Here are the national averages for credit card interest rates, according to Bankrate. How does yours compare?

TYPE.....FIXED......VARIABLE
Standard.....13.42%.....14.27%
Gold.....11.73%.....13.00%
Platinum.....10.32%......13.58%

If you're paying more, consider asking your credit card company to lower your rate. Seriously, it works (see exhibit a, . Or you can try and shop around for a lower rate and then initiate a balance transfer from the old credit card to the new. The best thing to do, of course, is not to carry a balance, but if you are, why pay more than you have to?

(Photo: dentranch)