Reasons To Think Twice Before Using Balance Transfer Cards As Online Debt Relief
What would make a person who's looking for online debt relief choose one of those low interest rate balance transfer cards
, and what are they supposed to do in benefiting the debtor?Well, as you probably know, financial disaster can happen to anyone - especially in these times. And, it often strikes without warning. A person appears to have everything under control - he has a great job, pays his house note on time, and is good at managing his credit card bills every month.
But things can happen that turns it all upside down. You could face a serious illness, or a divorce, resulting in a sudden loss of income, which causes your financial obligations to pile up. You can get panicked, not knowing where to turn, especially if your credit isn't perfect to begin with. So, those low finance rate bank balance transfer cards can seem like the ultimate way out of your dilemma.
But be careful, as these transfer "programs" can hide many pitfalls that can make a bad situation even worse! With that, here is a brief summary of what this "solution" can bring you in the way of traps, if you don't know how they operate:
"Easy" balance transfer credit cards are those that offer new card holders a low, or even zero, interest rate when they transfer the balances on their existing cards to the new one. And, at first this looks great! It appears that all you do is apply for this card, and once you receive it, hand over those financial burdens existing on your old cards to them - no hassle, no fuss!
If that doesn't hook you, you will be reminded over and again that transferring your balances to them will not only bring your current cards to ZERO, but remember, you will then have just a small monthly payment that covers it all! And then, they bring the message home with the fact that this great rate is yours for several months - so, you can't lose! However, there are several catches in this, that can lead to a HUGE financial downfall if you don't know the facts.
First, most people don't stop to think that their new lower rates apply to their balance transfers only, and not to anything else they may use the card to purchase. What this means is, any charge you make that's NOT a transfer will be subject to the card's standard rates and fees as applicable by law - which could prove to be very high.
And, concerning those standard rates and fees, you also need to know that they WILL go up significantly, once the introductory rate period ends. You don't want to discover this last minute, when upon opening your latest statement you are hit with the HUGE new minimum that's now due each month start with this one.
Another "trap" people face with a low rate card is the mindset that once their other cards have been brought down to zero by the transfers, it's OK to go ahead and "use them for a purchase or two". What then often happens is their paid off cards are soon run up with new charges that they keep putting on them, a little at a time. And, it goes without saying that the results from all the debit that's now compiling faster than ever, can be disastrous, to say the least.
So unless you are one of those rare people who are geniuses at handling cards like these, you might be well-advised to stay clear of them when looking for online debt relief. Instead, find a reputable person or firm that has nothing to gain from you but a clearly posted consultation fee, and can give you the resources you need to get you out of your mess.
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