I've written many times about credit cards, even about which cards have been rated as the best. But the other day, when visiting CardWeb.com, a website offering useful credit card information, I saw what might be the silliest review of credit cards I've ever seen. It was a list of the "most-attractive" new cards introduced in 2005.
The winners included the American Express
I have two main problems with this list.
My first problem is that it's an incredibly silly and rather pointless list. And I should know, as I've written some silly things for the Fool. There are lots of factors to consider when you're looking for a credit card for yourself, such as the interest rate, the grace period, the presence or absence of an annual fee, other fees and penalties, and so on. (Learn all about how to pick the right card in our Credit Center, which will also open your eyes to some surprising things about the credit card industry.) How nifty the card looks should be pretty low on your list, if it's on your list at all.
My next beef with the list is that it's misleading. Anyone reviewing the winners, in my opinion, is likely to be rather nonplussed, as they're not too exciting. Worse, one might conclude that if these are the most attractive, there's no hope of finding a spiffy card. That would be unfortunate, since I know of several very nifty cards. Forgive me for possibly exhibiting some bias here, but I'd like to introduce you to our own Motley Fool credit cards.
I know it seems self-serving -- and it is -- but it can serve you, too, since our cards are competitive with the best out there. When we struck our deals to offer these cards, we didn't do so quickly. We took our time negotiating the best deals we could for our fellow Fools and ourselves. That's why you'll find low rates, cash back, rewards, and more. Better still, the cards are pretty snazzy. On many occasions when I have whipped my card out at a cash register, I've received compliments on it.
So if you want an attractive card, and one that should serve you well, look at ours and compare it with others. If you just want a card that lets you keep as many of your dollars in your own pocket as possible, good for you -- that's a sensible goal.
Learn more in our Credit Center and in these articles:
- The 8 Commandments of Credit
- How to Owe $40,000 by Doing Nothing
- Urban Credit Legends Exposed!
- $24 Billion to Card Companies . for What?
- Sneaky Credit Card Tactics
Longtime Fool contributor Selena Maranjian does not own shares of any companies mentioned in this article.