Credit Cards
- 13.36% (all fixed)
- 14.43% (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 March 16, 2011.
The average APR for fixed-rate credit cards has been at 13.36 percent for 11 consecutive weeks. The average variable rate slipped this week to 14.43 percent, down 1 basis point from the last survey.
On Monday, Bankrate released its annual cash-back rewards study. Payout ratios on the 32 credit cards surveyed were mostly unchanged from last year. A cash-back rate of 1 percent is still the baseline return, though 28 percent of the cards offered higher payouts in certain categories of spending, and 19 percent had tiered rewards based on spending level. Introductory bonuses of some sort were offered on 41 percent of the cards.
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.
-- Leslie McFadden