The Advantages and Pitfalls of Credit Card Transfer

Credit card transfer is when the balance of one credit card is transferred onto another card. This is done for a number of reasons. A person may decide to transfer a balance in order to consolidate their debts or in an attempt to lower the amount of interest they pay. Before you decide to transfer a balance from one card to another, there is a few things that you need to consider.

The Potential Advantages of Credit Card Transfer

The best time to transfer a balance is after you've obtained a credit card with a 0% introductory APR. Consolidating balances onto this card will reduce the amount of interest you pay during the introductory period. For this to be beneficial, you want to look for a card that offers a long introductory period of 12 months or more. This will give you at least one year to reduce your credit card debt, which can be difficult if most of your monthly payments are going to pay interest.

Credit card transfer also helps consumers consolidate their unsecured debts into one account. Instead of paying three different credit card bills each month, you can transfer those balances onto your new card, assuming your credit limit allows this. This will help you simplify your bills and avoid making late payments. Keeping track of several credit card bills can be difficult. To efficiently reduce debt, it's best to consolidate.

Important Mistakes to Avoid

While credit card transfer can be a beneficial debt reduction tactic, consumers sometimes make a few mistakes. The first mistake is failing to consider balance transfer fees. Some credit card companies offer cards with no balance transfer fees, while others charge up to 4%. If you were to transfer $3,000 at 4%, it would cost you $120 just to transfer the balance. While your savings will probably make up for that charge, you do need to consider it before making the transfer.

You also need to make sure that your APR isn't going to drastically increase after the introductory period. You will not want to be left with a 20% APR after the introductory period is over. Even if you intend to have the balance paid off before your APR increases, you need to keep this in mind. Sometimes in life, unexpected expenses do arise.

When performing a credit card transfer, you want to make sure that the transfer is actually going to save you money. Before transferring your balances, determine how much you are going to save both during the introductory period and after your APR increases. If you'll be saving money, even after paying balance transfer, annual, and other fees, credit card transfer may be right for you.