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Balance Transfer to Chase Flexible Rewards Platinum Visa Chase Flexible Rewards Platinum Visa®


Chase Flexible Rewards Platinum Visa
Intro APR: 0%

 Issuer: Chase Manhattan Bank
SOME PEOPLE GET ALL THE REWARDS. We call them BankOne Cardmembers.Why limit yourself to one kind of reward?
You can choose from over 150 rewards, including free travel. No other card offers you the same flexibility.

New! Choose from all kinds of rewards

Earn1 point for every $1 in purchases. Then you can start claiming rewards for as little as 2,000 points!*

You'll also enjoy a number of Visa® Signature benefits, and 1000 bonus points after your first purchase. All for a low annual program fee of just $59!1

*Valid for introductory period so long as you comply with the terms of your account. Also, we apply payments to introductory balances before balances with higher APRs. This means that the length of your introductory period may vary based on your payment amounts and the APRs for other balances on your account.





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There are a number of reasons for taking out a mortgage to finance your property in France aside from the obvious necessity for extra funds.

Firstly, it can be a good way to invest even small amounts of capital if it is possible to leverage a sizeable mortgage that will be covered by the rental return of the property. Any increase in the value of the property could reap great rewards on just a small investment of say 10 or 15% of the value of the property.

Secondly, you may have other priorities for your money such as your own business investment, shares or renovation works to your property that you view as bringing a greater return on your investment.

Thirdly, it can be a great way to reduce the inheritance tax liability on your French property by lowering its net value - especially if the inheritance rates are higher in France than back home.

Increasing Your Domestic (UK) Mortgage:

This can be the easiest way to get your mortgage as there will be far less paperwork and initial set up fees. Money comes out of your bank account in the currency in which you are paid thereby making it easier to forecast your budget .... BUT .... Interest rates in the UK are currently higher than those on the continent so repayments could be reduced substantially by raising the mortgage in France.

Getting a Mortgage in France:

Interest rates are likely to be lower than current UK rates.

Your assets and liabilities will be balanced so that if the mortgage cannot be paid you do not lose your home in the UK, just the one in France.

Your UK property will retain its equity so that it is available if you need to use it to borrow money in the future in the UK.

If your French home is rented out then you can offset the mortgage repayments against rental income so that your tax liabilities are reduced.

Inheritance tax can be reduced by taking out a mortgage on your property in France as this will reduce its net value.

BUT ....If you live and work in the UK, then you are at the mercy of exchange rate fluctuations so that if the Euro suddenly appreciates in value you will have to make larger repayments from your English account to cover the mortgage. For example, if the exchange rate moves from 1.6 to 1.4 Euros to the pound (an appreciation in the value of the Euro), on a 200,000 Euro mortgage with an interest only basis of 5% p.a. then annual repayments rise from £6,250 to £7,143.

The reverse can also happen but you must calculate if you can cope or not with such fluctuations. You can, of course, also enter into forward contracts with currency specialists where you buy your Euros up to two years in advance to protect yourself against currency fluctuations.

You must also take tax and legal advice to ensure that the mortgage documentation complies with both British and French law.

What next?

If you decide that you do want to take out a mortgage in France, specialist agencies like Leapfrog Properties can help you by putting you in touch with trustworthy mortgage brokers and banks who will endeavour to offer you the best quote possible. This should be arranged "in principle" before you set off to France in order to avoid any untimely delays once you go ahead with your property acquisition.

Both fixed as well as variable rates of interest are available depending on your financial situation and although interest and capital repayment mortgages over a 10 or 15 year period are the norm there are also interest only mortgages available.

For other articles on buying a property in France, see www.leapfrog-properties.com/articles.


  • Transfer your balance to Chase Flexible Rewards Platinum Visa®

  • Over the past two years, the Federal Reserve has raised interest rates substantially. Consequently, credit card annual percentage rates have followed suit. Nearly all credit cards tie their interest rates to the prime rate, which has doubled to 8% from 4% during the string of rate hikes that began in 2004. This has led to interest rates on credit cards rising by 30% or more. Since August of 2006, the Federal Reserve has kept interest rates steady, and many economists believe the next move may be a reduction in rates. However, the rate reductions have yet to begin, and credit card interest rates remain relatively high.

    For those who carry balances on their credit cards, high interest rates have resulted in higher monthly bills, with many seeing their minimum payment increase substantially. Fortunately, now, more than in recent years, 0% credit cards offer a safe harbor from high rates. There are two basic types of 0% credit cards: those that offer a 0% rate on balance transfers, and those that offer a 0% on purchases. The best credit cards offer 0% interest on both. How much savings can these credit cards provide? Let’s take a look at the math.

    Let’s assume you’re carrying a balance of $10,000. If you simply pay the minimum each month, you will accrue close to $2000 in interest over the course of a year, thanks to daily compounding balances (too bad savings accounts don’t pay that type of interest). With a 0% balance transfer, you can expect to save all of that money, plus, you’ll be given time to pay down that debt. When the 0% period expires, not only is there a chance your interest rate will be lower, but, if rates do not go down, you can always transfer the balance to another 0% credit card. Plus, if you make a minimum payment of $150 a month, your balance at the end of the year will be closer to $8200, rather than $12,000. That’s quite a difference.

    Now, if you’re fortunate enough to have no credit card debt, a 0% interest rate can be handy tool to avoid interest expenses on new purchases and free up some cash in the short term. Need a new fridge? Have to fix your car? Want granite counters for the kitchen? With a 0% credit card, you can defer the cost of these expenses for a year while taking advantage of high interest rates. How? By placing the cash that would have left your bank account into a high-yield savings account and taking advantage of rewards credit cards.

    Let’s assume you will make $10,000 of purchases over the next few months. Using a credit card with a 0% interest rate and 1% cashback rewards, coupled with a high-yield savings account with a 4% interest rate can put about $500 extra in your pocket over the course of the year.

    Of course, not everyone pays their balance in full each month. With average credit card interest rates in the 12% to 15% range, carrying a monthly balance of only $1000 can cost close to $150 a year. Saving $150 in interest charges may not be a fortune, but its surely enough to buy a nice dinner with a good bottle of wine.

    No matter how you use your credit card, a 0% interest credit card can have a positive effect on both short and long term cash flows. Given that the alternative is paying more than 12% in interest, choosing a 0% credit card in this atmosphere of high interest rates is a no-brainer.


  • Raise your credit score with a help of Credit-Rocket! Read the Chase credit card reviews
  • Tired of high charges? Find the best database for credit cards! Read the fine print and find the Annual Percentage Rate (APR). This is the interest rate the companies charge you if you carry a balance. You want the lowest rate possible; as each percentage point drop will save you money on the months you have an outstanding balance.