Can card jumping be hazardous to your wealth?
The honeymoon is over, the 0% interest rate was good while it lasted and now the APR has kicked in on your credit card. Time to move to another 0% offer? Clever customers have been using the credit card offers for a while to reduce their interest payments to nothing and to pay off loans more quickly. By being smart a credit card customer can have the advantage of 0% credit for as long as they have an outstanding debt. But before you applaud this "beating the system" approach though, be warned: card jumping too frequently can seriously affect your credit rating, and the companies are wising up quickly to the practice.
Card jumping (as it's commonly referred to) is becoming a popular way of reducing interest payments to a minimum on outstanding credit card debt, but it can be detrimental to your credit rating. The misconception is that customers with large, interest-heavy debts on their cards are the most likely to have a poor credit rating. This is not necessarily true. Interest payments are the life-blood of lenders, so if their customers are paying on time and making interest payments, the lenders love them. Those who pay off their balance in full every month or make frequent credit card balance transfer jumps between cards are not profitable for the lenders. It may not seem fair, but what customers define as''good credit behaviour' and the lender's definition can be two very different things.
You can take much more control of your financial position by breaking through the mists of credit agencies and obtaining a copy of your credit report to see if card jumping has affected your rating. All three agencies in the UK will (for a small fee) send you a copy of your report so that you can see exactly what information is being held on you and, far more importantly, that it is accurate. The report will detail your financial history as well as other general information such as your address, occupation and income. If there's even one small mistake it can damage your chances of getting credit of any kind in the future. Frequent instances of card jumping could be one of the things that hold your finances back.
'Blanket applications' (applying to multiple credit cards to see if one lets you slip through the net) are unwise, as most credit card lenders have more than one product on the market. They will spot a multiple applicant a mile off and a cluster of rejections on your record doesn't do anything to improve your credit rating. The 0% lenders are particularly aware of this practice, and although they offer the opportunity to transfer a balance from one card to another openly, they are still cautious of anyone with 'Black data' included on their record, such as frequent card jumping or blanket application techniques. How you operate financially leaves a clear trail that lenders can easily follow, especially as those same lenders are tightening their criteria in the current economic climate.
It is generally agreed that the best policy with 0% deals is to look for one that offers a long introductory period. This stops you from having to move your outstanding balance to another card every six months or so, thus reducing the chances of being labelled by lenders as a card jumper. There are offers ranging from nine to 16 months available, but read the small print as the longer offers may incur higher credit card balance transfer charges. By moving to a card with a longer 0% interest period, you can build up your reputation for customer loyalty, improving your credit rating in the process. It also gives you the opportunity to pay off a larger amount of the outstanding balance at 0% interest. If, at the end of the 0% period you transfer to a new card, the credit card balance transfer will be smaller and have more chance of being accepted by a new lender.
The 0% offers aren't there to encourage card jumping - they're designed to pull in new, long-term customers. By taking advantage of these offers you could considerably reduce your debt and avoid paying interest charges, but be warned. Doing it too often can draw the attention of the lenders and damage your credit rating. Use the offers wisely and you could improve your financial situation considerably.
Card jumping (as it's commonly referred to) is becoming a popular way of reducing interest payments to a minimum on outstanding credit card debt, but it can be detrimental to your credit rating. The misconception is that customers with large, interest-heavy debts on their cards are the most likely to have a poor credit rating. This is not necessarily true. Interest payments are the life-blood of lenders, so if their customers are paying on time and making interest payments, the lenders love them. Those who pay off their balance in full every month or make frequent credit card balance transfer jumps between cards are not profitable for the lenders. It may not seem fair, but what customers define as''good credit behaviour' and the lender's definition can be two very different things.
You can take much more control of your financial position by breaking through the mists of credit agencies and obtaining a copy of your credit report to see if card jumping has affected your rating. All three agencies in the UK will (for a small fee) send you a copy of your report so that you can see exactly what information is being held on you and, far more importantly, that it is accurate. The report will detail your financial history as well as other general information such as your address, occupation and income. If there's even one small mistake it can damage your chances of getting credit of any kind in the future. Frequent instances of card jumping could be one of the things that hold your finances back.
'Blanket applications' (applying to multiple credit cards to see if one lets you slip through the net) are unwise, as most credit card lenders have more than one product on the market. They will spot a multiple applicant a mile off and a cluster of rejections on your record doesn't do anything to improve your credit rating. The 0% lenders are particularly aware of this practice, and although they offer the opportunity to transfer a balance from one card to another openly, they are still cautious of anyone with 'Black data' included on their record, such as frequent card jumping or blanket application techniques. How you operate financially leaves a clear trail that lenders can easily follow, especially as those same lenders are tightening their criteria in the current economic climate.
It is generally agreed that the best policy with 0% deals is to look for one that offers a long introductory period. This stops you from having to move your outstanding balance to another card every six months or so, thus reducing the chances of being labelled by lenders as a card jumper. There are offers ranging from nine to 16 months available, but read the small print as the longer offers may incur higher credit card balance transfer charges. By moving to a card with a longer 0% interest period, you can build up your reputation for customer loyalty, improving your credit rating in the process. It also gives you the opportunity to pay off a larger amount of the outstanding balance at 0% interest. If, at the end of the 0% period you transfer to a new card, the credit card balance transfer will be smaller and have more chance of being accepted by a new lender.
The 0% offers aren't there to encourage card jumping - they're designed to pull in new, long-term customers. By taking advantage of these offers you could considerably reduce your debt and avoid paying interest charges, but be warned. Doing it too often can draw the attention of the lenders and damage your credit rating. Use the offers wisely and you could improve your financial situation considerably.
About the Author:
As a financial writer Paul Dury enjoys breaking down the jargon and provide consumers with a clear view of the financial options available. If you would like to learn more about a credit card balance transfer you can read more here.
posted by Debt Consolidation Loan at
10:33 AM
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