The New England Patriots official team logo is now being proudly displayed on the NFL Extra Points™ Platinum Plus® Visa® Credit Card from Bank of America.  (www.patriotscreditcard.com).   This rewards credit card has proven to be a touchdown with fans across the country and has made huge strides in the rewards credit card industry.  Like many retailers, universities and airlines have done for decades, NFL football teams, in association with Bank of America, now offer credit card consumers valuable rewards above and beyond the cool factor of having their favorite team printed on their credit cards.  These football-oriented credit cards are scoring big with sports fans in every state.

The NFL Extra Points™ Platinum Plus® Visa®™ Credit Card from Bank of America has important features, which include:

•           No Annual Fee.

•           0% Introductory Annual Percentage Rate (APR) on balance transfers and cash advance checks for your first 12 billing cycles.

•           A $50 NFLshop.com gift card after your first qualifying transaction(s) using your NFL Extra Points™ Visa® Credit Card.

•           100% fraud protection

•           Earn 1 Point for every dollar you spend in net retail purchases. Points are redeemable for NFL merchandise, tickets, and VIP passes to NFL experiences.

•           Online account access and Points management.

At a time when consumers are nervous about the uncertainty in the stock market, illiquidity in the credit market and the softening real estate market, one thing remains constant – sports fans love NFL football.  Historically, football has given its fans something to believe in and something to hope for, particularly during difficult economic times.   With the NFL Extra Points™ Platinum Plus® Visa®™ credit card, New England Patriots fans can be reminded of their favorite team every time they open their wallets.  Real fans carry the card with pride.  Visit www.patriotscreditcard.com to complete the credit card application online in just a few short minutes.

http://www.articlesbase.com/football-articles/new-england-patriots-credit-card-nfl-extra-points-platinum-plus-visa-618448.html

If you haven’t already opted out I am sure that you have gotten one of those 0% credit card offers in the mail. Did you quickly fill out the form and then send it in, or faster still, call in and sign up that way? After all you didn’t want to miss that great offer! Well, I have one question for you – did you bother to read the fine print? Fortunately, these days the fine print is required to be a bit larger and more organized so that you can actually read and understand it.

Here are some of the things that you need to check before you apply for any credit card – in fact you should check the fine print on the cards you already have to see what you are paying!

I suggest you make an excel spread sheet that contains the items discussed below so that you can check them off and compare cards – that is the way to get the best deal for yourself. (If you don’t know what kind of credit card user you are make sure you read the previous article before you decide on the card you want to apply for.)
First, it is critical to find out how long those special offers are good for and what they change to at the end of that time. Next, find out what the finance charges are for purchases, balance transfers, cash advances, and any other special offers they may have. Are the rates variable or fixed? You should also find out the grace period. Make sure you know the type of balance calculation method – is it one or two cycle, and does that cycle include new purchases or not.

The last thing you need to find out is the various fees associated with this card. Remember the acronym – BLOATU . It is what the fees are designed to do – bloat your balance so that the credit card company makes more money. Did you know that there is no limit on the fees that credit card companies can charge?!
The most common fees are:

Balance transfer
Late fee
Over the limit fee
Annual fee
Transaction fee for cash advances
Usage fee

A lot of that information can be found in the offer you receive in the mail, but there are also some ‘hidden’ charges. Some of these are related to the balance on the card. There may be tiered rates. This happens when there are different finance charges for different levels of balances.

Following the splurge of last month’s spend on Christmas presents, many consumers feel overwhelmed with the prospect of managing the increased levels of credit card debt. Keeping the following points in mind will help avoid having the same experience next year.

First of all, make the resolution to decrease your levels of debt. If you have more than one credit card, spend most of the available money on paying off the one with the highest interest rate, or, for those needing an easy win, pay off the one with the lowest balance first to gain momentum.

Secondly, create a budget for your household, as horrifying as that thought may be, especially as a lack of one is what makes many peoples’ credit card debts skyrocket in the first place. Much like long-distance runners need a stopwatch to keep personal feelings out of tracking their development, a budget helps you see everything in black and white. You might be surprised at how much money you spend on non-essential items, which can easily be curtailed by asserting a little bit of self-control.

Thirdly, sell off un-needed items, including unwanted Christmas gifts through eBay or other online options. Speaking of Christmas gifts, make sure you do not let gift vouchers and cards expire, especially if they can be used towards sensible purchases.

Fourthly, make sure you pay your bills on time. A good way of making sure of this is to pay them as soon as you get them in the mail. Credit card companies make an absolute fortune in late fees, and as the bill needs paying anyway, putting it off until the last minute doesn’t help matters. If anything, it increases the likelihood that you’ll forget to pay it on the day. If you can, set up online bill paying for your credit card and recurring monthly expenses, such as utilities. This will eliminate the possibility of bills getting lost in the mail and means you can dispute any bills as soon as they’re sent out.

Lastly, the next time you’re looking to take out a credit card, take the time to compare credit cards before filling out the application. For example, so many credit cards offer rewards schemes nowadays, and if the rewards scheme is of actual use to you, then that makes it all the better.

While these points are a step in the right direction, do also consider getting professional help from a non-profit organisation, such as the Consumer Credit Counselling Service. Using credit cards as a method of short-term finance happens for a variety of reasons, but for some, simply living a bit closer to the bone and resisting indulgence can make this year easier on your conscience and wallet.

Part 2: au.youtube.com Documentary on the ease of credit, predatory lending, and the resulting high level of debt for many Australians. First Broadcast 31/3/2008 – Four Corners – Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Sweeping new reforms for the credit card industry will soon go into effect. As Elaine Quijano reports, these new rules are designed to put consumers back in charge.