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The best credit cards for you are those tailored to your individual financial needs and objectives with low interest rates and, of course, those for which you will be approved. To find out what youre looking for, answer the following questions:

1. Do you anticipate any large purchases in the next year (i.e. furniture, appliances, etc.)?
2. How long will do you anticipate keeping the principal of a purchase on your card?
3. Do you want to pay your entire balance every month?
4. Are you planning to use this card for purchases over a short time period or do you intend to hold it for a long time?
5. Do you currently have credit limits totaling more than 40% of your annual income or balances outstanding on those cards greater than 50% of the credit limit?

If you answered yes to the first question, you will need a card with a high credit limit and a low interest rate. This may seem obvious but not all people need these things. You may do best getting a card with rewards attached to something you are interested in, like an airline miles card.

If you answered greater than three months on the second question, you will need a low interest rate. Do not be discouraged by a low credit limit. The interest is where you will save money.

If you answered yes to the third question, you may be interested in finding a 0% interest charge card, such as American Express. These cards will not charge you interest as long as you pay your bill promptly and in its entirety every month.

If you answered that you want to hold on to your credit card in the fourth question, you should look for a moderate credit limit and a low interest rate. If you answered that you plan to use this credit card only in the short term, then you should look for a card with an introductory 0% interest rate. These are best coupled with a plan to pay off the balance by the end of the introductory term.

If you answered yes to either part of the fifth question, you may have some difficulty securing new credit cards. Part of your credit score is determined by the amount of credit you carry and the ratio of the balance outstanding to the credit limit. Some banks are unwilling to grant additional credit to those applicants whose credit scores are low due to outstanding credit, even if you have paid on time. The best credit card for you may be a card specializing in bad credit, regardless of how close you are to the acceptable credit rating.

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Many people have jumped on adjustable rate mortgages to take advantage of the historically low interest rates we have seen over the last few years. Rates are now rising, which means you need to understand caps.

Adjustable Rate Mortgages Talking About Interest Rate Caps

An adjustable rate mortgage is just what it sounds like. The interest rate can be adjusted to match certain interest rate standards. The advantage of such a loan is it can seriously lower monthly mortgage payments if interest rates are low. Over the last few years, of course, rates have been incredibly low. Rates are now rising and you need to understand what that means for your adjustable rate mortgage.

Since the interest rate on your loan is adjustable, you should be getting a little nervous about rising interest rates. That being said, most loans have graduated step increases and caps that keep things from getting nightmarish too quickly. Here is a closer look.

A good adjustable rate mortgage protects you from massive rate increases through something known as rate caps. There are two types of rate caps. Each has benefits and negatives.

A lifetime rate cap is just what it says. This cap sets the maximum interest rate the lender can charge you for the loan. You must always demand a lifetime cap on any mortgage you take out. Assume you take out an adjustable rate mortgage with an interest rate of four percent. As part of the agreement, the loan has a lifetime cap of eight percent. If interest rates shoot up to 10 percent, your loan will cap out at nine percent. While this is a high interest rate, it is a lot better than paying 10 percent.

Periodic rate caps also protect you, but in a different way. A periodic rate cap defined the maximum percentage your interest rate can increase over a period of time. The shorter the time period, the better the cap. If your loan document allows the lender to adjust the rate every six months, the cap may be as low as one percent. This means the lender can only increase the interest rate by a maximum of one percent, regardless of what the market is charging for new loans.

Adjustable rate mortgages are great when interest rates are low. When rates start creeping up, however, you need to take a close look at your caps.

Tags: Adjustable Rate Mortgage, Adjustable Rate Mortgages, Closer Look, High Interest Rate, Interest Rate Caps, Lifetime Cap, Loan Document, Low Interest Rates, Maximum Interest Rate, Maximum Percentage, Monthly Mortgage Payments, Mortgage Rate, Mortgage Rates, Period Of Time, Periodic Rate, Rate Cap, Rate Increases, Rising Interest Rates, Step Increases, Time Period

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