A Random Pattern

When I read this Credit Card Rewards article, it answered some of the questions I had, and helped me feel that some options we’ve looked at weren’t “tricks” that would backfire. If you are a careful user of credit cards, and want to improve your understanding of the offers that flood your mailbox, then give this a read. Here’s a blurb:

Why would credit card companies pay consumers to use their cards? Discover, the industry leader in cash-back reward cards, said it gave away $500 million in 2005.

This is, after all, an industry better known for tactics like offering low-interest teaser rates that shoot up or changing the terms of a contract at a whim. Therefore, it may come as a bit of a surprise that many of the offers are credible as well as lucrative for the consumer. Indeed, cash-reward cards may be one of the most consumer-friendly products the industry has ever marketed.

As the article says, if you need to look at the interest rate of the card then you probably need to not be looking at a new card, and instead pay down your current debt. I also highly recommend a financial adviser – our credit union provides a free financial advisor, and yours may also.