我该怎么做? 选择一张信用卡?

Like dandelions in a spring lawn, credit card offers pop up everywhere — stuffing your mailbox, flashing on the internet and falling out of magazines. They all sound so attractive: "0% APR until next year!" "No fee if you transfer a balance now!”“固定利率很低!" You’re thinking of applying for a card, but how do you decide which offer is best for you?

First, you need to understand what a credit card is and how it’s different from a debit card. Next, you can evaluate the offers and decide which card is right for you.

Ask yourself these questions when choosing a credit card

• What's the APR or interest rate?
• Is it fixed or variable? If variable, how is it calculated?
• Will you be charged different interest rates for purchases, 资产转移s, and cash advances? Which one(s) of these will you actually use?
• What method determines the outstanding balance used to calculate the finance charge?
• Is there an annual fee, and what other fees may be charged? If there’s an annual fee, what benefits offset this fee?
• If you travel overseas, are there foreign transaction fees?
• What’s the length of the grace period (if any)? Most cards today have at least a 30-day grace period.

还有什么好找的 in finding the best credit card

Once you've answered the questions above to see how this card will fit (or won’t fit) into your financial life, you need to think about how you'll use the card. If you intend to pay off the balance each month and won't incur any finance charges, obtaining a low interest rate is less important than finding a card with no annual fee, minimal transaction fees, and a long grace period. If you'll carry a balance from month to month, you'll want a low interest rate and a balance calculation method that minimizes your finance charges.

If you’re going to do a 资产转移

Perhaps you're not currently using your credit card, but you want to minimize the finance charge on your existing balance. One way to do so is to transfer your balance periodically to a new card with a low introductory "teaser" rate of interest. If you choose to "surf" in this fashion, be cautious. 注意:

• A low interest rate on new purchases, but a higher interest rate on 资产转移s
• A low introductory interest rate that applies only for a very short period of time
• 结余转让费, particularly uncapped amounts calculated as a percentage of the 资产转移red – the good news is that Patelco does not charge 资产转移 fees
• Termination fees and retroactive interest charges levied if you decide to surf the next wave and close the account or transfer the balance to another card before a specified time period has elapsed

When you transfer a balance from an existing card to a new one, it's a good idea to close the account you're leaving. 通过这样做, you won't be tempted to use the card again (at a higher rate of interest once the introductory offer period has expired), and you'll minimize the potential for fraudulent use or identity theft. 更重要的是, if you don't close such accounts and later try to transfer your balance again, a new card issuer might turn down your application, afraid you'll incur too much debt by running up new balances on dormant, 但开放, 信用卡账户.

Source: Broadridge Financial Solutions, accessed October 22, 2019.