Maybe It is Time to Change Credit Cards
반복 청취후 발음이 숙달되면, 끄고 큰소리로 본문을 읽어 보세요.
Maybe It is Time to Change Credit Cards
If you're like most credit card customers, you've gotten notes from your bank in recent weeks.
Perhaps the card company told you that the interest rate was rising 4 percentage points. Or it cut your credit limit in half. Maybe an annual fee has appeared for a rewards program as part of an "enhancement," or the travel points no longer yield quite what they used to.
Why is this happening? On Thursday, the first of a set of new rules went into effect resulting from the landmark credit card legislation earlier this year.
Banks must now provide written notice to customers 45 days before increasing the interest rate or changing the terms on a card. So banks raced to get out in front of that requirement, making a bunch of changes before Thursday, lest they have to give you a month and a half of warning.
Irritated by the changes? Inclined to take your business elsewhere now? This is exactly the right instinct, since plenty of people can still get a better deal from a different card. Fee-free balance transfers still exist. And banks have barely touched the most lucrative rewards programs - and wouldn't dare fiddle too much given the revenue they generate.
If you pay your bill in full each month and are only trying to maximize rewards, you can skip this section. If you carry a balance, please stop. If you lack self-control and want to put a stranglehold on your spending, use a debit card instead. Once you have the debit card, ask your bank to turn off any overdraft protection that would allow you to spend more at the store than you have at the bank.
If you carry debt part of the year because of irregular income - or have changed your habits but are still paying your way out of the hole - there still may be ways to pay less interest. Start by calling the card company, telling it that you're considering leaving and asking for a better deal. The worst thing that can happen is that it will say no.
If your bank turns you down, start shopping. Sites like CreditCards.com, CardHub.com and CardRatings.com can give you a sense of your options. But don't stop there, because the sites may not list all of the best deals.
Credit unions often offer lower interest rates; find one that will accept you at Creditunion.coop. Also, anyone can become a member of the Pentagon Federal Credit Union by paying $20 to join the National Military Family Association.
본문에 나오는 주요 단어와 발음청취
lest
접속. ...하지 않도록, ...하지나 않을까 하고
instinct
명. 본능, 직감; 타고난 천성; 소질, 재능; 직관력
fiddle
명. 바이올린; (미끄러지지 않도록) 억제하는 평평한 표면; 사기, 속임 (영국 속어)
stranglehold
명. 목조르기
