| "body"> | | | | together with your initial credit card charge. |
| If it's your first time to apply for a credit card, be | | | | Tip #4 Know What their Gold, Platinum, and Silver |
| careful with accepting any unsolicited offer that comes | | | | Status Really Means. |
| your way. If you don't take care, you just might find | | | | Other people will try to deceive you with tempting gold, |
| yourself a victim of credit card fraud. | | | | platinum, and silver credit card offers. But before you |
| Tip #1 Apply Directly to the Credit Card Issuer. | | | | take the bait - take the time to ask what exactly |
| You might find yourself encountering an offer that | | | | those offers entail. In most cases, a gold credit card |
| says you'll have an easier time applying and getting | | | | means having an elite status because you've got an |
| approved for a credit card through their help. Unless | | | | incredible credit card limit, competitive interest rates, |
| they work directly for the credit card issuer, no | | | | and amazing rewards to look forward to. Is that the |
| middleman representative or company can change | | | | kind of gold credit card they're talking about? Or could |
| your credit card application's fate if it's truly not meant | | | | it be just a gold colored card with the usual privileges? |
| to pass. The only thing that can improve your chances | | | | Or worse, could it only be used to purchase items |
| of getting approved is by improving your credit score | | | | from their very own product catalogue? |
| and nothing else! | | | | If you really want a gold, platinum, or silver credit card - |
| Tip #2 Bad Credit Matters...Negatively. | | | | ask yourself if you can truly afford it first. |
| If someone tells you that he can get you a credit card | | | | Tip #5 If You Want to Have Credit Card Protection |
| that's not only unsecured but with low interest rates as | | | | You Can Do the Protecting Yourself. |
| well, you're getting your leg pulled by a con artist. Bad | | | | A different but related credit card offer that you could |
| credit always matters, and they matter negatively. | | | | also encounter is one providing you with credit card |
| Credit card issuers never ignore the fact that you | | | | protection and insurance. The person making the offer |
| have bad credit no matter who you are. If you have | | | | might also weave terrifying tales of what could happen |
| bad credit but you want to have a credit card, your | | | | to you if you don't get your credit card insured. But the |
| best bet is getting a secured one or one that's | | | | Federal Trade Commission (FTC) cautions consumers |
| specifically designed for people with bad credit. | | | | from availing of this offer because it usually proves |
| Tip #3 There is No Up Front Fee to Pay. | | | | useless in the end. If you want to protect yourself from |
| And if there is, it should be minimal because there's | | | | credit card troubles, you can do so by using your card |
| really nothing you should pay for. Up front fees are | | | | responsibly and wisely. |
| rarely required by any major credit card issuer so | | | | There are sure to be other types of fraudulent credit |
| being asked to do so in the first place should make | | | | card offers you could encounter, but just remember |
| warning bells ring in your head. Secondly, if they refer | | | | the golden rule for credit cards: if an offer seems too |
| to the up front fee as your "annual fee", it should | | | | good to be true, it usually is! |
| appear on your first credit card statement and paid | | | | |