Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Centennial Credit Card - Review

By Daniel Moskel

The Centennial card is created for individuals with a low credit score. It is issued by the First Premier Bank a member of the FDIC.

It offers easy approval and thus has some fees. These include a one time account set up fee of $29, $48 annual fee, and a one time $95 fee.

These charges are assessed to your available credit limit. When you receive your card you will have these charges shown on the balance.

You will have an initial $250 credit limit. Additionally you have a 9.9% APR.

It can be issued as a MasterCard or Visa, you decide. When you apply online you will get a response within 60 seconds of submitting your application.

By making your monthly payments on time you will begin a positive payment history on your report.

Your utilization ratio is also very influential on your score. This is how much debt you have versus unused credit. It will help your score if you keep a monthly balance of around 30% of your limit.

This means you want to keep your monthly balance around $75. After six months you will be eligible for a limit increase.

The First Premier Bank is a member of the Better Business Bureau. They are located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and have issued cards to over 3 million people.

Your card is accepted everywhere the Visa or MasterCard logo is seen. You can qualify for the card if you are over 18 years old and have a valid social security number.

As of late, we have seen a jump in interest rates even on prime credit cards. These rates are increasing to close to 30%, and without fault. This means even with on time payments the good credit cards are raising their interest rates to 30%.

In sum we suggest you explore all your options for credit if you have made some mistakes. It may be more cost effective to get a secured or prepaid card, and take other steps to repair your damaged score. - 15224

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