Regularly requesting credit limit increases, if done correctly, can increase your credit score and mitigate the effects of canceling credit cards. This post will explain how to navigate the menus of American Express’ online interface so that you can request a credit limit increase without triggering a hard credit inquiry. I have done this successfully myself several times.

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If a recent Your Take post on credit card credit limits is any indication, there’s no secret to getting a higher credit limit on your card. I thought I was high with a near $70,000 credit limit but plenty of people had total unsecured credit limits in the $60,000 – $100,000 range. While it wasn’t a scientific survey, I wouldn’t surprised to read that, in general, unsecured credit limits are much higher than people expect.

That being said, I think a good way for a consumer to protect themselves from the somewhat unpredictable credit score system is by increase their credit limits as much as possible without increasing how many credit cards they have.

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Have you ever been curious what the average credit score is?

We know that the FICO credit score range goes from 300 to 850 with a good credit score being up above 750, but what is the average credit score? Fair Isaac shares a chart that indicates the average FICO credit score is around 700, but we don’t know when chart the was updated (see the chart here).

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This morning I wrote about the different types of individual bankruptcy but I didn’t discuss how much they cost.

Yep, even if you don’t have any money left and want to file for bankruptcy, there are costs involved! There are costs involved because bankruptcy involves the courts and the employees of the court have to get paid! The cost of filing for bankruptcy breaks down into three types – required credit counseling, bankruptcy filing fees and attorney fees.

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My friend Matt started a business and wanted to know what the best business credit card was. I’ll list what I consider the best options below but in general here’s what I look for:

• No annual fee: If you’re a startup, you want to keep costs as low as possible until you get your revenues up. Having to pay a hundred dollars a year, as little as that sounds, is a hundred dollars you can’t put back into your business to grow it as quickly as possible. Just as I wouldn’t get a consumer credit card with an annual fee, if I was a startup I’d avoid a card with an annual fee. Fortunately there are plenty of options.
• Rewards: I look at rewards from two angles. First, I want to get better than 1% rewards or cash back in categories that I will be spending a lot in such as office supply, advertising, etc. Second, if I’m getting points, I want to ensure the reward catalog has products I would buy with my own money. I don’t want gift cards to chain restaurants I never visit. I don’t want electronics or DVDs I can buy for cheaper online.
• Promotional APRs: Many businesses have been built on the shoulders of consumer credit card debt. I don’t advocate going into debt to start a business, but if you’re going to then it’s best to get a credit card that will give you 0% APY for six or twelve months on your purchases or balance transfers. These offers are becoming rarer because credit card companies are reducing their risk but they still exist.
• Don’t use your consumer credit card: You can use a consumer credit card as a business card but be sure to use it only for business expenses (even this is suspect, depends on who you ask). If you don’t properly separate the two “worlds,” then you could run into liability issues down the road. Be sure to check with a business attorney or your accountant though.

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Your FICO credit score is increasingly becoming one of the most important numbers in your life. I’ve written about what’s in your FICO credit score as well as how to get FICO credit score estimates, but never how to get the actual three-digit FICO score calculated by one of the bureaus.

While the Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act (FACTA) and Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) did wonders to shed light on the credit reporting industry and the data they are collecting on all of us, the light wasn’t bright enough. There is no way for you to get a free FICO credit score unless you sign up for a trial with one of the bureaus or with Fair Isaac Corporation directly.

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(Updated Jan 5th) If you are searching for a credit card with a 0% APR balance transfer, you’re at the right place. The following is a list of popular credit cards that are offering 0% balance transfers and is a resource for people looking to transfer higher interest rate debt to a 0% APY card; or borrow money on the cheap for whatever goals they’re looking to achieve. I’ve compiled a list of credit cards that have 0% interest rate offers on balance transfers (some offer that promotional rate for purchases too) and published that list below.

You can use them to pay off other credit cards, you can use them to pay off 0% financing offers, you can use them to pay off anything you need and get a window to catch up on your debt.

0% Balance Transfer Offers

Discover it™ Best 18 month 0% offer	Citi Simplicity® Card 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers & Purchases for 18 months.

1. Citi Simplicity® Card – 0% APR on balance transfers and purchases for 18 months, no annual fee
2. Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card – 0% APR on balance transfers for 18 months if you qualify, no annual fee
3. Citi ThankYou® Card – 0% for 15 months from the date of account opening on purchases and balance transfers
4. Barclaycard® Rewards MasterCard® – 0% intro APR for 6 months on Balance Transfers and Purchases

Please review balance transfer fee information associated with the cards listed, be sure to review the terms & conditions and fee schedule of each card before applying. They change constantly and I have reported what I believe to be the most accurate information.

If you are also interested in 0% credit cards, cards that offer both 0% on purchases and 0% on balance transfers, click here.

How to Evaluate 0% Balance Transfer Offers

0% balance transfer offers, and their cousins the 0% on purchases offers, are great ways to help you catch up on your debt. However, it’s important to pick the right one. When it comes to offers, not every one is created equally. First, I recommend reviewing what the APR on the balance will be after the balance transfer offer. It will usually be a variable rate tied to the Wall Street Journal published Prime rate, check that first because you may not be able to transfer your balance after the promotional period.

Second, check the fee on the balance transfer. It’ll usually be small but it’s important to know that while the offer says 0% balance transfer, it does have come a cost. A small balance transfer fee beats paying double digits in interest on your other card but you don’t want it to be a surprise. Next, check for an annual fee. None of the cards listed on this page have an annual fee so you won’t have to worry about that, but any cards you see somewhere else may have a fee.

Finally, use a reputable credit card company that you know won’t play games with you. All the ones listed on this page are from major companies (Citi, Chase, Discover) but sometimes a smaller organization with a weaker reputation will tack on hidden fees or switch terms on you.

Good luck and if you don’t find what you need, please don’t hesitate to contact me and I’ll try to help you out if I can!

* See the online credit card application for details about terms and conditions. Reasonable efforts are made to maintain accurate information. However all credit card information is presented without warranty. When you click on the “Apply Now” button, you can review the credit card terms and conditions on the issuer’s website

Discover is a paid advertiser of Bargaineering

This week I had the pleasure of chatting with Tess Vigeland of American Public Media’s Marketplace Money show, BeingFrugal.net’s Lynnae and Steve of Brip Blap for an upcoming segment on personal finance bloggers. It was a lot of fun and an honor to participate in a show that I listen to every week (I listen to the Morning Edition and daily show every day, Money is only on during the weekends) and a lot of fun to chat with Lynnae and Brip Blap . I don’t know when it’ll appear but I’ll keep you all posted.

Why not start the roundup right with a couple posts from Lynnae and Steve? Steve’s latest post is about work life balance. We deal with it here as well, my wife has a 40 minute commute that artificially inflates her “at work” time by an hour and a half each way. Fortunately her office is moving to a new facility five minutes away, but for many the answer isn’t that easy.

Lynnae has a great vacation tip for her Tightwad Tuesday series: rent a vacation home. You pay a little more but you get a lot more than if you go the regular hotel route.

Interviews!
I also had a little three question interview with Shark Investor in which I bared my soul, shared all the secrets I knew, and gave away money. I actually didn’t do any of that but I did answer three questions and had a good time doing it, go check it out.

Preparation Is Crucial
What separates the people who are financially successful and those that find themselves always mired in debt? Preparation. Money Saving Mom is a blog I just discovered that I absolutely love. Besides compiling all the great couponing deals in an easy to read manner, she’s also what I consider financially successful. I have no idea what her bank account balance is but it’s not important because of how she responded to a negative comment on her site. A commenter lambasted her about van and how she should just buy a new car. She could buy a new car, but she hadn’t planned or prepared for it… so it’s not going to happen. “But here’s the deal: while we have money in our bank account, we don’t have money saved or allotted for a new vehicle or even a used vehicle.” That thinking separates those that are financially successful and those mired in debt.

Do Not Mix Business With Friends
A post on Alpha Consumer caught my eye this week, it was a sad story of a friendship gone wrong in a business transaction. If you want a legal perspective on the case, Kim called on Kathryn Dickerson, a partner at Smolen Plevy, a Vienna, Va., law firm.

If you want my opinion, it’s that if you mix friendship with business, be very clear in expectations and get everything in writing to avoid conflicts. I’ve heard many a story where friends thought there was an understanding… until there wasn’t, because nothing was written down and memories fade.

Unlimited Usually Doesn’t Work Out
We, as human beings, are really bad at predicting usage and so this Consumerist article about NYC Unlimited Metrocards, which is highlighting a NYTimes article, isn’t that surprising. We usually overestimate how much we plan on using something and so the a la carte option, of paying as you go, may usually work out better than the unlimited option. Ahhh we are so predictably irrational!

Here are a few other great posts in the blogosphere you should check out:

• Lazy Man is selling his endorsement of Prosper loans to the highest bidder! Buy his endorsement and pay a lower rate, it’s totally worth it! (it’s a joke)
• SVB writes about the MPG illusion, fuel efficiency is on everyone’s mind with high gas prices.
• Nickel discusses freezing your credit, a great preventative measure if you don’t foresee needing credit (or don’t mind the hassle).
• Flexo wonders if we’re turning it around or is our market optimism a little early. Personally I think it’s early, all these CDOs still have to get unraveled and considering how corporate accounting works…
• I haven’t seen it yet but guess what Kung Fu Panda can teach you about becoming a millionaire!
• Need something cheap to do this weekend? How about this list of 100 free things to do this weekend from The Simple Dollar?
• Last but not least, Jeremy of GenXFinance writes from the front lines: Changing Your Risk Tolerance Based on a Bear Market.

Have a great weekend everyone!