Credit Card Comparisons
Many websites offer comparison charts that list all the various credit cards available to consumers with excellent credit. These credit cards aren’t available to everyone, and usually only applicants with the very best credit scores qualify for these attractive credit products. So does this mean that if you have an excellent credit rating that the best way to find a fantastic credit card is to select the top product on a comparison website? Is it really so easy to get the best credit card this way?
Comparison websites should be used as a resource tool. Whether or not you actually apply for a credit card listed on the site should be based on additional information, such as information you receive from checking the official website of the credit card issuer or instead calling the lender directly. After all, you can’t be absolutely sure that the information listed on the comparison website is accurate for a few reasons:
1. The information may have been accurate at one point, but then the terms and conditions were changed by the lender but not updated by the website.
2. The information might have been written in error.
3. The information may have been completely false from the very beginning. After all, it doesn’t take much to pull together a website, so anyone who is familiar with web design can build a comparison website full of false information; maybe they do this just to see if they can, or maybe they do it in an attempt to grab personal financial information from people…either way, it’s easy to be fooled by fake websites.
Does this mean you should avoid comparison websites altogether? Absolutely not. Credit card comparison websites can reveal some great cards that you may not have been aware of, and getting a low interest rate with attractive terms can save you quite a bit of money in the long run (especially if you carry a credit card balance from month to month). The trick is to find a comparison website you can trust, and then use the information you find there as a starting point in your search for the best credit card.
If you find a credit card that appeals to you, contact the company directly to request a full copy of the terms and conditions of the credit card. You may be able to find this information on the company’s website. Unless you know the comparison website is trustworthy, you should apply directly through the potential lender instead of inputting your personal financial information using a tool on the comparison website because you can’t be sure that the website isn’t attempting a phishing scam.
If you’re interested in viewing a credit card comparison website through a trusted source, check out the Banks.com credit card comparison site.
January 28th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
[…] A Diary of Injustice in Scotland wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptMany websites offer comparison charts that list all the various credit cards available to consumers with excellent credit. These credit cards aren’t available to everyone, and usually only applicants with the very best credit scores qualify for these attractive credit products. So does this mean that if you have an excellent credit rating that the best way to find a fantastic credit card is to select the top product on a comparison website? Is it really so easy to get the best credit card this […]
February 4th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
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