Applying for a credit card

If you are reading this article, you are probably thinking about applying for a credit card soon. While this is a noble endeavor for the right reasons, you need to make sure you apply for the correct one for your circumstances. You may be able to get a great interest rate if your credit is good, but if it's spotty you will have to watch out for the sharks out there who promise their customers the world, only to deliver them a whopping 23% APR with a $300 limit and $250 in fees just for activating the card (yes, it exists, from a bank in North Dakota).

Credit Cards for Good Credit

If you have excellent credit, then you can get pretty well any card. You'll even find you get offers in the mail, and don't even need to try to find them. Although you probably should anyway, as you know those mail cards are rarely worth getting.

In fact, the best credit card can even be something usual, for example a rewards card from a grocery store. A surprisingly large number of grocery stores have partnered with a local bank to provide rewards cards that double as visa cards, and as a discount card as well. A few stores will also send customers coupons when they spend a certain amount.

If you have good credit, you'll also have an advantage in other circumstances as well. For instance, insurance companies are more likely to give you discounts, and you can get credit cards with lower annual fees- or even with none. This is all to reward you for keeping up a good credit score, which is not that hard to do.

Bad Credit Credit Card

Even though you may have bad credit, this does not mean you have to suffer under a card like the one in the first paragraph. The best thing for you to do could well be to apply at your bank for a secured credit card. This card will give you a low limit, much more then most credit cards, and will ask for a security deposit ranging anywhere from 25% to 100% of the limit. On the other hand, it will give you the chance to re-establish your good credit score. Once you've done that, you'll find that banks are willing to extend you much more credit, and will remove the restrictions.

You will still need to take care, of course. With good credit or bad, it is unlikely that you really want to go with one of the cards offered to you through the mail. These are usually very bad deals, and if you want a credit card you're much better off going to your credit union or bank and getting one there. You may even find that they let you arrange for the card online.

Article Source: http://www.rightarticle.com

Mammon is an professional accountant, and an expert on no annual fee credit cards. Click here to see his site on secured credit cards.

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