Comments on: The Credit Card I Use (Could I Do Better?) http://www.greenpandatreehouse.com/2008/02/the-credit-card-i-use-could-i-do-better/ Personal Finance for College Students and New Graduates Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:14:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: I Got a Lower Rate on the Credit Card I Use | Green Panda Treehouse http://www.greenpandatreehouse.com/2008/02/the-credit-card-i-use-could-i-do-better/comment-page-1/#comment-3005 I Got a Lower Rate on the Credit Card I Use | Green Panda Treehouse Sat, 19 Jul 2008 04:07:31 +0000 http://www.greenpandatreehouse.com/2008/02/06/the-credit-card-i-use-could-i-do-better/#comment-3005 [...] case you missed yesterday’s post on my current credit card, I noticed that I didn’t have a low rate on [...] [...] case you missed yesterday’s post on my current credit card, I noticed that I didn’t have a low rate on [...]

]]> By: Bill Woessner http://www.greenpandatreehouse.com/2008/02/the-credit-card-i-use-could-i-do-better/comment-page-1/#comment-1173 Bill Woessner Thu, 07 Feb 2008 16:38:04 +0000 http://www.greenpandatreehouse.com/2008/02/06/the-credit-card-i-use-could-i-do-better/#comment-1173 I currently use the HSBC Platinum Cash card. It gives me 5% cash back at supermarkets, drug stores and gas stations and (up to) 1% cash back everywhere else. They don't give these out any more and I'm sure they're going to change the rewards program any day now. So I've been shopping around for a new card. The only one that's really caught my eye is Chase's Freedom Visa Signature card. It gives you 1% cash back on everything plus an extra 2% in the 3 "categories" with the highest spending. What's neat about it is that your 3 categories can change every month. The down side is that the 2% bonus is capped at $12 per month ($600 in spending). If you're interested, here's a link to the Chase card: http://www.firstusa.com/cgi-bin/webcgi/webserve.cgi?partner_dir_name=cac_chase_freedom_cash_visa&page=index I currently use the HSBC Platinum Cash card. It gives me 5% cash back at supermarkets, drug stores and gas stations and (up to) 1% cash back everywhere else. They don’t give these out any more and I’m sure they’re going to change the rewards program any day now. So I’ve been shopping around for a new card.

The only one that’s really caught my eye is Chase’s Freedom Visa Signature card. It gives you 1% cash back on everything plus an extra 2% in the 3 “categories” with the highest spending. What’s neat about it is that your 3 categories can change every month. The down side is that the 2% bonus is capped at $12 per month ($600 in spending).

If you’re interested, here’s a link to the Chase card:

http://www.firstusa.com/cgi-bin/webcgi/webserve.cgi?partner_dir_name=cac_chase_freedom_cash_visa&page=index

»crosslinked«

]]> By: Green Panda http://www.greenpandatreehouse.com/2008/02/the-credit-card-i-use-could-i-do-better/comment-page-1/#comment-1172 Green Panda Thu, 07 Feb 2008 13:51:21 +0000 http://www.greenpandatreehouse.com/2008/02/06/the-credit-card-i-use-could-i-do-better/#comment-1172 Thanks for the comments and I love the support. I do plan on keeping the card, not just for the sake of my FICO score, but the customer service is so much better with the credit union. I'm going to call my bank in 20 minutes and see what I can get. I'm a bit under the weather, so I'm taking it easy today. Thanks for the comments and I love the support. I do plan on keeping the card, not just for the sake of my FICO score, but the customer service is so much better with the credit union. I’m going to call my bank in 20 minutes and see what I can get. I’m a bit under the weather, so I’m taking it easy today.

]]> By: Randall http://www.greenpandatreehouse.com/2008/02/the-credit-card-i-use-could-i-do-better/comment-page-1/#comment-1163 Randall Wed, 06 Feb 2008 20:19:20 +0000 http://www.greenpandatreehouse.com/2008/02/06/the-credit-card-i-use-could-i-do-better/#comment-1163 Here's the sick, weird thing about credit cards. The more I got, the lower the interest rates I would be offered. I started out with the 17-18% rates, but as I got more credit cards, the rates continued to go down. I don't have a single credit card with a rate over 9% nowadays. Not that I'm advocating getting lots of credit cards, but there ARE others out there that you can get that are better than 17%. Your smart move has been to pay off everything each month. Have you called them directly and asked for the rate to be reduced?? You can hint that you're starting to get lots of offers for other cards and that they are no longer competitive. Don't close it, but don't use it again if you get a different card. Length of time your oldest account is open is a factor in your credit history. Longer is better, even if you never use it anymore. Here’s the sick, weird thing about credit cards. The more I got, the lower the interest rates I would be offered. I started out with the 17-18% rates, but as I got more credit cards, the rates continued to go down. I don’t have a single credit card with a rate over 9% nowadays.

Not that I’m advocating getting lots of credit cards, but there ARE others out there that you can get that are better than 17%. Your smart move has been to pay off everything each month. Have you called them directly and asked for the rate to be reduced?? You can hint that you’re starting to get lots of offers for other cards and that they are no longer competitive.

Don’t close it, but don’t use it again if you get a different card. Length of time your oldest account is open is a factor in your credit history. Longer is better, even if you never use it anymore.

]]> By: Mrs. Micah http://www.greenpandatreehouse.com/2008/02/the-credit-card-i-use-could-i-do-better/comment-page-1/#comment-1162 Mrs. Micah Wed, 06 Feb 2008 20:09:01 +0000 http://www.greenpandatreehouse.com/2008/02/06/the-credit-card-i-use-could-i-do-better/#comment-1162 I'd leave it open for your credit score if you want to stop using it. I just applied for American Express...we'll see what rates they offer me. I’d leave it open for your credit score if you want to stop using it. I just applied for American Express…we’ll see what rates they offer me.

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