YOU SCRATCH MY BACK, AND I’LL BUY SOME MORE BEER!
Let’s just take a brief moment to recap:
If you’ve been following along on this journey with me, learning the 5 Super-Charged secrets to Credit Card Utopia, then you now know 3 very important things:
You now know how to take advantage of zero to low interest credit card offers.
You now know that there is safety in numbers, and you know the magic “Who’s Who” of the major credit card companies. You know that one of them, in my opinion, stands out for consumers.
You now know how to take a low interest credit card with a rewards program, and convert it into a money making technology that could seriously improve your financial house.
With me? Good. These are all essential foundations that you need to follow in order to live in Credit-Card Utopia with me.
In fact, you would think that there’s not much more that can be done.
Side note: I hope you are realizing the power of this information.
It may seem simple, but are you doing it? No. So, be smart. Study this information, reflect on these insights, and move forward with them so you can truly benefit from this secret knowledge.
On to Secret, #4:
1) It’s very important that Utopians cover all bases, and leave no one behind.
The 3 secrets we’ve covered, really deal with those of us who have fairly good credit.
Now, if you don’t have “good” credit, please don’t discard these prior ideas.
I didn’t have “good credit” once. Who cares? How many people, small businesses, corporations, and large industrial countries, have said the exact same thing?
2) So, don’t feel left out.
Move towards Credit Card Utopia as a goal to move you into action.
Our website (and many other fine websites around the internet) can provide you with many, many resources to work on your debt issues, or your credit score issues, or whatever.
You might be surprised how FAST you can go from point A to point B.
(Here’s a tip: Don’t waste time. Find assistance. Don’t go at it alone.)
3) Getting back on track: Want a zero interest credit offer? Want a low-interest, no annual fee, incentive-based offer?
Well, if you’re struggling with credit or debt, then the first step is to tackle this issue from a different point of view.
Give up on Visa®, MasterCard®, and AMEX®…At least the “unsecured” kind, and at least for now.
There’s nothing wrong with applying, and trying, but if you’ve been turned down, there are other ways to go.
4) Secret #4, revealed in an analogy:
Do you live in a small town? If you do, you might have a small-town pub. Does everybody know your name? Does the bartender know you, and know the drink you like? Do you go into your pub after work, and down a stiff one, after a long day of working in the coal mines? Maybe it isn’t payday yet. Do you think the bartender cares? Of course not! He wants you coming in so he can move his inventory of fine beers and spirits. He knows you. So, what does he do? Let’s say this is the 1800s, and there’s no such thing as “credit cards” amongst our meager coal-working small town clan. What does he do?
Right! He runs you a tab.
No interest rates, no worries, no big deal. He runs a tab. Why? Because he knows you’re good for it, and he’s moving inventory. He doesn’t care about the interest, because he’s making a profit off the sale of his beer. He knows where you live, and he knows you’ll pay him back in a few days when you come in for a drink after you get paid. It’s a virtual certainty.
Now YOU, the small-town beer drinking coal worker, you’re perfectly fine with this. The drink costs you the same whether you had cash now or later, and the bartender runs you a tab, in exchange for selling you more inventory. Everyone works together.
You scratch my back, and I’ll buy some more beer.
5) This concept of free “credit” provided to purchase inventory, is not a new concept.
As you can see, it’s been around for a long, long time. However, in modern times, it has tremendous application for folks with “poor” credit issues.
The secret is that you buy merchandise (On stuff you already need, or are already buying) almost exclusively from merchants willing to give you credit at low to no interest.
So, while you think you are in a tough position with credit issues, you actually turn it around, and allow it to become consumer buying power.
Only shop with merchants that scratch your back.
With me?
6) Now, where do you find these merchants?
Well, in the real brick and mortar world, it’s not that hard.
You can start with department stores, gas cards, furniture outlets, electronics stores, jewelers, and a variety of other stores that you may do business with.
I can’t guarantee, of course, that they’ll approve you. But many of these merchants run their credit departments in-house, and like our bartender, they’re interested in moving inventory.
So, I wouldn’t take one “no” to mean that everyone will say “no”. Not true.
Many of the larger corporate chains do not offer low to no interest rates. But almost ALL of them offer huge discounts on initial purchases as incentives to get started.
As of the writing of this article, for example, JCPenney® and Target® both offer 10% discounts on “new accounts”. In addition, most of them do offer zero interest when balances are paid off each month, and some of them offer different plans to meet different customer’s credit situations.
Also, look to no-interest incentive specials that are going on for many larger-ticket items. Televisions, Furniture, etc.
You’ll also find many deferred-payment incentives that you can use to your advantage, or that you can utilize as a no-interest situation.
You just have to shop around. They are out there.
7) Now, what about cyber-space? Is there a place to take advantage of this back-scratching secret in Silicon? Actually, YES! There is. Check this out:
Many shopping portals online have realized the advantage of working with “poor” credit customers, and tailor-making a shopping experience that fits these specialized needs. We’ve listed several at our website, but of course, you can find them at any search-engine or at other reputable websites around the internet.
In a nutshell, the shopping website offers a membership card for making purchases on credit. You go to the online mall, make your purchases for things you would already buy anyway, and build or rebuild your credit score. The shopping portal helps you out by reporting your credit activity to the major credit reporting bureaus, which in turn, improves your credit history.
In addition, the membership benefits often times include such things as travel discounts, rental car discounts, and FREE credit reports.
They almost always advertise guaranteed credit lines of up to $7500, and incentives for joining can include free merchandise (such as a free DVD player), or a merchandise voucher.
Look for 30 day money-back guarantees, and look for no annual fees, and yes, look for “NO INTEREST” on the credit.
Most of these sites will require an upfront membership fee, but then they immediately turn around and provide a merchandise voucher. For example, one portal charges $150 for the upfront membership fee, but then immediately provides a voucher of $200 for merchandise at their site.
Because their customers generally have a history of poor credit, they do sometimes require an initial payment, or “down payment” on purchases until a relationship is established, but hey listen. So what? If you have credit issues, then you have to start rebuilding credit relationships somewhere. It sure beats Layaway!
What a creative way to solve this problem. Everybody wins.
You scratch my back, and I’ll buy some more beer!
Meanwhile, you’re moving closer and closer to the pearly gates of Credit Card Utopia!
We’ve enjoyed providing this information to you, and we wish you the best of luck in your pursuits. Remember to always seek out good advice from those you trust, and never turn your back on your own common sense.
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About The Author
Tom Levine provides a solid, common sense approach to solving problems and answering questions relating to consumer loan products. His website seeks to provide free online resources for the consumer, including rate-watch, tips and articles, financial communication, news, and links to products and services. You can check out Tom’s website here: [http://loanresource.org], or you can email Tom at info@loanresource.org.
