Calculating the Cost of a Credit Card
It can often be easy for credit card holders to push the interest rates that they will end up paying to the back of their mind, so that they don’t have to feel guilty about making a purchase. Yet, the fact is that credit cards are expensive and any borrower who knows how to add up exactly how much their Visa or Mastercard is costing them, including the interest and fees, is going to be ahead of the game, and make better informed buying decisions.
The first type of cost that consumers should consider is their annual fee. This is usually a small, token amount, but should not be overlooked. A $99 a year annual fee still costs the card holder $1200 every ten years, which should be considered against the card that does not charge an annual fee at all. While it may not be possible to avoid the annual fee altogether, consumers should make informed choices as to whether or not they are getting some benefit by staying with the same credit card if they are paying a high annual fee, and consider switching if they are not.
Consumers should also consider the interest that they will be charged. Fo