Having this kind of policy in place means that if someone tried to use your confidential credit information in a fraudulent way – like to apply for a credit card, for example – they would not succeed because their application would be incomplete without access by the bank or card company to your credit report.

No new accounts can be opened in your name, and no new loans can be taken out as long as this freeze is in place. That is a great way to protect someone who doesn’t plan on asking for new credit – such as, for instance, an elderly parent who may be too confused to manage their own finances anymore.

Oddly enough, not every state has laws in place about credit freezes.  As of November 13, 2008, forty-eight states and the District of Columbia have a credit freeze law. The states without mandatory credit freeze laws are:

• Alabama
• Michigan

The downside is that if you try to borrow money after setting up a freeze you will probably have to wait about 10 days for your permission to be processed, the freeze to be removed, and your loan application to be finalized. So if you have an active credit account “freezing may not be for you – but in other special circumstances it can help to lock down your account by locking out identity thieves.

When you sign up for The Limited Credit Card, you are considered a Classic member.  This is The Limited’s modest spender account.  As a Classic member you have the benefit of a wide array of perks and rewards exclusive only to The Limited.

The Limited Rewards Program

Like most cards, there is a standard point per dollar model to their program.  Meaning, for every dollar you spend, you will receive one point toward your reward account.  However, what makes The Limited’s reward program enticing, is the fact that for every 300 points earned as a Classic member you’ll receive a $15 gift coupon.  This actually averages out to 5% cash back which is extremely lucrative for a credit cards rewards program

Limited Pricing Details

There is no annual fee to use this card, but like most store credit cards, there is a very high interest rate charged to the card, due to the more lax credit score needed.  At 24.99%, The Limited Credit Card should be paid off monthly to maximize the benefits of the card, otherwise, despite all of the great perks, this card becomes a money loser.

Those monthly benefits include …

• Free Hem Service – Find a stunning pair of pants but find them to be a hair too long?  The Limited will offer you their free hem service to tighten things up for you.
• Monthly Coupon Books – Upward of $75 in savings per month from these books.  However, considering the amount of The Limited coupons that come through my e-mail and junk mail weekly, these may or may not be exclusive.
• Birthday Gift – Every year, during the month of your birthday, The Limited will send you an exclusive birthday discount.
• Access to private events and season previews – Be the first to get a sneak peak and purchase the seasons new garb.

Then, once you spend your 800th dollar using your Limited Credit Card,  you are automatically upgraded to Couture member; a more exclusive club of The Limited’s more regular users.  Not only do you still retain all of the perks and benefits of being a Classic member, but there are added bonuses such as:

• Upgraded Rewards – Instead of needing to earn 300 points for every $15 off, you only need to earn 250 points to cash them in for a $15 gift coupon.  This means you actually yield 6% cash back!
• Free Shipping on All Online Orders – Very convenient and a big time money saver for those who dabble in the world of online cloth shopping.
• Bonus Gift – Free gifts are free gifts and while I have no idea what that free gift is, it could be great or it could be a mystery box.

The ultimate deciding factor on the true value of this card is simple.  How often do you shop at The Limited?.  If you spend over $800 per year (meaning, you really love The Limited), this is one store card you might want to look into.  Its high yielding rewards in-store plus the exclusive perks for being a The Limited regular make the The Limited Credit Card worth it if and only if you are a faithful The Limited shopper.

However, to maximize this card’s quality, you will need to make sure you pay your balance off in its entirety monthly.  If you do, this is one store credit card that actually looks valuable.

Within 31 days of their latest promotion, where cardholders earned double rewards points for every purchase with use of their Capital One Venture Card, the lender gave one BILLION reward miles.  One point, the equivalent of roughly one cent, means the lender gave away over ten million dollars in rewards in the first month, making it pay for consumers to spend.

With a continuing rise in consumer spending, it is not out of the question for these profits to make their way back to consumer pockets.  The increasing use of credit cards coupled with the increasing reward programs away from the base point per dollar – or 1 percent – model has been making big profits for the major lenders.  With the influx of revenue, it will soon be time for the powers of the industry to notice the correlation and in turn, justify the causation of these rewards programs driving continued spending.

Most lenders are currently offering a base one points per dollar spent program with added tiered bonuses upwards of five percent, it is only a matter of time before six, seven, and eight percent or even higher becomes status quo in the industry.  As is, there are cards that offer six percent on select purchases (Blue Cash Preferred from American Express) with a cap, but with rising spending will break the glass ceiling on the industry standard in these programs.

While continued spending will yield higher rewards, it is not an excuse to spend freely and without good spending habits.  The average credit card debt per household is currently around $16,000 with over 75 percent of college graduates already in debt with credit cards up to $3,000 on average.  Spending on cards and earning rewards is great, but the rewards become moot if you’re the type of spender that continually carries a balance on their card(s).

The safest and best way to maximize your rewards are to spend, but make sure you pay off your balance in full at every statement.  If you must carry a balance make sure you are using a card that has as lowest an interest rate as possible.  Remember to take your time when choosing a credit card and always compare, compare COMPARE!

I’m personally not a military veteran, but am privileged enough to have access to it because my father-in-law served in the 1960′s. USAA has built an outstanding reputation for it’s customer service as well as business acumen dealing with customer claims’ and needs. It’s a company you have a feeling will treat you better than any other insurance company out there. My father, who is an attorney, recently had to deal with USAA for the first time in his career regarding a multi-million dollar client claim. After working with them, he stated that they were the best insurance company he had ever seen AND he’s been practicing law for over 50 years!

When I went to evaluate the USAA Rewards credit card, I expected that it would go above and beyond most credit cards in the market. Don’t get me wrong, there are aspects to the card that are as good as other credit card offerings, but right off the bat I felt that the rewards program was somewhat – blah. Nothing really exciting to say to me that this card is better than other reward cards such as the Capital One Venture cards or the Chase Freedom card.

The main highlights of the card:

• 0% APR on balance transfers for 12 months
• 2,500 bonus points with first purchase and $1 = 1 point thereafter
• Earn 2X points on gas and groceries
• No Annual Fee
• The main aspects are highlighted in yellow from a recent direct mail offer

USAA is partnered with American Express on this credit card and therefore becoming a card holder will require Excellent credit. What worries me the most is the possible 25.9% interest rate charged on purchases, balance transfers and cash advances. The disclosure chart provides a range of potential variable APRs from 9.9% to 25.9% which seems way too broad. Most credit card companies offer a 10% point range, while this card is 15% – a red flag for me.Two “fee positives” about the card is the 3% transfer rate with a maximum of $200 for a transfer. Many current credit card providers don’t put in place a maximum, which essentially means that if you made a $10,000 balance transfer, you could be charged a balance transfer fee of $300 versus a maximum of $200 with the USAA rewards card.

This card is an average rewards card. Because it’s USAA, I simply expected more perks as well as more military benefits – better discounts, stronger cash redemptions just to name a few. I mean at the end of the day, the men and woman currently serving our military deserve every best available financial feature in the market and frankly other credit cards are further ahead.

Disclaimer: This content is not provided or commissioned by American Express. Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of American Express, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by American Express. This site may be compensated through American Express Affiliate Program.

BP Pump Rewards Visa Card Review

BP introduced a new rewards program recently and unfortunately it is quite complex and difficult to comprehend, but in summary, the rewards aren’t exactly …rewarding.  For every $100 spent on your BP Visa Card at BP you earn a 15 cents per gallon rebate.  For every $100 spent elsewhere, you earn a 5 cents per gallon rebate.  The funny thing about gas cards is often their offers look great, but unfortunately, within the fine print, there are catches.  The BP Visa Card is no different.  When you redeem your rebate you can only redeem them on ONE fill up.

If you drive a smaller car or drive a car that doesn’t need much gas, you’re reward can be very little.  If you’ve earned the bare minimum to achieve a rebate; 15 cent rebate by spending $100; when you fill up your car with 10 gallons you’ll only be saving $1.50.  You’ll also be spending towards your next bonus, but a 1.5% savings on gas isn’t going to cut it with the quality gas rewards credit cards on the market today.

Let’s just say you have a larger car that needs more gas.  Well, this rebate only allows you to redeem up to 20 gallons of gas. That means only up to $3 savings for spending $100 dollars and you’d only be able to use this and all rebates earned at one time.  A much better cash back reward, but for those with larger tanks, a bit of wastefulness in terms of just how high you can maximize your savings.

And I just learned that for a limited time, the BP Rewards Visa is offering a $0.25 per gallon rebate for the first sixty days (one fill up each time you spend $100 at BP)

BP Visa Pump Rewards Interest Platform

There is no annual fee to use the BP Pump Rewards Credit Card, but like most store credit cards, there is a very high interest rate charged to the card, due to the more lax credit score needed.  At up to a 19.24% variable APR, the BP Pump Rewards Credit Card should be paid off monthly to maximize the benefits of the card, otherwise, this card becomes a money loser and it makes any rebates or rewards you DO earn, completely irrelevant.  Remember that a rewards credit card is only effective if you save more than you would have had you used cash!

Overall, there is very little to like about this card.  A very convoluted and confusing reward system (which is difficult to keep track of) that hardly rewards at all plus high interest rates makes the BP rewards visa a high recommendation to avoid.  A shame, too, considering the high yielding card of BP’s past.  If you’re looking for more rewarding cards that pay to use your card at the pump, check out countless other major name branded cards from the power players in the industry.

Zales Credit Card Intro Promo

If you’re looking to pick up some jewelry from Zales, they are running a promotion that offers no interest on your Zales Credit Card if you pay off your purchase in six months on purchases $300 or more.  This offer is running from April 23, 2012 to June 17, 2012, but if you’re reading this after this offer expires, be on the lookout for offers similar to this throughout the year.

Be very mindful, however, of the catch on this offer.  If you do not pay off your balance in the six month time period, you will be charged interest from the time you made the purchase.  So, if you’re $100 or $200 short after six months, you will be charged interest on your entire purchase amount for six months and whatever time it takes you to pay the rest of the balance off.  Deferred interest is the term credit card issuers use, and it sucks.

Zales Pricing Details

There is no annual fee to use the Zales Credit Card, but like most store credit cards, there is a very high interest rate charged to the card, due to the more lax credit score needed.  At up to 28.99%, Zales Credit Card should be paid off monthly to maximize the benefits of the card, otherwise, this card becomes a money loser.  Unfortunately, this card can only be used at Zales, Zales.com, or their outlet store, as its not backed by any of the major credit card companies like MasterCard, Visa, or American Express.  Because of this, there are few added perks outside of making Zales purchases during a promotional period.  They do offer 0% liability on unauthorized purchases and credit insurance, but that’s about it.

The real concern from the Zales Credit Card comes from it’s usage.  As a one time use for the 0% opportunity, it’s an OK play at best.  But with no rewards program, this card has an absolutely “STAY AWAY” sign all over it..  Plus, if you find yourself shopping at Zales often, you may have a little spending problem.

If you need to make a jewelry purchase, whether it be at Zales or another store, using a store card is not the way to go.  The insanely high APR and catches to their regular promotions make the Zales Credit Card a risky one to own, never mind use for purchases small or large.  The Zales Credit Card has no current offers or perks to make this anything more than a card to pass on.  Recommendation to avoid at all costs.

I suffered from a little disease that many recent college graduates and even long time workers suffer from during these hard economic times – have-a-job-I-hate-but-can’t-quit-itis.  As a graduate from a Top 50 University in the country, I was thrust into the work place with, unfortunately, a worthless piece of paper as a Communications major, but those the breaks, as they say.  Needing to make a living, I essentially took the first job that came along, and that was the aforementioned real estate gig.  So, I plodded along for four years making adequate dough just “happy” to job, all the while being miserable.

You see, I’m a journalist at heart, and after being out of the game for so long, you forget the things you loved to do.   Being in the office environment daily, it can sap the life and love out of you.  So needless to say, me being let go was not only a God send, but a kick in the butt to get out and do something you enjoy doing because you only live once and you shouldn’t live it doing something for 9+ hours per day doing something you don’t enjoy.

It wasn’t more than a week after I was let go, I was approached by my friend to do some writing for him.  It involved something I wasn’t familiar or comfortable with, but I was told it’d be good for me by those I trust to just get back into it.  Not only would it be a learning experience, but it’d be something to get me motivated and back to doing something I enjoyed doing.

Now, I wasn’t quite sure what all of this entailed at first, but I was quickly introduced to the world of finance and credit cards.  Putting all of my cards on the table, truth be told, I don’t own a credit card, didn’t know much about them, or how I could contribute to this market and niche of internet advertising and review writing that I had avoided going to.  I also know very little about the grand scheme of personal finance.  However, the same friend who offered me the gig told me, “buddy, you’ll learn, and you’ll learn quick, you’ll be fine.”

Well, I don’t know if I’ve learned quickly, but I will say this, it’s challenging.  I was thrust into a world I’m not familiar with and it hasn’t been easy, but I learn more and more with each and every article, which is something that I couldn’t say about working in real estate where my knowledge base for the industry flamed out after week number one and I was able to do well in the industry for four years.  However, all of this knowledge comes with a purpose.  Not only is it extremely beneficial for my own knowledge base on the credit industry and the world of personal finance, but I’m doing a service for every man and woman that comes across CompareCards.com, helping them make a sound financial decision in their life, and it is a responsibility I take very seriously.

By the time this article is published, I’m sure I’ll learn another 50 things about the world of credit and personal finance and I look forward to every bit of it.  I’m doing more and more personal fact finding and reading on subjects not even associated with credit in my free time, all to get a more sound knowledge base on a subject that essentially, effects and has affected us all in some way so far and I hope to relay all of that information on to you in the most basic way in the upcoming weeks, months, and beyond.  Until then…

This post comes from Lawrence, a new credit card writer on CompareCards.com

What can I say? It’s sturdy canvas and can take lots of abuse. It has a few pockets where I can stash spice bottles, lemons, onions, or a list of my recipe ingredients. As long as I’m careful not to get leftover sawdust on anyone’s burgers it’s the ideal apron for grilling outdoors – which is really just a culinary do-it-yourself project, if you think about it.

When it comes to DIY projects Home Depot always has what I need. Plus the employees are experienced enough to help you solve problems with your projects, and the prices are always competitive. Recently I saw a Home Depot ad on TV, and it occurred to me that I should check out their credit card. I typically steer away from store cards in favor of cash-back rewards cards from major banks. But since I do a lot of shopping at Home Depot it might be a good card for me to carry. Here’s what I learned when I did some research on the Home Depot Credit Card:

Home Depot Consumer Credit Card

The Home Depot Consumer Credit Card has no annual fee and offers 0% interest on purchases of $299 or more for six months. After six months the rate reverts to your standard APR which will run from 17.99% – 26.99% variable. By the way, the small print states that the majority of people who apply get a rate of at least 25.99% APR. Interest will be charged to your account from the purchase date if the purchase balance (including premiums for optional credit insurance) is not paid in full within 6 months or if you make a late payment.

Home Depot Commercial Revolving Charge Card

This card is issued through Citi Bank. There is no annual fee and although the interest rate is listed as 21.99%, the small print says that if your billing address is in GA or NC when you open the account you’ll get a 15% interest rate. That almost makes it worth moving across state lines. Meanwhile with this card you can make monthly payments for purchases – or pay them off in full. If you are a contractor, for example, you can track purchases by such things as the job name – and you can get free cards for your employees to carry. There are also some handy online account management and bill paying tools.

Home Depot Commercial Account

The Home Depot Commercial Account is also issued through Citi Bank. There is no annual fee and the same basic features that are on the revolving account card apply to this one, too, including the 21.99% interest rate or the 15% rate for those who live in GA and NC. As far as I can tell the only difference is that instead of using revolving credit to pay off your bills over time this is just a standard charge card.

Home Depot Project Loan Card

The Home Depot Project Loan Card extends financing with a credit line that can be as high as $40,000 – depending upon your credit worthiness. The APR also varies with your credit – although those with the best credit can get an APR as low as 7.99%. You repay purchases in fixed monthly installments and if you pay off your purchase within six months you don’t have to pay any interest. There is no annual fee.

Conclusions

The Home Depot Project Loan Card might be a viable option for someone needing a line of credit and a way to finance a more expensive project. Usually however, bank or credit union loans are priced more competitively than typical store or merchant loans, so that may be a more affordable option. Meanwhile the other kinds of financing and plastic offered by Home Depot do not appear to have any benefits or advantages that can hold a candle to those you’d get from some of the best cash back credit cards.

I did, by the way, see tabs on the Home Depot site for managing your MasterCard. But there are currently no offerings for a Home Depot MasterCard listed under the credit options section of the site. So my conclusion is that while they issued MasterCard products in the past, they no longer do.

Upon receiving the card, cardholders are eligible to receive 30,000 Bonus Miles when they spend $500 in the first three months on their Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express.  This is the equivalent to $300 to which you can use toward travel, just for signing up and using the card.  Also, if you add additional cardholder to your account, you can receive up to an additional 5,000 miles.  You will receive 2,500 miles per additional cardholder, up to two additional users.  This gives you the equivalent of a $350 sign on bonus, a solid opening act.

The miles don’t stop accumulating there.  Being a Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express cardholder, you receive two miles for every dollar you spend on Delta or Northwest Airlines purchases.  Whether its travel packages or individual flights, you’ll receive double the miles.  For all other purchases made on the card, you’ll receive the standard one mile per dollar.  Your Delta SkyMiles never expire and there is no catch.  Unlike most travel cards, which have an expiration on their miles at somewhere around up to two years of inactivity before they expire, SkyMiles will never expire.  You can start to redeem your earned miles at 10,000, which is good for $100 off travel expenses.

All benefits and perks on this card come fee free year one.  However, every year after, a $95 charge will apply to us the card.  Couple that with its competitive variable APR of 15.24%, 17.24%, or 19.24% and it makes the rewards for Delta cardholders stick a little bit more.  Unfortunately, there is no introductory 0% APR and all purchases made from the day of your first purchase come with the standard APR.

Big Time Gold Delta SkyMiles Perks

One of the best reasons to have a credit card from your favorite airline are the perks that come with traveling with them that make your experience from portal to portal that much better.  As a cardholder of the Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express, you’ll receive:

• Free Bag Check-In – For every flight, you and your travel buddies’ first bag flies free.  Up to nine people can partake in this perk.  That is saving $50 for each person for each round trip flight.  You can save up to $450 in savings each round trip flight.
• Priority Boarding – Time is off the essence when boarding a flight.  For those in a rush, the less time it takes, the better your experience will be.  With priority boarding, you’ll always be in your seat, with your bag stowed away, with your seat in the upright and locked position before takeoff.
• 20% Discount on Board – When you purchase food or anything during your flight, you’ll get 20% off all costs.  So, if you’re hungry, eat!
• Traveler’s Protection – Whether you suffer from a horrific accident to your person or your rental car, you’re backed by American Express with insurance.  Also, you have access to the GlobalAssist Helpline and Roadside Assistance in case of emergency on your travels.

Being a cardholder, you’re able to take advantage of their award winning customer service and their basic perks for being a cardholder like purchase protection benefits.  With Purchase Protection, Return Protection, and Extended Warranty Benefits, they give you a peace of mind when you make you purchases with your Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express.  You can shop with confidence and protect your purchases up to 90 days from accidental damage or theft, be protected from lost receipts, and have an extra year of protection on all U.S. Warranties up to five years by making purchases with your card.  Plus, you’re backed by American Express’ fraud protection services.

If you’re a Delta regular, this card is for you.  Delta and American Express also offer a Platinum and Reserve versions of this card for the higher spending cardholders, but for low spenders, the Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express is for you.

These are good offers that can tempt anyone into investing into the card. However, you have to look further to know which offer is truly the one for you. If you want to minimize your debt, use balance transfers, but do so wisely. With 74.9 percent of all US families using credit cards and 58 percent of them carrying a balance, that’s millions of dollars in interest payments Americans are paying each month, according to the Federal Reserve Bulletin.

What if you could get a break from interest for a few months, pay off your debt during that time and not have to worry about it long term?  The best balance transfer credit cards provide a simple and straightforward way for you to reduce the costs associated with your credit cards and give you the opportunity to pay off those rewards without interest. Keep in mind that if you do not pay off your balance in full during the intro period, you will need to pay the APR. Make it your goal to pay it off during that introductory offer.

Citi Simplicity Card – Best Balance Transfer Credit Card

The Citi Simplicty Card gives you zero percent APR for 18 months on balance transfers and purchases. It has a low regular APR of 12.99% – 21.99 percent after the introductory period expires.  However, you have a year and a half to pay off your debt interest free with this card. There’s no annual fee, late payment fee, or over limit fee either. You will need to have excellent credit, but this card is one of the best tools available for getting a balance transfer free period.

There are other balance transfer cards on the market today but the Citi Simplicty is the best.  You won’t find an offer longer than 18 months these days and the no fee structure makes it easy for cardholder to keep the money lost to credit cards at a minimum (if anything at all)

Getting out from heavy credit card debt is hard but a balance transfer can help you escape high interest rates. Use them to pay off those high rate credit cards. and keep your purchases in check.