The Countless Alternatives To Credit Cards financial articles
March 29, 2024 Financial Portal Free Newsletter Bookmark Financial Portal Advertise Here Submit Your Article Other Financial Articles

Main Menu

Financial Polls
Financial Quotations
Financial Articles (Index)
Financial Articles (Categories)
Bank Directory
Gold Price Change
Silver Price Change
Platinum Price Change
Palladium Price Change
Rhodium Price Change
Copper Price Change
Nickel Price Change
Specialty Metals
Other Metals
Currency Rate Charts
Taxe Rates Worldwide
BTC USD
EUR USD
EUR GBP
EUR CHF
EUR JPY
EUR CAD
EUR AUD
USD EUR
USD GBP
USD CHF
USD JPY
USD CAD
USD AUD
EUR vs. Other Currencies
USD vs. Other Currencies
GBP vs. Other Currencies
AUD vs. Other Currencies
NZD vs. Other Currencies
DOWJONES Index
NASDAQ Index
NYSE Index
NIKKEI Index
FTSE 100 Index
TSX Index
CAC 40 Index
DAX Index
HUI Index
XAU Index
AEX Index
Index Reports
Housing Price Index
Oil Price Charts
Gas Price Charts
Commodity Charts
Meat & Livestock Charts
Softs & Tropicals Charts
Grains Charts
Mortgage Rate Reports
US Interest Rate
World Interest Rate
Inter. Stock Exchanges
NY Stock Exchange
AMEX
Philadelphia Stock Exch.
London Stock Exchange
Euronext Lisbon
Korea Stock Exchange
Deutsche Borse Group
Hong Kong Stock Exch.
Toronto Stock Exch.
Debt Collection Agencies
Insurance Companies in Ireland
Insurance Companies in UK
Insurance Companies in USA
Consulting Companies
Plastics Charts
Trade Organizations
Advertise For Free!
Scam Letters
Other Business Resources


The Countless Alternatives To Credit Cards

By Kevin Erickson

dir[at]charter.net


Advertisements:



Thanks to the constant stream of credit card offers you receive in the mail or through television few people understand that there are viable alternatives. Below are five of those alternatives.

1. Debit Cards
Debit cards have been used in many European countries for a number of years, but are relatively new elsewhere. In a nutshell, they are just like credit cards and are accepted in most places where credit cards are accepted. The biggest difference is that they take money directly from your bank account rather than you getting a bill at the end of the month. However, you should be aware that you aren’t as well-protected from fraud with a debit card as you would be with a credit card. Another way to describe a debit card would be to call it an electronic check.

2. Pre-Paid Credit Cards
These cards work just like credit cards, except that you're not allowed to carry a negative balance. You deposit money into your card account before you can spend it which means that you ‘top-up’ the card... like you do with pre-paid cell phones. This is great way to control your spending or you could give one to a child to control their spending. They are also safer than debit cards, if stolen because the their could only spend whatever money was on it.

3. Bank Overdrafts
Bank overdrafts used in conjunction with a credit card, can be a far better way of borrowing money than using a credit card. Your overdraft limit is set by your bank according to how much you deposit into your account each month. You don’t need to pay it off until you want to.

It gives you the ability to have your account go into the red or negative numbers. Many banks charge relatively high interest rates for overdrafts, but rarely as high as a credit card companies and the better customer you're considered the better rates you'll receive from your bank.

4. Traditional Loans
When you plan on purchasing a single big item at a fixed price - like a car or for home improvements it’s worth budgeting it all out and going to a bank or other type of lender. They’ll be able to lend you the money at a much better rate than a credit card would simply because they know why you’re taking the loan and can set regular monthly payments for you to repay it.

5. Credit Unions
Credit unions are like banks, only more local. They are co-operative, owned by their members and run by the community and are a great place to borrow money. The reason is because there are laws that limit how much interest credit unions can charge and they don’t need to make a profit for owners or shareholders because they don’t have any. It’s a solid alternative and well worth looking into if there’s one in your area.


About the Author: Kevin Erickson is a contributing writer for: http://www.debtmgmtresources.com, http://www.aneyeondebt.com and http://www.debtmergeresources.com. This article may be reproduced only in its entirety.

Source: www.isnare.com

 






Published - November 2005

 











Free Newsletter

Subscribe to our free newsletter to receive news and updates from us:

 

Polls at Financial-Portal.com :

Poll #039
Will USA announce default on its debt?

Poll #036
Is there a secret world government?

Poll #034
Do you know that money is a good servant but a bad master?

Poll #033
Is Forex similar to gambling?

Poll #032
What is your occupation?

Poll #031
Do you ever spend money for things you can do without?

Poll #030
Do you know that it is extremely hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God?

Poll #029
Why do you want to earn more money?

Poll #028
Are you determined and working hard to get out of debt?

Poll #026
What is your net yearly income (after taxes), USD?

Poll #024
What percentage of your income goes for paying your debts off?

Poll #023
What percentage of your income do you save?

Poll #021
What is the first step one should make to get out of debt?

Poll #018
Have you noticed that the more you give, the more you get?

Poll #017
What part of your income do you donate to charities?

Poll #016
What part of your income do you donate to Church?

Poll #015
What is the most important thing in getting out of debt?

Poll #014
What country has the healthiest (the most stable, reliable, and promising) economy?

Poll #013
Do you think credit cards are useful or harmful for people (not for bank owners)?

Poll #010
What currency is the strongest - in the long run (for the next 10-30 years)?

Poll #009
Do you have any savings?

Poll #008
Do you have any debts?

Poll #007
What is your religion?

Poll #005
What country are you from?

Poll #004
Do you think cash will eventually be removed from circulation?

Poll #003
What investment brings the highest profits with lowest risk?

Poll #002
What is the most reliable way to save money?

Christianity

Copyright 2004-2024 © by Financial-Portal.com
Legal Disclaimer