JoshReady to get your first credit card? Whether it is the 1st or the 101st one, you definitely want it to be amazing and to get the perfect value from using it. You understand how beneficial it can be for your credit score and for your financial situation in general, so you want to start taking advantage of this tool as soon as possible. Read more about the reasons to use credit cards and the benefits of doing so.
While you get that this is a highly beneficial financial tool, you are bound to be worried about one thing. Put simply, you’re concerned about the process of actually choosing the right credit card for you. This can, in fact, be quite a tricky process, which you will understand the moment you check out just how many different options exist on the market. The Citi Premier Card is just one of the options to consider, and then there are numerous other ones to check out before deciding what could be best for you.
How do you decide, though? How do you choose the perfect solution for you? Well, there are some important factors to keep in mind and steps to take when trying to make the perfect decision, and we are now going to explore those in a bit more detail. Put differently, below I’ll tell you what to do and what to consider when aiming to choose the perfect credit card for you.
Think About the Type You Need
Did you know that there are different types to consider? This depends on the purpose you want it to serve. So, for instance, there are cards that can help you boost your credit score, there are those that help you save money on interest, and then there are also those that result in earning great rewards. What you have to do, thus, is think about your specific goals and then decide on the type that’s right for you.
Find Honest and Comprehensive Reviews About Different Cards
The process of choosing has become much easier ever since the Internet has started offering some useful sources of information regarding the different cards. What I am referring to is comprehensive and honest reviews. So, when checking out the Citi Premier® Card, for example, reading an extensive review will help you get pretty much all the information you need about it, which will ultimately lead to figuring out whether it is right for you. The same goes for any other provider and any other credit card you can find on the market. Reviews are quite helpful.
Check the Annual Fees
You need to know what to focus on checking while reading those reviews, don’t you? Most of the great reviews will tell you all about the pros and the cons of certain solutions, and you should definitely weigh those out when trying to make your decision. Yet, it is still important for you to understand which specifics you should check, so as not to wind up skipping an important piece of information.
The annual fees are, without a doubt, high on the list of those factors to check. You want those to be reasonable, so checking and comparing them is undeniably a good idea. What you should keep in mind here, though, that the lowest fees are not always the best ones, because those fees depend on the benefits you can get from the actual card, so don’t ever choose based on them alone. Still, do compare them, because you still want to find a sensible solution.
Remember Interest Rates
The interest rates are, as you might have imagined, also highly important when it comes to making this particular choice. Too high rates can put you in great debt at one point, especially if you’re not very responsible with the cards you’re using. Therefore, taking the time to consider the rates is crucial as well if you want to find an option that will be perfectly reasonable for you.
Get some more tips on how to make the choice: https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/credit-cards/how-to-pick-the-best-credit-card-for-you-4-easy-steps
Explore the Benefits
Now, this is probably the most significant step. As you know already, all of these financial solutions come with different benefits. The Citi Premier Card, for example, won’t offer the same benefits as some other ones you’re considering, and it is important for you to explore and compare those, aiming at finding an option that best suits your spending habits and your reasons for using this financial tool in the first place.
Some of the great benefits include purchase protection and extended warranty, as well as travel protection, zero foreign transaction fees, as well as a great point earning potential. Concierge services and private passes that feature VIP packages for some popular events, as well as preferred seating and pre-sale tickets could also be useful benefits for you. The bottom line is that you should carefully explore those benefits and aim at choosing the solution that fits in best with your overall lifestyle.