Uma Thurman

When shopping around and comparing potential credit card accounts, rewards should not be the only criteria you use to select a credit card. You need to read the credit card contract (cardholder agreement) before applying for a credit card to discover traps that often negate any potential benefits from rewards programs. These traps are usually hidden in the small print, but their impact on your finances can be huge.

Universal Default

Over 40% of credit card banks use “Universal Default” to increase the interest rate of their cardholders. Basically, if you are late paying any credit account, the credit card issuer uses this ding on your credit report to justify raising your interest rate - even if you were never late paying the credit card bill. A typical Universal Default APR is 27.9% or higher. You should not apply for a credit card that includes a Universal Default clause - no matter how nice of a rewards program they offer.

Two-Cycle Billing

Credit card companies are starting to charge interest on balances in groups of two-months. So, if you have a $500 balance one month and pay it off the next month, the credit card issuer will still charge you interest during the month you had no balance because you had a balance the previous month. You should avoid any credit card with two-cycle billing.

Musical Due Dates

You should look into or ask the credit card issuer about their due date policies. Sometimes, credit card issuers will shave a few days off a due date after you are a customer for a while. They send a “terms update notification” (which most cardholders do not read because it comes in the mail and may look like another credit card solicitation). What this does is lure cardholders into paying by a certain date, and then change the terms so the payment is due a few days earlier - which usually results in the cardholder unwittingly paying late. The reason for this is once a payment is late, the card company raises the cardholder’s interest rate to the “default” APR and charges a late fee. A typical default APR is 29.9% or higher and a typical late fee can be as high as $39. Other due-date tricks include setting due dates on weekends or requiring payment before noon on the due date, which essentially pushed the due date back one day.

Vanishing Grace Periods

Traditionally, a balance will only incur a finance charge if the cardholder carries a balance past the due date of their billing period. However, some card issuers are completely erasing their grace periods. This means that interest charges start the second a purchase is made on the card. Avoid cards with no grace period.

Holding Payment and Musical Payment Addresses

Some credit card companies will hold your payment for up-to 5 days if you pay by check and fail to use their envelope or write any requested information in the memo section of your check. They do this to make payments late, and then change APRs to their default APR (29.9% or higher). Some card issuers will even change the address they want you to send your payment in an effort to delay your payment (and causing a “late payment” default and APR increase).

So, when you apply for a credit card, please keep all these factors in mind and be sure to read the credit card contract before applying. Be sure to shop around and compare credit card offers before applying. Several websites, such as creditcards.com, cardratings.com, cardweb.com and bankrate.com offer comparison charts from which you can compare different credit card offers. If you are set on getting an awards card, shopping.yahoo.com has a credit card section that list different types of rewards cards for you to compare.

John Janney is a financial literacy writer and president of the National Financial Awareness Network, a Dallas-based financial literacy company focused on bringing an independent voice to financial literacy.

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Do you use the internet on a regular basis? If you do, there is a good chance that you have heard of websites such as FriendFinder, MySpace, Orkut, Classmates, or Yahoo! 360.
What do all of these websites have in common? They are all social networking websites. Social networking websites, over the past few years, have rapidly increased in popularity but until you have used one it is likely that you are left wondering why.
If you have used a social networking website before, probably you are already fully aware of their popularity and the reasons why they have become so for popular. There is just something about these sites that draws in millions of internet users. With a wide choice of different social networking websites available there is also a wide variety of different reasons for their popularity. One those reasons being the ease with which people can make themselves known on the internet.

Social networking websites are, for the most part, easy to use. Most are easy to navigate. In fact, many require little knowledge of the internet. In addition to being easy to navigate, social networking websites also make it easier to meet new people online. There are millions of internet users who would love to be able to make new friends online; however, that can sometimes be difficult do. Without social networking websites, you would have to connect with internet users, often in chat rooms, and learn about their interests before deciding if you would like to consider them your “buddy.” Social networking sites allow you to learn information about another internet user before ever having to make contact with them, users choose who they associate with, not strangers interrupting one’s life.

Another one of the many reasons why social networking sites are popular is because many are free to use. In fact, the majority of social networking sites, such as MySpace and Yahoo! 360, are free to use. Despite being free to use, many websites require that you register with them. This registration will not only allow you to create your own profile or online webpage, but it will also allow you to contact other networking members and can provide a measure of security.
Although most social networking websites are free to use, there are some that are not. Classmates is one of those websites. Many of these subscription sites give you a free trial period or a free membership. That membership can be used to help you determine whether or not the website is worth paying for. What is nice about paid online social networking websites is that many can be considered exclusive. Since most internet users would not want to pay for something that they can get for free, most paid social networking sites are limited on the number of members they have. This may work out to your advantage because it tends to eliminate those who create fake and multiple accounts or aim to cause problems online.

Social networking websites are also popular because they come in a wide variety of different formats. Websites like Yahoo! 360 and MySpace focus on a wide variety of different topics. This means that just about anyone can join in. However, there are other social networking sites out there that are designed for smaller, special interest groups. The focus may be on a particular hobby, religion or political following. Most specialty social networking sites restrict the people that can join their network; thus, making your experience more enjoyable.
Finally, social networking websites focus on meeting new people, especially online, but over recent months, many have started including additional features only available to their online members. Many social networking members can now have their own free webpage, get free access to music videos, free blogs, and so on. Although social networking websites are popular enough to bring in members on their own, these additional features are, in a way, providing internet users with an incentive to join.

Mentioned above were a few of the most popular social networks that could be found online. Those networks included MySpace, Yahoo! 360, and Classmates. If you are looking for additional social networking websites, you should easily be able to find some by performing a standard internet search.

You can get free information about Social Networking from:
http://socialnetworks.knowhow-now.com for articles, resources and information about MySpace, Orkut, FriendFinder and others.

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Wedding is the most special day for a couple. As they tie a knot, their families, their cultures and their lives merge. Weddings are an elaborate affair, especially in India. It is because every occasion related with wedding is celebrated with bang. If you run out of money at this point, then problems may crop up. In fact, nobody wants to think that, lack of finances may hamper those celebrations. Wedding loans are meant to solve this problem and gives an opportunity to be a spendthrift in the matter of arranging best things for wedding.

If you are unemployed, planning to get married and are short of finances, then wedding loans for unemployed is the best option for you. Now, being unemployed is not an obstacle in tying a knot with your beloved. A well planned wedding party and related things is a best gift that you can give to your beloved. After all, it’s the best day of your life. Wedding loans are meant to help you in spending lavishly on your wedding day. Be it the wedding day or reception, decorations, music and food court has to be marvelous. With enough funds available, you can also arrange the best place for your honeymoon.

Wedding Loans for Unemployed help them to manage the expenses in a proper way. Unemployed couples don’t have to fear anymore about the expenses. They can put any asset as a collateral security in exchange of the loan. The asset can either be a car or a property or anything else. These types of loans are known as secured wedding loans. Secured wedding loans for unemployed accompanies lower rate of interest and longer payment time period.

Now, if you don’t have any collateral security then it’s still not difficult to get a wedding loan. Option of unsecured wedding loan for unemployed is there to solve the problem. As unsecured wedding loan is concerned, interest rates are slightly higher than the secured one. The reason is that you are not putting any asset as collateral security. Apart from this, repayment time period is also shorter. You do not have to worry about this. At least, you are getting something rather than nothing. Moreover, wedding loans for unemployed is meant to provide them with enough cash so that all the things can be arranged well in time.

Parents can take wedding loan for their children. It all depends on your necessity and requirement. Usually, it happens that people are not able to arrange a memorable wedding party because of shortage of money. No matter what aspect of your wedding is concerned, wedding loans helps to a great extent. Wedding is that occasion when traditions get more importance than anything else. So, wedding loans for unemployed or anyone else helps in commemorating these traditions.

Jasmine Vadera is a highly qualified Wedding Loan consultant.She can be your best mate in solving the money matters.She works for wedding Loans as a loan consultant and takes care of the different types of loans required for arranging a memorable wedding.You can check out the information of Wedding Loans for Unemployed,Cheap wedding loans,Bad credit wedding loans at http://www.weddingloans.co.in.

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