What Is A Balance Transfer Credit Card,

Earn big‑time cash back that never expires. A credit card balance transfer can be a great way to save money on higher interest rate debt. There are also other benefits that can come with consolidating your debts into just one payment. What exactly is a balance transfer, A balance transfer is when you pay off the balances on existing credit cards or loans by transferring them to another credit card account.

In some cases, you may be charged a fee to complete the balance transfer—typically a percentage of the transfer balance. You can only transfer an amount up to your credit limit on the new card. 5,000 (including any balance transfer fee) of that existing balance. How do I complete a balance transfer , • When you respond to a balance transfer offer, you’ll indicate who you want to pay, the account numbers, and how much you want to transfer.

• Once you’re approved for the balance transfer, the credit card company contacts your creditors or billers on your behalf and pays them the amount you indicated. It can take up to two weeks for this process. • If you have any payments due before that time, you’ll want to go ahead and make those payments by their due dates to avoid late fees.

Tell me more about balance transfer fees. Credit card balance transfers may charge a balance transfer fee—usually 3% to 5% of transferred debt. What are the benefits of a balance transfer, • A low balance transfer APR can help you catch up on your existing debt. That’s because you can get a low promo or introductory APR to pay down that balance for a defined time frame, like 12 months.

• A low promo or introductory APR may also help cut the time it takes to reduce your debt. When you pay high APRs, a lot of your payment goes to the interest rather than paying down the principal balance itself. What types of existing balances can I transfer, You can transfer the existing balances off of your store credit cards, gas cards and other cards.

Just remember, when you are approved for a credit card, you will be given a certain limit and you can only transfer up to that amount - be sure to account for any balance transfer fees. Pay Off Debt Faster with a Balance Transfer. What are the different kinds of balance transfer rates available,

Credit card companies offer incentives—like a low interest rate on purchases and balance transfers—to encourage you to transfer your business to them, and hopefully establish a long-lasting relationship. The best balance transfer rates could be offered by credit card companies to new cardmembers, and usually are 0% or low APR offers for an introductory time period.

When transferring your credit card balance, it is important to remember that this intro rate is temporary. The duration usually varies from 6 to 18 months and will be specified in the offer. Balance transfer offers are sometimes available on existing credit card account(s) with promotional APRs, which also apply for a defined time period.

Contact your credit card company for more details. When will I pay the standard balance transfer rate, • Your introductory or promotional time period expires. After this period, the remaining transferred balance is generally subject to the standard purchase APR for the card. • If you want to make a balance transfer to an existing card and don’t have a promotional balance transfer offer, you may be able to pay the standard APR for balance transfers as disclosed in your Cardmember Agreement.

What else should I consider before accepting a balance transfer offer, • Avoid “chasing” 0% balance transfer offers—or bouncing balances from one card to another. Consider finding a great balance transfer offer and making a plan to pay down the debt once and for all. • Determine whether the Intro APR offer applies only to the balance transfers, regular purchases, or both. Check to see if there is an introductory balance transfer fee as well. • Balance transfers by themselves do not automatically close an account. If you want to close a credit card account after you transfer the balance from it, you need to contact the creditor to do so.



Credit unions require you to be a member to bank and/or obtain credit, which typically requires living in a particular area or joining a specific organization around which the credit union was built. For example, only consumers (and their families) who have served in the Armed Forces, Department of Defense, Coast Guard, or National Guard can qualify to join the Navy Federal Credit Union. Regardless of your current APR, there’s a high probability that “zero” is significantly better.