Credit Cards

• 13.04% (all fixed)
• 14.45% (all variable)

Here's a look at the state of credit card rates from Bankrate.com's weekly national survey of large banks and thrifts conducted Dec. 8, 2010.

Changes in the Bankrate.com survey were the cause of some of the rate drops this week. A dwindling number of credit cards in the survey carry a fixed annual percentage rate, or APR. The removal of one fixed-rate card this week due to its new purchase rate of 59.9 percent, previously 23.9 percent, caused the average to plunge 72 basis points to 13.04 percent.

Several cards from a federal credit union were added this week. The average APR for variable-rate credit cards dropped 12 basis points to 14.45 percent.

On Tuesday, TransUnion released its annual forecast for national credit card delinquencies. The credit reporting agency, based in Chicago, predicts that the ratio of credit cardholders past due 90 or more days on at least one account will decline from a projected rate of 0.75 percent at the close of 2010 to 0.67 percent at the end of 2011.

Bankrate.com makes it easier to find cash-back credit cards and low-rate cards. You can search by issuer, card type or credit score.