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Low interest credit cards are often at the top of everyone’s list when looking for a credit card. This is particularly true if you plan to carry a balance on your credit card for a period of time. But, how can you find the best low interest rate credit cards available? With a few easy steps, you will be able to find them without a problem.

Mailings

Some low interest rate credit cards send out mailings advertising their great rates. These mailings can be a good start in your search of the best cheap credit cards. Make sure to read the fine print, however, because many of these low interest credit cards are really only low interest for an introductory period, then the rates skyrocket. Read the information thoroughly to determine if the card will remain low or not.

Commercials

Radio and television commercials are also a source of information about low interest credit cards. Again, it is worth looking into these cards because you might be able to find a great deal. But, before applying, go to the lender’s website and learn as much about the credit card as possible. You might find hidden fees or expenses that make the card one you should avoid.

Word of Mouth

Many people don’t think to simply ask their friends and family if they have a low interest credit card. Asking them if they have a great credit card is not too personal, it is not as if you are asking them what their line of credit is or how much debt the are carrying on the card. People who have found a low interest rate credit card are often more than willing to brag about the great rate they found. Ask your friend to give you the name of the lender and the type of card he or she has. The type of card is important because most lenders have several different cards with varying interest rates, reward programs, and other benefits. You can even ask your friend for the 1-800 customer service number listed on the back of the card. You can call the number and speak to a representative to learn more and to learn how to apply for the card.

The Internet

Perhaps the best and easiest way to find low interest credit cards is to consult the Internet. There are number of websites on the Internet that offer information about a variety of credit cards. With most of these websites, the credit cards are divided into different categories. You can click on the category for low interest rate credit cards. After doing so, many credit cards with low interest rates will be listed. The beauty of using one of these sites is that they provide you with thorough, unbiased information about multiple cards. In this way, you can compare the interest rates of several credit cards, learn about introductory rates and long-term rates, find how the finance charges are determined, and research other benefits associated with the card.

Keep in mind, low interest credit cards do not necessarily need to be cheap credit cards. In other words, you shouldn’t have to sacrifice quality in a credit card for a low interest rate. When at one of the credit card comparison Internet sites, be sure to look at the other benefits provided by the card. Once you have narrowed your choices down to the cards with the lowest interest rates, compare the benefits offered by the card (such as travel insurance, purchase protection, fraud protection, and extended warranty services) and choose the one that gives you the most perks at the lowest rate.

For more information on finding the very best creditcardassist.com/lowinterest/creditcards.html low interest credit cards, Robert Alan recommends that you visit CreditCardAssist.com

Futures contracts are based on a standardised unit of some commodity. For example, 5,000 bushels of No. 2 yellow grade soybeans.

Some contracts are based on artificially created commodities. For example, 5 times the Dow Jones index. (If the Dow Jones Index is 10,000 then this contract value would be $50,000.)

The only criterion that the underlying commodity unit has to meet is that it is unambiguously defined.

A futures contract is either a commitment to buy (LONG) or to sell (SHORT) the standard unit of the commodity at a specified future date.

There is no requirement to own the commodity before entering a short contract. This sometimes confuses people. How can I sell something I don’t own? The answer is that it is a futures contract. When you go short, you are committing to sell at a future date, not now. Of course, if you don’t own the underlying commodity at the moment, you will need to buy it before the contract expiry date. Alternatively you could enter a long contract to cancel out the short position.

Only commercial operators plan to hold futures contracts through to delivery dates. This enables them to fix prices in advance, making it easier to manage their businesses.

Futures contracts are not personalised and can be bought and sold on a futures exchange. The prices at which the contracts are traded vary as the value of the underlying commodity fluctuates.

Speculators buy and sell futures contracts depending on their view of the price movement of the underlying commodity. They do not hold them until the contract expiry date, because they have no wish to deliver or take delivery of the commodity.

A speculator enters a long trade by buying a contract, and exits the trade by selling it. This is profitable if the value of the underlying commodity increases. For example, if soybeans increase in price by $0.02 per bushel, the contract value increases by $100 (5,000 X $0.02).

A speculator enters a short trade by selling a contract, and exits the trade by buying it back. This is profitable if the value of the underlying commodity decreases. For example, if a trader shorts the futures contract based on the Dow Jones index just before it falls 30 points, the contract value decreases by $150 (30 X 5). The trader buys it back at the lower price to realise the profit.

Contracts are traded on futures exchanges around the world. Two large exchanges in the US are the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) and the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT). Look under the Products links on these web sites to see the range of contracts available and to examine the contract specifications.

David Bennett trades US commodity futures from his home on the Gold Coast in Australia. He provides coaching and mentoring services for people wanting to start trading for themselves. Visit 12oclocktrades.com 12oclocktrades.com to read more futures trading articles.

Debt collectors are bad news. Maybe the only thing worse than a collector is a creditor who’s mean and nasty.

But there is something even worse than that - a creditor who is mean, nasty and trying to get you to pay a debt that is not even yours!

It’s becoming an increasingly larger problem that collections agencies are after people to pay phantom bills, even though those people never owed a dime. Here’s an example: The Federal Trade Commission states that as much as 80% of the debt being collected by Capital Acquisitions and Management (now out of business) was made to people who never owed the debt in the first place.

Collection agencies get the wrong people all the time, but don’t listen to their bluffs; you are not liable for debt in any way if you never spent the money. If you actually owe money, get on a written plan and pay it off using the debt snowball. Just remember that these people lie and break federal law on a daily basis to get their money, so if you don’t owe, don’t let them bully you into paying.

That being said, it’s important to be vigilant about checking your credit report for a few reasons. Obviously, you want it to be accurate, but if people are calling you and telling you to pay up, you might be a victim of identity theft. Someone might be running up debt in your name. Make sure to pull your credit report once a year and make sure it’s accurate.

Don’t let it sneak up on you. One man was called by a New York agency on a debt that he didn’t owe, but he ended up paying it because he was trying to get a loan and the $394 phantom debt showed up on his credit report. He paid it off because he was in a hurry to get the loan. The point is not that you should get a loan (you shouldn’t); it simply means that letting phantom debt go for too long will cause you to make bad decisions because you feel pressure.

If you are being harassed over phantom debt, send the agency a certified letter, return receipt requested, stating that the debt isn’t yours and for them to stop calling you. If they persist, you can file a complaint with the FTC or your state’s attorney general office.

Here is a fact sheet prepared by the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse for more information on what your rights are regarding collections agencies.

Source: MSNmoney.com

This content is provided by Dave Ramsey’s mytotalmoneymakeover.com MyTotalMoneyMakeover.com. Dave Ramsey is changing the face of America by helping people beat debt and build wealth with his best-selling book, daveramsey.com/shop The Total Money Makeover, and nationally syndicated radio show, The Dave Ramsey Show. Read more of what Dave says about daveramsey.com/etc/cms/index.cfm?intContentID=6557 collectors.