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Bank of America Financial Rewards Visa Platinum Plus

Card issued by FIA Card Services, NA.
Earn points towards cash back
Mini Card available
0% for 6 billing cycles on balance transfers and cash advance checks with a 3% balance transfer fee ($10 min.)
Earn 5 bonus points with your first purchase.
Points do not expire for 5 years
Online Banking Service
Total Security Protection®
No Annual Fee

EARN POINTS FOR CASHBACK with the
Financial Rewards® Visa® Platinum Plus®
Key benefits
* Earn 1 point for every $100 you spend in net purchases per billing cycle (up to 600 points per calendar year)
* Receive 5 bonus points after your very first net retail purchase
* Receive another 5 bonus points for every $2,500 in balance transfers per billing cycle (up to 25 per billing cycle)
* Points don't expire for five years
* When you redeem, one point equals one dollar
* Receive your rewards in the form of a check written directly to you or a direct deposit made to your Bank of America checking or savings account
Pricing
* No annual fee
* 0% for 6 billing cycles on balance transfers and cash advance checks with a 3% balance transfer fee ($10 min.)
* After your introductory rate expires, you will receive a variable APR on purchases and balance transfers, currently Prime + 5.99%. Please note that you will lose your introductory rate if you exceed your credit limit or are late with a payment
* All payments you make will be applied to lower rate balances first
* No balance transfer fees
Platinum Plus benefits
* Online Banking service***
* Total Security Protection®, our free package of security features, including zero liability from unauthorized card use***
* Travel and emergency assistance***
* Automatic auto rental insurance***
* Purchase Replacement***
* Purchase Guard***
* Cash advance checks at no extra charge***
* Additional cards at no extra charge
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DID YOU KNOW?

	You may pay a slightly higher interest rate than those who put down ten percent or more, but you can still get a great interest rate and easy payments when you apply for a no-money-down home loan. You can expect to pay private mortgage insurance if your pay little or no money down on your new home, but the cost is relatively low and you will be able to drop the private mortgage insurance after you have built a certain amount of equity on your home. If you do not have the resources to pay a twenty percent down payment, you could opt for a piggyback loan. A piggyback loan is basically a home equity loan that funds part of your down payment. There are several options in obtaining a piggyback loan. Mortgage lenders have a variety of programs and loan products that will help you accomplish your dream of home ownership, even if you have little or no money for a down payment. Your lender can also inform you of various government programs that assist those who qualify with their down payment. Most of these programs consist of basically a low interest loan that you repay along with your mortgage payments. There are some government programs that will not require you to repay any down payment assistance you may receive. Get quotes: Different lenders may quote you different prices, so you should contact several lenders to make sure you're getting the best price. You can also get a mortgage through a mortgage broker. Brokers arrange transactions rather than lending money directly; in other words, they find a lender for you. A broker's access to several lenders can mean a wider selection of loan products from which you can choose. Get Costings: Be sure to get cost information about mortgages from several lenders or brokers. Know how much of a down payment you can afford, and find out all the costs involved. Knowing just the amount of the monthly payment or the interest rate is not enough. Ask each lender and broker for a list of its current mortgage interest rates and whether the rates being quoted are the lowest for that day or week. Ask about the mortgage's annual percentage rate (APR). The APR takes into account not only the interest rate but also broker fees and certain other credit charges that you may be required to pay, expressed as a yearly rate.A mortgage often involves many fees, such as underwriting fees, broker fees and closing costs. Every lender or broker should be able to give you an estimate of its fees. Many of these fees are negotiable. Some fees are paid when you apply for a mortgage and others are paid at closing. In some cases, you can borrow the money needed to pay these fees, but doing so will increase your loan amount and total costs. "No cost" loans are sometimes available, but they usually involve higher rates. Negotiate: Once you know what each lender has to offer, negotiate for the best deal that you can. There's no harm in asking lenders or brokers if they can give better terms than the original ones they quoted or than those you have found elsewhere. Once you are satisfied with the terms you have negotiated, you may want to obtain a written quote from the lender or broker. The quote should include the rate that you have agreed upon and the period the quote lasts. When buying a home, remember to shop around, to compare costs and terms, and to negotiate for the best deal.

For many consumers the excitement of buying a new car, new home or some other well deserved but high priced item can come to a grinding halt if their credit scores are low. With that in mind it’s vitally important to preserve your credit score while at the same time making sure you can do everything legally possible to send your credit score towards the higher end of the grading scale. After all this number is the key to obtaining a large amount of credit at very favorable rates. Let’s take a look at a few ways you can achieve and more importantly sustain a high credit score.

Currently the most commonly used credit score is the widely popular FICO (Fair Isaac Company) score. The median FICO score for the average United States consumer stands at about 723. A credit score in this range will qualify you for the average rates that are offered nationwide. Fall below this median average with your credit score and you will be subject to higher rates resulting in a higher monthly payment. Maintain a credit score higher then the FICO average of 723 and you will be able to obtain credit at a much more favorable rate and thereby enjoy lower monthly payments resulting in more discretionary dollars from your hard earned paycheck at your disposal.

In order to keep a high credit score you need to make sure you keep a close eye on the five factors that affect your FICO or credit score. They include your previous and current payment history, your dollar amounts owed in current outstanding credit, your length of credit history (hopefully favorable), your types of credit used and any new credit you may have recently incurred. How significant is the difference in your credit score or how can having a higher credit score benefit you? Let the following example serve to illustrate why a keeping your credit score high versus low is more beneficial to your pocketbook ((this example is for illustrative purposes and doesn’t constitute current interest rate averages. Please consult your bank or lending advisor for the most current up to date percentages based on your credit score). A credit score of 660-679 would most likely qualify you for an interest rate of 6.36% now compare that to someone having a credit score of 760-850 where the interest rate is closer to 5.74%. This small difference in percentage points can lead to a big savings or loss in your total dollars expended on a monthly payment. Remember the national average of 723? Consumers possessing a credit score of 723 would most likely qualify for an interest rate of 5.97% only slightly lower then a consumer with a higher credit score but significantly higher monthly payments on average.

Clearly you can see why having and maintaining a higher credit score is obviously to your economical benefit. The key to obtaining and keeping a high credit score is to closely monitor several factors that could and will influence the bottom line of your credit score. They include the following: Paying your bills on time, maxing out your credit cards, applying for a new mortgage, vehicle loan, credit card or department store card. They may also include applying for new credit cards in order to conduct balance transfers or false money juggling, declaring bankruptcy and other financial activities that may not benefit your credit score in a positive light or fashion.

Probably the best way to make sure you keep your credit score high is to regularly and closely monitor your credit report. This detailed report shows your entire credit history and plays a large part in determining your credit score when lenders run a check against your credit before you obtain financing through their establishment or company. Make sure to obtain a copy of your credit report at least once every year. This annual checkup of your credit will only increase your chances of keeping your well earned credit score higher versus lower.