How To Establish Credit

It’s been a Catch-22 dilemma, especially for young people, since the dawn of the Credit Age. You want credit, but you can’t get credit because you’ve never had credit before. It’s a situation everyone faces as they begin to try to become creditworthy.

In order to qualify for a credit card, you must me at least 18 years old (or 21, if you’re a permanent resident of Puerto Rico). From then on, the rules get more complex and are subject to interpretation by credit card issuers. In general, however, you’ll need a regular source of income or savings, so the credit card issuer can be assured you have the ability to repay the money. They’ll also look at your credit history, which is where most young people will begin to have difficulty, because they don’t HAVE any credit history.

If you happen to be a fulltime student when you fill out a credit application, make sure to notate that on your form. In many cases, credit card companies will be more lenient with fulltime students, and will issue cards with lower credit limits, in order to help them begin to establish a credit history. As time goes by and you prove yourself to be a good credit risk by paying your bills on time, you’ll be able to ask your cardholders to increase your limits.

Another good way to help credit card companies see you as a good credit risk is to open a checking account or savings account, especially ones with debit cards. Debit cards are similar to credit cards, but they aren’t loans. When you use the card in a store, they swipe it through their register the same as a charge card, but the money is automatically deducted from your checking or savings account. Using a debit card wisely can help convince credit card companies that you’re a good credit risk.

There are some department stores that are very liberal about issuing cards to customers. You may be able to get a card with very little credit history–or none at all. However, you must be careful with many store cards, because the interest rates are often very high, sometimes 20 percent or more!

To establish a credit history using such cards, buy something relatively inexpensive and then pay it off in several installments. Don’t pay it off completely when you get the bill (although that’s a great plan for later, because you normally don’t pay interest on charge cards if you pay them off in full every month). Instead, pay off the item over several months, to show that you can repay the bill on time and in full. Once you’ve done that a few times, your credit history will begin to show creditworthiness, and you can apply for lower rate cards that can be used in a wider variety of situations.

Having a major credit card is vital in many situations, such as renting a car, since they’ll almost always ask to see a major credit card, even if you’re paying cash for the rental. Remember, there are ways to obtain that major credit card, even if you have no credit history. Start small and continue to be responsible in building up your creditworthiness.

Copyright Jeanette J. Fisher

People who travel frequently can benefit from discounts that travel rewards credit cards offer. But those who don’t travel often can find that any benefit may be offset by the high APR annual fee and other charges that come with these credit cards. These credit cards can also come in handy even if you are not the one traveling. If you have relatives who visit you regularly every year, they can also take advantage of airline and car rental perks that are offered by travel rewards credit cards.

Travel reward credit cards can be specific to airline travel, or even to one specific airline. They might also provide rewards if you pay for fuel, rent cars, stay at hotels, or if you buy from retail shops. You should consider what type of use you might make of travel reward credit cards, before you choose from credit cards offers. You should also find cards that offer the highest savings on the types of use you will often make of them.

Some travel reward credit cards offer cash advances that can be very helpful when you travel, but you should remember to inquire about the charge for cash advances. They can also provide travel insurance that includes medical evacuation, emergency expatriation, lost luggage, and other worldwide emergencies. These can be difficult to resolve if you neglected to consider adequate pre-travel preparation and purchase of coverage.

These cards may also offer points or discounts if you purchase from retail stores, although most cards do not unless you are carrying over a balance at the end of the month. Check and see if the travel rewards credit cards you are considering have a maximum limit on the monetary value on which they will offer rewards.

Try to get information about the schedule and the value of the travel rewards that these credit cards may offer. You need to know if the credit card company will send the money or do you have to wait until the end of the year to get your cash from these credit cards. A few travel reward credit cards offer Canada and U.S. round tip flights at the reward redemption value of a single round trip ticket for every 25,000 miles you purchase on your credit cards. If you want to enjoy the best benefits from these credit cards, you should compare as many offers as possible to find the most advantageous deals.

How to Avoid Credit Card Interest

Millions of Americans use credit cards on a regular basis in order to pay for everyday items and activities. However, using credit cards is an easy way to fall into debt if you are not caref ul about paying those credit cards off on a monthly basis. The majority of credit cards charge a fee on the balance that you leave on your credit card each month. This fee is called an interest rate and it is based on a percentage of the amount of the balance.

Interest rates on credit card vary wildly from introductory zero percent offers right up to cards with crazy interest rates such as forty percent designed for those with very bad credit ratings. In order to avoid having to pay this interest rate, it is important to pay your credit card off each month.

Interest rates are charged on an annual basis, but credit card users are charged a percentage of that interest rate each month until the balance is paid off. For example, if you charge $1,000 one month and paid your credit card off, you would not have to pay any more money than $1,000. However, if your interest rate was 13%, then you would have to pay an extra $130 a year for the initial $1,000 charge.
If you want to avoid paying interest on credit cards, follow these simple tips:

Credit Card Balance Transfer: When you use a credit card, you always have the option to transfer the balance of that credit card to a new credit card with a lower interest rate. A credit card balance transfer is a simple way to avod paying interest on your credit cards. However, make sure that the credit card that you transfer your balance to does not charge a fee for the balance transfer (or that your original credi card does not charge a fee).

Don’t forget the doing a balance transfer does not get you out of debt or mean you can avoid paying the money back. You will still have to pay back the money that you borrowed. However, you may be able to avoid paying high interest rates with a lower interest rate credit card.

Debt Consolidation: Many credit card users have too many credit cards that they need to manage, including everyday credit cards and credit cards for specific stores. In order to pay just one credit card bill each month, you may want to consider debt consolidation. Using a third party you can arrange a debt consolidation program or loan. This allows you to roll all your outstanding credit card debts into one easy to manage loan with a single monthly repayment and hopefully a lower interest rate. If you choose to use a debt consolidation program the company will create a repayment plan with a single monthly payment that should be affordable and within your household budget.

Ask for an Extension: If you have enrolled in a credit card program that has a low interest rate, it’s always okay to ask the credit card company for an extension of that low interest rate. When a low interest rate credit card offer is set to expire, simply call the credit card company and ask for an extension. Make sure that the company will not start charging you an annual fee for the service, though, when you ask for the extension.

It can be a challenge to avoid paying interest on your credit cards. However, depending on the amount of credit card debt that you have accrued, your interest could cost you thousands of dollars each year. Therefore, a little legwork may go a long way to help you save your money and avoid paying high interest rates.

The classic traps of balance transfer credit cards

Balance transfer credit card is a great tool for bringing prosperity to our financial life. The concept of ‘way cheaper debt’ looks very attractive. But this tool is to be used with extreme caution; otherwise there is a risk of going into the debt trap and then the much bigger trap of bankruptcy.

You transfer all your debts to a single account where you will pay no interest or a very low rate of interest on your consolidated balance. When you are overburdened with your debt, you look forward to such a rescue. But remember, credit card companies are not working for charity. They may lure you with a dream of zero debt in a record time, but you need to be smart to avoid the traps on your way. Here are the famous ones -

1. Wrong timing – If you are going for a balance transfer when there is no credit available to you for even for small requirements, you may be tempted to use this new card towards fresh spending and this new spending will carry a very high rate of interest. In addition, all your payments will first be applied towards your old balance. This is because that old balance carries zero per cent rate of interest and the credit card company will apply your payments to clear the balance which has lowest rate of interest. Eventually you will add more and more debt to your new card with a very high rate of interest which will be impossible to control.

When you apply for a balance transfer, you should have another card with a small credit so that your small urgent needs will be taken care of.

1. Closing all your old cards – This is another mistake. You should never go for transferring balance on all your credit cards. If you do that, you will be closing all other credit cards which will hurt your credit score substantially.Select carefully the cards where you are paying already a high rate of interest and the credit limit is fully utilized.
2. Wrong assumptions – Sometimes your carried away by the attractive offer of card issuers and your tend to make unreasonable assumptions. You may assume that the balance transfer is done free of charge. In fact it usually carries a fee on the balance transferred. If there is no cap on such fee, an exorbitant amount may be charged to you. Sometimes the advertised rate of interest is applicable to only ‘ideal’ customers and you may not be eligible for such rate. So when you are charged interest, you will come to know about the effective rate much later. If there is very little difference between the present rate and the rate on such transfer, such proposal becomes uneconomical.Sometimes you assume that by transferring all your balances to a single account, you will remove all the adverse remarks on your credit report and then you can safely apply for a mortgage. The remarks will still remain on your report even though you close the cards. Also, your credit score may go down dramatically as a result of cancellation of cards. Finally you may not be able to get mortgage for which you made all such effort.
3. Ignoring your habits – Balance transfer is no doubt a useful tool to get rid of your debt, but much depends on your spending habits. If you transfer the balance on all cards to a single account, you will get some concessional rate of interest on that consolidated balance. However you may be tempted to use old credit cards again as they are now clean due to the balance transfer. If you are not a disciplined person organizing your debts systematically, you may end up creating additional debts and the total burden may be uncontrollable.
4. Forgetting the limited time period of balance transfer concessions – Zero per cent rate of interest is not for your lifetime. It may be for a period of six months or maximum up to one year. At the end of such period, you will be facing a very high rate of interest. If you are not careful to discharge all your debts within that limited time, you will be paying interest at a much higher rate, which may be more than your old rate. In such a situation, you start sinking further in your debt.
5. Failing to prepare alternative plan – You may be assuming that the zero per cent transfer is just a few days away as you have received an offer. However in this tight credit market you may be rejected also. In that case you should have an alternative plan like transferring all your debts carrying high rate of interest to a card which charges comparatively lower rate. You should be also prepared to speak to your creditors to reorganize your debts. If you receive a shock at the last moment, the feeling of frustration and helplessness may result in total inactivity about your debt clearing plan.Balance transfer credit card is a double edged weapon.Use it smartly with a clear mind to move to a debt free life.Credit cards have become a part of life. It’s a great feeling to have them in your wallet. But if you continue spending recklessly, the burden of debt may become unbearable. Then there is one solution – zero percent balance transfer. It looks good but you should not make unnecessary haste. Go for it with a clear mind avoiding all traps on the way. How to do that? Chintamani Abhyankar provides practical tips while you go for such offers.

At times, credit card settlement can be a tedious task, especially when you are facing a financial crunch. When we start using a credit card, most of us don’t foresee the problems pertaining to the incurring debt. It’s only when we receive the statement of outstanding dues, do we realize that we are in deep trouble, and look out some debt settlement strategies which are likely to pull us out of the crunch situation. One such strategy is credit card settlement or credit card debt settlement.

Credit Card Debt Settlement
In a credit card debt settlement process, the debtor or the consumer agrees to pay a lower amount, than what he actually owes to the credit card company, in full. This is most often done when the debtor has a particular amount of money with him, and he is ready to pay this full amount, if the creditor agrees to settle the whole outstanding credit card debt in lieu of this money. Credit card companies feel that even though they are not getting the full amount, they are at least getting something and accord a settlement. Then both the sides try to negotiate and come to an agreement. Most of the debt settlements, which are given a green signal by these companies, belong to debtors on the verge of bankruptcy. At the end of the day, the debtor is satisfied that he has paid his outstanding debt, while the creditor is satisfied about receiving a substantial part of the outstanding dues.
Negotiate Credit Card Settlement
Credit card settlement is not as easy as it sounds. Sometimes the creditor and the debtor have to indulge in series of negotiations to come up with a mutual agreement. Most of the times, the credit card companies agree to negotiate credit card payoff, only when they feel that there are less chances of getting the entire sum back. You can initiate a credit card settlement either by writing a letter to the concerned person or talking to him on the phone or in person. You will have to be well prepared before you initiate a credit card settlement. Never use profane language when communicating with the creditor. A customer care representative will not have the authority to grant debt settlement offer, so you can try and get in touch with a superior or the person in charge of credit card settlement deals. Being rude, will only hamper your credit card settlement negotiation. On the other hand, being on good terms with the company representative can ensure that you get the best possible credit card debt settlement deal. When the company agrees on credit card settlement, make sure that you have the written agreement in your hand before you make any payment. More on credit card debt settlement tips.

Credit Card Settlement Letter
A credit card settlement letter is a formal request, made in writing, by the debtor to the creditor, asking him to lower the amount of outstanding credit card debt he owes to the company. The credit card company takes this as an opportunity to get back their money and agrees to get into negotiation for the debt settlement. In simple words, credit card settlement letter is a debt settlement offer initiated by the consumer. Your name, account number, existing balance, paid amount and the settlement amount should be clearly mentioned in the letter. You can also take the help of an attorney, who is familiar with the legal implications of the matter, to write the letter on your behalf.

When you opt for a credit card debt settlement, the creditor is allowed to make a note stating “settled for less than full amount” in your credit report. This can prove to be a hindrance, when you would want to extend a credit in the future. Opting for a debt settlement should be your last priority, when it comes to debt management. Instead, opting for interest rate negotiation is deemed to be a much more wiser way out of the existing debt.

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0% Interest Credit Card Balance Transfer Tips

A 0% interest credit card balance transfer can go a long way in alleviating financial stress. I know that with a lot of Americans the feeling of being overwhelmed can be quite stifling. If you happen to carry a high amount of credit card debt you may feel as though you will never get it completely paid off.

Compounding this problem is the fact that many credit card issuers will raise the Interest rates on people carrying substantial debt because they are considered to be a greater credit risk. Sounds cold doesn’t it? They just keep piling it in.

If this is your present situation then you can at least take some solace in the fact that you are not alone. More and more Americans find themselves deeper and deeper in debt. There are many reasons for this and really no reason to go into that here. That is an exhaustive subject unto its own.

A viable solution can be found in 0% interest credit card balance transfers. They are becoming an increasingly popular way to consolidate and manage credit card debt. And credit card issuers including Bank of America, American Express, Discover Card and Chase are eager to issue them.

These are great promotional instruments for the banks and credit card companies. What they are actually hoping for are to, of course, gain new customers. But ultimately they know that many of these new customers will carry the debt that they transferred beyond the introductory period.

They have this down to a science and know full well that the majority of people are going to do just that. And the credit card company rakes in huge profits from the interest payments. But I’m here to say that it doesn’t have to be that way.

Take advantage of 0% interest balance transfer credit cards by setting up an aggressive payment schedule. Most introductory rates last between 6-12 months. Do some quick math and see how much you would need to pay back each month to pay off the debt before the introductory rate expires.

And take heart. Even if you can’t afford to pay it off in full you most certainly can take advantage of the zero percent interest and pay off a substantial portion of it. And now you are well on your way to being free of credit debt and those nasty interest rates.

Credit Card Counseling And Debt Consolidation

Have you ever had one of those days where bill collectors were getting on your nerves and you didn’t know what to do? You though, “if I had a credit card on hand, it would take care of my debt problems!” And then you probably thought “…if only I applied for a credit card.”

I am going to provide you with a small list of the cheapest credit cards available (in terms of annual fees and interest rates), as well as some credit debt consolidation counseling.

The rate of interest on a credit card is one of the chief factors you should focus on when considering a credit card. High rates of interest can lead to higher bills, which is why you should always look for cards with the lowest rates, especially if you plan to transfer debt to the card.

Citi® Platinum Select® Card, for instance, offers 0% APR for nine months, and 9.49 APR after the introduction period. Chase Platinum Visa®/MasterCard®, a comparable competitor card, offers 0% APR for six months and as low as 8.74 APR after the introduction trial.

Discover® Platinum Cards each offer 0% Introductory APR for 6 or 12 months with fees as low as 7.99% after the introductory period has ended. And AT&T even has its own card now. AT&T Universal Platinum MasterCard® offers 0% APR for 12 to 15 months with a 9.49 APR after the introductory period.

Citi, in addition to their Citi® Platinum Select® Card, has a variety of credit cards that offer various rates. Some of their cards may offer a cash back program, which provides you a source of debt consolidation.

Citi® Driver’s Edge® Platinum Select offers 0% APR for 12 months and even allows you to earn 5% rebates on purchases for nine months and then 1% thereafter. Citi® Dividend Platinum Select® offers 0% APR for 9 months and you can earn 5% cash back at supermarkets, drugstores, and gas stations. You can earn an additional 1% on all other purchases.

No matter which credit card company you choose, you should sign on with their cheapest credit card with the cheapest interest rates for consolidating debt.

There are some employers that use credt reports to determine responsibility before hiring.Similarly, a landlord or property owner would also check his tenant’s credit report in order to verify his financial status and past records so as to caliber his/her reliableness. fiscal establishments that issue credt cards make use of credt reporting agencies to help analyze credit prospects; this helps decide who is approved or disapproved for credit. There are Diverse elements that have either a good or bad affect on your credit Ranking, let us talk over those factors here:

Your fiscal condition, monthly income, bill payment history, and bank ballance are critical contributors to a credit report. Depending on the scores that he avails in these areas, he may either end up with a unfavorable or positive scoring on his annual credit rating . It is therefore advised to incur minimal expenses by shopping wisely and making Timely payments of all bills and payments which would automatically reflect on your credit report thereby adding up to a good credit History.Unless there is a valid reason to do so, past payments should alwasy be avoided. If need be, there are notice of correction opportunities for validating reasons for past payment; just be sure it actually is a valid reason.

If you have created oustanding loans that need to be repaid, be sure to send installments on a regular basis so as not to make negative marks on your credti reprot that may show history of financial irresponsibilty. If you have additional obligations like a credit card payment or debt, then try to at least payoff the minimal amount due. This would avoid reflecting a unfavorable payment history in your fiscal report. financial establishments make use of credit ratings to examine whether or not people have history of financial responsibility, these types of reviews also help decide if you are eligble to receive a loan in the presnet and future.

Other information that can be noticed on a credit ranking is data about your residence. Somebody who has a record of moving from place to location may bring cause for distrust. What Is More, a credit history may also have an impace if your employment changes frequently. Not being able to maintain long term work will present yourself as Somebody who cannot mantain a vocation and could provide a unfavorable impression on a potential employer.

It takes a lot of time and effort to raise your present credit ratings as well as build them from scratch. Keep tabs on the health of your credit history by making use of reputable credt reporting agencies in an effort to monitor all of the data noticed on your credt history to ensure accuracy. There are some instances where errors may be noticed within a credt History and keeping up to date on the data on your report can help avoid future problems by keeping the data accurate.

If you’re planning a marketing or advertising campaign, color is sure to play a key role in the success of your venture. After all, it’s pretty much the first thing your consumers will notice*, making color your best – and sometimes only – chance to get a message across.

Use of color in most design for marketing and advertising is dictated by certain obvious requirements; the need to reflect a specific brand, as well as the attempt to communicate a certain mood dictated by the product itself.

Company branding is pretty straightforward – specific colors dictated by logos and other devices will need to be incorporated into at least part of your design. It’s the choice of color scheme for conveying the ‘personality’ of a product that’s often a lot harder to come up with.

Sometimes the decision is partly intuitive – most people understand even at a very basic level that bright, saturated colors will convey a different kind of mood to neutral grays or browns. Experienced designers, of course, go further still, selecting and implementing colors on the basis of their effectiveness in the overall design. Here, the guidelines of traditional color theory often come into play as a kind of balancing act to ensure that all parts work together well and that the right kind of colors are used.

But what if some colors are actually more right than others?

We’re about to embark on an exploration of color related not just to its use in layout, but rather, the psychological and physical impact it’s likely to have on a viewer.

A big, and sometimes controversial undertaking, and we’ll first need to get a couple of things straight. While people often talk about a psychology of color, in reality, most psychologists would find fault with the accuracy of this term. This is because the significance given to various colors isn’t universal and unchanging – in many ways it’s quite the opposite: various cultures quite often associate the same color with very different emotions and ideas.*

Yet colors and their underlying fabric of sociological and historical connotation certainly do produce specific reactions in particular contexts – emotions, associations and even physical effects that can help advertisers in their quest for ever more accurate targeting.

And if this all sounds a bit hokey, at the very least, the idea that color can actively influence consumers shouldn’t be disregarded entirely. So let’s take a look at what colors seem to be telling us.

Red

Red, the most vibrant and powerful of colors, seems like a good place to start. Particularly since studies have shown that it’s the first color babies recognize, and one that continues to appeal to most people throughout their childhood and into their adult lives.

At a purely symbolic level, it’s the color of fire and blood, an association that’s common to all cultures and therefore extremely powerful. Less specifically, it’s a color that seems to be associated with energy, war, danger and power, not to mention passion, desire, and love.

So what does that mean for marketing?

To start with, some of these associations are so deeply ingrained that it wouldn’t be wise to use a color other than red to represent certain states. Try depicting extreme emotions such as violence or passion with shades of blue and you’re going to run into problems.

What’s more, it has been shown that in its brighter variations (tomato, pillar-box), red actually provokes a physical response by raising respiration rate and blood pressure.

For this reason, its use in ‘sexy’ advertising scenarios or as an erotically charged statement (on lips or fingernails, for example) should quite literally set hearts beating faster – and unusually, it’s regarded as equally arousing by men and women.

Whether the physiological ‘red effect’ occurs simply as a result of its associations; or because the color itself somehow provokes such a response; or, if, indeed, this effect relies on a combination of the two, isn’t something that necessarily matters here. What is important is that red, like virtually every other color, exerts a measurable influence on the consumer.

More about the ‘red effect’

Quite apart from any physical reactions it might provoke, red’s association with force, and therefore power, is an extremely dominant one. Consider all the details in our everyday lives that support this notion: red icons on switches to indicate their ‘on’ state; the plastic coating on ‘live’ wires; the tiny red glow that tells us an electrical appliance is working.

All of which makes red an ideal color to suggest fast-moving action or extreme force – products that might fall into this category include computer games, action-adventure books or movies.

This deep-rooted association with power, coupled with the fact that it actually raises metabolic speed, also makes red a good candidate for any product that seeks to impart the idea of improvement, rapidity or physical change. Just a few of many possible examples include anything related to sport or speed (think of those red sports cars), energy drinks, self-help guides, or batteries. Even ‘fast-acting’ or ‘powerful’ over-the-counter drugs can support their status with at least a dash of red.

Perhaps as a result of all that heavy breathing, red also increases appetite, making it an excellent choice for advertising food (it’s popularly claimed that Chinese restaurants often use red color schemes for this reason, but there’s little truth in this – red simply happens to be a very popular and ‘lucky’ color in Chinese culture).

However, if enticing diners to eat heartily is something you’re aiming to do, an all-red environment is a good way to get stomachs rumbling.

Pink

Although it derives from red, pink has little of its big brother’s forceful qualities. In fact, although it’s usually perceived as a warm and fairly upbeat color, it is, of course, popularly associated with femininity and even passivity. A cliche, perhaps, but its vigor-reducing reputation has again been shown to have some basis in fact.

Famously, a shade of bubble-gum pink used in certain cells in a men’s prison was unexpectedly found to placate aggressive inmates. Research corroborated the fact that pink did indeed have significant calming qualities – although subsequent study revealed that after a certain time these effects were dramatically reversed as prisoners became more agitated and aggressive than before. (Surprised? You try living in a bubble gum pink environment).

Nevertheless, the fact that pink does induce at least a temporary sensation of calm makes it a powerful factor in the color-coordinated approach to advertising. Its peaceful, relaxing qualities and general evocation of comfort and softness have long made it a favorite for items such as toilet paper, cotton wool and ‘gentle on the skin’ toiletries, especially baby lotions.

This association could possibly be explored further as a background or accent color for items where comfort is key, such as bedding, sofas or carpets. Apply with caution, however – the strong association with femininity means that anything ‘too’ pink is likely to be snubbed by men.

There’s one other area in which pink has an interesting effect, however – and one that’s far less likely to alienate males. It’s well known that a high concentration of color in foodstuffs will lead consumers to believe they’re tastier, or even identify a flavor that isn’t actually present.* And pink coloring is a particularly effective way of suggesting sweetness.

This may relate to the fact that it’s often used as a coloring in candies, but whatever the case, the association is powerful enough to substantially increase a food’s perceived sugariness or even depth of flavor. Pink sprinkles or toppings will add oomph to vanilla ice cream, and pink marshmallows are often assumed to be sweeter than white ones (they aren’t).

Although in these health-conscious times sweet, sugary foods have lost much of their popularity, the marketing of certain products is still likely to benefit from a little pink-appeal: feel-good desserts, ice creams, shakes and certainly artificial sweeteners. It’s also a color that could be used to make sugar-free, healthier foods seem more enticing to kids – as long as Mom and Dad are able to see through the ruse themselves.
Green

Occurring naturally as a sign of plant growth and renewal, green is one of those colors that’s universally seen as positive, fresh and fertile. It’s also a color that, once again, produces noticeable physical effects. it’s the easiest color for the eye to assimilate and therefore one of the most relaxing; it induces feelings of calm and restfulness, and can even improve vision. In short, it’s a very positive color indeed.

This emphasis on nature, freshness and renewal means that it’s commonly used to emphasize the cleansing, ‘regenerative’ aspect of household items such as bleaches, detergents, air fresheners. But if you notice a certain irony in this, well-spotted, because green, of course, has steadily evolved into the symbol of all that’s ecologically aware. Which isn’t a label that applies to most cleaning products.

The widespread acceptance of ‘green’ in its current sense is actually a fairly recent phenomenon*, but with increasing focus on ecological issues it’s extremely powerful and will only gain in strength. So much so, in fact, that real care needs to be taken now that use of green doesn’t suggest a product is all-natural, organic or additive-free if it isn’t. Congruity in advertising – or the notion that what’s implied about a product should be supported by its reality – is one of the most vital aspects of marketing. Get this wrong, and there’s no consumer forgiveness.

Yet despite green requiring caution in advertising, its current associations have equally led to opportunities for more refined targeting. Wholesome, healthy food items are likely to be quickly identified as such through predominant use of green, and the same can be said for products or services associated with any type of healing, spirituality, or personal growth: yoga, slimming programs, alternative medicines.

Different greens, different meanings

Green is a symbolically complex color, and particular shades transmit subtly different messages. Darker greens – the classic color of bank-notes and bills – have long held an association with finance. The added implication of growth and fertility therefore makes green a good choice for promotion of many financial products, particularly saving schemes, pensions and insurance plans.

Lime greens, which emerged as popular trend color in the ’90s, denote an especially vibrant freshness due to their close relationship to effervescent yellows. As such, they make excellent keynote colors for fresh, healthy, energy-inducing products such as juices, tonics, vitamin supplements and energy drinks.

Finally, a further modern-day association with green stems from its use in traffic systems to signify ‘go’. This link with movement, forward motion and vehicles make it a potentially good choice for anything related to transport: carriers, train networks, buses. And for online advertising, try using green for buttons or links you’d particularly like clicked – you’re practically inviting a user to go ahead and do so.

Blue

Blue is by far the world’s most popular color. And as one that, like green, occurs in nature – the hue of skies, water and sea – it’s not surprising that it’s so well loved. With such universal associations and widespread appeal, blue is an important asset to any color theorist.

Unlike very warm colors, which provoke impulsive, passionate responses, blue is a cerebral color that’s commonly associated with clear thinking and intellect. For good reason, too, as its use in offices and workplaces has been shown to dramatically increase productivity and a sense of well-being. Perhaps more surprisingly, other studies indicate that blue can even improve physical prowess – weight-lifters typically perform better in blue surroundings. However, this is probably a secondary effect of its ability to sharpen concentration.

This association with clear thought and precision make blue a good choice for anything involving a high degree of complex manufacture, such as computing products, electronic goods or hi-tech appliances in general. Darker blues emphasize this association even further, and their widespread appeal among men provide a perfect keynote for high-end, precision-made items with a masculine focus – expensive cars, bespoke tailoring, luxury grooming products.

Given such a setting, it’s no real surprise either that blue emerges as a clear favorite in the corporate world. Its implication of steadiness and reason continue to make it an effective choice for much company branding, although its white collar associations can also suggest stuffiness and conservatism.

In its lighter, brighter shades, blue loses much of its cool aloofness and takes on happier, sparkling and spontaneous overtones. The pure and natural aspect of such blues convey a sense of cleanliness and freshness and are often used for cleaning products, detergents, deodorants and toothpastes.

Bright blue is also an obvious choice for the typical vacation. Evocative of cloudless skies and inviting pools or seas, it also gives a tantalizing taste of tranquility and relaxation by slowing down the metabolism and producing feelings of calm and well-being. A powerful message indeed, and one that makes blue an equally effective choice for health spas, beauty clinics and any other service where deep relaxation or therapy is a key selling point.

In fact, blue is such a flexible and well-liked color that it’s almost impossible to mis-use – with one major exception.

Foods, particularly meats, dairy products and staples 00002C8D such as pasta or rice, really don’t benefit from any kind of association with blue. To start with, that drop in metabolism will certainly reduce the appetite; but this doesn’t explain the fact that a blue/food combo can even induce feelings of nausea. (Try it. Add a little coloring to pasta, white sauce, or even better, light-fleshed meat such as pork or chicken. See how far you get before pushing your plate to one side).

It’s been suggested that we instinctively associate the color with something that’s rotten and unsafe to eat, but whatever the case, it’s not a great choice for marketing a ready-meal. And if you find yourself running low at your next dinner party, bring out the blue plates. There won’t be many requests for second helpings.

Yellow

Yellow is clearly vibrant, energetic and fun – it’s the color of sunshine, flame and fire and is closely associated with warmth, happiness and the positive energy such states create. It produces bodily responses that are perfectly in keeping with this reading, too; an instant feeling of well-being along with a noticeable boost to mental activity.

For this reason, it’s a color that effectively communicates the nature of products associated with vitality and stimulus, such as energy drinks, sports equipment, vitamin supplements or remedies. And as the perfect feel-good color, it’s a great choice too for promoting group leisure activities, clubs and social networks.

Visually, yellow has a high impact that’s hard to ignore, a fact reflected in its use for items such as sticky notes and highlighter inks. Since it demonstrably sharpens attention, too (back to the notes and highlighter pens!) it’s worth considering lighter yellows as a background for large amounts of text, especially copy that requires close attention such as tutorials, instructions, or rules and regulations.

Yellow does requires a certain amount of care, however. Very light yellows can often appear drab, especially on-screen, while brighter shades tend to become overpowering.

The yellow effect is an intense one, and its enervating qualities can quickly put people on edge. Yellow rooms make babies cry more, and they also provoke hot tempers and arguments. And finally, while it’s a color that can be used to market most products to women – from washing up gloves to expensive scents – men are far less likely to appreciate its use with expensive or luxury goods.

White

Pristine and pure, white appropriately signifies cleanliness, spiritual health and, of course, purity itself in most cultures. It’s considered a non-color to which nothing has been added, making it an ideal choice for products wanting to accentuate their unadulterated, un-tampered with goodness: no-frills items; reduced fat, low-sugar or no-additive foods; pure juices; skin-care products.

White is also the classic ‘clean’ color, providing the easiest way to add a sense of uncluttered spaciousness to print or screen graphics. Yet its association with cleanliness and hygiene (white clearly shows dirt so is commonly used in hospitals, for example) lends it a certain clinical quality that can deprive a marketing message of warmth or even context. For this reason, it’s best used with an accent color to combine the best of two worlds – the visual clarity of white and the emotional resonance of a carefully chosen highlight.

Remember, too, that on-screen, the combination of light-filled white with black text is fairly hard on the eye. Try choosing a tinted background for large quantities of copy (yellow is often a good choice, as mentioned above) or change the color of the text itself.

Black

Although in western culture the color black certainly holds several negative linguistic connotations (black magic, black market) it’s also very positively associated with authority, prestige and exclusivity (black tie event, black credit card, black mercedes).

A slightly confusing message, but in general, black can be used very effectively to denote cool sophistication and a powerful sense of extreme luxury or expense.

Pair this with the fact that visually, it’s a color that creates a real sense of depth while also focusing the attention more completely than white, and black makes an ideal backdrop for images of luxury goods or services such as high-end hotels. Men seem to respond particularly well to such a combination – perhaps because it’s also been shown that for guys, black is a color with marked erotic overtones (combine it with red and you’re onto a testerone-charged winner that’s bound to attract male attention!)

Black is also by far the most common text color; perfect in print, although on-screen the contrast with white can often seem harsh. A good tip is to consider using a very dark gray instead. And colored text against a black background is rarely a good idea except in small areas, as black backgrounds diminish readability and will quickly tire viewers.

Orange

With its combination of energetic reds and feel-good yellows, orange is a color that’s clearly suggestive of fun, warmth and pleasure. And like its constituents, orange exerts an invigorating effect by increasing oxygen to the brain and stimulating mental activity. It’s therefore an excellent choice for any product associated with energy and vigor, such as sporting equipment or services, adventure holidays, theme park rides, energy drinks.

(Think you’ve read something like this before? Well in fact, orange can impart very similar messages to red, but importantly, without its slightly aggressive edge.)

Of all the colors, orange is also the best at stimulating appetite. So good in fact, that you may notice a lot of it in the snack or candy shelves near a checkout. Strategic thinking, because the orange ability to generate sudden hunger pangs will often lead to impulse purchases.

Yet orange, particularly in its brighter shades, is also a color that’s perceived as lacking prestige. Perhaps this is because its high visibility means it’s a frequent factor in motel signs, fast food outlets and similar ‘low-frills’ businesses, but whatever the reasons, it’s a color that’s become associated with lower-budget options and shouldn’t be used extensively for products wanting to impart a high quality message. (The opposite also holds true, however, making it a very good choice to indicate value for money, savings and discounts).

Purple

Mysterious, alluring, and very definitely regal, purple is a relatively uncommon color in nature. In the ancient world, its scarcity meant that it was highly valued, and rare, expensive purple dyes were used exclusively by nobility.

This association with wealth and prestige remains to this day, making purple, especially in its darker shades, an excellent complement to luxury items.

In fact, the association with expense is so strong that it can even be used to add a touch of instant class to cheaper products. For example, a bus company using purple livery would almost certainly be perceived as more luxurious than one using orange. The risk here, though, is that the consumer’s perception of comparative price might also rise accordingly – even if fares are identical.

Purple secrets

Purple also has some interesting hidden talents. It’s been noted, for instance, that many women find it an extremely erotic color, making it the female equivalent of the guys’ libido-enhancing black.

In fact, purple turns out to be a very girly color indeed – far more so than pink, the usual suspect. It’s a definite hit amongst young and adolescent girls for example, with some studies claiming that almost 75% rate it their favorite color. So while men seem fairly neutral about purple, if you’re looking for a color that speaks directly to the ladies, this may well be the one to choose.

Brown

And what about the guys? Well if you tried to guess, chances are you’d get it right. Brown, along with blue, is consistently voted a favorite color by men. And why not? Solid, earthy, dependable; it might lack the zing of the brighter primaries, but it resonates with a sense of trustworthiness and dependability. And if that’s the kind of message you’re looking to add to your marketing strategy, brown is often the right color to convey it – especially of course, if the product’s aimed specifically at males.

An interesting off-shoot of all this earnestness is the fact that brown is often claimed to be a highly ‘believable’ color, too. In other words, it’s more likely to add credibility to an advertising message – an important factor if your communication makes claims that may seem extravagant.

Bear in mind though, that if used too extensively brown can also have a stodgy, dampening effect. And whatever message your marketing is ultimately trying to convey, its main purpose is to stimulate enough visual interest to attract and excite instant attention.

But even in this respect, brown turns out to be pretty dependable: it easily converts into lighter and darker shades without losing depth, and can also be mixed with more dynamic colors – reds, yellows, oranges for a much more upbeat feel. So use the color recommendations given here to spice up a brown accordingly.

Planning an ad for well-made, hard-wearing, yet sporty gear for guys? Brown combined with a hint of red should give just the right message.

FOOTNOTES

* While images are generally more noticeable than flat blocks of color, they are, of course, usually dominated by a particular color in order to enhance and support an overall layout.

* One example would be the use of white clothing to signify mourning in India and many parts of Asia. In this article I’m focusing on color in the context of western culture.

* Numerous studies have shown that higher levels of coloring in food or drinks leads to the belief that they are stronger in taste than identical items with less color. Assumptions regarding color-taste correlation can even cause errors when identifying flavor; for example, a cherry-flavored drink colored purple may well be identified as grape.

* The color green has long been a symbol of ecologically motivated movements, but it’s only in recent years that this meaning has become mainstream through widespread media emphasis on global warming and other ecological issues.

* Oddly enough, red in this context don’t seem to provoke a ‘stop’ response and will also work well for buttons, particularly if a quick decision is required. Green, however, will always be perceived as a less risky click.

www.clickspiration.com

Credit Card Transaction Charges

Understanding credit card transaction charges will lower your bills and enable you to take advantage of free transactions and interest-free credit.

There are a number of fees and charges associated with using a credit card, and being aware of these will help you to minimise them as much as possible. The good news for consumers is that competition within the financial industry has provided more advantages to cardholders in recent years, including free transactions and reduced banking costs.

Nonetheless, there will always be credit card charges attached to using plastic. These fees are dependent upon the type of credit card you have, its features and benefits, and the particular rates charged by your bank. In this article we’ve unpacked credit card transaction charges and taken a look at free credit card transactions.

Cost of credit card transactions

a Free credit card transactions:
Credit card holders do not pay to swipe their cards – in other words, they pay no point of sale (POS) fees. This expense is carried by the merchant. It’s one of the major differences between using credit cards and using other types of non-cash payment methods, such as debit and cheque cards, for which swiping fees are usually incurred. a Pay As You Use transaction costs
There are a number of apay as you usea costs associated with credit card usage. These credit card transaction costs differ from bank to bank, and the specific figures are available on the banks’ websites, or in informational pamphlets available from the branch.

Cardholders will pay credit card transaction fees when, among other things, they:

a Withdraw money at an ATM or branch
a Request balance enquiries at an ATM
a Make branch deposits of cash or cheques into the account
a Incur penalties for payment transgressions, such as dishonoured payments

Credit card holders will also be charged interest on their purchases, unless they enjoy an interest-free credit period, and settle their outstanding balances in full before the interest-free period is over. The interest-free period offered by banks is usually around 55 days. Annual card fees and once-off initiation fees are also applicable to some credit cards.

How can I avoid paying credit card transaction charges?
Credit cards are highly efficient money management tools, and by using them correctly, you can reap significant benefits without incurring excessive transaction fees. Try to use your credit card only for swiping purposes. If you need to withdraw cash from the bank, use a different account. Many cheque accounts, for example, offer a number of free withdrawals per month. Take advantage of these types of benefits.

Moreover, always try to settle your credit card debt within the interest-free period. This way, you’ll enjoy a continuous interest-free credit loop. Being a responsible credit user will ensure that you don’t incur any penalties for dishonoured payments and other such transgressions, which will also help you to avoid unnecessary fees.

Apply for a credit card today
Applying for a credit card is quick and confidential, thanks to online credit card application facilities. Simply follow the steps for submitting your application, and you’ll soon know whether you qualify for a leading South African credit card.