The average interest rate on a credit card has reached a 12-year high, according to new research from Moneyfacts.
This month, the average credit card rate currently stands at 18.8%, according to the report, compared with 17.7% a year ago and 16.8% two years ago. The last time the rate was higher at this point in the year was in 1998, when the average rate was 21.1%.
However, in 1998 the base rate was 7.25%, compared with 0.5% today, meaning that the margin between the base rate and credit card rates has increased by 4.45% since that time.
A debt expert at Think Money commented: “The uncertainty in the economy has led credit card providers to charge comparatively higher rates than in the past. This means that credit card debt is more expensive than it has been, and as such we advise borrowers to think carefully about when and how they borrow money.
“Credit cards can cost next to nothing to use if the debt is repaid promptly, but otherwise the high interest rate can mean the debt grows very quickly.”
optionsXpress is an online stock broker that’s become more popular over the last few years. They’ve also been given a “Best Online Broker” designation by Barron’s for 4 years. Today, I’ll take a closer look at what optionsXpress can do for new customers.
Since many investors have more than one area of interest, optionsXpress seems convenient because you can manage options, stocks, futures, ETFs, bonds, and mutual funds under one account.
Tip: There’s an ongoing broker promotion at optionsXpress right now. As a new investor, you can receive a $100 cash bonus if you open an account with them through this link.
optionsXpress Review: Top Broker for Stock & Options Traders
To get you started, there are tools to help you find the right investments for you, a lot of which have interesting names. These tools include The Dragon, which searches the market for top stocks and options based on categories of your choosing. You can also seek out options through StrategyScan, which will pull up to three options based on your preferences. There’s also
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The credit card wars continue to heat up and that spells “good news?for consumers. Despite rising interest rates, many issuers are continuing with their popular 0% introductory APR plans, giving new card holders a great way to save money and pay off their debts. One issuer, Advanta, has thrown the gauntlet down and is now offering an extremely low APR on balances until the debt is paid off. Let’s take a look at three Advanta offerings to find the one that has the best advant…
advanta credit cards, business credit cards, advanta business credit cards, advanta platinum
The credit card wars continue to heat up and that spells “good news?for consumers. Despite rising interest rates, many issuers are continuing with their popular 0% introductory APR plans, giving new card holders a great way to save money and pay off their debts. One issuer, Advanta, has thrown the gauntlet down and is now offering an extremely low APR on balances until the debt is paid off. Let’s take a look at three Advanta offerings to find the one that has the best advantage for you and your wallet.
Advanta Platinum Business Card With Rewards
There just aren’t too many cards out there offering 0% APR beyond the first 12 months of issuance. And why is
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Small business lending may be improving, but it’s far from easy to get money when your business needs to spend. The right credit card may help.
In fact, credit cards were the most popular spending method reported by participants in a 2009 Small Business Administration business credit card survey, with 59 percent of small businesses choosing plastic. But, 79 percent of respondents said the terms of their credit card got worse over the past 12 months.
That means not every credit card will be right for your business. Here’s a primer on choosing one that works for you.
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The Big Picture
Plastic isn’t a magic pill for business cash flow needs, but it can come in handy. Credit cards can give your business flexibility, and fast–something that’s essential in these economic times. Cards can offer other benefits, too.
One of the main reasons to get a business card is that it will help you separate your business expenses from your personal ones. W
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Everyone is gunning for the investment advisor. There are now articles on whether to sue investment advisors, how to leave them and whether they provide any value. Some investment advisors have even turned on their own. I am not much for overly broad generalization. Like any other industry, there are good, bad and indifferent members and timing makes a real difference. A good investment advisor hired in August 2008 could have only minimized damage but, without the benefit of context, a loss is a loss in the rear view mirror.
Assuming you have an investment advisor, how long should you give them before deciding to dump them for another or to walk down the DIY road? I am not sure there is a definitive answer but let’s assume that a relationship with an investment advisor is like any other relationship.
If communication issues occur immediately- for example, their advice is not geared towards your stated risk tolerance levels-it may be a sign that perhaps, to using the dating analogy, it is not worth getting past the third date. On
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