Humans are creatures of habit. We have learned the hard way that when something works, it is usually a bad idea to change it. While this instinct serves us well in most respects, it does have its drawbacks. Many credit card holders continue to use the same products long after better options have become available. By doing so, they are ignoring the following three top reasons to switch credit cards.

Reason #1: Get a 0% promotional financing offer

One of the primary ways that banks entice new applicants to their products is to offer promotional financing. These 0% interest rates apply for a limited time to either balance transfers, new purchases, or both. Cardholders that are carrying a balance can save tremendous amounts of interest payments by opening up one of these accounts and transferring their balances. For example, the Slate card from Chase offers a 0% rate on both new purchases and balance transfers for 15 months. Better yet, this is the only no fee balance transfer credit card offer currently on the market.

Reason #2: Get a sign up bonus

Those who have excellent credit are the most prized customers of the banks. These cardholders are so important that banks are willing to offer incredible sign up bonuses just so that applicants will give the bank a chance to earn their business. Currently, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers a 40,000 Ultimate Rewards point sign up bonus worth up to $500.

Reason #3: Earn better rewards

Cardholders need to think of their credit card rewards the same way they think of returns on investments. In each case, they must vary their portfolio with the market conditions in order to ensure they are receiving the best returns. Although many cards off nominal returns of 1% on most purchases, cardholders can do much better. For example, the Blue Cash Preferred card from American Express returns as much as 6% cash back at grocery stores. In another instance, the Venture Rewards card from Capital One earns two “miles” per dollar on all purchases. These miles can be redeemed for one cent each as a statement credit towards any travel related purchase.

By considering all of the cards on the market, credit card users can choose the best product for their needs rather than reach for their existing cards out of habit. Those with debt should always focus on getting rates reduced with 0% APR balance transfer offers to save money on interest, while those without debt should make sure they are earning the highest rate of credit card rewards possible.

Previous post Maximizing 5% Cash Back with the Chase Freedom Card This Summer
Next post 3 Reasons Cash Back Credit Cards May Not Be Right for You
Menu