Specific Credit Cards

The Chase Freedom credit card is one of the best rewards credit cards available from Chase Manhattan Bank. Right from the start, new cardholders begin receiving rewards such as $50 cash back their first purchase. Then chase freedom pays 3% cash back on each of your top three everyday spending categories and 1% cash back on every dollar on all other purchases made with the Chase Freedom credit card.

In addition to the opportunity to earn bonus cash or points, chase freedom pays an extra $50 each time you collect and redeem $200 in rewards. The chase freedom credit card is named the "freedom" card for good reason. Chase Freedom card gives you the freedom to do what you want with your rewards points. This means you can earn cash back or use your reward balance to redeem for merchandise, gift cards and travel. It's refreshing to have a card that allows you to switch back and forth between the type of rewards you can redeem.

The chase freedom credit card charges a 3% to 4% higher interest rate compared to straight platinum credit cards, like the Citi Platinum Select card, because of the cost involved to administer the rewards program. In the past, Chase offered an introductory rate of 0% on balance transfers, but in 2008 decided to drop this feature. If you have excellent credit, and are looking for a flexible rewards card, then the chase freedom credit card is one of the best to choose from.

Other Resources:

• Banks, Facing Losses on Bad Loans, Boost Late Fees, Credit Card Rates
• Chase Launches Next Generation of Chase Freedom
• Cash Back Credit Cards

The Disney credit card from Chase Manhattan Bank is a great entertainment rewards card. This visa card is designed for people with good to excellent credit and for personal use rather than business use. The APR for the Disney credit card can vary according to your credit report but the better your credit, the lower your APR can be with the lowest standard at 11.24% and the highest around 16.24%. If you fall into a "good credit" category then you will most likely be approved for a disney visa.

Like many other good credit cards, the Disney visa has 0% introductory APR for the first 12 billing cycles. As a special bonus for a rewards card, the 0% interest rate works on both purchases and balance transfers - so you can take advantage of transferring a credit card balance from another high interest credit card. Offering both rates at 0% is somewhat unique compared to other rewards credit cards, such as the Bank of America Platinum Plus Worldpoints card which only offers 0% on balance transfers.

The main attraction of the Disney credit card is the opportunity to save on a Disney trip or cash in your reward points for discounts and merchandise. If you are a Disney loyalist, you really must have this card just to receive special benefits at Disney theme parks and resorts. With activation of your new Disney visa new cardholders receive a $15 Disney store gift card just for using your Disney credit card. The Disney visa comes with no annual fee and 0% financing on Disney vacations. The Disney credit card is perfect for young families who want to save on a memorable Disney trip.

Other Resources:

• Credit Card Rewards Set-Sail
• Reward Credit Cards
• Disney Chase Renew Multi-Year Credit Card Agreement

The Bank of America Platinum Visa is a solid choice for people with good credit - and you will be rewarded with lower rates for taking the time and attention to improve your credit score. One way to take full advantage of this card is by using the low introductory period for balance transfers as well as purchases. The Bank of America Platinum visa card also gives you access to some excellent Bank of America platinum benefits as an added bonus.

The Bank of America Platinum Plus Visa comes with no annual fee, a generous credit line of up to $25,000 and a 0% APR on balance transfers for 12 months. In addition to these great rates and the savings on having and using the card, you also get great platinum benefits which include: purchase protection, emergency assistance services, travel emergency assistance services, automatic auto rental insurance and other security features so you can feel safe using it wherever you go.

The Bank of America Platinum Visa does not have a reward earning program option like some cards, but if you are looking for a platinum level card with some of the lowest interest rates from one of the largest US banks, then this could be the card for you. Your purchase interest rate will be determined based on your credit score, so your APR may be higher if you aren't approved for the 0% rate.

Other Resources:

• Credit Cards Ranked on Security as Fraud Fears Grow
• Bank of America Credit Cards
• Is a Rewards Credit Card Right for You
  

With the Discover Platinum card, also referred to as the Discover More card, you can really get more - all the good things you want and expect from a platinum credit card. If you have good credit, a credit score of 680 through 739, and you want a cash back credit card with bonus cash rewards then you should consider the Discover More card. 

The Discover platinum card has a 5% cash back rebate when you use your card for qualifying purchases such as restaurants, gas, movies, travels, home and more. Especially with the price of gas increasing and a more difficult economy, saving a few dollars on ordinary purchases can definitely add up. Discover platinum also gives you 1% cash back on all other purchases.

You can use your Discover platinum cash rebates to buy gift cards from qualifying partners or receive a check in the mail. Card holders can also earn double the cash back bonus with purchases from select Discover platinum card partners, which translates into double savings. There is no expiration date on rewards and no earning caps to the number of rewards which can be earned. Additionally, the Discover platinum card comes with a 0% apr on purchases and balance transfers for the first year, providing an opportunity to consolidate high interest balances from other credit cards.

Other Resources:

• Cash Back Credit Cards
• Vacationing on Loyalty
• Do it Now

If you’re a loyal Best Buy shopper, chances are you’ve been invited to get one of their credit cards.  But before you sign on the dotted line for the best buy rewards credit card, consider all of your options.  With few exceptions, I’m not a fan of department store cards.  In most cases, department store cards offer rewards or incentives only on purchases made at that specific store and, more often than not, the interest rate is generally much higher than a bank issued card.  Many will also charge an annual fee!

A better option, in my opinion, is a general rewards card or cash back credit card that will allow you to earn points or receive cash back or discounts on everyday purchases wherever you shop.  Two good examples of these types of cards are the Chase Platinum Visa® Card and the Discover® More card. Both cards offer a 0% APR on purchases as well as transfers and the Discover Card offers Unlimited cash rewards, automatically, up to 20% Cashback Bonus® when you shop online and double rewards with more than 100 program merchants.

Other Resources:

• Retailers Contribute to Fraud
• Crazy Credit Card Charges
• Rewards Credit Cards
  

American Express blue gives a card holder all the benefits of an american express charge card but without the traditional annual fees and the finanical bonus to pay over time. Some of our favorite things about the american express blue card is the year-end summary which is compiled in a PDF for easy downloading, several money management products to help you such as Quicken and MS Money, a month by month usage summary, easy online payment system and much more. American express blue strives to make it easy for you to keep up with your account and other financial affairs.

When you have your american express blue card in good standing for some time, you will be eligible for credit line increases up to $50,000. The credit line on blue from american express increases at a more generous rate compared to other cards. If you travel a lot, this card will provide you with bonus points. What makes the american express blue credit card one of the best out there is that its an everything credit card: blue gives you the opportunity to pay over time, earn points on every purchase, a fixed balance transfer rate for the life of the balance, a low regular purchase apr and as few fees as possible.

Other Resources:

• Amex Fights Online Fraud
• American Express Credit Cards
• American Express Differentiates
  

The Chase Platinum card is a convenient credit card that offers highly competitive interest rates and rewards flexibility. Card holders have more control over how they use their Chase Platinum Visa which is also available as a Chase Platinum Mastercard. Chase Platinum is designed for people with good credit and offers new card holders a low introductory apr and a cap of $75 on balance transfers.

With the Chase Platinum Mastercard or Visa reward program, you can earn one point for every dollar you spend on purchases. You can then redeem these earned points for a variety of rewards such as cash back, travel rewards, merchandise and gift cards. You have more flexibility with a rewards program like this compared to a cash back credit card that only offers cash rebates. With the Chase Platinum Mastercard you must use your points within 5 years and there is a maximum of 60,000 points per year which you can be obtained from purchases.

Some other benefits of the Chase Platinum Mastercard is a low regular interest rate after the introductory period of 6 to 12 months, which is based on an applicant's credit rating. The Chase Platinum Visa also comes with added Visa platinum benefits that make it even more attractive as a new credit card such as travel accident insurance, auto rental insurance and free online account management. These reasons combined make the Chase Platinum Mastercard or Chase Platinum Visa a solid choice.

Other Resources:

• Chase Credit Cards
• Credit Card Issuers Try to Save You from Fees
• Read that Fine Print Carefully
  

If you’ve been considering the Chevron Credit card, as a convenience card for gas purchases, I’d encourage you to look at other options.  Gas cards were once the beginner’s card to help establish credit history but, with the many card offerings and options, the Chevron card isn’t as competitive as it might have been. And, while the Chevron credit card may seem like a handy card to have, the interest rate is considerably higher than a regular credit card and it will offer you little else in terms of benefits. 

If you’re strictly looking for convenience and you usually carry a balance on your credit card, you’ll find that a zero or low interest credit card like the Discover® OpenRoad(SM) card might be a better option.  This card in particular, offers 0% APR for six months on purchases and up to 5% cash back on gas and automotive maintenance purchases.  The card comparison tool can provide a quick review of some of the best travel and gas cards available.

Other Resources:

• Gas Credit Cards
• Chevron Credit Card Comparison 
• Chevron and Texaco Credit Cards
• Chevron / Texaco Credit Cards Get New Benefits

If you’re a Beemer enthusiast, you might have had your head turned a bit by the BMW Platinum Visa® Card.  But, before you go into overdrive over this offer, make certain you consider all of your options.  Though not a bad card by any means; the major drawback of a specific card such as this is that your redemption options are limited to items (merchandise and service) related to BMW.  You’ll also be paying a bit higher interest rate if you plan on carry any balance on the card at all. 

Rather than limiting your rewards to BMW, you might want to consider one of the many miles cards or cash back cards that let you earn more on your everyday purchases and gives you more flexibility to redeem your rewards on airline tickets, travel purchases, cash back or non-specific merchandise.  Along the lines of rewards cards that might give you a little extra is the Chase Platinum Visa® Card that offers 0% interest for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers and 1 point for every $1 that can be redeemed for travel, merchandise and more. 

Other Resources:

• Automakers Move Into Banking
• BMW Financial Services Launches Offers for Credit Cards
• Bimmerfest Forum: BMW Credit Card Question

The other day a friend of mine casually mentioned he had received an invitation to get an AMEX Black card and was seriously considering dropping the $7,500 investment required to get one - $5,000 initiation fee and $2,500 annual fee.  He wondered what I knew about the card and whether I thought it would be worth it.  That’s a tough question to answer because the answer is always, it depends.

The American Express Centurion charge card, also known as the “Black” card carries a substantial annual fee of $2,500 but, for anyone who appreciates elite status treatment, automatic upgrades at hotels and airlines and a personal concierge 24/7 to handle everything from keeping track of birthdays or important events to getting you access to exclusive clubs and restaurant reservations this is THE card.  Having said that, for anyone with stellar credit and who has spent $250,000 in a calendar year with American Expresss, which you’ll need to be considered for the AMEX Black card, the AMEX programs currently being offered with the blue cards or gold and platinum rewards cards can be good options and don’t require such a significant upfront investment.

Other Resources:

• American Express Black Card
• Wikipedia: Centurian Card
• Amex-Black.com