Best of American Express Charge Cards for 2012 By Matthew R Coan

Ask any current American Express charge card holder and the will probably tell you that it's the best charge card that they have every had, as long as it is accepted at all of their normal vendors. American Express is not the most widely accepted cards, and the main reason for this is because American Express charges a higher fee per transaction at merchants than other credit cards do. But as a cardholder you can reap the benefits from this extra money that American Express makes in the form of rewards and added features on your card. If you enjoy traveling or attending special events then take a look at the group of American Express charge cards and see what you have been missing.

Amex Green Charge Card
This is the base level charge card for American Express. With this card you can earn 1 point for every dollar that you spend on your card. You also earn 2x points when you book you trips through American Express's travel site and up to 10x points when you make purchases on American Express's Membership Rewards online mall with over 300 of the best vendors.
The annual fee for the American Express Green Charge card is $95, which is waived for your first year, and $30/year for each additional card that you add to your account.

Amex Gold Charge Card
The American Express Gold Charge Card is the next step up in ladder. With this card you are earning the same points structure that the Green card offers. The main difference is that you will be one of the first people to now about upcoming entertainment events and be able to purchases tickets to these events through American Express (which you can use points to pay for.) If you attend a lot of special events and hate waiting in line for tickets and you want to save $50 off of the next card in this entourage then this is the card for you.
The annual fee for the American Express Gold Card is $125, and $35 for each additional card you add to your account.
Amex Premier Rewards Gold Charge Card
If you were interested in the American Express Gold Charge Card then you need to take a look at the Premier Rewards Card. This card is offering 25,000 bonus points (valued at $250) when you spend $2,000 in the first 3 months of opening your account. You can earn 3x points on airfare that is purchased through American Express's travel site, 2x points on gas and groceries, and 1x points on everything else. You get the same early access to special events along with offers that include special travel packages and amenities at hotels worldwide.
The annual fee for the American Express Premier Rewards Gold card is $175, which is waived the first year, and there is no annual fee for the next 5 cards that you add to your account.

Amex Platinum Charge Card
This is the card for the world traveler or anyone who plans to take lots of trips in the future. The Platinum card is offering 25,000 bonus points when you spend $2,000 in the first 3 months. You will also earn 2x points when you book your trip through the American Express travelers site and 1x points on everything else that you purchase.
You will get access to over 600 travel lounges with American Express's priority pass, you will not be charged any foreign transaction fees, you can skip to the front of U.S. Custom lines with American Express's Global entry, and you get up $200 annually to cover incidental airline charges, including checked baggage fees. When you purchase a qualifying first or business class international ticket you can receive a companion ticket for any discounted traveler. Also you can receive complementary upgrades at hotels, boutiques, and resorts worldwide.
With all of these travel rewards and upgrades you will also get a 24/7 concierge that can offer assistance with reservations, travel, gifts, and more. And to make your traveling plans even better you will save 20% when you pay for any of your trips with the points that you have earned. And while you are on your trip you will get exclusive access to events and shows that are not offered to the general public.
The annual fee for the American Express Platinum Charge Card is $450.
With all of these options it is probably pretty easy to figure out which card is best for you. On top of the unique features for each card all of the American Express Charge cards include the following features.
-There is no limit to the amount of points that you earn, there are no blackout dates and the points you earn can be transferred to over 20 different frequent flyer miles programs.

-When you are traveling you can travel in comfort knowing that your bags are covered. Up to $1,250 in insurance for your carry on bags and $500 in insurance for your checked bags. You can also refuse the supplementary car rental insurance when you are renting a car with your American Express Charge card.
-24/7 emergency assistance when you are traveling more than 100 miles from your home, which includes roadside assistance if your car breaks down.
-When you are shopping you can return items that you are not satisfied with and if the vendor will not take them back, American Express will refund you up to $300 of the purchase. You are also protected in case you break something, accidentally, American Express will replace, repair, or reimburse you for the item up to 90 after your purchase.
-Extended warranty on the items that you purchase with your card up to one year passed the standard manufactures warranty.
For anyone who travels a lot or attends special events then the group of American Express Charge Cards is an option worth looking at. You can also have the added benefit of adding additional cards to your account and watch your earned points add up. American Express makes it easy to earn points as well as spend them in the way that you want. The only problem is deciding on where your next trip will be and which event you want to see.
It's important to note that a charge card is a card that is used by someone who plans to pay his or her bill in full each month. These cards also come with "no preset spending limit," but that does not mean you can go out and buy anything. Your card limit can be based on anything from your spending habits to your credit history.

Visit Casavvy.com for card card details and offers.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matthew_R_Coan

How To Rebuild Credit Starting Today By John Phillips

Rebuilding credit can be one of the hardest but most important things you can do to secure your future. Poor credit can come from many circumstances in life; examples include bankruptcy, divorce, an accident, or an illness that may have kept a primary earner from being able to work, or built up huge medical bills. Sometimes it's simply poor financial planning or decisions that caused the problem. No matter how you may find yourself in this position, the sooner you start rebuilding the better. You have many options and avenues to explore that will raise your credit score bit by bit until you are back to where you started from or above.
The Simplest First, A Bank Account
A good way to get a foothold on your finances and credit is to open a bank account. Opening a new bank account won't raise your score, as the information isn't used on your credit report. However, you will need to setup a good relationship with a bank to set the stage for strategies to come in the future. A great account to set up is a checking account. Once you do set one up, make certain to use it very responsibly. Responsible use includes the usual things like using your check card, and writing checks. Just make sure not to overdraft! The bank likes to see that you can handle cash responsibly, and then when you get to the point where you are ready to take out a loan, they will feel that you can handle a loan and will be more likely to grant you one.

Be Timely With Your Payments To Utility Companies
A great way to get your credit rating to look good again is to make sure to pay your bills on time. Bills such as those from the telephone company and the electric company must be paid on time to maintain a good rating. You may have had to pay a deposit to get these services started in the first place if you had poor credit when you set up these accounts. It is of vital importance now that you have these accounts set up that you pay them on time monthly. The security deposit you may have had to pay must not be looked at as a "savings account" meaning you can skip a month here and there. A credit rating will be affected by even one missed payment. The benefits you will receive from paying bills on time will be very evident.

Obtain A Credit Card
A credit card can still be obtained even with poor credit. It's very interesting that even after filing bankruptcy, a person will likely receive a number of credit card offers in the mail. Usually these offers come from companies that specialize in handling poor credit clients. But say your credit is really poor; you may not be able to get one of these credit cards. If you happen to fall into this category, You will have to look into getting a secured card.
With this type of card, you technically are not being extended any credit. The setup here is that you establish an account that you fund yourself. The amount that you have in this account is the limit that you have to spend. A secured card - used responsibly - will be a big boost to your credit rating, and may keep you from getting into credit card trouble again. And you needn't worry what people may think of you; a secured card appears and swipes just like a normal charge card.
Be aware that a secured card won't have all the perks that a traditional card may have. Most secured cards actually have no perks. This will get you into the habit of knowing that a credit card is basically for paying for things without having to have cash. In addition, you can use a secured card to secure a hotel or airline reservation. Secured cards do come at a price though, fees and charges can add up. But if you are looking to rebuild your credit, you must be prepared to sacrifice a bit.

Looking for good ways to rebuild credit? Discover options available to you. Visit: http://www.rebuildcreditsuccess.com today!

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What You Need to Know About Inheritance Tax By Alan Tii

What is the increased threshold?
Married couples and registered civil partners can effectively increase the threshold on their estate when the second of them dies - to a maximum of £650,000 in 2011/12. Their personal representatives must claim the unused Inheritance Tax threshold or "nil rate band" of the first spouse or civil partner so that it is available to set against the estate of the second spouse or civil partner.
Who is responsible for paying the tax?
Inheritance Tax is payable by different people in different circumstances. Usually, personal representatives pay it using funds from the estate of the deceased. Trustees are usually responsible for paying Inheritance Tax on assets in, or transferred into, a Trust. Sometimes people who have received gifts, or who inherit from the deceased, have to pay the Tax - but this is not common.
How do I find out if Inheritance Tax is payable?
To find out if the Tax is due on an estate, you must first value the estate. i.e. calculate the value of all assets owned at the date of death - including any property, possessions, money and investments - and deduct any debts owed, including household bills and funeral expenses.
The estate also includes the deceased's share of any jointly owned assets and the value of any assets held in a trust from which they were entitled to income.

Any gifts that the deceased may have made in their lifetime should be reviewed to see if they are exempt and, if not, they must be included in the overall value of the estate.
What exemptions and reliefs are there?
Sometimes, even if your estate is over the threshold, you can pass on assets without having to pay the tax. Exemptions and reliefs include:-
* Spouse or civil partner exemption - your estate usually doesn't owe the Tax on anything you leave to a spouse or civil partner who has their permanent home in the UK - nor on gifts you make to them in your lifetime - even if the amount is over the threshold.
* Charity exemption - any gifts you make to a "qualifying" charity - during your lifetime or in your Will - will be exempt from Inheritance Tax. In the 2011 budget the Chancellor announced a 10% discount on Inheritance Tax for those individuals who left at least 10% of the value of their net estate to a registered charity. The reduction effectively means a 10% discount off the standard 40% rate of Inheritance Tax - being 36%.

* Potentially Exempt Transfers - if you survive for 7 years after making a gift to someone, the gift is generally exempt from Inheritance Tax, no matter what the value,
* Annual Exemption - you can give up to £3,000 away each year, either as a single gift or as several gifts adding up to that amount - you can also use your unused allowance from the previous year, but you use the current year's allowance first.
* Wedding and civil partnership gifts - gifts to someone getting married or registering a civil partnership are exempt up to an amount which is dependent on the closeness of the relationship to the individual who is to be married.
* Business, woodland, heritage and farm relief - if the deceased owned a business, farm, woodland or national heritage property, some relief from Inheritance Tax may be available.
* Small gift exemption - small gifts of up to £250 to as many individuals as you like, can be made tax free
When does the Tax have to be paid?
In most cases Inheritance Tax must be paid within 6 months of the end of the month in which the deceased died, after which time interest will be charged on the amount outstanding. Inheritance Tax payable on certain assets including land and property may be paid in annual instalments over 10 years.

If you wish to consider reducing your Inheritance Tax liability we recommend that you take professional advice and ensure that your Will is up to date. The sooner you plan to do something about your inheritance tax liability, the more effective your arrangements will be. Please contact us for further information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alan_Tii

3 Ways to Improve Your Credit Score By Alice C. Edgars

When Sunny Roseman reveals that his sleep number is higher than his credit score, the crowd laughs nervously... Theirs isn't much better.
Everyone wants their fair share of the credit pie, but how are they going to get it when their score is in the toilet with all the other financial turds? Darrell Hornbacher, Denver credit repair King wraps it all up in a quick circle pie, explaining that your credit score is made up of paying your bills on time, 35%, credit utilization (I hate that word) rate, 30% of what is otherwise known as a line of credit, or rotating charge cards, 15% is made up of your credit history, or how long you've had credit, 10% new credit inquiries, and 10% mixed debt types, including your home loan, your auto loan and charge cards.
Perfect credit?
For the average person hasn't existed, but it can. A credit score of more than 700 is considered high, with average scores ranging closer to 665. But how does a working girl acquire a score that looks like that?
Nobody ever said managing your financial situation will be easy, but there are a few quick tricks to help you increase your credit score.

1. Fix it. Remove all the crud off your credit report by first getting a FREE report from one of those amazing companies that gives you one with no fees. Then... Write all creditors who have bad stuff on your report and ask them to take off any inaccurate or illegal dings.
2. Carry 3 cards: Visa, Mastercard, Discovery or American Express, with 23 - 27% capacity. Meaning if your credit limit on the card is $1,000 you carry no more than $270.00 of credit on the card. Pay most of it off every month, but better yet, pay your payment on the due date and a little extra 10 days later, just enough to keep it under the amount and keep paying on it about every two weeks.
3. Make sure all line of credit or revolving credit accounts are reporting your payments as installment payments on an "installment" loan. If not, change the loan to an installment loan, because they report better than revolving credit loans.

These tips will fix your credit score, improve your credit and make it more likely that you will be able to finance a home loan. Business loans and professional financing options are more likely to be obtainable if your personal credit is in better shape.

Alice C. Edgars understands the need to improve your financial well being and maximize your financial impact with a great credit score. Visit http://plusfindyourdream.com and get a subscription to her amazing, informative newsletter. You'll understand killer values and lifestyle financial impact while you find your dream at PLUS!

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