Individuals with problematic credit histories often suffer unfairly from high mortgage, insurance, and car loan rates. On top of that, they have difficulty getting approved for credit cards. The whole situation can get extremely frustrating. Frequently, I get emails from consumers wondering what they can do to rebuild their credit. The first thing I tell them is to get a credit card designed for people with bad credit. The second thing I tell them is written in bold: READ THE FINE PRINT.
There are only a limited number of credit cards for individuals with bad credit. At first glance, many look the same. They all help build and rebuild your credit by reporting to the major credit bureaus on a monthly basis. They all provide you with the Visa or Mastercard you need to make many purchases. And they are all necessary evils that can save you thousands of dollars in mortgage and car loan rates in the future. However, you must read the fine print before applying for one of these credit cards, as they often charge high yearly fees, set-up fees, and even monthly fees. Here, I will examine a few examples of charges current “bad credit” credit cards bury in the fine print. Of the three major cards I will examine, only one stands out as consumer-friendly.
“Bad Credit” Credit Card #1: This credit card charges a very low interest rate for an unsecured credit card. However, your first fine print glimpse reveals that there is a one time setup fee of $29. Not too bad. So far, since the next charge is a one time fee of $95. So far, we’re up to $124 in expenses. That’s got to be it, right? No. Add in another $48 for the annual fee and $6 per month in account maintenance fees. That’s brings the cost of your new credit card to $244 the first year, and $120 each additional year. This is no small change, and a card such as this should be considered only if you cannot be accepted for a better unsecured credit card for bad credit.
“Bad Credit” Credit Card #2: This credit card charges a very high interest rate for an unsecured credit card. This can’t be good. But the setup fee is only $29. Maybe this card isn’t so bad. There is that pesky monthly maintenance fee of $6.50 per month which brings the cost of this unsecured credit card to $107. Maybe we’ve found a bargain. Not quite. The annual fee is a whopping $150. Yes, $150 every year. That not only brings the initial cost up to $257, but you will also pay $228 a year just to maintain the credit card. There has to be a better offer.
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