Card Wars: The Revenge of the Card Tarts
It was a long time ago on a planet really nearby... Secretly, in the shadows, there has been a battle going on, a battle between the lone wolf 'card tarts' and the armies of the credit card companies. A card tart (also occasionally referred to as a rates tart) in case you didn't know is a person who applies for a credit card and works up a healthy balance. Then realising that the repayments are getting a bit steep makes a credit card balance transfer onto a card offering a 0% transfer free period, now averaging around 10 months. The problem is that after the period ends they want to transfer again and again and again. Ad infinitum! In other words they wielded their 0% cards in front of them, like a light-sabre, keeping the forces of interest oppression at bay.
Back at the dawn of time (at the turn of the century actually) when 0% balance transfer cards were introduced the companies didn't seem to realise that this was going to be the case. The rebels grew and grew. Fighting back, the card companies introduced balance transfer fees in around 2005. At this time it was estimated that credit card companies were losing around 1 billion a year in admin costs and lost revenue, so you can see why they made the move. Currently these fees are now around 3% of the balance that you wish to transfer. Still this didn't deter the card tarts and people still regularly transfer. Now in a startling turn of events card companies are once again banishing fees to the outer regions but why?
A sign that credit cards were beginning to wise up came along in 2004 when a major credit card company introduced credit card balance transfer fees. Nowadays these fees are around 3% of the balance you want to transfer; transfer 1000 and you will be charge 30. The fee was introduced because it was estimated that switching cards was costing credit card companies up to 1 billion a year in administration costs and other financial losses. With that kind of money disappearing into the ether credit card companies simply couldn't afford not to do something. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on which side of the fence you're on) this didn't seem to stop anyone.
So how does the card tarter get around this? Well the best thing could be to take the battle still further underground. You may need to make it look less like you are a card tart and more like you are a normal credit card user. You could perhaps do this by making some token purchases on your credit card and paying them off. Or you could keep the card longer than the balance free period. Of course, this goes completely against the credit card tart's inner nature and the Jedi code but it could perhaps be the only way to make the most of 0% balance transfers. The point is that you have to side with the enemy slightly for your own mutual advantage. If you are declined for an interest free card then you could end up losing a lot more money than if you buy the odd purchase here and there.
Of importance here is the fact that the credit referencing agencies record cards that you apply for. If a bank notices that you have been changing cards over and over they may well decline your application. This is becoming more common. Of course, if you have an excellent credit history, not just of payment but of mature credit usage as well, then you will probably be accepted no matter what. Basically the trick is to use the card a bit as well as simply transferring your balance. In other words try and make it look as if you haven't just transferred for the interest free period - give the card company a little something back.
Back at the dawn of time (at the turn of the century actually) when 0% balance transfer cards were introduced the companies didn't seem to realise that this was going to be the case. The rebels grew and grew. Fighting back, the card companies introduced balance transfer fees in around 2005. At this time it was estimated that credit card companies were losing around 1 billion a year in admin costs and lost revenue, so you can see why they made the move. Currently these fees are now around 3% of the balance that you wish to transfer. Still this didn't deter the card tarts and people still regularly transfer. Now in a startling turn of events card companies are once again banishing fees to the outer regions but why?
A sign that credit cards were beginning to wise up came along in 2004 when a major credit card company introduced credit card balance transfer fees. Nowadays these fees are around 3% of the balance you want to transfer; transfer 1000 and you will be charge 30. The fee was introduced because it was estimated that switching cards was costing credit card companies up to 1 billion a year in administration costs and other financial losses. With that kind of money disappearing into the ether credit card companies simply couldn't afford not to do something. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on which side of the fence you're on) this didn't seem to stop anyone.
So how does the card tarter get around this? Well the best thing could be to take the battle still further underground. You may need to make it look less like you are a card tart and more like you are a normal credit card user. You could perhaps do this by making some token purchases on your credit card and paying them off. Or you could keep the card longer than the balance free period. Of course, this goes completely against the credit card tart's inner nature and the Jedi code but it could perhaps be the only way to make the most of 0% balance transfers. The point is that you have to side with the enemy slightly for your own mutual advantage. If you are declined for an interest free card then you could end up losing a lot more money than if you buy the odd purchase here and there.
Of importance here is the fact that the credit referencing agencies record cards that you apply for. If a bank notices that you have been changing cards over and over they may well decline your application. This is becoming more common. Of course, if you have an excellent credit history, not just of payment but of mature credit usage as well, then you will probably be accepted no matter what. Basically the trick is to use the card a bit as well as simply transferring your balance. In other words try and make it look as if you haven't just transferred for the interest free period - give the card company a little something back.
About the Author:
John Evans writes for various popular financial websites. He specialises on providing consumers with clear information on credit card matters. Find out more about compare credit card and the UK card here.
posted by Debt Consolidation Loan at
1:56 AM
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