Credit cards offer plenty of benefits and convenience. And these days, there are cards for everyone. With so much variety, choosing a credit card can quickly turn into a daunting task. But it doesn't have to be. By reviewing your needs, you can easily match a credit card to your lifestyle. Here are three things to consider as you choose a credit card. Check the Interest Rate Every credit card has an annual percentage rate, or APR, attached to it. If you pay off the balance each month, this will not affect you. However, most of us do occasionally carry a balance, so finding a good APR is important. Many cards come with an initial low or 0% interest rate. After a period of time, varying from a few months to a year, the regular interest rate will be used. Some cards offer low interest rates, while others charge a higher one. You will want to check if the card has a fixed or variable interest rate. A fixed rate is one that will not change unless the issuer notifies you. A variable interest rate is usually attached to another rate, such as the prime rate. As the prime rate changes, the interest rate on your credit card will also fluctuate. There are often limits included, which define how high or low your rate can go. Check the fine print of the credit card application to get a better understanding of the interest rate and how it works. Look at the Finance Charges Most credit cards have a number of finance charges included. Some charge an annual fee for carrying the card. This can range from $25 to $75, and sometimes more. Other costs may be incurred through balance transfers, cash advances, late payments, or by exceeding the credit limit. These may or may not affect you, depending on how you use the card. Besides the fees, you will want to look at the grace period. This is a free period that allows you to avoid finance charges by paying off the balance before the due date. Some cards have a long grace period, while others do not include one. By reading through the terms and conditions, you will better understand the charges attached to the card. Compare Additional Benefits Participating in a reward program can help you accumulate additional benefits quickly. Some cards give you cash back when you make purchases. This usually ranges from 1% to 6% of the amount spent. If you spend a lot of time driving, a card with gas rewards will be very advantageous; similarly, if you travel frequently, you can earn valuable airline miles through a credit card that offers miles or points for travel with your purchases. Some cards can be used to consolidate debt. Look for one with a low charge for balance transfers and a 0% APR introductory rate. Then transfer your balances onto the card. If you can, try to pay off the entire debt before the 0% APR offer expires. By evaluating your needs, you can decide what to look for in a credit card. Search for one that fits those needs and then apply online. The card will soon arrive in your mailbox. Use it wisely, and you'll enjoy the convenience and benefits of having a credit card.
At work, many people just react to the latest crisis and feel worn out at the end of the day. Others sit down to figure out the causes of the crises and ways to prevent future ones. Which are you?
In selling offerings, many people will take anyone who wants to buy . . . for whatever reason. Others take the time to learn what their offerings can do and seek out those who can get the most benefit. The latter make more sales over time because they deliver more for customers. Which are you?
Too many of us stop thinking about what we are doing as soon as we finish a task. We happily turn to our to-do list and quickly check off another completed item before moving onto the next task. That "job done" satisfaction has been a problem with those who create breakthrough solutions.
Such solution creators are more likely to move on to learn some less effective process than they are to deepen their knowledge by creating another breakthrough solution. These talented innovators are even less likely to repeat the breakthrough solution process on the same problem or opportunity.
Worst of all, even those who do repeat the process are then less likely to teach the process to anyone else. Yet such teaching would deepen the teacher's understanding of the process while enhancing an organization's ability to prosper in the future from having more breakthrough solutions.
In the same way, most of us stop thinking about our offerings as soon as they leave our sight. That's what happened to a pilot who managed the flights for relief supplies. Although he had certainly seen food and medicine distributed in relief camps, he didn't usually think about that important aspect of creating value from his transporting of supplies. By shifting his attention to those important activities, he was able to transform the effectiveness of his flight activities.
Now is a good time to change your myopic focus to a longer-sighted one. Hundreds of business books advocate becoming customer centered, but that's only part of the answer. Instead, you have to become purpose centered in serving a fuller extent of your beneficiaries' and customers' needs in your areas of current and potential expertise and resources.
Here are questions designed to help you identify the highest and best use of your offerings, resources, and talents:
-Which customers and beneficiaries receive the least benefit now? Why?
-Which beneficiaries and customers enjoy the most benefit now? Why?
-How could you add much more benefit at little or no cost?
-Why don't beneficiaries and customers demand those benefits now?
-Where do customers and beneficiaries misunderstand the value they could receive from your offerings and talents?
-Why do those misunderstandings exist and persist?
-How else can you improve how you spend your time?
Both Ada Denis & Donald Mitchell are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Ada Denis has sinced written about articles on various topics from Credit Cards, Finances and Marketing. . Ada Denis's top article generates over 110000 views. to your Favourites.
Donald Mitchell has sinced written about articles on various topics from . Donald Mitchell is an author of seven books including Adventures of an Optimist, The 2,000 Percent Squared Solution, The 2,000 Percent Solution, The 2,000 Percent Solution Workbook, The Irresistible Growth Enterprise, and The Ultimate Competitive Advantag. Donald Mitchell's top article . to your Favourites.