Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Learn the Hidden Benefits of Credit Cards [Credit Cards]

Learn the Hidden Benefits of Credit Cards [Credit Cards]

Extended care warranties, car rental insurance, trip cancellation protection—you know they're just margin boosters for companies, but you can't shake that vulnerable feeling. Personal finance author Ramit Sethi says you need only look in your wallet.

Photo by TheTruthAbout.

Sethi, author of the I Will Teach You To Be Rich blog, and book of the same name, notes that most credit cards extend purchase warranties to one year automatically, on top of the 30- or 90-day standards included in the box. Car rental insurance is also included in most card policies, and even if the airline tries to stiff you for a "late cancellation," many credit issuers grant their users $1,000-$2,000 per year in trip cancellation paybacks.

Sethi details these perks and others in a recent CNBC appearance, along with a free book chapter and related posts linked below.

What "secret" credit card perks have you discovered, accidentally or through fine print research? Share the hidden wealth in the comments.

Hidden perks of credit cards [I Will Teach You To Be Rich]