Some Advice when You Compare Credit Card Deals

Let me be blunt, most people think that any monkey with a knowledge of basic arithmetic is capable of comparing credit card deals. But the truth is credit cards have always been intrinsically confusing. This is not your fault though. You are not a stupid person just because the terms and conditions are hard to understand. The secret is that credit card companies deliberately try to make things harder for the consumer to understand. It so bad, you have to have a law degree to be able to decipher their jargon buried in fine print. Have you ever tried to read a large block of fine print? By the end of reading fine print, you will lose your eyes.

Why Would You Need to Read the Fine Print?

The question is why would anybody need to read the fine print in the first place? Isn’t all I am looking for already in the brochure in big bold letters and divided into categories? Well, even if you see that the interest rates in the card are as low as one percent to zero percent, even if you see that the card offers the best gift rewards, even if you already know that the card has the highest credit limit, and even if you see how long the annual fee the card has, you will still have to read the fine print. Why? Because these numbers are subject to change, depending on the conditions stated in your fine print. Yes, you might get screwed without even knowing it.

The tactic of credit companies has always been to confuse you with hard to read terms in order to turn you off from reading them carefully. To be able to ascertain if you are getting good credit card deals, you have to compare the information you distilled from the terms and conditions, not just the info that is given to you first hand by the agent who hands you a brochure and gives you an earful of sales talk.

Not all cards that offer big rewards are great deals. Not all cards that have low interest rates are good deals. Ultimately, it all depends on your specific needs. If you need a card but you know you will only be paying the minimum, then you have to get one with low interest rates. But then you have to check the terms and conditions. Usually, those with rock bottom rates are variable, meaning they will shoot up once you have a missed or late payment. So, in conclusion, be smart and research the cards and your situation thoroughly. That is the only way to get good credit card deals.