Credit Cards

Some credit cards, such as American Express, require you to pay off all of your charges each month. As a benefit, they usually have no finance charge, and sometimes no maximum limit. Most cards, including Visa, MasterCard, Discover and Optima, offer what is known as revolving credit. This means they let you carry a balance, on which they charge interest (finance charges), and they require you to make a minimum payment. The minimum payment is usually about 5 percent of your current balance or $10 -- whichever is more.
Here are three of the ways used by financial institutions to calculate finance charges:

Here are a few choices

• Adjusted balance - This system, which consumer experts say favors the cardholder, takes the balance from your previous statement, adds new charges, subtracts the payment you made and then multiplies this number by the monthly interest rate.
• Average daily balance - This method, which is a pretty even-handed one and the most commonly used, works like this: The company tracks your balance day-by-day, adding charges and subtracting payments as they occur. At the end of the period, they compute the average of these daily totals and then multiply this number by the monthly interest rate to find your finance charge.
• Previous balance - This method generally favors the card issuer, according to consumer experts. The issuer multiplies your previous statement's balance by the monthly interest rate to find the new finance charge. This means you're still being charged interest on your balance a whole period after you've paid it down!

What you pay will vary depending on your balance, the interest rate and the way your finance charge is calculated. Here's an example that shows how much difference the interest rate can make in what you actually end up paying:

• High-rate card - Suppose you charge $1,000 on a 23.99-percent credit card. After that, you make no further charges and pay only the minimum each month. The payment will start at $51 and slowly work its way down to $10. You'll make 77 payments over the next six years and five months. By then, you will have paid $573.59 in interest for your credit privilege.
• Low-rate card - If you charge that same $1,000 on a 9.9-percent fixed-rate card, the minimum monthly payment will start at $50.41 and go down to $10. You'll make 17 fewer payments, finishing in six years and paying $176 in interest. This saves you almost $400!

Late fees and over-the-limit fees are a couple of newer charges that are used by pretty much all credit-card issuers now. And increasingly, issuers are drastically raising interest rates (to as high as 23.99 percent) after a set number of late payments (read the fine print and make sure you know whether the payment is considered posted on its postmarked date or on the date the bank or credit-card company gets it posted!). Unfortunately, once you have a couple of late payments, the credit-card company can charge you the inflated interest rate for the remaining life of the account. Try to avoid this -- all credit-card companies report your payment record to credit-reporting agencies and even a few late payments could cause you problems when you try to buy a car or a house.

Experts say that if you're smart, you'll do the same kind of comparison shopping for a credit card that you do when you're looking for a mortgage or a car loan. This is a good idea because the choices you make can save you money. The process is not a simple one -- here are some tips that should help you get started:

1. Do some research - There are plenty of places, both online and offline, where you can read about credit-card offerings and even get credit-card ratings, but since rates and plans change so often, it's a good idea to call the institutions you're interested in to confirm the information and to see if there are other plans that might work for you. A reliable and non-commercial resource is the Federal Reserve Board. Also, the non-profit consumer credit organization U.S. Citizens for Fair Credit Card Terms offers credit-card ratings from its research (and so do a lot of commercial organizations -- many of whom are also credit-card issuers).
2. Make a list - Make a list of credit-card features that fit your financial needs and rank the features according to how you plan to use the card and pay your monthly bill.
3. Review the plans - Review all of the information you've gathered on different plans. Pay special attention to the APR - - you want a low rate, but not necessarily the lowest. This is because, depending on your lifestyle and payment habits, you might benefit more from a card that offers cash rebates, discounts or frequent-flier miles.
4. Check out credit unions - Look into the possibility of joining a credit union. Credit unions are non-profit, and they have lower overhead so they can charge lower interest rates. Credit unions are newer to the credit industry so they are eager to generate credit-card loans. However, you'll probably be required to open a share account or savings account to join. Credit unions typically are limited to a particular employer and its employees, but that's changing. Due to industry consolidations, credit unions are rapidly expanding their fields of membership. To find out which credit union you may be eligible to join, contact the Credit Union National Association (CUNA).
5. Compare plans - If you already have a credit card, be sure that you're making a good move before you swap cards. If you are a current cardholder and have a good credit rating, see if the institution that issued your card will lower your current rate. Don't be afraid to negotiate!

http://money.howstuffworks.com/personal-finance/debt-management/credit-card4.htm

Credit Card Pros

Convenience.

Credit cards wouldn’t be nearly as popular as they are today if they weren’t so maddeningly convenient. Paying at the store, at the pump, or at the ballgame is significantly easier with a piece of plastic that takes no immediate bite out of one’s pocketbook.
The fact that most major stores (and most minor ones) accept Visa, MasterCard, and Co. only adds to the handiness of carrying around a credit card. Lunch tabs and Lamborghini rentals could both be taken care of by a simple swipe. You name it, and a credit card can purchase it.

Peer pressure.

Everyone has one. That reason was good enough to spark digi-pets, and it is good enough for credit card applications, too. Watching your friends pay for meals with their American Expresses makes you feel pretty worthless when you break out your US Bank debit card to foot the bill for your soup and salad special.
Owning your very own piece of plastic provides a sense of belonging, serving as a platinum membership card into the world of commerce and retail. For college kids, owning one is a step towards adulthood. For adults, having one makes you feel like a true American. Either way, the pressure to fit in has a big say in whether or not you make the plunge.

Rewards.

One of the greatest parts to credit cards (other than the personalized pictures; hello spring break ’06!) is reaping the rewards for your spending habits. You worked long and hard to find the last copy of Pirates of the Caribbean in that Circuit City bargain bin, and you deserve every purchase point you get from paying on credit.
Depending on your card, the rewards can vary, but the good news is that there is such a wide variety of options that you are bound to be able to find the right card to fit your lifestyle. There are cards that offer plane tickets, sports merchandise, and good old-fashioned cash. Others build up a stockpile of points for cardholders to use to get whatever their hearts desire. Ironically, points may be used to achieve Pirates of the Caribbean DVDs.

Building credit.

Spending has its benefits (new jeans, perhaps), but spending with credit has benefits that go beyond mere denim. Using a credit card—and using it responsibly—can help build one’s credit score, which could mean a better shot at a loan or a better mortgage down the road.
The key part to using a credit card to build credit is keeping up with payments. Having a credit card does no good if you fall behind on payments or rack up an unconscionable amount of debt. Acting responsibly on your account, however, will help you build a credit score that reflects dependability and accountability.

This is an example of a credit calculator

Credit Card Cons

Late payments.

By far, the most dangerous part of credit cards is not paying them off on time, and for many, this problem is a constant temptation despite its obvious negative consequences.
Once you fall behind by one payment, the climb back to a debt-free account becomes harder and harder. Late fees, interest, and penalties build faster than you would believe, and you may find yourself making monthly payments that only cover your charges and don’t even touch your principal purchases.

Debt.

Often as a result of late payments, many people find themselves sunk in credit card debt with no way out. Credit card companies are great at getting customers in the door, but once you fall behind with payments, the companies make it nearly impossible for you to climb your way out. Between fees and charges and piling interest, the matter seems to continually get worse, not better.
If you cannot keep up with credit card payments, then owning a credit card is probably not for you. The disadvantages to not paying on time are innumerable, and the odds of staying debt-free are not in your favor.

Hidden fees.

Many times, credit card companies will say or do whatever it takes to get you to sign your name on their application. Of course, once that ink has dried, they’ll suddenly remember to tell you about start-up fees and processing fees that you never saw coming.
Annual fees are a big one, too. That credit card that earns you frequent flyer miles every time you buy might seem like a good idea, but for $100 a year, the right to own it may be too much.
Always check the fine print of a contract before you sign and ask if there are any extra fees. The free t-shirt just for signing up might be nice (and long-sleeved!), but the $50 paperwork fee isn’t.

Over-spending.

One of the most overlooked negative aspects to credit cards is the ease with which cardholders overspend. Really, the psychology behind this is simple. You purchase items without ever exchanging actual money, so you hardly feel like you’re paying anything at all.

http://blog.lendingclub.com/2008/06/03/the-pros-and-cons-of-credit-cards/

articles about credit cards: http://www.creditorweb.com/articles/

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