The content is accurate at the time of publication and is subject to change.

We all have credit cards, some of us have more than two and it is quite a difficult thing when the bills continue to rise on them. However, you can set things straight if you take some time out to look at how you pay and what sort of interest rates apply. One of the best solutions to a high interest card is to opt for a balance transfer. Shutting down an account is not a good idea. Your credit score may drop if it is a card you have had for long and also when your credit limit goes down. Banks will also consider it a negative mark if you have been opening and closing too many accounts. When you look at credit card balance transfers keep in mind several details that you should not overlook.

A credit card balance transfer deal is often one of the best ways to get off the hook with high bills and interest rates. Today you can find deals with 0 interest or low interest rate for over a year. The important thing to do is to make sure you know exactly how long the promotional interest rates are for and also can figure out clearly how you stand in the market. Most people tend to neglect the fact that a balance transfer can also mean fees. The fee on your balance transfer can also be reduced or brought down to nil, if you have excellent scores. The important thing is to do it quickly before the interest rates make it difficult for you to pay bills and pull down your credit scores in the process. When you want to do a balance transfer be sure to negotiate the terms with the banks and get a detailed report on what will work best.

Another fact many people do not understand about balance transfers is that a separate interest rate may apply on new purchases after transferring the amount to the new card. The idea of doing a balance transfer is to cut down on bills and payments. Therefore, you should take a resolution to not spend on the new card but rather to make sure that your payments are done on time and without the interest that would apply on the old one. If you make additional purchases, you are simply adding to the debt and not getting ahead in your situation each day.

Disclaimer: This editorial content is not provided or commissioned by the credit card issuer(s). Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of the credit card issuer(s), and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer(s). Reasonable efforts are made to present accurate information, however all information is presented without warranty. Consult a card's issuing bank for the terms & conditions.
All rates and fees, and other terms and conditions of the products mentioned in this article/post are actual as of the last update date but are subject to change. See the current products' Terms & Conditions on the issuing banks' websites.