Consolidating Credit Cards: How to Effectively Use Balance Transfers

The practice of transferring the balance of one credit card with a high interest rate to another credit card with a lower interest rate is a fairly common way to consolidate debt, but very few people know how to make effective balance transfers. The goal of balance transfers is very simple: to save money. If you are not, then you are probably not utilizing balance transfers effectively.

The following factors will determine how and when you should make balance transfers so that you maximize the benefits.

Credit History

If you have a poor credit history, then you have a lower chance of securing a credit card with a low interest rate. Credit card companies base their decisions upon consumers credit scores and collection accounts, so it will help if you are familiar with your credit report. That way, you arent applying for several credit cards at once, thus planting those applications on your credit report.

Those with high credit scores can usually obtain a credit card with a low APR (annual percentage rate) or even a 0% APR. Many credit card offers include 0% interest on balance transfers for the first six-to-twelve months, which can save you hundreds of dollars immediately.

Credit Card Balance

A high credit card balance will make it more difficult to execute a single balance transfer. Most credit cards have limits on how much debt you can transfer at one time; sometimes the limit is as high as $10,000, while others might be as low as $2,000. Do your homework before applying for credit cards and find out what the balance transfer limit will be. That way you arent obtaining a credit card for which you will have no use.

Balance Transfer Fees

Many credit card companies charge fees for balance transfers, which are typically around 3% of the transfer amount. Although most credit cards have caps on the fee amount for a balance transfer, you should always read the terms and conditions to make sure. Compare the fees that credit card companies charge, and choose one that offers a low or no balance transfer fee.

Debt Management

Sometimes, it isnt the credit card thats the problem. People who lack the ability to effectively manage debt will not reap the rewards of balance transfers. Even if you take debt from several different places and put it into one account, you are still going to owe the money.

Keep a folder that contains all of the information you have about your credit card debt. Research balance transfers carefully, and when you have chosen the right card, begin to manage your debt. Decide how much of the debt you will pay off each month, and stick to that, no matter what other problems or temptations might crop up in your life. Balance transfers wont help if you never begin to pay off the debt.

Balance transfers can be valuable tools if you know how to use them effectively. Pay careful attention to your debt and do proper research on the management of that debt. While credit cards can ultimately be your best resource for debt management, they can also cause a wealth of problems if you are not prudent in your solutions.

Copyright Ed Vegliante. Free online reprints of this article are allowed provided the resource box remains intact with a live link back to http://www.credit-card-surplus.com

Please click here to find Balance Transfer Credit Cards.

Ed Vegliante runs the website http://www.Credit-Card-Surplus.com, a well organized credit card directory enabling the consumer to compare and apply for a variety of credit card offers.

Kitchen Island Ideas for Great Custom Kitchen Islands

Use kitchen island ideas to better understand how to create a more functional and comfortable kitchen. Using custom kitchen islands means having the most appropriate island for your home and kitchen area based on your kitchen space and your needs. Kitchen island ideas take us back to the farmhouse kitchen, even back to medieval times when a large worktable was used to do most of the preparation work.

Besides meal preparation, the kitchen can become a gathering area for family and friends if there is enough space. Since so much happens in the kitchen on a regular basis, getting the layout right is important. The kitchen island can serve as an additional eating area, and food preparation can easily be done there. In a large kitchen, the kitchen island can shorten the distances within the working triangle (sink, refrigerator and range or cooktop) and make it more efficient.

Here are kitchen island ideas to consider when planning your kitchen:

1. Kitchen islands work best in larger L, U or G-shape kitchens. If the kitchen is too small, the kitchen island will become an obstruction and hinder easy movement. The best custom kitchen islands for small to midsize kitchens are a portable butcher block or kitchen care.newspicy.info/acne-care-laser-skin">cart for food prep or extra storage.

2. Include a ventilation hood overhead to eliminate smoke, steam and cooking odors if your kitchen island is going to have a cooktop. The range hood should extend beyond the cooking area by 3 inches or more on the sides for proper ventilation. Using the correct fan size will ensure that removal happens as intended. Have a fan capacity of about 50 cubic feet per minute (cfm) for each square foot of cooktop area.

3. A second kitchen sink can be included on the kitchen island. Use a sink that is deep enough for washing large pots and pans, and consider equipping the kitchen island with a trash compactor, garbage disposal, recycle bin and even a dishwasher. Cleanup will be much easier when these appliances are close by the sink.

4. Allow adequate countertop space on both sides (left and right) of the kitchen island if a sink or cooktop will be used. Include at least 15 inches of countertop space on each side, and if your kitchen is large enough, allow even more space. You can never have too much countertop space in a kitchen. Also, rounded countertop corners help protect everyone from bad bruises -- this is true about all kitchen countertop corners.

5. Additional kitchen island ideas are to consider using shelf space on the sides of your kitchen island for cookbooks, collectibles or storage. A built-in TV works here, especially if it faces the family room. Or a microwave may work well for heating up after-school snacks and cooking foods quickly.

6. Countertop material for the island doesn't have to match the rest of your kitchen countertops as long as it is harmonious with the room's overall design. You may want to splurge on solid surfacing here, for example, and use laminate on the other countertops. A butcher-block countertop is ideal for chopping, while granite or marble works well for baking purposes and for rolling pastry dough.

7. Maximize natural light by having windows and skylights, and keep kitchen wall surfaces light in color to reflect daylight. Custom kitchen islands work great by using pendant or recessed fixtures to direct light onto the kitchen island and other work areas. Electrical codes will likely require that electrical outlets be located on the sides of fixed kitchen islands, not on the top, to prevent electrical shock.

Use custom kitchen islands ideas to help you know how to create an attractive area that will perform a variety of useful functions. Designed correctly, kitchen islands will make your work area more functional and efficient and will be enjoyed by everyone for many years. Read as many kitchen island ideas as you can on using an island to improve the functionality and comfort in your kitchen -- after all, your kitchen is most likely the most popular room in the house.

Copyright 2005 InfoSearch Publishing

Learn more about kitchen design online and creating the very best kitchen for your home. David Buster is VP of InfoSearch Publishing and webmaster of http://www.yourdreamloghome.com - visit the website and find informative articles for a variety of home improvement topics on kitchen design, bathrooms, fireplaces, home storage and more.