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| Credit Card Rankings |
The Discover Platinum card does it again, with the combined varieties taking the number one spot.
On a personal note, the number of credit card solicitations I'm getting in the mail has spiked in a serious way; probably has something to do with the fact that my credit score recently jumped into the 790+ zone. Most of these offers are very tempting, from 0% intro APR for 18 months, to 0.79, 1.99, 2.99, 3.99 and 5.99 from 6 to 12 months. Even though my zero APR surfing days are just about over, and opting out of receiving solicitations is really not that difficult, I still like to receive these offers, just in case I decide to keep some extra cash in the bank and transfer my business credit card debt to a zero percent offer at some point.
It's really all that waste that bothers me. All that paper. These days, I need to empty my paper shredder on a daily basis, because I'm shedding so much unsolicited mail. And I'm not even getting all of it: I still have a rather large mound of stuff I need to shred on my second desk, and it's slowly growing larger. I need to take a small vacation just so I can get rid of all of it. Of course, I can't just throw it out without shredding it, because most of these solicitations contain my some of my personal info, you know: the stuff the identity thieves look for.
I paid close to $4,000 yesterday to get rid of my personal credit card debt. Letting go of that much cash wasn't easy, but it was the right thing to do. I could very easily qualify for another great 0% offer right now, but I've been surfing 0% offers for years, and it's starting to feel like I'm using them as a crutch: being in debt is still being in debt, even if you're not paying any interest on it. I may buy a home soon, so being debt free when I'm ready to get my own place would be optimal.
Don't get me wrong: I don't regret surfing zero percent offers at all, not for one second. In fact, I recommend 0% offers to everyone and anyone I know -- well, to clarify, anyone who has a great credit score and who doesn't have problems keeping up with bills. It's important to remember that credit card debt is unsecured, so even if -- God forbid -- you make a mistake, no one will come and take your house or car away from you. And even the worst credit score can be repaired with time and patience (writing from experience here!)