Go Green - The Top 4 Environmentally-Friendly Credit Cards

Go Green – The Top 4 Environmentally-Friendly Credit Cards

The movement to make your daily spending habits more green is increasingly gaining popularity and traction. Now there are credit cards that are considered to be environmentally friendly. Several banks and well known credit issuers provide these socially conscious accounts. They will donate a certain percentage of your total spending towards environmental causes. We look at four of these credit cards here.

Amazon Watch Visa Platinum

Beneficial State Bank is the issuer of the Amazon Watch Visa Platinum card. A pre-set percentage of all of your purchases will be given to Amazon Watch, the environmental social justice and conservation group. Besides this, they offer a reward program with one for one reward points for each dollar you spend. There is no cap on points earned. You can apply these points for merchandise or towards travel.

With no annual fee, this is an environmentally friendly card that is big on brand name recognition. 

Credo Mobile

Comenity Bank offers the green Credo Mobile credit card. Each purchase you make allows them to donate 10 cents to revolving batch of not for profit companies working towards environmental sustainability. They will also plant 25 trees in your name if you spend at least $500 over your first 60 days with the account. You also get three rewards points for all grocery store purchases and charitable donations, with one point for all category purchases.

You can apply the points towards travel, merchandise, or your statement balance. 

Bank of America Defenders of Wildlife Cash Visa

Bank of America brings you this green card that helps endangered and threatened wildlife. For each dollar that you charge, they will donate five cents to green charities. The rewards program gives you a full three percent cash back at gas stations and two percent at grocery stores on your first $1,500 in the combined categories spending, with one percent base on all other charges.

If you spend $500 or more in the first three months of the account they will give you another $100 in cash back. As with each of these green credit cards we are considering here, there is no annual fee. 

Green America Visa Platinum

Beneficial State Bank/TCM Bank brings you the Green America Platinum Visa card. They donate a percentage for all of your purchases to Green America the environmental group. You also earn one for one reward points for dollars spent with no cap on maximum points earned. You can use these points for merchandise or travel. There is no annual fee with this environmentally responsible credit card.

Now that you know the best credit cards for your precise stage in life, it is time to turn our attention to the best ways to improve your credit.

The Top 5 Credit Building Cards for Your Retirement

The Top 5 Credit Building Cards for Your Retirement

Retirement means a brand new lifestyle. If your new direction includes daily eating out, travelling, doing home improvements, or taking it easy, there are a variety of best credit cards for your newfound lifestyle. We look at these top credit cards for retirees next. 

Best Travel Card

For many retirees, the extra time means more travel. The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card delivers big in this regard. You earn double miles on all purchases. The generous sign up bonus included 50,000 miles after spending $3,000 for purchases in your first three months. This equates to $500 worth of travel. 

Capital One waives the first year’s fee, after which it amounts to $95 annually. These travel rewards are both easy to use and simple to earn. The card gives you the choice of applying your earning to your credit card balance or transferring over miles to one of their numerous travel partners. With no foreign currency transaction fees, it is hard to go wrong with this credit card. 

Best Cards for Bulk and Prescription Savings

Prescription drugs consume a lot of retiree resources. The Costco Anywhere Visa Card from Citi helps to lower these burdens with the membership fee of only $60 for Costco covering the credit card fee as well. You receive huge savings on most everything that you purchase at Costco. Their prescription drug prices are among the lowest you will find anywhere, plus you get two percent cash back on all pharmacy spending at Costco. 

Best Card for Financing a Large Purchase

When it is time to buy a larger purchase, the best in class card (according to Nerd Wallet) is the U.S. Bank Visa Platinum Card. It gives you fully 18 months of zero percent APR on balance transfers and new purchases, amounting to a free loan for a year and a half on larger purchases.

This can cover anything from higher interest rate balance transfers to celebratory trips. With a yearly fee of zero, you can hardly beat this card. It comes with a bonus $600 insurance coverage for your cell phone, allowing two claims totalling $1,200 per year. 

Best Card for Everyday Spending

Everyday spending is a great way to earn huge rewards back. As the best in class in this category, American Express wins with its Blue Cash Preferred Card. The annual fee of $95 is offset by the generous welcome offer. Spend $1,000 on purchases over your first three months with the card and you receive a hefty $250 statement credit.

You also get a zero percent balance transfer and new purchases offer for a full 12 months. This is a great way to earn rewards for daily needs like gas, groceries, and travel. 

Best Card for Dining and Driving

In the category of dining and driving for retirees, Chase wins with its AARP Credit Card. It boasts no annual fee and a generous rewards program of three percent cash back on all restaurants and gas station purchases (one percent on all other categories). Their sign up bonus means that once you spend $500 on any purchases over your first three months with the card, you will get $100 in bonus cash back. 

The card pairs well with an AARP membership, though it is not required. The unlimited rewards can be direct deposited to your savings or checking account or applied as a statement credit, whichever you prefer. 

The Top 5 Credit Building Cards for High Rollers

The Top 5 Credit Building Cards for High Rollers

High rollers are at that eviable stage in life where they enjoy being handsomely rewarded for their business. This is where the premium credit cards come in with their larger than life rewards. Higher rewards rates, travel credits, and richer redemption choices are several of the advantages that premium card holders can look forward to receiving. 

Obviously not just anyone will qualify for these types of high end credit cards. They are designed and targeted towards consumers who boast from good to fantastic credit. There is a considerable cost for these cards too.

Their annual fees start at a hefty $250 and run to $450 and higher. It makes it critical to be sure that you can gain more value than the costs you pay when you apply for these premium credit cards. We look at the top five of them next. 

Best All Around Premium Card

Chase Sapphire Reserve has been impressing high rollers for years. Besides the huge sign up bonuses (that amount to $750 in travel credits), the ongoing rewards are extensive. Best of all, as a card holder you have a great amount of flexibility in redeeming such rewards, offering a wide selection of hotel chains and airlines as redemption partners.

Best Luxury Travel Perks

The Platinum Card from American Express defines luxury travel. Their welcome offer is generous, the redemptions choices are rich, and rewards rates are high. You get perks such as access to airport lounges and no cost hotel benefits that would cost hundreds of dollars. Every feature of the Platinum Card from American Express oozes luxury. 

Best Premium Airline Card

Citi AAdvantage Executive World Elite card is ideal for you who travel frequently with American Airlines. The perks include such things as access to the Admirals Club airport lounge, free checked bags for yourself and as many as eight travelling companions, and zero foreign currency transaction fees. This checked bag credit could save you nearly $500 if you travel with the eight maximum companions. 

Best Premium Dining Card

The American Express Gold Card wins in the category of Best Premium Dining Card. It boasts excellent travel and rich dining rewards along with valuable credits. Thanks to this card, the expenses of indulging in luxurious dining are a little less costly.  

Best Business Travel Card

If you are looking for the best in class business travel card, look no further than the American Express Business Platinum Card. Its perks include access to airport lounges, high rewards, credits for airline costs, and status with their partner hotels. All of these benefits ensure that the AMEX Business Platinum card is ideal for business travellers. 

The Best Credit Building Cards for Lower Income Earners

The Best Credit Building Cards for Lower Income Earners

In today’s increasingly digital world, credit cards are now a necessity. The good news is that they do not have to be a costly one. If you suffer from fair or bad credit, you may just be starting your credit history or rebuilding it after having made some credit mistakes. 

Low income earners find obtaining good credit cards especially challenging, but it does not have to be. Fair credit applicants can select between no annual fee cards or rewards cards with an annual fee. We look at the best credit cards for low income earners with fair and bad credit next. 

Best “Fair” Credit Cards

The Capital One Platinum Credit Card offers a perk to low income earners in the form of no annual fee. After you make your first five timely monthly payments, they may give you a higher credit line too. You get full fraud coverage and online banking access as well. 

Meanwhile, the Credit One Bank Platinum Visa offers you no annual fee, a comparatively competitive APR, and a one percent cash back rewards program for all purchases. You also get access to your Experian bureau credit score online for free each month, and you can even select your own payment due date. 

Best “Bad” Credit Cards

The Capital One Secured MasterCard offers low income earners with bad credit a no annual fee credit card with all of its advantages to building up your credit. Capital One pledges to report your history to all three of the major consumer credit bureaus. You make a cash deposit of $49, $99, or $200 and receive a starter credit line of $200.

Once you have made your first five monthly payments in a timely fashion, you will receive a higher credit limit too. 

Another one to consider is the Milestone MasterCard that allows you to pre-qualify without having to suffer a hard credit inquiry on your credit report. They provide fraud protection and mobile account access to your account. This is a no frills card intended for people recovering from past credit mistakes, and it reports payment history to all three credit reporting bureaus.

What Are The Best Credit Building Cards For Families?
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What Are The Best Credit Building Cards For Families?

If you find yourself with a new and growing family, it is a good bet that you will need credit cards that grow into this role alongside your newfound expenses and responsibilities.

Such credit cards understand your new family’s needs and provide significant rewards for purchases like school supplies, diapers, and family getaways. We look at five of the most family friendly credit cards next, as recommended by Credit Karma.

Best Family Card for Cash Back

Parents would struggle to outperform the Blue Cash Preferred Card by American Express. It offers six percent cash back on all American supermarket purchases. You get this incredible cash back rate for your first $6,000 in annual purchases and then a one percent base rate on everything after. 

Best Credit Card for New Parents

The Citi Double Cash Card is a lifesaver for new parents. It eliminates the need for tracking cash back expenditures and categories as well as having to activate cash back programs. This flat rate cash back card is no frills and no nonsense. Besides this, it provides you with an impressive two percent cash back on all purchases, significantly better than most competitors’ 1.5 percent cash back rate.

Best Credit Card for Family Travel

Chase Sapphire Reserve is a great card for families who travel. It does flexibility extraordinarily well. The card starts with a yearly $300 travel credit for any qualifying travel purchases you charge. You also receive three points for each one dollar you spend in the restaurant and travel categories in the U.S. and abroad. All other category purchases earn you one for one rewards points for every dollar you spend.  

Best Credit Card for College Savings

Upromise is the name brand in the college bound savings plans. Its Upromise MasterCard makes it easy to save for the future, with 1.25 percent in cash back for each dollar spent on any purchases. If you link up your Upromise Program account to a 529 college savings plan that is eligible, you also receive a 15 percent bonus on all earned cash back. This helps you to allocate a more serious amount of money to your children’s college savings.

Thanks to this linking bonus, you are looking at roughly 1.44 percent cash back on all purchases you make. 

Best Credit Card for Online Shopping

Online shopping has its own best credit card category these days. Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card is just what the doctor ordered if you buy those constantly needed supplies for your growing children from the online retailing giant. 

All Amazon Prime members who are cardholders automatically receive an impressive five percent in cash back on each one dollar you spend with the Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card at either Amazon.com or Whole Foods Market.

Every dollar spent on gas stations, drug stores, and restaurants earns you two percent cash back. All other purchases get one percent cash back as a base rate. It adds up pretty fast.