Best Credit Cards by Destination, Bonus and More

About the only reason you’d apply for an Avenue credit card is that you can probably obtain it if you have poor credit. But even that’s not a reason to make space in your wallet for this card.

Much better credit-card options exist if you have poor credit. And if you have good credit, then you should be looking for credit cards with better benefits than you’ll receive with an Avenue credit card.

Sometimes you just have to be blunt: The Boscov’s credit card is quite possibly the single worst credit card I’ve come across yet. 

Unless you are an absolute heavy spender at Boscov stores or at Boscov’s online outlet – and by “heavy,” I mean more than $3,750 a year – then this card should never find a home in your wallet. There are far – far! – better credit cards you should apply for instead.

Pottery Barn brings an interesting twist to the loyalty credit card: cash back or, if your purchase is big enough, special financing.

But as interesting as it is, this card is still a hard pass unless you’re such a Pottery Barn fan that you’re decking out your whole house in the retailer’s goods. There are much better credit cards on offer, particularly when it comes the “special financing.”

I mean, really: Why would you pay special financing when you can pay no financing with something like the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards card? But we will come back to that in a moment.

With an effective cash-back rate of 10%, the Bealls credit card (and the Bealls Florida credit card) seems like a winner. But before you click “apply,” there are some caveats you need to understand about a Bealls credit card.

In short: If you’re looking for an all-purpose, all-around credit card to collect cash back, then steer clear of a Bealls credit card and, instead, look for a more well-rounded cards such as the Citi^® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer or a Capital One Venture card.

Given the quantity these days of exceptional credit cards that offer broad-based travel rewards and cash-back benefits, I almost always find it difficult to recommend that anyone apply for a store-branded credit card … and that’s no different when it comes to the Forever 21 Visa credit card.

Sometimes, credit-card signup bonuses and benefits are worth the effort, and the Total Rewards Visa – tied to Caesars Entertainment hotels and resorts – is one of those. But unless you’re a regular gambler or you regularly stay in Caesars hotels and resorts, then there are better credit card options.

I am not a consumer of cosmetics. As such, maybe everything I say about the Ulta Ultamate Rewards Mastercard is wrong.  Nevertheless, after reviewing what the Ulta Mastercard offers, I will say this is a card that is largely useless unless you are totally into Ulta as your go-to-shop for cosmetics and other beauty-related purchases.

Let’s be blunt about this: the BJ’s Wholesale Club credit cards look like they’d be a pretty good option, particularly if you’re a regular shopper at one of the company’s warehouse stores. 

But the reality is that BJ’s two credit cards aren’t really worth the application effort. So, right here we can answer the primary question: Is a BJ’s credit card good for me?

The short answer is no.

The longer answer is maybe, but leaning heavily towards no.

Here’s why…

Building credit anew or rebuilding credit after some sort of financial disaster can be a struggle. It’s often a chicken-and-an-egg situation in which you can’t get a good credit card because your credit is so bad – on non-existent – and you can’t build or rebuild your credit because you can’t get a good credit card.

Several credit-card providers have stepped into that void with cards that help you establish credit when you’ve never had it, or which will help you rebuild credit after you’ve destroyed yours originally.

There was a time when the only truly exclusive credit card was the American Express Centurion card – known almost ominously as “the Black Card.” So exclusive was it that American Express never really commented on its actual existence. 

The card was almost mythological and all that was generally known was that one needed to make a lot of money – and spend a lot of money of an Amex card – to even, maybe, be invited to apply.

Southwest Airlines has unleashed a new business credit card on the world, and it’s a good one, particularly if you’re a regular flyer on Southwest.

The new card is the Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Card, which offers an enhanced day-of-travel experience and opportunities for accelerated earning in key business spending categories.

Many large retailers have store branded credit cards. If you are a frequent shopper at Tractor Supply, the credit card may help you save money in certain situations. But if you are looking for a credit card with a robust cash-back or rewards program, there are superior options available from other credit card issuers. 

As with so many retailers, fashion retailer Ann Taylor has its own affinity credit card – the Ann Taylor Comenity Mastercard. If you’re an Ann Taylor fan, the card’s probably not a bad deal because of the exclusive benefit it offers.
But if for the typical credit-card customer, there are far better cards with far better benefits for you to consider.

For consumers who frequently dine out or who are stay-at-home wannabe chefs, the TD Cash Credit Card seems like a worthy option, what with its 3% cash back feature on dining and 2% on grocery store purchases. And among cash back cards, those aren’t bad benefits. But … you can do better if you’re looking for a lucrative cash back credit card.

Extinguishing credit card debt is one of the most grueling debt-management processes imaginable. The high rates of interest most credit cards charge can make the process seem never-ending. And it’s demoralizing to see so much of your monthly payment go toward interest and so little go toward paying down the balance.

Perhaps when you were young, people warned you about the dangers of a credit card. Whoever thought a small plastic card could lead to so much debt and potential financial prison?

Those warnings didn’t come without reason though, as just over 40% of families in the United States have some sort of credit card debt. Add that with $1200 of average annual interest and a credit card can look scary from the outside.

I have a pretty good idea that if you’re reading this, you’ve gotten yourself into a bit of credit card debt and you’re looking for the best card you can use for 0% APR balance transfers.

Numerous credit card companies offer this, and Citi has some of the more popular ones. But is Citi the best?

Let’s take a look at what Citi offers…

This is the way it too often goes: A consumer is overambitious with her credit card, accumulates a worrisome amount of debt, and then looks to transfer her debt to a new credit card with a low, maybe even 0%, introductory rate on balance transfers.
It seems a wise move.
But is it really?
Sometimes yes; sometimes no. It all depends on the card you’re considering, the balance-transfer fee it imposes, and the balance transfer APR you’ll pay early on and over time.

Debt is a four-letter word – it’s both “good” and “evil.”
Which one of those words it depends entirely on how you use debt. Use it judiciously for the purchases you can afford, and debt can be one of the best financial tools in your toolbox – allowing you to save money, accumulate travel rewards and miles, or to simply snap up a bargain when you find it if you don’t have the cash immediately available.

Capital One is strengthening its credit card rewards program by adding a popular United States-based airline to its growing roster of transfer partners: JetBlue.

Users of Capital One credit cards, such as the Capital One Venture Rewards credit card and the Capital One Spark Miles for a Business credit card can now transfer points to JetBlue’s TrueBlue rewards program.