Credit Card Terms Everyone Should Know

Published on: 15 April 2023 Last Updated on: 13 May 2023

Whether you are a new credit card holder or have been using it for a while, you must have come across some credit card jargon that is hard to decipher. For instance, if you decide to apply for a credit card online, you might need to understand the annual fee, interest rate, and other charges applicable to that card. Even though all credit cards work in the same way, they differ a lot in terms of the benefits and rewards they offer. So, to make it easier for you to understand the basic credit card terminology and choose the best one, here is a quick guide for you.

Annual Fee

Card companies may charge annual fees on credit cards. This might range from a few hundred to a few thousand depending on the benefits you can avail yourself of on the card. However, certain providers may waive the fee for the first year, while others, may offer credit cards that are free for a lifetime. So, depending upon the kind of benefits you seek, you may choose a lifetime free credit card or a card that has an annual fee but may waive it off on spending a certain amount.

Credit Limit

This is the overall spending limit or credit line provided by the card issuer. There are several criteria such as your credit score, income, repayment history, as well as the length of your relationship with the bank that determines your credit card limit. Banks may sometimes offer you higher limits if you already have high limits on your existing cards along with a strong repayment history.

Additionally, when checking your credit card limit, there are further three terms that you must be aware of Total Credit Limit and Available Credit Limit.

Total Credit Limit: This is the credit limit granted by the bank when the card is issued. The total limit can also be increased when you request for the same or if you accept a limit increase offered by the provider.
Available Credit Limit: This is the credit limit that is available on one’s credit card at any one moment. In other terms, the available credit limit is the difference between the entire credit limit and the card’s current outstanding balance.
Cash Limit: Card issuers also offer a certain portion of your total credit limit as cash limit. This defines the amount of cash you can withdraw using your credit card. However, cash withdrawal from credit cards should be the last resort as cash withdrawal is not eligible for the interest-free period and even a small amount can escalate to a huge debt.

Billing Cycle

The billing cycle refers to the period between the closing of the previous statement and the new statement date. Your credit card provider compiles your statement at the end of your billing cycle, and you have until the due date to make the payment.

Due Date

This is the specified monthly date by which all outstanding payments must be made. To avoid late payment penalties and high-interest charges on unpaid dues, you must make the payment on or before the due date.

Total Amount Due And Minimum Amount Due

At the end of each billing cycle, a new statement is generated and it shows the dues that you owe on your card. Total amount due, as the name suggests, is the total sum that you owe to the issuer, and on making full payment, no charges will be applicable.

However, if you cannot afford to pay the total due, card providers give you the option to pay the minimum amount due to keep your card active and avoid late payment charges. It is usually 5% of the total due and also includes any active EMIs, additional fees, charges, etc. An important thing to note is that on making only the minimum payment, the rest of the outstanding balance starts attracting finance charges and new transactions become ineligible for the interest-free period as well. This is why you should always pay the total due and not just the minimum amount.

Finance Charges And APR

Interest rates on credit card balances are known as finance charges and APR is the annual percentage of interest. It is the rate of interest on all transactions from the date of the transaction until the cardholder’s balance is paid back in full. Note that interest on credit cards is compounded on a daily basis.

Being acquainted with these terms will ensure judicious use of the card and help you stay out of debt.

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Abdul Aziz Mondol

Abdul Aziz Mondol is a professional blogger who is having a colossal interest in writing blogs and other jones of calligraphies. In terms of his professional commitments, he loves to share content related to business, finance, technology, and the gaming niche.

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All About The Legal Entity Identifier: A Mandate Of The Future!

Legal Entity Identifier is an alphanumeric, 20-character code developed by the International Organization for Standardization. Abbreviated as LEI, this code contains information on the company's ownership structure and provides answers of 'who is who' and 'who owns what.' It gives a unique identification of all legal entities (organization, company, firm, trust, fund, and government body) that are participating in any financial transactions. The complete LEI system is operated and maintained by GLEIF (Global LEI foundation), and the right to issue LEIs is only given to the few organizations. It All Started With Wrigley's: In 1974, when the grocery industries were pleading for the development of barcode, many companies proposed their proposals to bring them. Considering this, the UPC was introduced, which became the first code to be scanned on Wrigley's Chewing gum. Later, to end the one-dimensional (UPC) barcode, which only contains 20-alphanumeric codes, Denso Wave (a Toyota's subsidiary) invented Quick Response (QR) codes. QR codes are a two-dimensional system that focuses on rapid scanning and is widely used by today's marketers to streamline processes. Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) Came In Existence - 2011 The LEI was developed by the G20 (an international organization with 20 major countries) in 2011 to track all financial transactions in national jurisdictions. The need for LEI came when regulators were suffering from financial crises, and there was no unanimous code to make successful financial transactions. The difficulties in identifying transaction details and calculating the risk amount bring LEI into existence. The first (LEI) legal entity identifiers database was issued in December 2012. Structure Of Code: Technically, the Legal Entity Identifier is represented as ISO 17442. It contains 20-character alphanumeric numbers with the first four characters showing the LOU, Local Operating Unit. The other 5-18 characters are an alphanumeric string, which organizations assign. And, the last two characters are called checksum digits. Process Of LEI: The companies that need a Legal Entity Identifier should contact the respective organizations that provide LEIs. They then have to provide the necessary information and the fee. The issuing body will then provide LEI after cross-checking all details. Things like registration of the business, information about other connected companies, etc. are verified before giving LEI. Some other things, which the issuing body will assure, are: A country where the entity was formed The registered address of the legal entity Any legal or official name of the entity (if any) that is present in the records The Unique code of representing countries and their connected company's Data of the first LEI assignment, date of the last information update and it's an expiry date Why LEI Is Important: LEIs reduce the risks associated with financial transactions. With them, you can easily measure the total risk involved in trading. It minimizes the overall cost of reporting tasks, cost of information gathering, and other administrative costs. LEI help in enhancing market transparency as with a unique code, it is easy to detect the frauds and other manipulations in the market. Who Should Need LEI? Organizations, corporations, and other entities that are involved in the financial transactions need LEI to recognize all entities and funds involved in the transactions. If you are any of the following, you can register for LEI: A non-profit organization Registered Company or Registered Subsidiary A business having a distinct identity A trust or Funds LEI In Business And In Payment Systems: To have clear business identification and to make transparent financial transactions, business needs a unique code called LEI. LEI also helps to minimize the cost and the speeding process of transactions, improve data sharing, and more. Furthermore, in trading (direct and indirect payments), LEI ensures that the correct information is used to transfer funds. LEIs not only ensure transparency and safety in the global market, but also provide maximum compatibility and safe business. Read Also: The Versatility Of Clover POS Systems How To Do Bookkeeping In Malta Minus Complications How Private Hire Insurance Takes You Out From Problems? A Brief Introduction To Data Quality Management Systems Tips To Hiring Accounting Firms Rochester NY For Your Business

How Do You Avoid Negative Equity On Your Next Car Loan?

Car finance allows drivers to spread the cost of a new or used car into affordable monthly payments. By borrowing money from a lender, drivers can purchase a car and pay the lender back in monthly installments until the end of the agreed term. Negative equity is a term you may hear often with car finance, and for many drivers, it is best to avoid it. Find out how you can ensure you don’t end up with negative equity and what to do next if you find yourself in this situation. What Is Negative Equity? In car finance, negative equity is when you owe more on your loan than your car is worth. Negative equity can be known as outstanding car finance or an upside-down loan which means if you sold your car to clear the loan, you still wouldn’t have been able to pay the balance off. For example, if your settlement figure was £6,000 and your car was worth £4,000, you would still owe the finance company £2,000. Usually, negative equity happens when the value of your car drops quickly during your agreement. This is especially common with brand-new cars, as they can lose up to 50% of their value in the first few years of ownership. Here, if you want to trade in your car but have negative equity, you will need to repay the loan amount before you take a new loan to purchase a new vehicle. What Are The Reasons For Negative Equity? Basically, a negative equity situation happens for a variety of reasons. For instance, an upside-down situation in regard to a car loan can happen due to the following reasons: You might have a loan for a longer term. Apart from that, your vehicle has also gone through depreciation since your purchase. There is a no-money-down auto loan in your case, or you might have paid more than the sticker price of the vehicle due to the inclusion of add-ons. You might have purchased an expensive vehicle, which might not have the same value that you expected during the purchase. Your debt regarding the loan is of a high rate of interest. Hence, most of the money that you are paying is going to the interest as compared to the principal. Depreciation is also a major factor in this case. Basically, the term rate of depreciation shows how fast an asset loses its value. Generally, a car loses almost 20% of its value in the first year itself. Furthermore, the process of depreciation continues to happen in the following years until the car fully loses its value. Why Is Negative Equity Problematic? Negative equity within your car finance deal can be an issue because you will still owe the lender money even if you sell your car. In some cases, you may not be able to sell the car, too. If you find your circumstances have changed and you can’t afford to carry on with the loan, you may be charged additional fees for missed or late payments, and it can lead to much more serious financial consequences. How Do You Avoid Negative Equity In The First Place? Before you take out a car finance deal, consider these factors below to help prevent negative equity from occurring: Only Borrow What You Can Afford. If you’re in a position to buy a new car on finance, it’s important you use a car payment calculator first to see how your loan could look and make sure it is affordable. This may mean choosing a used car over a brand-new car, as older cars usually have already depreciated at their fastest rate in previous years. Put Down A Larger Deposit. A larger deposit contribution at the start of your finance agreement can help to reduce your loan amount. A smaller loan can help to reduce the risk of your car being worth less than how much you owe. Choose A Slower Depreciating Car. If you want to avoid negative equity, you could consider choosing a car that depreciates at a slower rate. Cars that hold their value will be less likely to leave you out of pocket at the end of your car finance deal. Make Higher Payments. Negative equity can often be associated with PCP deals as they offer low payments and a large balloon payment at the end of the deal. Opting for a deal such as a hire purchase, which aims to pay off the value of the car at the end of the deal and has higher monthly payments, can help avoid any outstanding finance. How Do You Get Out Of Negative Equity? There are different ways of getting out of negative equity. However, based on your current situation, you will need to choose which way works the best for you. Basically, you will need to choose the one that goes with your budget. Furthermore, it also depends on whether you want to keep the vehicle or not. Hence, to get out of negative equity, make sure you do the following: 1. Start By Paying Off The Loan The most obvious way to pay off your negative equity is to accelerate your payment. Here, the faster you pay your loan off, the sooner you will be able to deal with the debt. One of the best ways of paying off the loan is to pay extra on the principal part. Apart from that, you can also consider paying a lump-sum amount beforehand to avoid paying interest for a longer period. Hence, you must consider reviewing your budget and savings from time to time to pay off your existing debt. 2. Loan Refinancing Here, you might consider taking out a new loan to pay off your existing debt. This will help you in getting out of your upside-down car loan faster. This works even better if you can avail of a new loan with a lower rate of interest. 3. Selling The Vehicle If you do not need the vehicle, you can consider selling off the vehicle. This way, you can get a lump sum of cash, which will allow you to pay off the loan. Furthermore, if you sell the vehicle to a private buyer, you will have the option to negotiate the price further. This will enable you to get more cash, which will further help you to pay off the negative equity. 4. Surrendering The Vehicle If you handle the vehicle to the lender, you can get out of the negative equity, too. In addition to that, if you do a voluntary surrender, you will be more likely to get out of the negative equity. Summing Up: Getting Out Of Negative Equity If you’ve not been able to avoid negative equity and need to know how to get yourself out of it, follow the top tips below: If you can still afford your current car finance payments, it is recommended you stick with the deal you have at the moment. In many cases, your deal will balance out over the duration of the loan, and the negative equity should be settled by the time you reach the final payment. You could pay off your negative equity by paying the lender in cash. You can hand your car back to the lender through Voluntary Termination. If you’ve paid half of your agreement off, you could return the car to the lender. It’s always best to speak with your lender first, though, to see how they could help you. Do you have any more ideas to add? Consider sharing in the comment section below. Read More: Proven Strategies To Captivate Buyers And Sell Your Business Successfully Get On The Online Market With The Best Web Design Experts In Brisbane 8 Tips For Tech Industry CV Writing That Highlights Your Skills And Experience

5 Fun Facts About The American Eagle Gold Coin

As the official bullion coin of the U.S., the gold American eagle coin is sought-after by investors and numismatics. These consumers are intrigued by the coin's all-American precious metals, the reputation of the coin, and the intricate, detailed design. The interest in collectors for this coin is also due to being one of the top-selling billions in the country. Serious investors also want to know that they are putting their money into an investment they can count on. Security of investment is a given with American gold eagle coins, as they are the only coins officially backed by the U.S. government. The guarantee eradicates concerns over the coin's validity in value, which tells investors they are truly getting what they pay for. With guaranteed quality control, investors and numismatics never need to worry about their investment's content, purity, weight, or quality of metal. With these facts secured, the investment is set to be used as legal tender or secured as an asset. While the legitimacy of the coin is the most crucial fact about the American Eagle gold coin, here are five additional fun facts to note. 1. The American eagle gold coin is more scratch-resistant than gold buffalos. The polished surfaces and keen attention to detail are showcased on American eagle gold bullions; their beauty adds to the investor and numismatic interest. Since the American Eagle gold bullion contain 10% copper and silver alloys, it is notably more scratch-resistant than its counterparts, 24-karat Gold Buffalos. Additionally, the U.S. Mint tailors coin production to meet the aesthetic appeal of collectors. 2. There are more opportunities for creative collection display. Collectors interested in placing their coins into a portfolio may wish to display their collectors' coins in a unique and creative way. For instance, some collectors may arrange coins based on historical significance, others by type or style. With the American eagle gold coin, you can also organize your portfolio by coin similarity. For example, the Gold Eagle is similar in design to the Double eagle gold coin. On both coins, Lady Liberty and an American eagle are displayed. Additionally, both indicate the currency value and mintage dates. 3. The gold is sourced by the U.S. All Gold Eagle coins are produced with gold sourced only from the U.S. The coins may not include metal from unknown or foreign sources during the minting process. As a legal requirement, these specifications are not to be altered for any reason. For collectors looking to invoke patriotism and American pride into their collection, the American Eagle gold coin is a wise investment choice. American-derived gold is of significant historical influence as well for collectors or investors interested in obtaining a piece of American history. 4. The coin value will always remain what it is. No matter if the price of gold decreases, the American Eagle gold coin retains the value that is minted onto them. Each coin has a face value from five to fifty dollars of legal currency. Regardless of changes in currency, the coin value is maintained, making Gold Eagles a wise investment for those looking to add tangible assets to their portfolios. Likewise, collectors looking to compile assets to pass on can achieve peace of mind knowing that the American Eagle gold coin will not depreciate in value, no matter how much time goes by or how American currency changes over time. 5. These coins offer the historical significance of legal tender. Some collectors and investors want to purchase coins that offer historical significance. Interest or appreciation for rich American history can be acknowledged by purchasing a Gold Eagle coin. The first Gold Eagle was introduced in 1986 in response to the Gold Bullion Coin Act Of 1985. The act recognized the value of gold coins with legal currency and precious metals. The American eagle gold coin is the established, official U.S. gold bullion. Invest in coins with permanent value and lasting significance. The American eagle gold coin offers numismatics and investors the opportunity to establish a balanced investment portfolio or collectors' portfolio. As a protected coin, devaluing currencies are not influential, allowing collectors to preserve their coins and maintain their value for future investment opportunities and generations to come. Read Also: Can I Convert My 401k To A Gold IRA? Starting Your Rare Coin Collections: A Beginners Guide to the 1794 Flowing Hair Half Dime Bitcoin’s 10th Birthday: Does Satoshi Nakamoto’s White Paper Still Hold Relevance?

Credit Card Terms Everyone Should Know

Annual Fee

Credit Limit

Billing Cycle

Due Date

Total Amount Due And Minimum Amount Due

Finance Charges And APR

Use Online Event Payment To Streamline Your Payment Process

Can I Convert My 401k To A Gold IRA?

Abdul Aziz Mondol

Abdul Aziz Mondol is a professional blogger who is having a colossal interest in writing blogs and other jones of calligraphies. In terms of his professional commitments, he loves to share content related to business, finance, technology, and the gaming niche.

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All About The Legal Entity Identifier: A Mandate Of The Future!

How Do You Avoid Negative Equity On Your Next Car Loan?

5 Fun Facts About The American Eagle Gold Coin

Credit Card Terms Everyone Should Know

Annual Fee

Credit Limit

Billing Cycle

Due Date

Total Amount Due And Minimum Amount Due

Finance Charges And APR

Share this Article

Use Online Event Payment To Streamline Your Payment Process

Can I Convert My 401k To A Gold IRA?

Abdul Aziz Mondol is a professional blogger who is having a colossal interest in writing blogs and other jones of calligraphies. In terms of his professional commitments, he loves to share content related to business, finance, technology, and the gaming niche.

Leave a Reply

Popular

Follow Us

Recent

Related