CNN article from 2001
Lower your credit card rate
November 2, 2001: 3:25 p.m. ET
Credit card holders find it hard to latch onto the interest-rate freefall.
By Sarah Max
"While you're shopping for the lowest rates, you may notice the best offers come from small banks with unfamiliar names. Arkansas' Pulaski Bank & Trust, for example, has gotten lots of kudos over the past several years for its 6.5 percent annual rate.
Unfortunately, your chances of qualifying for Pulaski's card, or any small bank's card, are slim. "Pulaski only has 32,000 accounts and is only adding 1,000 new accounts a month," McKinley said. "About one in 100 applicants will qualify for it."
Even if you do beat the odds and qualify, don't expect to transfer big balances and shop like Imelda Marcos. The average credit limit for Pulaski cardholders is about $1,600.
You're more likely to qualify for the better rates and bigger credit limits if you focus on the largest issuers, such as Bank of America, Bank One/First USA, Capital One, Citibank and MBNA. Although 9 percent is about as low as they go, they don't limit their best offers to just the very best applicants and they are willing to take on larger balances. "If you're looking to transfer a $5,000 balance, you need to look to the largest issuers," McKinley said."