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Among all of the wonderful things that marriage brings to two people who have committed to sharing their lives together is the more utilitarian reality that it is also a financial merger. From the moment they say “I do”, the financial lives of the new husband and wife become inextricably meshed to form Mr. and Mrs.
Incorporated. In a functional marriage, all financial decisions are made jointly right down to the type of credit card they should be using. The best credit cards for married couples are the ones that will best meet their particular financial needs and help them pursue their lifestyle choices.
For the Newlyweds
Your first joint credit card should reflect your current financial and credit standing and be used in accordance with your mutual financial philosophy. To avoid accumulating debt early in the marriage, they should focus on using credit cards to pay for essential items and then pay the balance in full each month.
A credit card with no annual fee, and the lowest possible APR would be the best option. If the newlyweds to plan on making some larger household purchases, the credit card should ideally offer 0% interest on purchases for a period of time.
Best Option: Citi Simplicity Card – a great credit card for learning how to use credit together. 0% interest on transfers and purchases for 18 months. There is no annual fee, no late fees and no penalty rate on late payments.
For Frugal Couples
Couples marrying in this new age of austerity are much more willing to accept frugality as a life style option and many are finding that you don’t really have to sacrifice quality of life in order to cut corners and save for the future.
Credit cards can actually play a vital role in containing costs and managing your finances more effectively. The use of the right rewards credit card can not only generate significant monthly savings, it can also elevate the attention that couples give to their cash flow and budgets. Cash back rewards cards can earn between 1% and 5% cash back on everyday purchases which, for the average family of four, can amount to hundreds of budget-stretching dollars.
For the budget-minded couple, a cash back rewards card that pays cash back bonuses on gas and groceries should be considered. To maximize earnings, it would also be important to use a card that doesn’t charge an annual fee.
Best Option: Blue Cash Preferred from American Express – 6% cash back on groceries; 3% cash back on gas and department store purchases; 1% on everything else. There is an annual fee, but the cash back rewards are substantial enough to cover it and still come out way ahead. A $150 signup bonus (spend $1,000 in first 3 months) will also more than cover it.
For the Leisure Couple
Many couples have the travel bug and they arrange their lives and finances around opportunities to enjoy adventures together. The obvious credit card of choice for these couples is a travel rewards credit card that can accumulate points for air travel hotel stays, and car rentals.
While the best credit card for married couples who travel a lot really depends on their preferences and priorities, you could look to a good all-in-one travel rewards card that offers greater flexibility, more savings opportunities and a wide range of travel options.
Best Option: American Express Blue Sky Card – earn 1 point per every dollar spent. You can then convert your points for as much as four-thirds in actual travel credit. For instance, 7,500 points can get you $100 of travel credit. Plus, you receive all of the great travel benefits and protections for which American Express is known.
We hope you enjoyed this article on the best credit cards for married couples. To apply for any of the cards highlighted above, just click on the Apply Here button to go directly to that issuers secured online application to get approved.
With so many credit cards to choose from, consumers are left to fend for themselves in finding the best credit card deals. Fortunately, the Internet, which is loaded with online credit card search and comparison sites makes the task far less daunting than it once was. Still, unless you know with a fair amount of certainty what it is you are looking for, that “best deal” may remain elusive. Herewith are some tips on how to find the best credit card deals.
Assess Your Credit Needs and Circumstances
In the vast universe of credit cards, there are as many different types as there are varying individual needs. What may be a good deal for one person may not be so good for you. You can quickly narrow down the choices by carefully assessing your particular needs and what it is you want to accomplish by getting a new credit card.
If you are trying to build or rebuild your credit, you will be choosing from among a completely different type of credit card than someone who wants to upgrade to a premium credit card with more benefits and a higher credit limit. Many people want to enhance their rewards programs while others are simply trying to lower their overall credit costs. It is important to know what it is exactly that you need from your credit card in order to zero in on the one that is right for you.
Assess Your Credit Standing
In most cases, the credit card deals you will qualify for will be dictated by your credit standing. What initially appears as a great deal, may look entirely different to you when you are approved for a card. The reality is that not everyone qualifies for the best deals.
If you have good to very good credit, you could qualify for rewards cards and some with better terms. It is important to know your credit standing so you don’t apply for credit cards for which you have little or no chance of qualifying, otherwise you will hurt your credit score. If you know your credit score, and what is generally required for premium credit cards, you can work to improve your score before applying.
Know How You Use Credit
People use credit in different ways which can be a determinant in the type of credit card to select. Some people will need to carry a balance for period of time. Obviously they would want to select credit cards with the lowest APRs or look for low or no ARP balance transfer cards. Some people prefer to pay their balance off each month, so they could choose a charge card, such as American Express Gold, or a credit card with a higher APR but a robust cash back program.
Know How Fees Work
Since the financial crisis banks have come under heavy attack for their revenue generating practices, specifically as they apply to credit cards. While the banks have been forced to rein in the APRs, they have simply massaged the numbers on the fee side in order to offset the loss of interest revenue.
So, not only are banks adding fees, they are becoming more adept at bumping them when you least expect them. With that said, you need to understand the tradeoffs in credit card costs. If you want the best cash back rewards or the lowest APR you can expect higher fees. Be sure to read the fine print very carefully to know how all fees will be applied.
Shop and Compare
While this ought to be able to go without mentioning, it’s important to recognize the valuable tools available to you online for thoroughly shopping and comparing credit cards. There are a lot of moving parts within credit cards and one great feature could be completely negated by a couple of stealth fees or two many restrictions on the rewards program.
With your in depth assessments of your needs, circumstances, credit standing and use of credit, you can use these tools to quickly shrink the universe of credit cards that might best fit your specific situation.
Compare Credit Cards for Excellent Credit
Compare Credit Cards for Good Credit
Compare Credit Cards for Fair Credit
The collective belt tightening that occurred as a result of the Great Recession was felt the strongest by the restaurant industry as dining out became a luxury for most American families. The credit card industry also suffered the pangs of tighter belts, so, in recent years, it has begun to entice diners back with cash back rewards that can go a long ways towards keeping a lid on dining budgets. There are dozens of cash back rewards cards, but a select few have chosen to zero in on diners by offering greater cash back incentives.
Here are some of the best credit cards for dining out:
5 Percent Cash Back Cards
Any of the credit cards that offer 5 percent cash back for spending in rotating categories should be considered for dining out. Of course, you will have to time your dining out around the quarter in which restaurants are featured as a spending category.
Chase Freedom July through September
Discover Card April through June ($1,500 spending limit)
Depending on your dining out plans, it may be a worthwhile strategy to have both cards in your wallet.
Year-long Cash Back Cards
Some people prefer to keep the number of credit cards to a minimum, so they might be better off using one of the cash back cards that earns cash back on dining all-year round. Or, these can be combined with the 5 percent cash back cards for maximum cash back throughout the year.
Citi Forward Card
The Citi Forward Card appears to be way out front in the dining out category. Currently, it awards a multiple of 5 ThankYou rewards points on restaurant purchases. While ThankYou points are generally redeemable at less than a penny a point on most merchandise, they can be redeemed 1 cent to 1 point for gift cards. No annual fee.
American Express Blue Sky Preferred
Diners can earn double points on dining (1 point on all other purchases). On other purchases, each dollar generates 1 1/3 cents cash back, so the double points earned on restaurant purchases generates 2 2/3 cash back. $75 annual fee.
Chase Sapphire
Chase Sapphire also awards double points for restaurant purchases. Like the Citi Forward Card, Chase Sapphire Ultimate Rewards points can be redeemed at 1 cent per point on gift cards. With the Sapphire Preferred card you will earn a 7 percent annual bonus on your points. No annual fee for Chase Sapphire Card; $75 annual fee for Sapphire Preferred.
Discover Open Road
It’s pretty straightforward with the Discover Open Road card – 2 percent cash back on restaurant and gas purchases (1 percent on all other purchases). No annual fee.
If earning airline miles is your primary objective when selecting a rewards credit card, your ultimate choice will come down to several key factors.
• Travel frequency
• Airline preferences if any
• Economy-minded travel or airline perks and upgrades
• Booking flexibility or miles maximization
• Low APRs and fees or better rewards
For earning airline miles there are two types of credit cards you can use – airline rewards cards or hybrid rewards cards. There are advantages to both depending on the factors listed above.
Compare Airline Miles Credit Cards Now.
Airlines Rewards Cards
Airline rewards cards are bank-issued credit cards with airline affiliates. If you frequently travel on one or a couple of airlines, they are the fastest way to accumulate miles. With some of the airlines, as you move up the ladder in their rewards program, you can begin to earn bonus miles which will accelerate your accumulation. The other advantage is that you can earn other perks and upgrades.
The big disadvantage with airline rewards cards are their booking restrictions. It’s becoming more common to encounter black-out dates and limited seating even for premier flyers. They also tend to have higher APRs and fees than typical credit cards.
Top Picks for Airline Rewards Cards:
Southwest Airlines has always been an innovator in its airline service as well as its travel rewards credit cards, and it continues to please with its Rapid Rewards® Plus credit card issued by Chase. Simply by spending $1,000 on the card in the first three months you’ll be rewarded with 50,000 bonus points good for two free flights. After that you’ll earn 1 point per dollar spent on anything and 2 points per dollar spent on Southwest flights or through its retail partners. The 3,000 point anniversary bonus good for a quick $50 Wanna Get Away Fare is a nice way to kick off your vacation plans for the next year. The big bonus with Southwest is their esteemed record of 100% availability on rewards flights.
American Airlines wants your business and is willing to load up its Citi Platinum Select AAdvantage Card with more perks to entice you. The biggest perk is a 10 percent bonus rebate paid on miles that are redeemed throughout the year, up to 10,000 miles. If you redeem 50,000 miles you’ll earn a 5,000 mile rebate. You will also earn double the rewards for American Airline purchases.
Hybrid Rewards Cards
An increasing number of travelers prefer hybrid travel rewards cards, or those that aren’t affiliated with any particular airline or hotel. That’s because they generally offer much more flexibility in booking travel. With most hybrid cards there are no blackout dates or travel restrictions. They also tend to come with lower APRs and fees. If you are more economy-minded, hybrid cards are the better choice for earning airline miles. There are a lot of good hybrid travel rewards cards out there, but the American Express Blue Sky card and the Capital One Venture Rewards Card are among the best.
American Express Blue Sky rewards each dollar spent with 1 point – no big deal. But it also lets you redeem as little as 7,500 points for $100 of credit that can be applied to travel purchases. That’s an automatic one-third bonus which makes it nearly as rewarding as any of the travel rewards cards. Redemption is simple and flexible. Simply book your travel with your American Express Blue Sky credit card and your account will automatically be credited.
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card will award you with 10,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 within the first three months. You’ll earn two miles per dollar on every purchase, so it competes well with the airline rewards cards.
www.ApplyNow.CitiCards.com is the pre approved credit card site for Citi credit card offers and online applications. Apply now online for your Citi credit card offer by comparing all the top cards below to make your choice. Once you decide just click on the “Apply Here” button below to be taken to the online credit card application to get approved.
The www.ApplyNow.CitiCards.com offers credit cards with low interest for up to 18 months with no annual fees. Each card has it’s own perks and benefits so review each one carefully before applying. We know you will find all the credit cards above to be the best credit cards in the industry and will provide you with the financial tools you need to manage your money effectively.
Cash Back and Rewards credit cards offer many benefits to you and can get you cash back checks or gift cards for just using those cards for normal transactions. You can also build travel rewards for airline miles, hotels and rental cars.
Currently the Citi Simplicity Card has been an outstanding offering with it’s popularity increasing each day.
You have many options to choose from and best of all the customer service is second to none. 24/7 customer service with fraud protection goes a long way to making you a satisfied credit card customer.
So get your Citi credit card today and apply now!
Pre Approval or Pre Approved Credit Cards are basically filtered offers based on your credit scores that Pre Qualify you for a credit card.
Credit card companies like Citi, Capital One, Discover Card, American Express all have marketing departments that get information from the credit bureau’s that let them review your credit history and score. This allows them to determine what type of credit quality you have at that time.
Once they determine you have for example excellent credit which is a score above 750+, you might start receiving offers for 0% balance transfer credit cards with no transaction fees. Another pre approval offer my qualify you for an airline miles bonus for a free ticket or get you up to 5% cash back on your purchases. This is all due to your excellent credit score that gets you those premium credit cards.
Now if they get your credit information and you have bad credit which is usually anything below 600, you might start to get sub prime credit card offers. These usually help restore your credit history and build your credit back up. Many times these credit cards for those with poor or bad credit come with high fees and conditions. If you have bad credit usually secured credit cards are your best bet.
So when you receive an offer in the mail saying pre approval or that you pre qualify for pre approved credit card offers, we hope you will be more informed.
Remember, it does not mean they have to give you the credit card based on that offer. Only that at that time you qualified and more than likely you will still be approved.
Most of these same offers can be obtained over a credit card comparison site such as ours. We have included links for you to review our credit card issuers best credit cards below.
Compare Citi Credit Card Offers
Compare Discover Credit Card Offers
Compare American Express Credit Card Offers
Once you click on the links above you will be taken to a comparison page where you can review details about each credit card. It will show interest rates, intro rates, annual fees and other information relating to that credit card. When you are ready to apply just click on the “Apply Here” button next to the card of your choice to be taken to the online credit card application for that bank or issuer.
As the US dollar continues to strengthen against other currencies, many people are resurrecting their overseas vacation plans postponed for years due to a weak dollar and struggling economy. But as much as the cost of international travel has come down, travelers need to find ways to stretch their dollars.
In addition to finding the best possible airline and lodging deals, travelers should look to their credit card for big savings. Foreign transaction fees can tack on 2 to 3 percent to your vacation bill, so the first item on your vacation list should be to review your credit card’s fees and, if needed, apply for one that has low or no fees.
Foreign transaction fees occur as part of the currency transaction process whenever a U.S.-based credit card is used to make a purchase overseas. When the card payment is processed through a foreign bank, it charges the issuing U.S. bank a conversion fee. The U.S. bank then passes the fee on to the credit cardholder.
Some fees can be as high as 3 percent, but the average foreign transaction fee charged is around 1.5 percent. Credit unions generally charge the lowest fees, and some of the major credit card companies are now trying to achieve a competitive advantage in the growing international travel market by waiving their fees altogether.
Some people try to use their bank’s debit card or ATM card to get around the foreign transaction fees, but these forms of payment can end up costing even more with the hefty ATM and debit card fees charged by foreign banks.
In an effort to attract more business and leisure travelers, some of the major card companies are issuing credit cards designed for international travel with reduced or zero foreign transaction fees. The thinking is that, if they can win over the more affluent traveler, they can gain their loyalty and make up the lost revenue through an ongoing relationship. So, when planning your trip, it would be important to compare credit cards based on fees.
But, be sure to compare other aspects such as the APR and annual fee as banks are notorious for finding ways to raise revenue through credit card transactions. Also, it’s not unusual to find some transaction limitations buried in the fine print, so be thorough in your comparisons.
As a final consideration, you should try to use a card that offers a robust travel rewards program. There’s no reason why you can’t turn your vacation spending into cash rewards that can further offset your travel costs.
Of the major credit card companies that offer low or no fees on foreign transactions, which includes Capital One, American Express and Discover, the Chase Preferred Sapphire card offers one of the better cash back rewards programs for international travel in addition to having no restrictions on its fee-free foreign transactions.
Credit Cards Explained – Why a Credit Card Instead of Cash?
Here is a video explaining in a fun way the benefits of using a credit card instead of cash.
Not even mentioning the obvious reasons like the security a credit card provides vs carrying cash around with you. You also get fraud protection.
But the key ones highlighted in the video are purchase protection, extended warranty and price protection.
I have a Citi Thank You card that I use now to make most of my purchases because it has all of these features. You can apply for it by clicking on the apply here button below.
Plus it also has a whole set of benefits while traveling as well as a great rewards program.
I think you will get the idea in the video, but credit cards with these kind of benefits will beat cash or debit cards hands down.
I know there are the people that preach using cash all the time, but as you can see you are much more protected on purchases when using a card with all of these benefits.
Enjoy the video!
Best Credit Cards – Balance Transfers, Cash Back Rewards, Airline Travel Miles
Below are our current recommended best choices in the selected categories. You can also at any time select from the menu to the bottom right and view comparison pages of the best credit cards and their associated online applications by type, issuer or quality score. This will give you a much broader selection to choose from and can select from any of these by clicking on the apply here button next to the credit card of your choice.
1) Best Balance Transfer Credit Cards:
The recommended cards are for low interest balance transfers. To go directly to the secured online credit card application through the issuer, just click on the Apply Here button below.
Click Here to Compare More Balance Transfer Credit Cards
2) Best Cash Back Credit Cards:
Cash back credit cards allow you to build points that can later be redeemed for cash back, gift cards or even purchases through the credit cards issuers online shopping site. The points grow based on normal transactions you perform just by using the credit card. Some cash back cards give different percentages of cash back points based on categories that can alternate each quarter.
Click Here to Compare More Cash Back Credit Cards
3) Best Travel and Airline Miles Cards:
Travel and Airline miles credit cards accumulate points that can be used for travel and vacations. Points can be used to purchase airline tickets, hotels, cruises and rental cars. Below are the very best cards in this category.
Click Here to Compare More Travel and Airline Miles Credit Cards
Getting the best credit card for you is a personal choice. Review the categories above and compare and click on the apply here button when ready to apply. The online credit card applications are easy to fill out and you can get approved in seconds. Many of these cards also come with excellent rewards and automatic benefits just by using your card.
