, secured credit cards are available. They are offered by lenders who will give you a line of credit either equal to, or slightly higher than, a cash deposit that you give them to hold. As your experience with the card grows, these lenders will often raise your limit without requiring you to increase your deposit. Eventually, you can use your experience with this lender to apply for cards that are not secured.

When you do manage to get a credit card, don’t go on a spending spree — you will regret it in the very near future. Use your card wisely, and above all be sure to make all payments on time. Your goal is to build a good credit history, not just get a single credit card. Soon you’ll be complaining about all the credit cards being offered to you in the mail.

Ron King is a full-time researcher, writer, and web developer. Visit New-Credit-Card-Now to learn more about this fascinating subject.

Copyright 2005 Ron King. This article may be reprinted if the resource box is left intact.

Usually the introductory offer for any credit card is very appealing, but once the honeymoon period is over then it may pop up a surprise. Find out what the new rates are going to be. A long term proposition with a constant moderate rate of interest just might suit you better. It’s good to be aware of the interest rates or else they can upset the best of budgets. Cards offer transfer balance options, interest rates applicable on new purchases, fees that the company may not tell you upfront like annual fees, cash advance fees, etc. Make sure you are not being taken for a ride under the guise of tempting offers.

A card for personal use must be scrutinized carefully. Plan on making payments in the full amount every month and be aware of the penalties if the credit is carried over into the grace period. Look for cards with reward points which give you some returns in the form of gifts or adjusted against the annual fees. Use your card judiciously and you can collect frequent flyer points too. Cards also offer incentives but they come with small print that you may not notice when becoming a member. A typical gimmick would be ‘buy more to save more’, which in the long run, works to your disadvantage and works very well to the companys advantage.

The best option is to look for a card which offers a decent rate of interest, no hidden surprises and incentives which you can use to your advantage.

To read more about credit cards, visit Jill Kane’s site at http://www.yes-credit-cards.com.