The Citi® Professional Card, issued by Citibank, is designed for those with average credit who are looking to maintain and manage all of their personal and business related expenses with a credit card.

The card offers access to a free rewards program. Through the reward program, the cardholder receives one point for every dollar spent on general purchases and three points for every dollar spent at restaurants, gas stations, certain office supply merchants, and on auto rentals. Points can be redeemed for a variety of merchandise, air travel, and gift certificates. There is a yearly limit of 100,000 points, and points expire in three years.

Aside from the reward program, cardholders can expect access to a variety of platinum benefits that include up to $1,000,000 in travel accident insurance, auto rental insurance, and various travel and emergency assistance services.

The card offers cardholders the benefit of the Citi® Professional Card's online expense reporting tool, which allows cardholders to categorize card activity and generate as many individual, easy-to-read expense reports as they choose.

The card has no annual fee, an attractive 0% introductory rate for balance transfers for the first nine months of membership, and a reasonable interest rate for purchases and balance transfers. However, there is a minimum cap for cash advances; so no matter how low the Prime Rate falls (the APR is tied to the Prime Rate), the interest rate will not go below the minimum cap.

Chase Cash Plus® Rewards Visa® Card


The Chase Cash Plus® Rewards Visa® Card, issued by Chase, is designed for those with very good credit who plan to take advantage of the cash reward program.

Through the reward program, cardholders earn five points for every dollar spent at grocery stores, gas stations, and drug stores, as well as one point for every $1 spent on all other purchases. After earning 5,000 points, cardholders can choose between a $50 check or a $50 gift certificate to leading merchants such as The Home Depot®, Best Buy, Pizza Hut®, and BLOCKBUSTER®. There is a maximum of 30,000 points that may be earned in one year, and points expire in three years.

The card has a reasonably low interest rate for purchases (for a reward card), no annual fee, and an attractive 0% APR introductory rate for up to twelve months, which can be applied toward purchases and balance transfers.

Finance charges applied use the "Two-Cycles Average Daily Balance" method, which is a more costly method in applying finance charges for those who occasionally carry a balance as compared to the "Average Daily Balance" method used by most card issuers.

The card provides platinum cardholder benefits including up to $500,000 in travel accident insurance, auto rental insurance, and various travel and emergency assistance services.

Therefore, those who plan on taking advantage of the reward program and plan to pay in full each month after the introductory rate expires (to avoid costly finance charges) will benefit most from what the Chase Cash Plus® Rewards Visa® Card has to offer.

Most Attractive Feature(s): No annual fee; 0% APR intro rate on purchases and balance transfers for up to twelve months; up to 5% cash back reward.
Least Attractive Feature(s): Uses "Two-Cycles Average Daily Balance" method when determining finance charges; higher APR for less qualifying applicants.

British Airways Visa® Signature Card

• 15,000 Bonus BA Miles after First Purchase


• $20 off Any British Airways Ticket Purchase Made Using the Card at www.britishairways.com/get20


• 2 BA Miles for Every $1 Spent on British Airways Purchases


• 1 BA Mile for Every $1 Spent on All Other Purchases


• No Limit To the BA Miles


• No pre-set spending limit


• 24-hour concierge service


• 100% protection against unauthorized use — even online


• Visa Signature privileges

Use Your Cards with Care to Protect Credit Rating

Using credit wisely means:

• Paying your bills promptly


• Keeping a list of all your account numbers in case cards are lost or stolen


• Controlling your spending


• Paying more than the minimum amount due


• Keeping copies of your receipts and checking them against your monthly bill


• Guarding against card fraud and identity theft by cutting up your old cards and shredding statements and unwanted credit card offers

Choose a Card According to Your Payment Habits

Different cards fit different needs. Some charge lower interest rates but may carry a monthly fee. These would be a good choice if you tend to carry a balance (the savings you get from the lower interest rate may exceed the annual fee).
Other cards charge higher interest rates but don't impose an annual fee. These would be a better choice if you pay off your balance every month (if you don't carry a balance, you're not affected by the interest rate).

Can You spend as much as You want?

Your credit limit is the maximum you are allowed to charge on your card, and is based on your credit history and financial background. If your balance exceeds your credit limit, you'll be assessed an extra fee each month until you pay off enough of your balance to bring it back down below the limit.

To manage credit successfully, you need to make the distinction between the credit limit and the amount of credit you can afford. Just because the credit card issuer grants you a thousand-dollar limit doesn't mean you can afford it or should use it.

Your Credit Limit Is What You Can Spend, Not What You Should Spend.

Don't Be Surprised by the Costs of Credit

Any credit card that allows a balance to be carried from month to month has an annual percentage rate (APR). The APR is a measure of the total yearly cost of credit (interest plus other charges). The periodic rate is the rate applied to your account balance to determine your finance charge for each billing period.

Many cards also charge an annual membership fee that can range from $25 to $50, or more for gold, platinum and other "premium" cards. Some cards advertise no annual fee or the first year, and you may find a hefty fee added to your bill when that year is up.
Still other cards don't charge a fee if the card is used a certain number of times during a given time period, usually a year, or if a certain dollar amount is charged to the card.

Use credit cards only for convenience, never for credit.