余额转账值得吗?

如果你倾向于在你的 信用卡 from month to month, you probably get a lot of balance transfer offers in your mailbox. With tantalizingly low interest rates down to zero percent, these offers are certainly tempting. 但余额转移是个好主意吗? 而且有些确实比其他的好?

为了让你打开信封, most offers feature an appealing promotional annual percentage rate in huge type on the front of the envelope, 有时低至0%. But once you're inside the envelope, things start to get interesting as you read the fine print. 在您决定申请余额转账之前，请了解更多信息.

什么是余额转账?

Balance transfers are financial actions where you move your credit card debt (from one or many 信用卡) into a different one that will offer you a lower interest rate or even zero rate (depending on some factors) for a specific period of time. Here are some things to consider so you can figure out if a credit card balance transfer is good for you:

• 并不是所有人都能享受零利率. 在你申请之前，你可能不知道它是否是一个选择. So be prepared that the zero rate offer might not be the one you actually get.
• Consider the length of the introductory rate on the new credit card. 密切关注这种低利率会持续多久. Introductory interest rates can escalate quickly after a few months — or if you're late with a payment.
• 确认是否有余额转账费用. It's a lump sum that's added to your balance as a cost for the transaction. This amount is based on a percentage of the total you're transferring, often 3% to 5%. So if you're transferring $20,000, the fee would be $600 at 3% or $1,000 at 5%. 这是非常重要的. In fact, it might be worth it to find a balance transfer offer that has no fee but a slightly higher annual percentage rate, 通常在1的范围内.9% to 2.9%. If you plan to pay off some or all of your balance during the promotional rate period, 你的成本可能会大幅下降. 无论哪种方式, you'd still be paying less per month to carry the balance of your current higher-interest card. Use this 计算器 to help you figure out payments based on interest rates and desired time to pay debt off.
• 了解新收费的适用方式. Keep in mind that if you make purchases on your new card in addition to the balance transfer, you may not be eligible for the typical interest-free grace period you would normally get when you pay your bill in full. 一定要阅读条件和你的报价的小字.
• 比较余额转账报价. 不同的信用卡可能会提供不同的利率, 转让费和优惠价的期限, 除此之外. 除了, 有些信用卡可能会提供奖励, 零年费, 旅行里程或更少的滞纳金罚款. Grab a pen and paper and take a look at all these things to see what might be the best credit card that meets your needs.

余额转账是如何工作的?

After you have done your homework and have decided a balance transfer is for you, 下面是一些你需要记住的步骤:

• 申请您选择的余额转账信用卡.
• Gather all the information on the debt you are going to transfer including account information, 确切的余额和信用卡发卡机构.
• 与新的信用卡发卡机构开始转账. This may be done online, on the phone and some cases an issuer might have other ways to do it.
• 转移完成后, your new account will reflect the existing balance in addition to any fees that you might have incurred with the transfer.
• It is common practice that the new issuer will pay the old accounts directly, 但是要确认他们的过程.
• 开始支付你的信用卡余额.

合并贷款

在某些情况下, 根据所欠债务的数额, 余额转账可能不是解决问题的最佳方式 还清你的信用卡债务. What you owe and your planned monthly payments may not meet the goal of paying the debt off completely before the introductory rate is gone. In that case, you may also consider paying off your debt with a consolidation loan.

By combining all the debts into one you may be able to decrease your monthly payment and free up some funds. This 债务合并计算器 是一个有用的工具.

摆脱债务有时是一项艰巨的任务. A balance transfer might help you take advantage of lower interest rates so you can concentrate on paying off your debt while incurring less interest charges. 学习 预算 以及如何 花更少的 也许还能帮你实现一些财务目标. 此外， 财务顾问 可能会帮助你建立步骤，保持你的财务秩序.