The end of the school year frenzy of concerts, recitals, field trips, locker clean out, yearbooks, and promotion evokes in me the desire for a simple, peaceful existence, and I welcome the long, lazy days of summer with open arms.
Realizing the kids have reached a milestone and that summer is simply the transition to another stage in their lives, causes me to reflect and re-evaluate where I am and what my priorities are. And the desire to slow down a bit and simplify grows.
The sun, it seems, has burned away the hazy lack of focus resulting from too long a winter, and the energy to pursue my personal and financial goals more diligently has returned.
But, knowing myself, my family, and the speed with which we tend to get busy or get involved, I know that whatever means I choose to employ in achieving my financial goals needs to be easy and not take a lot of time not require a lot of difficult figuring.
One discovery I’ve made that will help set me on my way to personal financial freedom is the Citi Simplicity® Card. It’s perfect for me because, like summer, it’s a lot less complicated than any other card I’ve seen, and it gives me the freedom and flexibility I want in a credit card.
The Citi Simplicity® Card has some great features that fit my lifestyle, and that I can really take advantage of as I put my financial house in order.
The Citi Simplicity® Card has the most fantastic introductory offer I’ve seen in ages. For new account holders, the card offers 0% APR on purchases for 21 months. That’s almost 2 years…and almost unheard of anymore! AND the 21 months begins when you open the account. It’s not some offer that started 3 months ago where you would lose out on three of the 21 months. The 0% starts when I start, and I like that!
Not only is there 0% interest on purchases for 21 months, the same is true of account balance transfers. That’s also a thing of the past…to have 0% interest on both purchases and balances transfers for 21 months. Incredible! I feel like a low-budget, tv commercial because I have to say, “But wait! There’s more.” I have four months from the day of opening the account to complete my balance transfer and still take advantage of the zero percent. That means I don’t have to make all the financial decisions upon opening my new account. Citibank sure makes it simple!
Like most credit cards, the Citi Simplicity® Card does charge a fee for balance transfers – $5 or 3% of the amount of transfer, whichever is greater. Once the introductory 21 months is over, the standardAPR (Annual Percentage Rate) applies.
Besides the introductory rate, Citi Simplicity® Card does not charge an annual fee. (I’ve made it a policy not to apply for cards that charge an annual fee because there are so many credit cards out there that no longer do.) In addition, the Citi Simplicity® Card doesn’t charge late fees and won’t hike the interest rate if you miss a payment due date or go over your credit limit. Not that I intend to do either, but with summer comes family reunions and vacations, and, although it doesn’t happen often, I’ve been known to be late on payments if I’m traveling. The promise of no repercussion in the event that happens is another plus in my book.
Citi Simplicity® Card is simple. To qualify, I have to have an “excellent” credit score. There’s not a lot of red tape. There’s not a lot of fine print. I like that. And if there’s ever anything I don’t understand, Citi’s customer service is available 24/7 and is manned by people, not just a machine, so I know I can get my questions answered.
With the Citi Simplicity® Card, I’ll transfer my higher interest balances and then I’m set to kick back and enjoy the long, lazy days of summer while I work on paying down my debt over the next 21 months of zero percent interest! And I’ll enjoy our family trips more knowing that I can take some time paying off the expense of our vacation without incurring any additional costs.
There’s a lot that can be said for making things simple!
Spring has finally sprung, and if you are itching to shake off those winter blues with a little bit of travel, you definitely will want to check out the new British Airways Visa Card offered by Chase Bank.
Never had a Chase credit card before? You won’t want to pass this one up! Not only does the British Airways Signature Visa credit card offer incredible reward miles normally, it’s extremely easy for the first time account holder to earn enough bonus miles in the first three months to receive two free transatlantic flights – roundtrip, of course!
If you apply by May 6, Chase is offering 50,000 bonus miles for your first purchase with the British Airways Visa Signature Card and another 50,0000 miles after $2,500 worth of transactions within the first three months. That’s on top of the normal 2.5 British Airways miles you earn for every $1 you spend on British Airways purchases and the 1.25 BA miles you earn whenever you use the card on anything else. Plus, applying for a new card will automatically enroll you in British Airway’s Executive Club, allowing you to significantly increase the number of frequent flyer miles you earn based on their three-tiered program.
In addition to the regular British Airways miles you earn, every year you spend $30,000, you will receive a companion travel voucher that will allow you to anyone with you on the same flight in the same class of service you are flying in. Thirty thousand dollars seems like a lot, but if you run everything like utilities, gas, phone service, and groceries through your British Airways Signature Visa, it adds up fairly quickly. Two free roundtrip tickets to Europe, one from British Airways miles and the other with the companion voucher, makes transatlantic travel extremely do-able.
Concerned about the inconvenience of international travel? British Airways has teamed up with American Airlines and Iberia to give the consumer more: more than 400 destinations, more convenient connections, and more schedule options. In addition, British Airways Visa Signature cardholders are eligible for BA miles on American Airlines, Iberia, and 9 other “Oneworld Airline Partners.”
Once you’ve reached your overseas destination, use the Chase British Airways Visa card without worry because there are no foreign transaction fees that consumers are often surprised by after using other credit cards while traveling internationally.
Chase Bank’s newest Visa card does have an annual fee of $95. Its 14.24% variable APR is on the high side of average, but the benefits offered seem to outweigh the annual fee by, well, the value of at least two roundtrip tickets to Europe.
If you have excellent credit and travel frequently or want to begin traveling more, the British Airways Signature Visa card has great travel rewards, and the new cardholder incentives are definitely worth taking advantage of. Traveling internationally has never been so easy! Be sure to act before May 6, 2011 to take full advantage of this limited time offer.
It’s April, but there’s “No foolin” on great zero percent credit card offers through Discover® or CitiBank.
From now through April 30th, apply for one of four credit cards, transfer a balance, and get zero percent interest on that transfer in addition to zero percent on purchases. This limited time offer is for Discover More card, Citi Dividend Platinum Select® MasterCard®, Citi® Platinum Select MasterCard, or Citi Diamond Preferred® Card.
These incredible offers come just in time for the spring projects in the house and in the yard. The terms offered on balance transfers extend for a long enough period to save some major interest while making significant progress on paying down the balance you owe.
Besides the appealing terms on balance transfers, Discover and each of the Citibank MasterCards offer additional benefits to the new account holder. Those perks are compared below.
Zero Percent on Balance Transfers
- Discover Card – 24 months
- Citi Dividend Platinum Select – 15 months
- Citi Platinum Select – 21 months
- Citi Diamond Preferred – 21 months
Zero Percent on Purchases
- Discover – 6 months
- Citi Dividend Platinum Select – 15 months
- Citi Platinum Select – 21 months
- Citi Diamond Preferred – 21 months
No Annual Fee
- Discover
- Citi Dividend Platinum Select
- Citi Platinum Select
- Citi Diamond Preferred
Cash Back Rewards
- Discover – 5% on select categories quarterly; 1% on everything else
- Citi Dividend Platinum Select – $100 after $500 in purchases during first 3 months; 5% on select categories quarterly; 2% on everything else for first 12 months, then 1% thereafter
Online Shopping Cash Back Bonus
- Discover – 5% to 20% through Discover Shopping Mall
- Citi (All Cards) – 10 % “Extra Cash Dollars” on all purchases can be used for discounts through “Extra Cash by Citi” site.
Regular APR
- Discover – 11.99%-20.99% (Variable)
- Citi Dividend Platinum Select – 12.99%-20.99% (Variable)
- Citi Platinum Select – 11.99%-20.99% (Variable)
- Citi Diamond Preferred – 11.99%-20.99% (Variable)
So stop foolin’ around and take advantage of a great deal by selecting the card that’s best for you. Act today because after April 30, time’s up.
Exciting new credit card offers are designed with you in mind and are just in time for spring!
Discover Student CardBuilder
In college, have excellent credit, and looking for a credit card that is a perfect fit for your lifestyle? Check out the new Discover Student CardBuilder! Not only are there no annual fees, you can also choose both the rewards you want to receive and the terms of service.
Service terms qualifiers can choose include:
- Introductory Purchase APR
- Duration (in months) of Introductory Purchase APR
- Introductory Balance Transfer APR
- Purchase APR (the rate applicable at the end of the introductory period)
- Bonus Rewards Rate
Discover credit cards are said to have the best cash back rewards in the industry. With the CardBuilder student credit card, Discover offers cash back on purchases ranging from 1% clear up to 20%.
Discover Student CardBuilder credit card is perfect for today’s college student!
Discover More Student Card – 15.99%
Nearly everyone will agree that college is a great time of life. It’s exciting to be away from home for the first time, to establish independence, and to begin discovering your own place in the world.
Discover also knows it’s the best time to begin building a credit history and planning for your financial future.
Another fantastic offer Discover has made with students in mind is the Discover More Student Card. This credit card is designed especially for young adults who are seeking to establish a credit history and to build a strong credit rating.
The Discover More Student Card is the perfect fit for young adults because of the following:
- A credit rating of “Fair” to qualify
- No annual fee
- 15.99% Variable APR
- Cash back rewards on all purchases
Check out the Discover More Student Card and get yours just in time for Spring Break!
Limited Time Offer from Citibank
Planning to take advantage of spring weather for home improvements, remodels, or lawn and garden projects? Then Citi® has an unbelievable offer you will want to check out!
The Citi® Dividend Platinum Select® MasterCard® boasts a zero percent APR on both Balance Transfers and Purchases for 15 months. That, in itself, is hard to beat anywhere.
However, Citi has outdone itself by making this credit card even more consumer friendly. The list of benefits of the Citi Dividend Platinum Select MasterCard includes:
- No Annual Fee
- $100 cash back after $500 in purchases within the first three months
- 1% cash back on all purchases
- Bonus cash back in categories that rotate every quarter (Beginning April 1, this includes purchases on home improvement, home furnishings, and in home and garden stores.)
The Dividend Platinum Select Card will make that spring spruce up a little easier to accomplish. But it is a limited time offer so act soon!
The mountain of ripped wrapping paper has been cleaned up, the presents (charged on my rewards credit card, of course) are all put neatly where they belong, and the Christmas decorations are ready to store for another year. My mind has turned toward looking back over the past year and looking ahead to 2011.
I don’t really like to think in terms of making New Year’s Resolutions because so often those who make them, break them within a short while. I do, however, feel good about evaluating where I am and setting some goals as to where I want to be in the next year. If you’re like me, one of the goals you set is to be in better financial shape at the end of your selected time period be it 1 year, 5 years, or 10 years.
It’s not coincidental that at the time of the year when most of us naturally do some assessing of our lives, credit card companies are making some amazing offers. If you are wanting to get your financial house in order – or at least tidied up a bit, check out the balance transfers offers available. Among others, Capital One Platinum Prestige, Citi Platinum Select MasterCard, Chase Freedom Visa, and Discover More cards have some great introductory terms.
Why think about balance transfers? If holiday shopping or the recent economic events have left you with a large balance on a loan or credit card charging a high interest rate, a balance transfer to a zero percent card could save you a huge amount of interest. What you would be paying in interest could be applied to the principal of your balance and help you pay it down that much faster.
If you’re tired of keeping track of payments and due dates for several credit cards, transferring those balances to one card is a great strategy. This kind of consolidation simplifies bill paying and helps to prevent accidentally missing a payment or making a late payment because of too much paperwork.
When it comes to a large purchase or trying to address credit card balances that have, over time, crept higher than I’d intended, one approach I’ve used in the past is to search out a zero percent interest card to transfer all my balances to. That card is a kind of holding card for me. It holds all my debt that I am focusing on paying down. Once I transfer the balances to the card, I do not use it to make additional purchases. I figure out how much I need to pay for each month of the introductory zero percent rate in order to pay off the balance by the end of the time period. It’s a great system that has allowed our family to eliminate debt or to make some large purchases without paying interest. Meanwhile, I use another credit card to charge things like gasoline or on-line purchases. I make sure the credit card I use for purchases gets paid off every month. (And I use the card that earns the most reward points – be they frequent flyer miles or cashback bonuses!)
As long as you have a good credit rating, zero percent balance transfer offers shouldn’t be hard to find right now. The Capital One Platinum Prestige card is offering 0% APR up to 12 months. Citi Platinum Select is offering zero percent for 24 months on balance transfers with zero percent for 12 months on purchases. Discover More and Chase Freedom Visa both have 12 months at zero percent on balance transfers with 6 months zero percent on purchases. These are just a few examples.
If you are setting some financial goals for the upcoming year, it is definitely worth your while to research credit card offers available for balance transfers. Take time to compare at least two or three credit cards to ensure you are getting the best deal for your circumstances. Look not only at the length of the introductory offers, but also check on the balance transfer fees and on the regular APR the card reverts to once the introductory offer expires. Know what your credit rating is as that will determine the credit cards for which you will qualify.
The media is reporting that we are coming out of the economic recession we’ve been in and that things are looking brighter for 2011. So here’s wishing all of us a financially prosperous New Year and success in setting and meeting our financial goals.
The new Zync from American Express is the first credit card of it’s kind that let’s applicants choose a “lifestyle pack” that fits them and their purchase habits best. American Express lets you choose one of the following lifestyle packs:
Go Pack – Earn double points on eligible airline tickets and enjoy car rental discounts when you book through American Express Travel. Car rental discounts up to 25% are available from Avis, Budget and Hertz. All points are credited to your Membership Rewards points account and the annual cost is just $25.
Social Pack – Earn double points at qualified restaurants and on qualified concert, movie and show tickets. Applicants will also be automatically enrolled to receive emails for advanced ticket access and other benefit information. All points are credited to your Membership Rewards points account and the annual cost is just $25.
Connect Pack – Earn double points on eligible cell phone, cable, broadband and internet services through qualified providers. Applicants who choose this pack will also be eligible to receive 25% discount on the number of Membership Rewards points require for redemption of cell phones and other electronic communication devices. All points are credited to your Membership Rewards points account and the annual cost is just $25.
Eco Pack – Earn double points on eligible purchases at select green merchants rated by Greenopia®. Greenopia selects and rates merchants based on their impact to the environment. Applicants who choose this pack will receive discounts of 25% when redeemed for qualified eco-friendly merchandise and carbon offsets. American Express will also donate $1 to TerraPass to fund reductions in carbon emissions at dairy farms and landfills. All points are credited to your Membership Rewards points account and there is no annual cost.
The Zync from American Express credit card has an annual fee of $25 and features all of the standard cardmembers benefits of an American Express card: Memberships Reward points on every purchase, car rental insurance and road side coverage, and purchase protection. Purchases made through the Bonus Points Mall earn triple points on every purchase with over 250 retailers and all balances must be paid in full each month.
We are pleased to announce the re-release of three American Express credit cards. The highly sought after Blue cards from American Express are once again available on our website and the feature the same great reward programs or cash back. The following Blue cards are now available:
Each of the cards also feature a 0% APR for 6 months on purchases and exclusive American Express cardholders benefits.
Diamonds are a girls best friend but sapphires are everyone’s best friend now with the new Chase Sapphire(SM) card.
With the new Sapphire card, Chase is also unveiling it’s new Ultimate Rewards Program. This program lets your rewards be redeemable for almost anything you want.
Some competitor’s reward credit cards charge you an annual fee, but not the Chase Sapphire(SM) card. What sense does it make to let you earn cash back and then take it all away by charging an annual fee? Chase understands you, the customer. That’s exactly why they are giving you the Sapphire card.
Once you apply and are approved for the Chase Sapphire(SM) credit card, you can start using it. Once you make your first purchase, Chase will give you 10,000 bonus points. That’s right, 10,000 bonus points just for using your card.
As with some other reward credit cards, you can earn one point for every dollar you spend. If you shop online with Chase’s preferred retailers, at the Ultimate Rewards Mall, you can earn up to 10 bonus points for every dollar. That gives you the opportunity to earn ten times the rewards when you shop with over 300 retailers. With that kind of opportunity, you should almost always earn ten times the rewards.
The Chase Sapphire(SM) credit card doesn’t just come with cash rewards though. The Sapphire card allows you to earn double bonus points on airfare. In order to receive double bonus points, you must book your flight(s) through Chase’s Online Travel Booking Tool. So, you can take all of the hassle out of your next trip by booking online and earning double bonus points.
This Sapphire comes with many great Travel Benefits as well. You will have complete access to Trip Cancellation Insurance, Travel and Emergency Services, Travel Accident Insurance and Trip Delay coverage. Additionally, Chase offers Lost Luggage Reimbursement, Baggage Delay, Roadside Dispatch and Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver.
With the Sapphire credit card comes Chase’s unbeatable customer service. You can get personalized customer service 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Chase is confident that you’ll appreciate their customer service. That’s why they put a guarantee on all customer service transactions. You will also be able to use Chase’s complimentary concierge service, Global LifeLine and the Online Account Management feature.
Just wait…it gets so much better with the Chase Sapphire(SM) card. Have you heard of Chase’s new Blueprint program? This program allows you to manage your finances your way. Choose from the Full Pay feature, the Split feature, the Finish It feature, the Track It feature or a combination of the four. You can maximize your credit card experience with Blueprint because it allows you to manage your credit card on your time and the way you want.
No other credit card has it all. The Chase Sapphire(SM) with Ultimate Rewards card does. Go online to see how Sapphires can become your best friend today.
After almost a year since our site last offered Chase credit cards, we are pleased to announce their much anticipated return. We had hoped to begin offering Chase credit cards earlier this year, but financial market conditions did not allow for a timely return of their credit cards to our site. The news that we would once again be able feature cards from Chase this week was somewhat of a surprise. As a result of their return, we are able to expand our current credit card offerings and visitors will once again have access to one of the best cash back credit cards available.
At this time we are able to feature the Chase Freedom card along with introduction of the Chase Slate credit card. Both cards share the Visa logo and feature Chase’s new program to help cardholders better manage their spending and finances with Blueprint. Blueprint provides cardholders the flexibility to choose how payments are applied, choose different payment options, track spending habits and more; all for free.
Each Chase credit card offers something different and one may be just right for you. Be sure to check them out.
For people with excellent credit, it is often difficult to find an exclusive credit card that rewards them something additional than most credit cards. With the arrival of Simmons First credit cards here at PlasticRewards.com, people with excellent credit don’t need to look any further. Simmons First offers two Visa credit cards for those with excellent credit.
Simmons First Visa® Platinum
This Platinum Visa from Simmons First features a low APR of 7.25% currently on purchases and balance transfers. If you do need to transfer a balance, there is an benefit that is hard to come by these days – no balance transfer fees. All balances must be transferred at the time of card application. Plus, there is no annual fee and with the Simmons First Visa Platinum you can enjoy platinum benefits like: global acceptance, travel insurance, emergency replacement and more.
Simmons First Visa® Platinum Rewards
This card was recently chosen as Money Magazine’s top travel rewards credit card. The Simmons First Visa Platinum Rewards offers one of the most versatile travel rewards program that allows cardholders to choose from airline tickets, hotels, cruises vacation packages and more. Every dollar you spend on purchase earns one point redeemable for travel rewards. The card also features a low APR, no balance transfer fees and platinum benefits; all with no annual fee.
Having excellent credit definitely has its rewards and the Simmons First Visa credit cards can help you get them.
