Credit Card Rates – GOING UP?! WHAT DO I DO NOW?

Sat, Sep 20, 2008

Consumer Credit Cards

We all know that everything good in this world eventually comes to an end, especially in the case of low interest rates on credit cards. So what do you do when your credit card rates go up? First of all, don’t panic. Unfortunately, credit card companies are infamous for raising their credit card rates to earn money and a lot of times it happens at the snap of a finger. This isn’t however at all a death sentence, most big time credit companies give you a period of time where you can choose not to continue with the raised credit card rates and just pay off your balance and be done. If you do this, it can hurt your credit a little bit which is why most people don’t tend to lean towards this option but it is not your only option as most people tend to think it is.

An increased credit card rates can be a bummer but it is a hurdle easily overcome. If you accidentally lost your footing and missed a payment that caused this credit card rate increase then don’t freak out, a good track record translates into a valued customer and you may get your company to cut you some slack. However if your balance isn’t paid and has continued to slide over time then they probably wont lower it just by asking, so make sure you know where you stand when it comes to credit card rates.

Since most companies warn you before hand when there is going to be an increase in your credit card rates it is a good idea for you to take advantage of this knowledge and pay off as much of your balance as you possibly can, this way when the increase happens you won’t get hit so hard by it. You may have to budget wisely to handle the payments but for some people it’s worth the good credit saved by choosing not to close the card completely.

If you can’t seem to get your balance paid off fast enough weigh out the options of possibly switching to a card with lower credit card rates. This way if you do your research you won’t be paying quite as much as you otherwise would. Just make sure you don’t do this as a rash decision as the consequences could be many if you don’t compare the options well.

If nothing else works or is available for you, you may just have to accept higher credit card rates and pay off your balance with them in place, although it’s probably not the most wanted option, what else can you do? You certainly don’t want to ruin your credit and sometimes it’s better just to deal with what you have to and just so long as you continue to make payments on time and in full your wallet shouldn’t get too empty and after time they may decrease your credit card rates again.

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