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Find a card that fits your spending habitsThink about your current lifestyle and spending habits. What are the things you spend the most money on? For example, if you’re a real foodie and love checking out new restaurants around town, then it makes sense to get a card with rewards points for dining out and useful perks like 1-for-1 buffet promotions. Plan how to use your credit card benefitsCredit cards come with a whole bunch of benefits, so think about which benefits you actually want to use. Do you want to collect air miles and fund your upcoming travels? Or accumulate points for shopping vouchers? Or would you rather enjoy cash rebates? This is a deeply personal matter - only you can decide how you prefer to be rewarded. Check the Terms & ConditionsNow that you’ve got a shortlist of credit cards, it’s time to dig deeper into the details of the rewards or air miles programmes. Find out all you can about terms and conditions like expiry dates, exclusions, minimum spend, credit limit, etc. Be sure to ask a bank rep to clarify if you don’t see answers anywhere. Visa Card vs Mastercard vs American ExpressAt some point in your life, you’ll probably wonder if there’s a difference between a Visa card and Mastercard (and maybe American Express). Visa, Mastercard and Amex are the 3 big global payment networks. This means they handle all the technical back-end stuff that makes it possible to pay with your credit card anywhere in the world. Visa and Mastercard are extremely widely accepted worldwide, both online and offline. Both payment networks are easy and secure to use. Visa has a slight edge in terms of acceptance, but really, you’ll be fine with either. American Express is a bit less widely accepted globally. It’s in 140 countries compared to Visa and Mastercard’s 200+. However, many people still love using Amex because they have an excellent reputation for customer care. Whichever payment network you choose, you can get a credit card from a bank like DBS or UOB. Note that American Express also issues its own credit cards, even though it’s not a bank. Foreign Transaction FeesThis is a fee imposed on overseas spending - whether it’s while you’re traveling or even when making an online purchase on a foreign website. This is usually 2.5% to 3% on top of the prevailing foreign exchange rate. Cash Advance FeesSome credit cards allow you to withdraw cash from ATMs, using your credit line. Be prepared to fork out up to 6% of the transaction amount, plus 2%+ daily charges on unpaid withdrawn balance. Balance Transfer FeesCharged when you move a balance from one card to another, usually 2% to 4% of the amount transferred. Because credit cards are effectively short-term loans, you are meant to pay off your bills in full every month. If you make only the minimum payment each month, you may accrue huge additional costs on top of your bill due to the credit card’s interest rate (typically 24%+)! Yes, If you plan to apply for any kind of credit or loan (such as a housing loan or car loan) in the future, be aware that any “bad behaviour” with your credit card can come back to haunt you in the form of a bad credit score.A credit card is basically a way to borrow money from a bank to make purchases. Unlike a bank loan, a credit card “loans” money in smaller amounts and on a short-term basis, requiring you to pay the bank back monthly (or be subject to unpleasant penalties and interest fees). The biggest payment networks are MasterCard, VISA and American Express, but do note that merchants may not accept all types.Simply fill out an application online or at a bank branch and submit the required documents such as proof of income. After approval, the bank will inform you about how much you are allowed to borrow and mail you your new credit card. You’ll need to activate the credit card as well as sign on the back.What credit score do you need to get the lowest APR?You typically need a good to excellent credit score to be approved for 0% interest credit card offers, which generally means a FICO® Score☉ of 670 or higher.
What APR is good for 700 credit score?Having a 700 credit score puts you in the “prime” category for borrowing. According to Experian, the average rates for this category are 3.51% for new-car loans and 5.38% for used-car loans.
What is a good low APR?A credit card APR below 10% is definitely good, but you may have to go to a local bank or credit union to find it. The Federal Reserve tracks credit card interest rates, and an APR below the average would also be considered good.
Can my credit score go up 200 points in a month?There are several actions you may take that can provide you a quick boost to your credit score in a short length of time, even though there are no short cuts to developing a strong credit history and score. In fact, some individuals' credit scores may increase by as much as 200 points in just 30 days.
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