There are a variety of credit card companies that are trying to help you save money on gasoline. As gas prices are either holding steady at their already-too-high rate or increasing all the time; any option for saving money on gas is helpful! <br><br> Gas cards may offer cash back when you make a gas purchase (and sometimes other purchases as well). This means you get a rebate every time you fill up your car- which can help offset the pain you feel when you pay for your gas! If the card offers a 10% gas rebate, it's the same as getting a 10% discount when you fill up your car. <br><br> If you use a gas rebate credit card, you pay for your gas purchases using the card, and then you'll receive your rebate from the credit card company. Depending on the terms of the card, you might receive the rebates in the form of a credit back on your credit card, a certificate, or check in the mail. <br><br> To maximize the benefits of a gas rebate credit card, be sure to pay off yoru entire balance each month before the due date listed on your statement. If you carry a balance from month to month, you are paying interest on your gas purchases- which will basically eliminate the rewards you are earning. For cardholders with a 0% interest rate introductory offer, you may choose to let your gas purchases accumulate over the entire period of the introductory offer- and make a single payment at the end of the free interest period. This will allow you to maximize your rebate benefits. Just be sure to send in the payment before the introductory offer ends to avoid paying a monthly interest fee. <br><br> Spend some time looking at the various gas rebate credit cards. Some cards allow you to purchase gas from any station that accepts credit cards for your rewards; while others require that you purchase gas from specific gas station brands. If you plan to use the credit card for more than just gas purchases, you'll want to find one that gives you cash back on purchases other than gas as well, to help maximize what you earn in rewards. <br><br> You can further save money on gas with the following vehicle maintenance tips: <br><ul> <li>Keep tires inflated to the proper pressure as indicated on your owner's manual. Tires that are inflated correctly can save up to 7 cents per gallon in gas costs.</li> <li>Fuel economy decreases when your vehicle is traveling at speeds over 60 miles per hour. </li> <li>Extra weight in your car will decrease the fuel economy.</li> <li>An idling engine wastes gas. Most vehicles only need to “warm up” for two or three minutes before driving, even when it's cold.</li> <li>Combine errands and plan your trips. Why take three trips in one day to various places when you could do all three in one round trip and save on gas and miles?</li> </ul><br><br>This article has been provided by Creditor Web. At CreditorWeb.com you can compare over 100 credit cards from multiple banks and apply for <a href="http://www.creditorweb.com/">credit cards</a> online.

Credit cards can be your best friend or worst enemy; it all depends on how you use them. Getting the most out of your credit card is often counter-intuitive or requires you to be aware of features that aren’t regularly advertised. This list of credit card hacks will provide you with the info you need to make the most of your credit cards. <br><br> <b>1. Price Protection is a Geeks Best Friend</b> – Don’t you hate it when you drop $600 on an iPhone or your now obsolete HD DVD player and it drops in price by a couple hundred bucks a month or two after you buy it? Many credit cards offer a price protection program which will refund you the difference when you purchase an item with the card and you find a better price within 30-90 days. <br><br> <b>2. Read the Terms and Conditions</b> – They are not nearly as long as you may think and fairly easy to read. The card companies are not always forthcoming with the details in their advertising and this is where you’ll find the hidden fees and rate information. <br><br> <b>3. Balance Transfers Aren’t Always Worth It</b> – Especially when your plan is to pay off the card anyways. There’s almost always a balance transfer fee and that fee, plus the interest accrued from it delaying the repayment of your card, often ends up being more expensive than just keeping the higher rate card and paying it off. <br><br> <b>4. Choose Longer Intro Period over Lower Fixed Rate with Balance Transfers</b> – This may seem counter-intuitive, but having a 6 to 18 month jump on paying off your debt, interest free usually ends up being a better deal than getting a lower fixed rate when you plan on paying off the debt. For more information <a href="http://blog.creditorweb.com/index.php/2007/09/08/low-intro-rate-vs-low-fixed-rate/">click here</a>. <br><br> <b>5. Get Cards That Offers Rewards for NOT Using Them</b> – Believe it or not they exist. Many will offer you free airline miles for just signing up or for making a single purchase. The <a href="http://www.creditorweb.com/creditcards/citi-drivers-edge-card-for-college-students.html">Citi Driver’s Edge</a> card offers you rewards just for driving your card; enough for free oil changes. <br><br> <b>6. Don’t Carry A Balance</b> – Credit cards are rarely the best source for financing a purchase long term. Most likely you can open a line of credit with your bank that offers much better terms. You can still use the card for the convenience but if you need to carry over the balance from month to month, transfer it to this line of credit. <br><br> <b>7. Get Rewards You’ll Actually Use</b> – If you travel a lot, an airline or hotel rewards card may be the best choice for you. If you don’t, don’t plan a trip around the rewards. Find a card with rewards you’ll use anyways like gas cards, saving for college, or funding a retirement account. <br><br> <b>8. Cash Back is King</b> – As we mentioned in a <a href="http://www.creditorweb.com/articles/quit-wasting-money-on-ppc-advertising.html">previous article</a>, almost all credit card rewards are essentially the same, 1% cash back in one form or another. Knowing this, why would you want to deal with blackout dates, restrictions, expirations, etc. Just get the cash back card and use that cash to pay for whatever you want. <br><br> <b>9. Take the Purchase Protection, Leave the Extended Warranty</b> – Many cards offer purchase protection for items you buy with them, which not only act as an extended warranty, but will also often cover the item if you damage it or it’s stolen. <br><br> <b>10. Have More Than One Card</b> – If you insist on carrying a balance and for whatever reason are previous advice on opening a line of credit won’t work for you, then at least have a separate card for this. Ignore all the rewards and similar factors and just get the lowest rate you can. Use your rewards card for making everyday purchases and use this low interest card to cover expenses you plan on financing. <br><br> <b>11. Track Your Expenses</b> – Most banks offer the same reporting on credit card accounts as on checking accounts. This includes the ability download to Quicken or MS Money. Don’t just log one big expenses for ‘credit cards’ on your budget, download and log your entertainment, dining out and other expenses as you would if it was your checking account. <br><br> <b>12. Beware of ‘Poor Credit’ Cards</b> – There are definitely some legit credit cards for those with poor credit, but there’s also no shortage of absolutely horrible ones. Some charge you so much in hidden fees upon opening the account that it adds up to near the available amount of credit you have on the card! Sadly that is no exaggeration. You should always read the terms and conditions on the cards, but this is especially true with those designed for people with poor credit. <br><br> <b>13. Use a Separate Card for Business Expenses</b> – No matter how small your business is. If you run an internet business or any other kind of small business odds are you use a credit card or at least debit card for most of your expenses anyways. Even small businesses (or with some cards, individuals) can qualify for a business credit card. Get one and use it and come tax time, those deductions will be a snap! <br><br> <b>14. Closing Credit Cards Doesn’t Always Help Your Credit Score</b> – By closing a card that is paid off, you end up raising the ratio of your used vs available credit which can often hurt your credit score. If you have an excessive amount of cards that you want to close out, that’s fine, but think twice if your reasoning for doing it is to improve your credit score. <br><br> <b>15. Pay Off Your Highest Balance Card First</b> – When getting out of debt you may be tempted to pay off your smallest debt first. While this give you a sense of accomplishment sooner, the best technique is to pay off debt with highest interest rate first, which is usually a credit card. <br><br> <b>16. Everything Is Negotiable</b> – If you’re a good customer, or even a mediocre one, odds are you can get out of paying late fees or get your bank to lower your interest rate just by asking. Here’s a <a href="http://blog.creditorweb.com/index.php/2007/09/27/stop-paying-credit-card-late-fees-and-high-interest/">video</a> explaining how. <br><br> <b>17. Beware of Two-Cycle Billing</b> – The amount of interest you pay is based on your average daily balance. Many card companies have come up with a new method of calculating your average daily balance by considering not only this month’s average balance but also the previous months. The problem with this is that amount is usually higher when you’re in the process of paying off your debt making it even harder to do so. <br><br> <b>18. Sign the Back of Your Card</b> – Many people refuse to do this thinking they want the person accepting the card to be forced to check ID. The only problem with that, is if your card is ever stolen, the thief will have no problem signing the back of the card for you and will now have a perfect signature match. Not that most people really check the signature anyways, but don’t make it even easier on the thief. If nothing else, write “Please Check ID” in the signature box. <br><br> <b>19. Personalize Your Card</b> – You might as well have a card that reflects your personality. Most banks will let you personalize your card in a number of ways such as putting your team logo on it, your photo, or even provide your own card art. Take advantage of this, it’ll give you a card you love and make a great conversation piece. <br><br> <b>20. Have a Discover Card</b> – Have you ever noticed that although many merchants don’t accept Discover, at certain government agencies and wholesale clubs, the only accepted credit card is Discover? The reasoning behind this is somewhat complicated, but if you hate writing checks as much as I do, do yourself a favor and have at least one Discover card. <br><br> <b>21. Never Pay the Minimum Payment</b> – No list of credit card advice would be complete without the classic advice to never pay the minimum payment on a card. I’ll spare you the math but in short by doing so you’ll usually end up paying somewhere in the ballpark of three times what you borrowed and end up paying it over twenty or so years.<br><br>This article has been provided by Creditor Web. At CreditorWeb.com you can compare over 100 credit cards from multiple banks and apply for <a href="http://www.creditorweb.com/">credit cards</a> online.

The “skip-payment” option is quickly becoming a marketing tool for credit card lenders. It was often available to cardholders who called the credit card company to express concern over making a payment; but now it's become something that's literally offered to cardholders by the credit card lenders themselves. <br><br> You may start noticing offers in your mailbox, or even receive a phone call from your credit card company, asking you if you'd like to skip a monthly payment. <br><br> Sounds too good to be true, doesn't it? Having a break from one of your financial obligations? What the credit card company doesn't voluntarily tell you when giving you the option to skip a payment is how much it's going to end up costing you to skip it. If you are at all tempted to take them up on the offer, make sure you ask questions to find out exactly how much skipping the payment will cost you- both immediately and over the long term. <br><br> Basically, the skip payment offers are giving you the opportunity to accrue more interest, and sometimes- a fee. If you took advantage of the offer and decided to skip a payment, when you got your statement the following month your balance will be higher- even if you didn't charge anything that month. <br><br> Here is what the Skip-payment offer really does for you: <br><br> Possible service fee of $25 or $35 (sort of like what you'd be charged if you were late with a payment!) Then, accrued interest is added to your balance. Extra interest may cause the number of months required to pay off your balance to be increased. <br><br> If your credit card has a current balance of about $5,000, has a 12% interest rate, and you are paying $100 to the account each month- you can expect to pay $199 to skip your $100 payment. You would be extending the time it takes to pay off the account and your interest costs are increased. If the card company requires a service fee to skip the monthly payment, you'd have to add that to the total cost of skipping the payment, as well. <br><br> Still think it sounds good to skip a payment? <br><br> The only instance that it would make sense to even consider the skip a payment option would be if you are in a financially dire situation. If you have lost your job, had unexpected medical, vehicle, or necessary expenses of any kind- and if the amount you are paying to skip the payment is less than what your minimum payment would be. You'd also avoid having a hit to your credit report if you weren't able to make the payment (without using the skip-payment offer). <br><br> If you do take the credit company up on their offer to skip a payment, make sure that you are serious afterwards about paying more than your minimum amount due. Doing this will help you get caught back up and eliminate some of the fees you'd pay over the long term.<br><br>This article has been provided by Creditor Web. At CreditorWeb.com you can compare over 100 credit cards from multiple banks and apply for <a href="http://www.creditorweb.com/">credit cards</a> online.

Most credit cards designed for students were created for college students – but can a high school student get a credit card? The short answer is: YES. The long answer would involve a lot of discussion! <br><br> As teenagers, many go out and get their first jobs, or are otherwise earning income from allowances or babysitting. It's the perfect time for parents to help them learn the basics of money management; which is something many families skip over; leaving graduating high schoolers to move on to college or the “real world” with very little real world knowledge of finances. <br><br> Just a few short years ago, it was not only next to impossible to give a teenager a credit card, but you would be considered a little on the crazy side to do such a thing! Times have changed though, and there are various credit cards on the market for teenagers that parents can use to help them learn the basics of financial responsibility. <br><br> Credit cards for teenagers include features like parental control and digital 'allowances'. It may be sweat-inducing to give your teenager a credit card, but a credit card makes a good educational financial experience for your child- before it's too late for you to help them become financially responsible individuals: <Br><br> <i>Teach Them About Good Credit. </i> With so many adults currently struggling to re-establish their credit or increase their income so it's easier to keep up with their monthly payments, it's never too early to teach teenagers how to manage money. Teaching them at a younger age can prevent them from over spending once they're on their own. Nellie Mae claims that the average freshmen college student has over $1,500 in credit card debt; and once a student realizes how easy it is to “get what they want, now”, it becomes habit to use credit cards to buy the things they want while in college. If the teenager enters the adult world with solid money management skills, they're less likely to get in over their heads in debt. <br><br> <i>Your Options.</i> If you're not concerned about your teenager establishing a credit history at this time, and simply want a way to teach the basics of money management, you can look for a prepaid debit card with a Visa or MasterCard logo. Some of these cards may have annual fees or transaction fees- which just gives you another opportunity to show how using a credit card isn't the same as buying with cash. You could also sign your teen up for a checking account with debit card; or put them as an authorized user of a credit card account you already have- or open a new credit card account with a low limit and put your teen on as a cardholder. <br><br> <i> Gives Teen Access to Emergency Money.</i> When your children become teenagers, chances are they are starting to spend more time away from you and on their own or with their friends. Sometimes they may have a need for cash- if a car breaks down and they need to be towed off the highway, or for long distance phone calls for example. Having a credit card in their pocket will make it possible for them to handle an emergency that requires access to money and can give you a little more peace of mind. <Br><Br> If you decide you are ready to teach your teenager the basics of money management and credit, make sure you spend some time investigating the various options available to you before choosing an option. Regardless of which option you choose, you'll want to be sure to spend adequate time with your teenager and not expect them to know what to do with it on their own! Try using a service like Citibank's Credit-Ed program: http://www.citi.com/us/cards/cm/student/index.htm<br><br>This article has been provided by Creditor Web. At CreditorWeb.com you can compare over 100 credit cards from multiple banks and apply for <a href="http://www.creditorweb.com/">credit cards</a> online.

With more than 600,000 new small businesses started each year, it's safe to say that the dream of being a successful business owner is a strong one. If you are considering starting your own business, or are already the proud owner of a business- here are 7 reasons why your small business needs a credit card: <br><br> 1. Keep your personal finances and business finances separate. It's easier than you think to accidentally mix up your funds. Using a credit card that is used only for your business expenses and purchases eliminates the problem of labeling every transaction in your personal checkbook or on your personal credit card statements at the end of the month. <br><br> 2. Build credit in the name of your business. If you obtain a credit card in your business name, the more you use it and make on-time payments, the stronger you will build the credit score of your business. After several months of building a good credit history, you may be able to obtain small business loans or other sources of financing if necessary. <br><br> 3. Get stuff for free. There are numerous rewards programs with credit cards. If you choose one that works for your business, you can easily earn the things you usually buy for free. For example, some rewards credit cards offer you a way to earn office supplies at a discount. The key to making a rewards program successful is to choose one with no annual fee and pay your balance off in full each month. If you travel regularly for business, it would make sense that you get a card with travel rewards- either earn miles towards free flights, or get free or discounted hotel rooms. <br><br> 4. Easy record keeping. Owning a small business means you are allowed to deduct certain purchases on your taxes, but only if you have good records to prove you've made those payments. A credit card with an annual, itemized statement will make tax season a snap, regardless of the number of transactions you've made on your card. <br><br> 5. Additional credit cards for employees. As your business grows, you may find the need to allow key employees within the organization the ability to make purchases or pay for business expenses on your behalf. Most credit card companies will allow you to obtain additional cards in other people's names. Your transaction listings and statements will show which credit card made each purchase, allowing you to see at a glance whether the employee use of credit is being abused or not. <br><br> 6. Concierge services. Depending on the credit card you choose, you may benefit from additional services like reservation assistance, verification of flights, and even a personal shopping service. Did you forget to get your wife flowers for your anniversary? A quick call to your credit card concierge service and they can make the arrangements for you. <br><br> 7. Travel benefits. In addition to the potential to save money on travel costs with a credit card rewards program, most credit cards offer travel accident insurance that helps cover you for things like lost luggage or flight cancellations.<br><br>This article has been provided by Creditor Web. At CreditorWeb.com you can compare over 100 credit cards from multiple banks and apply for <a href="http://www.creditorweb.com/">credit cards</a> online.