Best Credit Cards for 2015

Friday, January 23, 2015

Take a look at some results for the best credit cards for 2015!

Now is a good time to explore and compare different credit card offers before they disappear.  Whether you are looking to earn some extra cash back rewards, build your credit or pay off your existing credit card balances; the folks at NextAdvisor has made it easy for you in your search for the best credit card with the best reward.  Take a look at their results for Best Credit Cards for 2015: Best Cash Back Card : Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express The winner of our cash back card analysis, Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express (a NextAdvisor advertiser) combines excellent cash back rewards with a generous 15-month 0% APR period. You'll earn 6% cash back at supermarkets (on up to $6K in purchases annually), 3% at gas stations and select department stores like Sears, JCP, Kohls, Nordstrom and Macy's, and 1% cash back on all your other purchases. Plus, there's a $100 bonus and a free year of Amazon Prime after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months – pretty easy to earn if you use your card like a typical consumer. On top of this you can take advantage of its 0% intro APR for the first 15 months on purchases and balance transfers (although there is a 3% balance transfer fee). I really like this card because of its huge cash back potential. Anyone who spends a lot on groceries and gas can really rack up the cash back rewards. And you don't have to sign up quarterly to get your cash back – it's automatic. There is a $75 annual fee, which can be off-putting to some, but honestly if you use your card like a typical consumer you should more than earn this back. If you prefer a card with no annual fee, generous and straightforward cash back rewards (effective 2% cash back on everything!) and a 15-month 0% intro APR period, check out the Citi Double Cash Card. Or to find out which cash back card is the best for your spending patterns, use our free Personalized Cash Back Calculator. Best Balance Transfer Card: Slate from Chase If you overdid it on your holiday shopping and can't fully pay off your balance on one or more credit cards, Slate from Chase is the card for you.  Instead of starting to rack up huge interest fees, you can transfer your balances to the Slate from Chase. With a 15-month 0% intro APR on balance transfers and purchases, as well as no balance transfer fees and no annual fee, this card can save you a ton in interest payments. It's the only card we've found that offers both no balance transfer fee and a lengthy 0% intro APR. And unlike other cards with stellar features like these, people with merely good credit (often viewed as a credit score above 660) have a chance to be approved for this card. Note that the $0 balance transfer fee is only available for the first 60 days, but since the reason most people get this card is to transfer their balances immediately that shouldn't be an issue.  If you're in the market for a balance-transfer card and aren't sure which one is best for your situation, take a look at our free Balance Transfer Calculator to determine which card will save you the most. Best Low APR Card: Citi Simplicity Leading the pack with an outstanding 18-month 0% intro APR (the longest we've found) and no annual fee or late fees, Citi Simplicity will carry you well into 2016 interest-free. You'll enjoy a 0% intro APR period for 18 months (that's 1.5 years!) on both purchases and balance transfers. Plus you won't pay late fees, penalty rates or an annual fee. Although we encourage our readers to pay their cards on time to maintain a healthy credit score, having no late fees and no penalty rates is a huge bonus for anyone who may be late with a payment every now and then. Now is the time to get this card, as any holiday purchases you make will be interest-free until 2016. This extended 0% APR period will allow you to pay down your balance over time without costing you anything in interest fees. Note this card does have a 3% balance transfer fee. Best Travel Card: Barclay Arrival Plus World Elite Mastercard If you're saving up for that big 2015 vacation or are just a frequent traveler, you should strongly consider the Barclay Arrival Plus World Elite Mastercard. It starts off with a 40,000 point bonus – equal to $400 in travel – after you spend $3,000 in the first 90 days. Plus you'll earn 2 miles for every dollar you spend. That's 2x miles on every purchase, not just in certain categories or on special deals you have to sign up for quarterly. The cherry on top is that you'll get a 10% bonus on all miles you redeem for travel. So if you were to spend your 40,000 point intro bonus on travel, you'd get 4,000 bonus miles, making the intro bonus equal to $440 in travel! Using your earned miles is easy too- just book your travel and then redeem your miles as a statement credit against your travel costs. You can travel however and wherever you'd like; on any airline, at any hotel and with any rental car company (or cruise!). You can also make your travel plans however you would like; online, with a travel agent or over the phone. The bottom line is that you just need to pay for the travel with this card, it's as simple as that. The Barclay Arrival Plus World Elite Mastercard took first place in our 2014 Travel Rewards Credit Card Analysis, with a top reward value of $2.20 for every $100 spent in both the flight and hotel categories. This high value means that your miles are worth more than with other popular travel cards on the market today. And an added perk is that when you travel outside the U.S. you won't have to pay foreign transaction fees. It's also the only card we've found that offers full chip and PIN technology, making it fully compatible with foreign payment systems. The card does have a $89 annual fee, but it's waived the first year so you'll have a year to determine if this card is right for you before having to pay an annual charge. Best Card for Anyone with Good (but not Great) Credit: Chase Freedom If you're in the market for a credit card but don't necessarily have terrific credit, Chase Freedom might be right up your alley. It was developed for those with "Good" credit, which is typically considered to be a credit score between 660 and 724 on the FICO credit score scale (if you don't know your credit score you can get it for free). The card doesn't skimp on extras either – to start with you'll get an enormous $100 intro bonus after spending just $500 in the first 3 months. You'll also earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in purchases in categories that rotate quarterly (note: you need to register each quarter to receive this cash back), and 1% back on everything else you buy. Now through March 31st you'll get 5% back at grocery stores (not including Walmart and Target purchases), movie theaters and Starbucks stores. Plus there's no annual fee to worry about paying. We really like this card because it has the great features that cards typically oriented towards consumers with great credit do, but it's available to those who might have a hit or two on the credit report. Best Card for Students: Discover it for Students Offering both cash back rewards and a 0% intro APR, Discover it for Students hits the mark for the college-bound. First off, you'll earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in purchases in categories that rotate quarterly and 1% cash back on all other purchases. Now through March 31st you'll get 5% cash back on gas and ground transportation like rental cars, taxis and public transportation. You will need to register online quarterly to receive the 5% back, but it's worth it. Plus, you can take advantage of a 6-month 0% intro APR on your purchases. That means you'll pay no interest at all for the first 6 months you have this card. We're not encouraging student debt, but it's nice to know if you put a gift or two and some textbooks on your card you'll have 6 months to pay for them without owing any interest. Just make sure you practice responsible use of your card and you'll be able to build a credit history and boost your credit score. And did we mention there is no annual fee AND no foreign transaction fees? So if you travel outside the U.S. you won't pay any additional fees to use your card, which can save you a ton of money. Overall this is a great card for any college (or grad school) student that combines strong rewards with a 0% intro APR on purchases and very reasonable ongoing interest rate. Best Card for Businesses: Ink Cash Business Card Ink Cash Business Card is a terrific pick for business. It serves up some great business-oriented features including generous cash back rewards, a 0% intro APR and no annual fee. Plus there's a $200 bonus after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months. In addition you'll earn 5% cash back on purchases at office supply stores and on landline, cellular phone, internet and cable TV services (on up to $25,000 in combined purchases). You'll also get 2% cash back on the first $25,000 in combined purchases at restaurants and gas stations and an unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.  On the downside, the 5% and 2% cash back rewards are issued annually on your account anniversary, but the 1% cash back rewards are issued monthly. The 12-month 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers can be very helpful to new businesses looking to make some big purchases they don't need to pay off for a year, or to mature businesses who just want to take advantage of paying no interest on their purchases and balance transfers for a year. Best Card for Average Credit: Barclay Rewards Mastercard – Average Credit Best Card for Rebuilding Credit: Capital One Secured Mastercard Churchill Corporate Housing is available across the Nation and in every major city. Take a look at our properties to find a location for your next extended stay.  We have options ranging from modest to the most extravagant budgets; our customer service department is ready to help you feel “At Home, Anywhere”.  For more information, please contact us at 866-255-0593 or National@FurnishedHousing.com.