Avoid these 10 common scams
Nathalie Bonney
17.11.09
As fraudsters get more sophisticated and the recession renders us more vulnerable to their wiles, we need to be on our guard. Nathalie Bonney reveals the 10 most common scams and how to avoid them.
Free credit cards could be scrapped
Rebecca Atkinson
09.11.09
Paying an annual fee for a credit card could become the norm, as bad debts, regulation and funding constraints put unsustainable pressure on lenders, a new report has warned.
The pros and cons of currency cards
Rebecca Atkinson
07.07.09
It costs to use your plastic abroad and taking cash is risky. Pre-paid currency cards offer an alternative way to pay. Rebecca Atkinson looks at the advantages and disadvantages of this payment method.
Credit card cheques banned
Rebecca Atkinson
02.07.09
The Government has proposed an outright ban on unsolicited credit card cheques under new plans to tackle the high levels of personal debt in the UK.
Card providers scrap fee-free overseas deals
Rebecca Atkinson
04.03.09
Nationwide is to scrap its fee-free policy on foreign transactions for both its credit card and debit card VISA customers.
Are green deals a gift or a gimmick?
Hannah Ricci
13.01.09
From loans to credit cards, there are now many products that claim they can help us do our bit to combat climate change. Hannah Ricci casts a critical eye over their green credentials.
Find a 0% balance transfer credit card
Rebecca Atkinson
02.01.09
If you put Christmas on credit then you could save serious money by finding a 0% deal now. But beware a catch called negative payment hierarchy.
Make sure your plastic matches your wallet
Nathalie Bonney
09.12.08
Credit cards offer the utmost in convenience, but in the current climate it pays to be extra wary. Nathalie Bonney scans the market to find the best deals for you.
Rip-off credit cards exposed
Liam Tarry
24.10.08
Credit card providers have been accused of raking in £1 billion in profit each year by reducing interest-free periods, increasing APRs and hiking balance transfer fees.
Barclaycard fined for silent calls to customers
26.09.08
Regulators have slapped the maximum possible fine on Barclaycard for bothering customers with telephone calls even when it lacks staff to deal with them.
Barclaycard unveils Goldfish deal
Rebecca Atkinson
12.09.08
Barclaycard has ramped up its credit card rewards scheme as part of the migration of 1.7 million Goldfish credit card customers.
Credit card round-up
Rebecca Atkinson
04.09.08
Research reveals holidaymakers are still relying on credit cards. Find the best cards for foreign and UK usage with Rebecca Atkinson's round-up.
Don't rely on plastic on your holidays
Joanne Christie
29.07.08
ATMs promise to provide travellers with hassle-free access to their money abroad. But, as Joanne Christie reports, relying on the hole in the wall could leave you stranded without cash.
Offset higher petrol prices with the right credit card
Rebecca Atkinson
13.07.08
Rebecca Atkinson investigates how using the right credit card to fill up your tank could help offset rising petrol prices and save you cash.
Credit card round-up
Rebecca Atkinson
26.06.08
Credit card customers on 0% balance transfer deals face being hit by massive rate rises. Rebecca Atkinson asks: is it time you started looking for a new deal?
Shoppers refuse to end love affair with plastic
Rebecca Atkinson
24.06.08
A surge in retail spending may have provided some relief from the impact of the credit crunch, but new figures show shoppers are increasingly putting their purchases on plastic. Rebecca Atkinson reports.
Mortgage and credit card delinquencies rising
22.05.08
Delinquencies on prime and non-conforming UK mortgages and on credit cards are rising as lending conditions tighten and the economy weakens.
Avoid being stung by sneaky fees (part one)
Hannah Ricci
15.05.08
Many of us skip reading the small print, but as Hannah Ricci explains, you may end up getting stung by sneaky charges buried in the jargon.
Lift the lid on smart borrowing
13.03.08
Lenders may be tightening up on who they dish their money out to, but there's no reason why savvy borrowers should be clobbered by high repayment costs, says discovers Lindsey Rogerson.
Borrowers missing the best deals
Rebecca Atkinson
13.02.08
Consumers are not shopping around for credit cards because providers make it too hard for them to compare different products, the Office of Fair Trading has warned. Rebecca Atkinson reports.
Move to a lower-interest credit card now
Rebecca Atkinson
02.01.08
It's common to use a credit card to finance your Christmas spending but many people rack up more debt by staying on high-interest credit cards.
Work off your debt
Hannah Ricci
19.12.07
An increasing buy-now-pay-later mentality is getting more and more of us into debt. Hannah Ricci shows you how to get back in control of your finances.
Finding the best deal online
Hannah Ricci
18.12.07
Price comparison websites may not be as impartial or comprehensive as they claim. Hannah Ricci takes a closer look and advises on how to make these sites work for you.
Cut the cost of Christmas
Hannah Ricci
21.11.07
Christmas will always be expensive but there are still plenty of ways to save money without turning into Mr Scrooge. Hannah Ricci reveals her top tips.
Starting a new, debt-free life
Hannah Ricci
09.10.07
An expert offers advice to a recently wed couple who are looking to clear their debts. Hannah Ricci reports.
The best credit cards and loans
Hannah Ricci
09.10.07
Choosing the right credit card or loan from the wealth of options can be tough. Hannah Ricci highlights the best deals out there.
When one card isn't enough
Laura Hinton
03.10.07
It pays to have more than one credit card in your wallet. Laura Hinton explains why.
Get your finances fighting fit
Hannah Ricci
22.08.07
Just a couple of days' hard graft could transform your finances. Hannah Ricci takes you through our boot camp.
Stop student debt becoming a disaster
CreditExpert
16.08.07
Doing your homework on your personal finances is probably a low priority when you start university, but it's easy to graduate with a crippling amount of debt.
Are over-50s accounts a rip-off?
Jeff Salway
25.07.07
Financial services companies are cashing in on the power of the over-50's 'silver pound'. Jeff Salway reports.
Summer's best credit cards
Hannah Ricci
10.07.07
Choosing a credit card can be daunting; however, now is the time to make sure you've got the right credit card in your pocket, says Hannah Ricci.
Best credit cards abroad
26.06.07
Avoid an unpleasant bank statement on your return. Hannah Ricci finds the best credit card deals for your holiday abroad.
Beware: top 10 holiday cons
Emma Lunn
26.06.07
Planning your holiday? Read our handy tips on how to avoid the financial cons this summer.
Credit cards must come clean
Jeff Salway
20.06.07
The DTI is finally cracking down on confusing and unfair practices by credit-card providers. Jeff Salway reports on a call for transparency and clarity.
Keen to be green
03.05.07
Fighting global warming is all the rage, says Jennifer Hill. Eco-friendliness has become a mainstream issue - but at what cost?
Great loans and credit cards
Hannah Ricci
19.04.07
Make sure you're offered a great rate on your credit card or personal loan this summer. Here's a round-up of the best deals.
The best credit card for you
Kirstie Redford
06.02.07
Choosing a credit card can be daunting; however, what you get out of your credit card is determined by how you use it, explains Kirstie Redford.
Top 10 credit card tips
04.02.07
From Moneywise's celebratory 200th issue - 10 golden nuggets of credit card wisdom.
New Year credit card round-up
Hannah Ricci
09.01.07
Hannah Ricci assesses the current best credit card deals available to ensure you're not paying more for your money.
Revamp your finances
Hannah Ricci
02.01.07
Even if your boss isn't feeling generous, it doesn't mean you can't have a pay rise. We show you how you could save yourself £10,000, explains Hannah Ricci.
'Touch and go' card for 2007
Jennifer Hill
14.12.06
A new 'touch and go' payment card, set for release next year, will allow Londoners to pay for their tube journey, newspaper and coffee, it was announced.
Credit fraud drops
08.11.06
Credit card and other card fraud fell 5% in the first six months of this year following the introduction of chip-and-pin technology.
Pre-pay cards: do you need one?
Hannah Ricci
29.10.06
A new type of payment card is becoming increasingly popular with teenagers, their parents and holidaymakers. Could you or someone in your family use a pre-pay card?
How to pick the right credit card
Emma Lunn
03.10.06
These days choosing a credit card is not as easy as just picking the one with the lowest interest rate, there's a lot more to it, explains Emma Lunn.
Online fraud: the real dangers
Diane Clement
21.09.06
If you're shopping and banking online keeping your details safe is vital. It's worth investing in protection for your computer as the dangers of fraud are very real, explains Diane Clement.
Smooth out your finances
Hannah Ricci
20.09.06
If you manage your borrowing carefully and are wise enough to shop around, then loans and credit cards can be an invaluable tool for smoothing your finances.
The five best credit cards
Becky Brennan
20.09.06
Rewards, cashback, hidden charges - choosing the right credit card is not just about serial switching between 0% offers but weighing up which option is best for you.
Whingeing banks should reform themselves
Peter Temple
08.08.06
If you listen to HSBC you'd think it was the debt consolidation companies that are responsible for spiralling debt. It's not. It's the banks. That's why debt consolidation is the growth industry.
Five financial products you don't need
Emma Lunn
21.07.06
There are a number of financial products and services that are often foisted on to us that we don't really need. We reveal the worst offenders and suggest alternatives.
Lick your debts into shape
Rachel Lacey
03.07.06
As borrowing becomes a fact of life for most families, more of us are becoming vulnerable to serious debt problems.
Protect yourself against Chip and PIN fraudsters
Christopher Lockhart
07.06.06
With card crime down significantly, no-one can deny that the Chip and PIN initiative has been worth it, but the fraudsters are constantly inventing new tricks.
Don't lose out on a bad exchange deal
Isabelle Kassam
11.05.06
While we shop around for cheap deals on flights, many of us get ripped off on currency exchange. So plan all your overseas spending - from which credit card you use to where you buy your currency.
How the government is strangling cheap borrowing
Martin Lewis
20.04.06
Allowing companies to share data to prevent over-borrowing is simply preventing consumers using the system to our advantage, and at the same time empowering the profiteers to make more money out of us
How to pay less for just about everything
Emma-Lou Montgomery & Helen Monks
13.04.06
Companies rely on customers' inertia to boost their profits. But it's possible to fight back. From utilities and mortgages to investments and cars, we show how you can save thousands of pounds a year
Cut-price internet calls for the masses
Brandon Gee
21.03.06
Tesco, the supermarket giant, has become the first high-street name to offer an alternative broadband phone service for internet users. So, how does it work - and will it offer good value for money?
Pay with PIN - but still take care
20.03.06
Modern life demands that we all remember a string of security numbers for our bank accounts, burglar alarms, office access, debit and credit cards - and more. It can be hard to remember them all but writing them down can put your funds and even your identity at risk.
How to tackle creeping debt
Hannah Ricci
17.03.06
Debts can creep up, but with time and a strict budget, you can turn your situation around
ID theft costs UK £1.7 billion a year.
14.03.06
Identity fraud is one of the fastest-growing crimes in the UK - the Home Office estimates today that it costs the country £1.7 billion a year up from £1.3 billion in 2002. So what do you do if you become a victim?
The five best credit cards
Becky Brennan
08.02.06
Rewards, cashback, hidden charges - choosing the right credit card is not just about serial switching between 0% offers, but weighing up which option is best for you
Charges on plastic are not entirely see-thru
Helen Monks
19.12.05
We could live without credit cards, but the cost of using them is becoming less transparent. And as providers entice us with low-interest deals, it's worth remembering there is no such thing as a free lunch
Reduce your credit card debt
23.11.05
Before you hit the shops it's worth making sure you've got the right credit card in your pocket.
Stop making it easy for identity fraudsters
18.10.05
A study by a leading criminologist, launched during the UK's first National Identity Fraud Prevention Week indicates that we are all making life too easy for identity thieves.
Ask the expert: Credit card defaults
Joanne Roberts
12.10.05
How much control do we have when credit card companies start passing around our debt to other parties?
A natural affinity
Sarah Das
22.09.05
Financial products that let you support organisations close to your heart are highly popular, but are they a good deal?
Cheap credit, prestige plastic
Sarah Modlock
26.08.05
Did you know standard credit card interest rates can be as low as 5.8%?
Invasion of the identity snatchers
23.08.05
Anyone with a bank account or plastic can be a target of fraud - and we may not realise it until it's too late.
How to repair your credit history
17.12.04
We're always telling you to shop around for the best deal on credit cards but what do you do if you end up in the situation where no providers want to lend you money because, for whatever reason, they decide you're too big a risk?
The best credit cards for your pocket
Sam Barrett
17.12.04
We love to spend on credit cards - but the costs can be crippling unless we know how to use them to our advantage. Sam Barrett picks the best deals to suit all needs
Choose the right credit card
27.08.04
Credit card companies fill our mailboxes with seductive offers. Choose wisely, Sarah Modlock says, and you can have your cake and eat it.