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)

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