Everywhere you go, we see ads screaming at us to take on this credit card or that credit card. The ads scream at us, "0% down, no interest for three years!" However, are these retailers' credit cards really the deal they seem to be? Let's take a look at what happens when you take on a credit card from a retailer. It is true that these retailer's credit cards do typically offer a 0% interest rate and allow you to make purchases with no payment s for as long as the first two years; although this is usually limited to specific purchases. Let's suppose for instance that you sign up for a retailer's credit card offered by a furniture store. You might have with this card a discount of 10% on the purchase, along with having to make no down payment and no payments needed for two years. This is a great deal, with one caveat. If you don't completely pay off this retailer's credit card within those two years, you'll be charged interest on the purchase ? not just from the day that this no payments period runs out, but retroactively. The interest will probably also be compounded every thirty days over that two years; this can really add up. You should approach these deals with caution. You need to make absolutely sure that you can pay the balance on these retailer's credit cards in full before the introductory period ends. Otherwise, you could end up paying a fortune in interest and other charges. This can make these purchases far more expensive than the original price! Retailer's credit cards typically bear interest rates which are far higher than are those associated with traditional credit cards. If you're not sure that you can pay the entire balance within the introductory period, don't apply for the retailer's credit card. You are much better off not incurring this kind of debt; if possible, pay cash for these large purchases. If you cannot do so, then use a regular credit card instead ? the lower interest rates will end up saving you a lot of money over time. While you may lose out on the discount offered on the purchase price, you'll still be saving money by avoiding these retroactive interest charges. Now, if you shop at a store regularly and you can easily pay off your balance in full in a timely manner, then these retailer's credit cards can indeed be a good thing. If you are just signing up for these retailer's credit cards in order to receive a discount on a specific purchase, then you may be better off without it. Those retroactive interest charges can come back to haunt you otherwise, so make sure you can afford to repay the balance in full before the end of the introductory period before you sign up for these cards. Finally, remember that no matter which credit card you use, you're going to end up paying a lot in interest charges if you don't use responsibly. So shop carefully, and pay down your credit card balances as soon as you can; in fact, it's a good rule of thumb to have that you never carry balances on credit cards for more than 30 days. Credit used responsibly can be a good thing, but you have to be careful just two you get it from.
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