Shuffling the deck - can card jumping be bad for credit rating?
The honeymoon is over, the 0% interest rate was good while it lasted and now the APR has kicked in on your credit card. Time to move to another 0% offer? Clever customers have been using the credit card offers for a while to reduce their interest payments to nothing and to pay off loans more quickly. By being smart a credit card customer can have the advantage of 0% credit for as long as they have an outstanding debt. But before you applaud this "beating the system" approach though, be warned: card jumping too frequently can seriously affect your credit rating, and the companies are wising up quickly to the practice.
Card jumping (as it's commonly referred to) is becoming a popular way of reducing interest payments to a minimum on outstanding credit card debt, but it can be detrimental to your credit rating. The misconception is that customers with large, interest-heavy debts on their cards are the most likely to have a poor credit rating. This is not necessarily true. Interest payments are the life-blood of lenders, so if their customers are paying on time and making interest payments, the lenders love them. Those who pay off their balance in full every month or make frequent credit card balance transfer jumps between cards are not profitable for the lenders. It may not seem fair, but what customers define as''good credit behaviour' and the lender's definition can be two very different things.
A credit rating has all the appearances of secretive whisperings between banks and credit card companies, but the truth is you can take control of your credit rating and improve the chances of being accepted for credit. By applying to the three credit agencies, you can (for a small charge) receive a detailed copy of your credit report. This will detail your financial history and give you the same information that the banks and credit lenders hold on you. This information can be inaccurate, so it's a worthwhile exercise to carry out just in case there are mistakes or errors that are directly affecting your credit rating. That rating can be directly affected by instances of multiple card jumps, so be prudent how you use the opportunities to transfer balances between lenders.
'Blanket applications' (applying to multiple credit cards to see if one lets you slip through the net) are unwise, as most credit card lenders have more than one product on the market. They will spot a multiple applicant a mile off and a cluster of rejections on your record doesn't do anything to improve your credit rating. The 0% lenders are particularly aware of this practice, and although they offer the opportunity to transfer a balance from one card to another openly, they are still cautious of anyone with 'Black data' included on their record, such as frequent card jumping or blanket application techniques. How you operate financially leaves a clear trail that lenders can easily follow, especially as those same lenders are tightening their criteria in the current economic climate.
It is generally agreed that the best policy with 0% deals is to look for one that offers a long introductory period. This stops you from having to move your outstanding balance to another card every six months or so, thus reducing the chances of being labelled by lenders as a card jumper. There are offers ranging from nine to 16 months available, but read the small print as the longer offers may incur higher credit card balance transfer charges. By moving to a card with a longer 0% interest period, you can build up your reputation for customer loyalty, improving your credit rating in the process. It also gives you the opportunity to pay off a larger amount of the outstanding balance at 0% interest. If, at the end of the 0% period you transfer to a new card, the credit card balance transfer will be smaller and have more chance of being accepted by a new lender.
Lenders don't exactly frown upon card jumping - after all, they're the ones offering the opportunity to make the move. But they are looking for new, long-term customers, not short-term hoppers who take advantage of the 0% offers for a few, brief months and then move on. Most financial experts agree that by playing it smart you can maintain a balancing act of reducing your initial debt, paying little or no interest and keep your good name amongst lenders. It can help you to manage your finances much more successfully as long as you remember the golden rules - the general thought is don't use the balance transfer card for anything else except paying off an outstanding debt and don't card jump too often.
Card jumping (as it's commonly referred to) is becoming a popular way of reducing interest payments to a minimum on outstanding credit card debt, but it can be detrimental to your credit rating. The misconception is that customers with large, interest-heavy debts on their cards are the most likely to have a poor credit rating. This is not necessarily true. Interest payments are the life-blood of lenders, so if their customers are paying on time and making interest payments, the lenders love them. Those who pay off their balance in full every month or make frequent credit card balance transfer jumps between cards are not profitable for the lenders. It may not seem fair, but what customers define as''good credit behaviour' and the lender's definition can be two very different things.
A credit rating has all the appearances of secretive whisperings between banks and credit card companies, but the truth is you can take control of your credit rating and improve the chances of being accepted for credit. By applying to the three credit agencies, you can (for a small charge) receive a detailed copy of your credit report. This will detail your financial history and give you the same information that the banks and credit lenders hold on you. This information can be inaccurate, so it's a worthwhile exercise to carry out just in case there are mistakes or errors that are directly affecting your credit rating. That rating can be directly affected by instances of multiple card jumps, so be prudent how you use the opportunities to transfer balances between lenders.
'Blanket applications' (applying to multiple credit cards to see if one lets you slip through the net) are unwise, as most credit card lenders have more than one product on the market. They will spot a multiple applicant a mile off and a cluster of rejections on your record doesn't do anything to improve your credit rating. The 0% lenders are particularly aware of this practice, and although they offer the opportunity to transfer a balance from one card to another openly, they are still cautious of anyone with 'Black data' included on their record, such as frequent card jumping or blanket application techniques. How you operate financially leaves a clear trail that lenders can easily follow, especially as those same lenders are tightening their criteria in the current economic climate.
It is generally agreed that the best policy with 0% deals is to look for one that offers a long introductory period. This stops you from having to move your outstanding balance to another card every six months or so, thus reducing the chances of being labelled by lenders as a card jumper. There are offers ranging from nine to 16 months available, but read the small print as the longer offers may incur higher credit card balance transfer charges. By moving to a card with a longer 0% interest period, you can build up your reputation for customer loyalty, improving your credit rating in the process. It also gives you the opportunity to pay off a larger amount of the outstanding balance at 0% interest. If, at the end of the 0% period you transfer to a new card, the credit card balance transfer will be smaller and have more chance of being accepted by a new lender.
Lenders don't exactly frown upon card jumping - after all, they're the ones offering the opportunity to make the move. But they are looking for new, long-term customers, not short-term hoppers who take advantage of the 0% offers for a few, brief months and then move on. Most financial experts agree that by playing it smart you can maintain a balancing act of reducing your initial debt, paying little or no interest and keep your good name amongst lenders. It can help you to manage your finances much more successfully as long as you remember the golden rules - the general thought is don't use the balance transfer card for anything else except paying off an outstanding debt and don't card jump too often.
About the Author:
As a financial writer Paul Dury enjoys breaking down the jargon and provide consumers with a clear view of the financial options available. If you would like to learn more about a credit card balance transfer you can read more here.
posted by Debt Consolidation Loan at
10:51 AM
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