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Credit Card Traps and PowerPay Debt Reduction Program. What Did You Learn From the Credit Card Comparison Assignment?. When you invest, compound interest is your friend :-). When you pay interest on credit cards and loans, compound interest is your enemy :-(.
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What Did You Learn From the Credit Card Comparison Assignment?
When you invest, compound interest is your friend :-) When you pay interest on credit cards and loans, compound interest is your enemy :-( The Two Sides of Compound Interest
What is the Worst Credit Card Trap of All? • Teaser rates? • Default rates (penalty APRs)? • Late fees? • Over-the-limit fees? • Minimum payments?
Credit Card Minimum Payments! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-0w2i46flg
Credit Card Minimum Payment Calculator • http://www.bankrate.com/calculators/managing-debt/minimum-payment-calculator.aspx
Reading A Credit Card Statement http://www.federalreserve.gov/creditcard/default.htm
Factors Affecting Finance Charges • APR (interest rate) • Grace Period • Balance calculation method Result: significant effect on the cost of credit.
Transaction Fees • Fee charged each time a credit card is used • Example: 50 cents per charge • Most common transaction fees are for • Cash advances • Balance transfers
Cash Advance Fees • Cash loans from credit card account instead of making a purchase from a merchant • Credit cards charge fees for this service • Cash advance fee from date of an advance • Fees range from 1% to 5% of amount transferred • Most cards have minimum cash advance fees • Average minimum about $5
Example of Cash Advance • $500 cash advance • $2.5% transaction fee ($12.50) • 18% APR • Pay back after 25 days • $12.50 fee + $6.00 interest • Effective interest rate of 44%
Cash Advance Checks Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrnO1s8Jcbw
Balance Transfer Fees • Company B pays balance with Company A • Balance on Company B credit card • Transfer done to get a lower APR • Balance transfers may have transaction fees
Tiered Pricing • Range of possible APRs quoted • APR determined by applicant’s credit score • Lower scores pay higher APRs • APR unknown until consumer gets card
Skip-A-Month Offers • Often used around the holiday season • Cardholders can skip payment without penalty • Interest continues to accrue • Increases total cost of borrowing
“Teaser” (Introductory) Rates • Low initial interest rates • Entice people to apply for credit card • May only apply to balance transfers, not new purchases (read the fine print!) • Check disclosure box for non-promotional APR
Cards With “Perks” • Examples: cash back, product discounts, and frequent flyer miles • Best for cardholders who: • charge a lot • pay bills in full • “Revolving borrowers”: interest and fees may exceed benefit gained
Credit Card Tips • Read disclosure charts carefully • Shop around before accepting a credit card • Don’t use credit to extend your income • Pay bills in full, if possible • If not, pay as much of balance as possible • Avoid using full credit line • Protect your account numbers
More Credit Card Tips • Match credit cards to bill-paying habits • Ask creditors to make concessions: • drop annual fee • reduce interest rate (APR) • Limit your debt level • Read mail from card issuers • Complain if you are unfairly penalized
PowerPay Requirements • Stop borrowing or charging until all debts in the PowerPay calculation are repaid • Make the same dollar amount payment each month until all debts are repaid • The money gets reallocated to creditors differently every time a creditor gets repaid • See www.powerpay.org for details
Required Information For a PowerPay Analysis • Name of each creditor • Balance owed • Monthly payment (minimum or above) • APR (interest rate)
More About PowerPay • Three repayment options: • Highest interest rate first (in sequence) • Lowest balance first • Shortest payoff term first • Can add one-time or periodic additional payments (e.g., bonus, tax refund) • Savings will vary according to length of debt, number of creditors, APRs, etc.