As you know, many of the countrys major retailers have their store credit cards. Many of these cards can only be used in their respective stores or their affiliates. Some of the major retailers who have their own credit cards include Victorias Secret (Angel Card), Blair, Peebles, HSN, Sears (together with Citi Bank or HSBC), New York & Company, The Sports Authority, and many others. Nordstrom is no exception to the rule. With the exception of Sears, Nordstrom is a department store which has merchandise for all of your needs. The difference between Nordstrom and Sears, however, is that Sears caters to people from all walks of life and has primarily affordable quality goods, such as hard-lines (hardware, electronics, power tools, auto parts, etc.) and soft-lines (bedding, clothing, shoes, etc.). Sears does carry some of the higher brands, such as Sony, Hitachi, Magnavox, and the like for electronics, for the kitchen, Sears carries low end to medium quality products, such as Chicago Cutlery, and its own brands, such as Kenmore, Lands End, and Craftsman.Nordstrom, on the other hand, is a higher end department store which has prices that rank to those found at Marshall Fields, Macys, or Tiffanys. Typically, the products sold at Nordstrom include high quality hand bags, high quality kitchen cutlery, such as Whsthof and Henkels, which are both made in Germany, and top name brand clothes and shoes.What makes the Nordstrom credit card stand out from other retail credit cards? Much like Sears and Kmart, Nordstrom offers a type of rewards card, where you can gain points every time you make a purchase at a Nordstrom store. Many of these rewards are linked together with use of the Nordstrom credit card. Other retailers do similar things as well, for example, many credit cards which are issued by either World Financial or World Capital Banks, such as Victorias Secret, New York & Company, HSN, Blair, etc. offer a $20 gift card if a customer applies for an identity theft program that the card sells when they call to activate the card. Customers have a 30 day trial period where they can use the identity theft program for free before their store card gets charged. The problem with this is that people tend to get the program just for the gift card and then forget about canceling the program during the trial and end up getting charged $14.99 each month for the program.Furthermore, unlike other retailers, which use an outside bank to issue their credit cards, Nordstrom has its own bank, called Nordstrom Bank. This gives the retailer large leeway on how to satisfy its customers spending needs and habits. Furthermore, the Nordstrom credit card has a wide variable in its APR which can range from 7.90% to as high as 22.90% depending on the credit worthiness of the holder. On top of that, the Nordstrom Bank is known for high quality service and the online payment service the retailers bank has is one of the best around. Furthermore, deciding to make online payments with the Nordstrom credit card can be very wise. The reason is because you will always be able to make early or on time payments, thus avoiding high late fees. If you have just applied for the Nordstrom credit card, you can get on the website that is with your card application and set up your payment plan. Its easy and quick and you have all the instructions to get set up.Remember, out of all the retail credit cards, the Nordstrom Card can have the lowest APR if you have good credit standing. Read More About nordstrom credit card payment online
Monday, July 25, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
best credit cards for young adults
To find the best credit cards for young adults has become a lot more difficult than it used to be (it can almost be as difficult as finding the best airline credit card!). Of course, there are many good reasons for this. The economy is down. Personal debt has never been higher. College graduates are finishing college with higher debt levels than ever before. And of course, there is major backlash in the whole credit and lending sectors due to the economic meltdown of the housing market due to the bad debt and loans that were issued. To make matters worse, young adults have been heavily targetted by credit companies, trying to get a credit card in their hands as early as possible. (Which resulted in the CARD act where nobody under 21 is allowed to have a credit card without a co-signer.) This was done in order to try and stop young adults from being completely overwhelmed in debt before they could even get started in life. Of course, there are advantages and disadvantages of it being more difficult to get credit. It makes it a little more secure as now, you have to have some sort of proof of income to show that you can make your credit card payments. If you don't have a job or source of income, then your only option may be to go with the whole co-signer route. (This way, if you miss your payments or default on the loan, the credit card companies can go after the co-signer to get payment.) As another option, you may be able to get a second card to one of your parents' existing cardsOne quick note about getting a co-signer though: a lot of companies don't really like this option as neither party is 100% liable for the debts - it's split amongst both people listed on the account. So even if you have a co-signer, it's not necessarily a slam-dunk in terms of getting accepted.
A drawback to using a card on your parents account, though, is that you won't be able to build your own credit rating (as nothing is really in your name) - which can defeat the purpose of getting a credit card early on in life in order to build your credit history and rating to help you in the future.
Of course, it goes without saying that if you do get a co-signer on your card - they must have good credit themselves in order to help you get approved for the card. If you do get a second card on your parents card, make sure it gets reported to the credit agency, or you won't be able to build your own credit rating at all. Finding the best credit cards for young adults can be extremely difficult when starting out, so you need to be aware of the various pitfalls and problems you may encounter first. But there are a lot of good cards out there for young adults (so don't always just opt for the cheapest credit cards right off the bat), you just have to qualify for them. Read More About best credit cards for young adults
A drawback to using a card on your parents account, though, is that you won't be able to build your own credit rating (as nothing is really in your name) - which can defeat the purpose of getting a credit card early on in life in order to build your credit history and rating to help you in the future.
Of course, it goes without saying that if you do get a co-signer on your card - they must have good credit themselves in order to help you get approved for the card. If you do get a second card on your parents card, make sure it gets reported to the credit agency, or you won't be able to build your own credit rating at all. Finding the best credit cards for young adults can be extremely difficult when starting out, so you need to be aware of the various pitfalls and problems you may encounter first. But there are a lot of good cards out there for young adults (so don't always just opt for the cheapest credit cards right off the bat), you just have to qualify for them. Read More About best credit cards for young adults
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Friday, July 8, 2011
Best Airline Credit Cards to Fly With
There are all kinds of frequent flyer miles credit cards, that when you what to look for the best one, you will be so overwhelmed by the millions of options available that you will go crazy. Furthermore, in your search for the best airlines credit card, finding the pitfalls does go with the territory.So what do you need to look for when looking for when you are looking when you are looking for the best airline rewards credit card? Well, the first thing you need to pay attention to is what airline do you fly on the most frequently? This can be very important since not all airlines reward cards can be for every airline, though there are some such cards. Many airlines cards might be only restricted to one particular airline. You have credit cards that will give you miles only on United or another major airline. Other more premium credit cards will give you rewards for not just any airline, but will also throw in hotel stays, restaurants, and even whole resorts. So, what do you have to look for?Interest rates
Just like any other credit cards, interest is very important when making your choices. Typically, interest is measured by APR, or annual percentage rate. Some credit cards can have introductory rates as low as 0% APR for either the first six months or year, but be ware, because you could be gouged with high APRs when the introductory rate cancels out. More often than not, however, high APR cards can also be a benefit in disguise, though it may seem that you are paying more. How is that? Well, thats because the fact that credit cards which give back rewards, such as airline miles, often incur a cost in doing so, thus the higher APR. Wheres the savings? Well, if you think about it, managing your credit properly and not carrying a monthly balance on the cards, you can avoid even higher interest rates. You dont want to make extremely large purchases with credit cards. You want to make purchases that you will be able to pay it back within a couple of weeks max. By doing this, you keep your credit card account in good standing and you accumulate the miles. In the end, the higher APR allows you to be able to fly at half price. You may even be able to stay at a five-star hotel and spa and have the vacation of your dreams.How often do you travel?
This is a question that you should ask yourself before you decide to get a frequent flyer or airlines reward card. Are you a business traveler and fly frequently? What are your flying habits if you do fly frequently? Are you an international traveler or do you fly domestically? Depending on your flying habits, you want to get the right card that accommodates your travel habits. Do you like luxury hotels? There are many different cards that can allow you to spend on airfares, hotel stays, car rentals, or on everyday spending and then you can be rewarded with that family vacation for almost nothing. This all depends on the kind of card you get.What are your spending habits?
Spending habits can also play a big role in getting the right airline rewards card. Credit card companies earn big money by you spending. This is why the rewards are there in the first place. This can be what gets you the miles you want. Basically, any rewards card allows scores your spending with points. As these points accumulate, your miles also accumulate. Typically, if you have over 10,000 points on your card, you could have enough miles to be able to have a free flight, discounted upgrade to first or business class, hotel stays, etc.The main thing you need to remember is that rewards cards can be great, but they do tend to have a higher APR than regular credit cards, thus you need to make wise choices and choose the right cards. There are many different credit card comparison sites that you can choose from to decide which is the best airline card for you. Read More About Best Airline Credit Cards to Fly With
Just like any other credit cards, interest is very important when making your choices. Typically, interest is measured by APR, or annual percentage rate. Some credit cards can have introductory rates as low as 0% APR for either the first six months or year, but be ware, because you could be gouged with high APRs when the introductory rate cancels out. More often than not, however, high APR cards can also be a benefit in disguise, though it may seem that you are paying more. How is that? Well, thats because the fact that credit cards which give back rewards, such as airline miles, often incur a cost in doing so, thus the higher APR. Wheres the savings? Well, if you think about it, managing your credit properly and not carrying a monthly balance on the cards, you can avoid even higher interest rates. You dont want to make extremely large purchases with credit cards. You want to make purchases that you will be able to pay it back within a couple of weeks max. By doing this, you keep your credit card account in good standing and you accumulate the miles. In the end, the higher APR allows you to be able to fly at half price. You may even be able to stay at a five-star hotel and spa and have the vacation of your dreams.How often do you travel?
This is a question that you should ask yourself before you decide to get a frequent flyer or airlines reward card. Are you a business traveler and fly frequently? What are your flying habits if you do fly frequently? Are you an international traveler or do you fly domestically? Depending on your flying habits, you want to get the right card that accommodates your travel habits. Do you like luxury hotels? There are many different cards that can allow you to spend on airfares, hotel stays, car rentals, or on everyday spending and then you can be rewarded with that family vacation for almost nothing. This all depends on the kind of card you get.What are your spending habits?
Spending habits can also play a big role in getting the right airline rewards card. Credit card companies earn big money by you spending. This is why the rewards are there in the first place. This can be what gets you the miles you want. Basically, any rewards card allows scores your spending with points. As these points accumulate, your miles also accumulate. Typically, if you have over 10,000 points on your card, you could have enough miles to be able to have a free flight, discounted upgrade to first or business class, hotel stays, etc.The main thing you need to remember is that rewards cards can be great, but they do tend to have a higher APR than regular credit cards, thus you need to make wise choices and choose the right cards. There are many different credit card comparison sites that you can choose from to decide which is the best airline card for you. Read More About Best Airline Credit Cards to Fly With
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