One of the most popular types of credit card is the 0% balance transfer credit card. There are quite a few reasons people use these credit cards but if you are unfamiliar with the subject, you might not know what they are. So, read on to find out about three reasons people use 0% balance transfer credit cards.
Balance transfer benefits
As you might expect, one of the main reasons people use this type of credit card is because they have balance transfer benefits. This essentially means that you are able to transfer the balance from an existing credit card onto your new balance transfer card. This effectively pays off the original credit card, leaving you with just one.
Then you can pay off the outstanding balance of the new card at a 0% rate of interest, which helps to minimise what you owe and can help you pay it off quicker. Read more…
By Jeffrey Campbell on 24-01-2012
Thomas Bebb cranes his head out of his living room window to assess how many of his neighbours are unemployed. He counts the number of flats in this three-storey, brown-and-grey pebbledash block (12) and pauses to calculate how many contain people in work. There are two: a scaffolder and a nurse. Looking across the courtyard at two other blocks opposite and to the left, he can’t think of anyone with a job there either.
The high numbers of workless households on this estate help explain startling figures produced by the GMB last week revealing that nearly one in three households in Liverpool have no one in work. It is the legacy of historic industrial decline in this area, suddenly worsened by the recent round of public sector redundancies and a new, downturn-related disappearance of retail and manufacturing jobs.
For Bebb, who lost his short-term job as a parks gardener and grounds maintenance worker in November (because of cost-cutting by Liverpool city council, which is in the process of shaving 28% from its budget), the result is that he is living substantially below the poverty line.
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By Amy Turner on 21-01-2012
A short guide to some of the main issues around the government’s plan to ban all excessive surcharges on debit and credit card transactions. 560 315 TelegraphPlayer_8974974
By Andy Bloxham
10:14AM GMT 23 Dec 2011
What’s the problem?
Consumers increasingly face high fees – known as surcharges – when purchasing goods and services when paying by credit and debit cards.
Low-cost airlines are among the worst offenders, with some charging a fee per passenger, per leg of the journey, despite the fact that they only have to process one transaction.
What’s changing?
By Jeffrey Campbell on 18-01-2012
Most stock investors make one common mistake, which is buying yesterday’s winners. If a company is facing an unfavorable change due to the competitive dynamics, then paying a full price for such a company would be a money-losing proposition. So, it is important to always stay ahead of these changes in the dynamics of the industry. There seems to be one such change, which could have a negative impact and affect some of the major networks such as American Express, MasterCard, and Visa.
Payments are facilitated by card networks either by connecting cardholders as well as merchants directly or via financial institutions. The entire open-loop structure normally consists of the card issuing authority such as a bank, networks, and the merchants. The issuer will issue cards to their customers with the particular network visible on the card. M
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By Brandon Morris on 15-01-2012
Last year, colleges in California, alumni groups, and university foundations made around $6.6 million in royalties, from the agreements they made with the card issuers. Over 3,000 new accounts were opened, as per the Federal Reserve Board report in July.
Under this agreement, banks could get exclusive access to market credit cards to the alumni groups as well as university students. Royalties are paid to universities and related organizations depending on the number of new credit card accounts that are opened.
There has been a decline in revenue from all these branded credit cards over the last year, according to the annual report. However, consumer advocates have stated that the decline was partly due to the CARD Act of 2009.
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By Amy Turner on 15-01-2012
With banks across the country tightening their credit policies, sole proprietors and small business owners have increasingly turned towards traditional unsecured credit cards, to support their businesses financially. Credit cards provide business owners with added cash flow and increased flexibility when purchasing goods or services.
Informed consumers should research the market thoroughly before making a credit decision and use credit card finder tool such as the one on this page.
Slick marketing pieces are stuffed in thick envelopes, coming from banks heretofore unseen and unheard of. E-mail boxes are crammed full each morning with all manners of credit offers. Sifting through these offers is a potential nightmare.
Do I need a business credit card?
Few business people could survive without credit, and securing purchases with a credit card is still the most popular and convenient way to do business in the United States today.
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