Woman looking through a magnifying glass at a credit card

Once you decide that a balance transfer credit card is right for you, it’s time to make a few key decisions.

It all starts with knowing what you are trying to accomplish. Like most, your general goal is simple: to bring all (or most) of your credit card debt under the same roof.

While the ability to do so is a great start, remember this: you may be looking to accomplish something else.

This is why you need to review all the details of a balance transfer credit card offer. Here are some of the many things that you can’t afford to overlook:

  • Balance transfer fee. You know you have the ability to transfer your balance, but do you know how much it will cost you? Generally speaking, this is somewhere in the range of 1 to 3 percent of the balance.
  • Length of the introductory period. What happens if you don’t payoff your balance before the introductory period expires? At that point, you will begin to pay interest on any balance you carry over from month to month. This makes it important to know how long the introductory period will last.
  • Interest rate. You know that you won’t be charged interest during the introductory period. You also know that this will change in the future. You should try to secure a credit card with a competitive interest rate, as you never know if this will come into play down the road.

While it’s good to know what a balance transfer credit card has to offer in an overall sense, don’t overlook the fact that there are other details that deserve your attention.

When you make the right decision by choosing the right offer, you’ll feel better about the steps you are taking to clear up your credit card debt and improve your financial situation.

Do you have any experience with a balance transfer credit card? How did you decide which offer to choose? Did you make the right decision the first time?

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