:The Flash Advancer

You may notice all the great incentives that the major airlines are offering with their own mileage cards, however, you may learn if you investigate a bit more than you can find some even better deals for your choice of mileage cards. Many people are now choosing these mileage cards over the major airline cards and with good reason.

The mileage cards that are so popular are the ones that allow you to earn air miles or points when you make purchases with your mileage card, sometimes even doubling the benefits. What this really means is that you, in some cases, can earn points in two separate ways on the same flight, if you use your mileage card to book the flight. These points or air miles that you earn are not just good for redeeming toward an airline ticket but can also be used for hotel accommodations or car rentals. Some of these unique mileage cards can earn you points when you purchase items from some retailers and even food at restaurants that have nothing whatsoever to do with your trip.

There are four major types of mileage cards, which people use when traveling. You may wish to choose a mileage card that has collaborated with your favorite airline or hotel chain. If you only use one airline or prefer a certain hotel, this is probably your best bet. Even major credit card companies such as Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, and Diner’s Club also offer mileage cards with many great incentives and benefits and normally have more freedom when it comes to choosing an airline or hotel for your stay. Your own bank may also offer mileage cards with their own set of benefits. Some people just prefer to use their debit card, which normally does not have any type of rewards for benefits.

It can be very hard to decide which mileage cards are best for you and your particular lifestyle, so you may wish to read all the fine print to learn about the pros and cons of each mileage card before you apply.

As for airlines that offer mileage cards, American Airlines and United Airlines, both offer mileage cards. American Airlines along with Citibank offers the AAdvantage mile program. With this mileage card, you earn one AAdvantage mile for every dollar you charge on your mileage card. The United Airlines Card is known as the Mileage Plus First Card, which offers close to the same. Other airlines that also offer mileage cards include Northwest with the WorldPerks Visa and Delta Airlines with the American Express Optima.

There are many great incentives and benefits offered with mileage cards but these are usually only for people that travel quite a bit. The fees annually can be very expensive from $25 to $125. Not only are the annual fees more expensive but the interest rates are normally around 17% as well.

Now you must decide whether your travel habits will aid you in receiving the benefits from mileage cards so you can earn that great vacation.

For more on finding the best mileage cards, Robert Alan recommends that you visit CreditCardAssist.com.

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Have you wondered how credit card eligibility is determined?

Curious whether you’re eligible for a credit card?

It all has to do with your credit rating and credit score. Here we go with a quick tutorial on what constitutes credit-worthiness and how you can make sure that you are eligible for a credit card when you want one.

Credit Reports and Credit Scores

When you buy something on credit or have a credit card, the credit card company or store makes periodic reports to one or more credit reporting agencies. Those agencies keep records of your credit history - how good you are at paying your bills on time.

Among the things that go into your credit history are:

1. How many credit cards you have

2. How much you owe on each one

3. How many loans you’ve taken out

4. How much you still owe on them

5. Any payments that you’ve made late

6. Any payments that you’ve missed

7. If you’ve ever defaulted on a loan

8. If you’ve ever filed for bankruptcy

9. If you own a house

10. If there has ever been a judgment against you for unpaid debts

Credit reporting agencies assign a ‘weight’ to each of those facts, and assign points to you based on each of those points. The total of those points is called your ‘credit score’. The higher your credit score is, the better your credit is.

Some of the things that you lose points on your credit score for are:

1. Having too many credit cards

2. Carrying too much debt on your credit cards

3. Carrying too many loans

4. Making late payments or missing payments

5. Defaulting on a loan

6. Applying for a lot of credit cards in a short time

The credit card and credit score give a ’snapshot’ of your credit history.

Getting a Credit Card

When you apply for a credit card, the company that issues the card checks with a credit reporting agency to get your credit report and find out your credit score. Since they’re basically lending you money whenever you use your credit card, they want to make sure that you’re the kind of person who pays your debts on time. They have an ideal ’snapshot’ that they compare your credit report and score with. The closer your credit score is to their ideal, the better your chances of getting a credit card with a great interest rate and good terms.

The lower your credit score is, the more a risk you are for the credit card company. Because they take a bigger risk when they lend you money, they charge you more by giving you a higher interest rate. If your credit score is too low, they won’t give you a credit card at all. If you have no credit history at all, they also may decide not to give you a credit card, depending on other factors in your credit history.

If you’re turned down for a credit card.

The credit card company has to tell you the reasons that you were turned down. They also have to tell you which credit reporting agency they got your credit history from. There are three major credit reporting agencies in the country - Equifax, Experian and Transunion. The report that the credit card company used to make their decision will be one of those.

You have the right to request a copy of the credit report that they used to make your decision. The company that provided the report to the credit agency has to give you a copy free. The credit reporting agency also has to give you a copy of your credit report once every 12 months if you request it. Get your credit report to find out what it says about you - and to see how you can improve your credit score so that you won’t be turned down next time.

You may freely reprint this article provided the author bio and live links are left intact.

Joseph Kenny writes for the credit card comparison site http://www.CardGuide.co.uk. There is a credit card guide section to aid the selection and general use of credit cards among users.

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Although credit card issuers view student credit cards amongst the highest credit risk groups and accordingly charge higher interest rates, they provide an excellent opportunity for young people to start establishing a credit history that will ultimately get them a credit rating.

A good credit rating is not only important in helping a person secure credit but is also very useful when it comes to securing job, getting insurance and a host of other important things most people will need to get done in their lifetime.

Evidence that a good credit rating is of absolute importance is the popularity of any offer that purports to help repair a bad credit rating.

Characteristics Of A Student Credit Card

A student credit card will usually have more restrictions than an ordinary credit card. Many student credit cards typically require the additional signature of a parent. This is a commitment that in the event that the student credit card holder is unable to pay, the parents will foot the bill.

Student credit cards will also tend to have a low credit limit, usually as low as $500. The bank sees student credit cards as a starting point for the individual where there is no credit history or rating. Banks and credit card issuers rely very heavily on a person’s credit rating when making decisions about credit limits. The low limit gives the student a chance to demonstrate their budding skills in managing their personal finances and at the same time protects the bank by limiting their exposure.

Another method used to help minimize the bank’s exposure in high-risk student credit cards is in the higher interest rates charged.

Still every credit card issuer has remained keen and rather enthusiastic about promoting student credit cards mainly because they all view it as a good chance of ensuring customer loyalty for life by fighting to be the first credit card brand in a young person’s wallet.

Student Credit Cards Help Cultivate Responsibility In Youngsters

What is probably the largest benefit of student credit cards is that they help cultivate responsibility in young people and help them develop personal financial management skills as they prepare for adulthood.

The stark reality is that while a credit card represents freedom and the chance to enjoy the benefits of having credit, the temptation to over-indulge one-self and over-spend is quite huge. You just need to look at the large numbers of adults who fall into serious credit card debt to appreciate this fact.

So a student credit card becomes an important step in giving practical training in financial management and responsibility to young persons. It is the sort of training and experience that cannot be obtained in any other way. And yet it is critical to the financial success of any individual.

Secured Student Credit Cards Still Count Towards The Student’s Credit History

Despite the fact that a student credit card will usually be secured either by a bank deposit or be the sort that is co-signed or co-owned by a parent or guardian, it still counts towards the young person’s credit history and will go towards the establishment of the individual’s credit rating later in life.

This is precisely the reason why teenagers and parents should take student credit cards much more seriously than they do currently.

Please click here to find Student Credit Cards. Ed Vegliante runs www.Credit-Card-Surplus.com, a directory enabling the consumer to compare and apply for credit cards.

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