0% interest credit cards

What Are 0% APR Credit Cards?

Obviously, the best credit cards are the ones that charge the lowest interest and that do so for the longest period of time. Beware of credit cards that start out with high interest rates and that tie the interest rate to any economic indicator. These variable rate cards can cost you a different amount of interest every time the indicator changes.

Some credit cards start you off with a "teaser," a temporarily lower interest rate that can last for as little as 90 days or as long as a year. The teaser rate can actually be 0%! The trick of managing your finances with this type of credit card is to take advantage of the 0% by transfering other balances to that card and paying them off as quickly as you can.

How to find 0% APR Credit Cards

Finding 0% APR credit cards that offer no interest for more than 12 months is quite rate. You can, however, find one that will suit your needs if you look at the selection on our credit card review page.

0% Interest Credit Cards

Getting 0% Interest Rate Credit Cards

The advantage of getting 0% interest rate credit cards is simple; you can use the lender's money for free. There are, however, several things you should understand before you get 0% interest rate credit cards.

• Virtually all 0% interest rate credit cards offer no interest for a limited amount of time, usually 6-12 months.


• Some of these cards do not allow you to transfer balances from high-rate interest cards during the introductory 0% offer period.


• Some 0% interest rate credit cards charge very high balance transfer fees such as origination fees of £50.


• Some of these cards also carry very high penalties for late payments and automatically switch you to a variable APR rate for a late payment.


• Some 0% interest rate cards charge very high interest after the introductory period.

Responsible Use of 0% Interest Credit Cards

It is up to you to read all of the details about every card you are considering. Make sure you understand what the long-term costs will be. If you choose to get 0% interest rate credit cards in order to transfer balances from high-rate cards, make sure you pay as much of the balance transferfed as you can before the introductory period is over.

Try not to get a new credit card to pay off an old one unless you can do so at an extremely low interest rate or 0% interest. Be careful not to transfer a large balance, such as £3,000, if you can't pay it off before the end of the introductory period. This could leave you paying a higher interest rate than the original one on the remaining balance. Be very careful to always know exactly what your credit cards will cost you.

0% Credit Cards

What Are 0% APR Credit Cards?

Obviously, the best credit cards are the ones that charge the lowest interest and that do so for the longest period of time. Beware of credit cards that start out with high interest rates and that tie the interest rate to any economic indicator. These variable rate cards can cost you a different amount of interest every time the indicator changes.

Some credit cards start you off with a "teaser," a temporarily lower interest rate that can last for as little as 90 days or as long as a year. The teaser rate can actually be 0%! The trick of managing your finances with this type of credit card is to take advantage of the 0% by transfering other balances to that card and paying them off as quickly as you can.

How to find 0% APR Credit Cards

Finding 0% APR credit cards that offer no interest for more than 12 months is quite rate. You can, however, find one that will suit your needs if you look at the selection on our credit card review page.

0% Interest Credit Cards

Getting 0% Interest Rate Credit Cards

The advantage of getting 0% interest rate credit cards is simple; you can use the lender's money for free. There are, however, several things you should understand before you get 0% interest rate credit cards.

• Virtually all 0% interest rate credit cards offer no interest for a limited amount of time, usually 6-12 months.


• Some of these cards do not allow you to transfer balances from high-rate interest cards during the introductory 0% offer period.


• Some 0% interest rate credit cards charge very high balance transfer fees such as origination fees of £50.


• Some of these cards also carry very high penalties for late payments and automatically switch you to a variable APR rate for a late payment.


• Some 0% interest rate cards charge very high interest after the introductory period.

Responsible Use of 0% Interest Credit Cards

It is up to you to read all of the details about every card you are considering. Make sure you understand what the long-term costs will be. If you choose to get 0% interest rate credit cards in order to transfer balances from high-rate cards, make sure you pay as much of the balance transferfed as you can before the introductory period is over.

Try not to get a new credit card to pay off an old one unless you can do so at an extremely low interest rate or 0% interest. Be careful not to transfer a large balance, such as £3,000, if you can't pay it off before the end of the introductory period. This could leave you paying a higher interest rate than the original one on the remaining balance. Be very careful to always know exactly what your credit cards will cost you.

Cheap Car Insurance

Cheap Car Insurance online

Which insurance company should you choose? Choosing the right insurance provider is very important and this site will give you information on what to look for. Budget motor insurance is only cheap if it provides adequate cover. Select a reputable company and check out any of those offering budget vehicle insurance at heavily discounted prices; it is quite possible that the cover they are providing will be inadequate to your needs. What is the excess on the policy? Do they provide a replacement vehicle whilst yours is being repaired?

Young Driver Car Insurance

Young driver insurance - Because the majority of motor claims to insuring companies involve drivers under the age of 25 premiums for young drivers are necessarily much higher and can be prohibitively expensive or even unobtainable for high performance or sports cars. One solution is to add the young driver to an existing policy which will be cheaper but means that the young driver will not accrue a no claims bonus.

Car Insurance for a Woman

Car insurance for women is cheaper! Yes - the myths about women drivers are totally false. Actuarial statistics prove that women drivers have fewer claims and hence their premiums are less. Shop around for a womans motor insurance policy and save yourself money.

Sports and performance car insurance

It is always worthwhile looking for a specialist performance and sports car broker. General companies will not turn your business away but will charge you a hefty premium. There are smaller car insurance specialists who will offer you far better terms - the same applies for classic car insurance. Instant online car insurance - The internet has provided everyone with the chance to shop around for the best deals available but there are so many sites to choose from. If you are looking to insure your motor vehicle cheaply start your quest with this essential directory which will help you to obtain your quote online.

Summary

The Internet has changed the way we do business and affected our lives in many ways. The insurance industry is no exception to this massive change. We now can search for online cheap car insurance in the UK as well as many other types of insurance. Comparing companies, understanding various insurance terms, educating ourselves on what we need to know has been made so much easier than it used to be.

The insurance companies benefit as well. Now they do not have to provide support personnel to address all of your questions, you can do this yourself on the Internet while browsing their help pages in the comfort of your home or office. You can even save them more time as well by entering all of the relevant information required to give you a proper quote for cheap car insurance. Online cheap car insurance can usually save you a lot of money just by eliminating the overhead. There are other ways to save money as well.

You can visit our directory of the UK's cheapest motor insurer's on this site now or continue to read about some of the ways you may be able to maximize your savings.

2.1 million properties hit by inheritance tax

There has been a three-fold rise in the number of properties above the inheritance tax threshold in the past five years, the Halifax bank has said.


Their research shows that 2.1 million UK households or 12% of all owner-occupied properties now see the value of their home above the inheritance tax threshold (£275,000) compared to 800,000 households just five years ago.

In one in ten local authorities the average house price is above the threshold.

At the moment, people have to pay tax at a 40 per cent rate on inherited assets worth more than £275,000. That threshold is scheduled to rise to £300,000 in the tax year 2007/08.

However Martin Ellis, the chief economist at the Halifax, said more action was needed: ?We call on the government to link the threshold to house price inflation.

?According to our figures, the inheritance tax threshold would be raised to £406,600 if it were increased in line with the rise in house prices over the past ten years ? more than £130,000 above its current level.?

Shadow chancellor George Osborne said: ?Hundreds and thousands of hard working families who happen to live in parts of the country where property is expensive are being penalised.?

Credit card interest rates climbing

Credit card companies are increasing their interest rates and cutting benefits - but it could be a good thing for consumers.

In the last two months the average interest rate charged by UK card providers has risen from 14.90 to 15.04 per cent.

This increase means that, as a whole, credit card holders are now paying around £78.3 million more a year in interest, independent comparison service uSwitch.com calculates.

But with profit margins being stretched ever-thinner by people switching balances between card providers, increasing rates is seen by some as a more ethical way of reclaiming profit margins than other tactics being used in the market.

"In many ways this might be what the market needs," said Nick White, uSwitch head of personal finance.

"If the whole market did this there would be an opportunity for banks to curb underhand practices and ultimately rely less on payment protection insurance sales and 'hidden charges'."

The Financial Services Authority, Which? and Citizen's Advice have all lambasted the sale of payment protection insurance recently - with Which? saying it is "expensive, gives limited cover, and can be useless for the self-employed or those on contracts".

Insurers reject these claims. With Stephen Haddrill, director general of the Association of British Insurers (ABI), commenting: "Payment protection insurance is a valuable product. Insurers and lenders are committed to driving up selling standards. We will look closely at the particular concerns highlighted by the FSA, and will discuss these with them, as well as discussing our own improvements."

Home Insurance Quote

Getting a Home Insurance Quote

Getting a home insurance quote used to be a hassle: you would dig out the Yellow Pages, sit on the phone for hours and talk to insurance rep after insurance rep until you found a price that was slightly less than the value of your house. These days it's much easier: direct sellers such as Direct Line make it easy to get a home insurance quote without dealing with middlemen, and the advent of the Internet has made it possible to compare a whole bunch of home insurance quotes in a matter of minutes.

When it comes to getting a home insurance quote, different firms take different approaches. Direct Line and Egg ask you a few simple questions, whereas firms such as Admiral ask endless questions and bore you rigid. Others won't give you a home insurance quote at all: Swinton simply asks you to phone the company, while the more enlightened Liverpool Victoria has a "quick quote" button that gives you a ballpark price so that you can decide whether it's worthwhile giving them a phone.

Before you get a home insurance quote you'll need to know some key details: the value of your house, and the value of your contents. If you guess, you could end up without sufficient insurance in the event of disaster.

You'll also need to decide whether you want accidental damage cover or legal protection; most policies include these as optional extras, and you can ignore them if you want to keep your premium down.

Finding your Home Insurance Quote with Finance Choices

Finance Choices has scoured the home insurance market to help you find the best deal possible. Visit our home insurance page for some of the hottest deals around plus reviews of dozens of the leading home insurance providers on the UK market today.

Home Owners Insurance

Why should i take out home owners insurance?

Homeowners insurance policies are often overlooked by people looking to cut costs and save themselves some money. In fact, around a quarter of UK households are not protected by any form of homeowners insurance. That is despite the fact that over 1 in 3 of us will get burgled at some point in our lives. Not to mention the damage that fire, storms, flooding and other catastrophes can cause. Around six million households are throwing themselves open to severe financial loss in the event of burglary or some other nasty occurrence. Homeowner insurance provides varying levels of cover against such unhappy events.

There are two basic types of homeowner insurance that it is advisable to take out to protect your property.

Buildings cover - This protects the basic structure of your property, such as the walls, roof and foundations.

Contents cover - This protects your belongings and possessions that are not part of the fabric of your house. You do not have to be a homeowner to take out this type of cover. If you are renting, it is wise to have this sort of policy.

Many people get their buildings cover in with their mortgage and usually have an option to get contents insurance as well. Oddly enough, when the two are purchased together, you end up with one policy called buildings and contents insurance.

About Home Owners Insurance

Home insurance policies are designed to protect your dwelling and personal property against losses from the perils listed in your policy.

Home owners insurance rates vary widely based on geographic location. Areas prone to hurricanes, floods, hail, earthquakes, fires and other natural disasters will generally have higher rates. Even the distance to the nearest fire department or fire hydrant can have an impact on your home owners insurance rates.

Knowing Your Policy Is VERY Important

Coverage for Property and Possessions

Damage to the dwelling and the contents could be the biggest unexpected disaster awaiting a homeowner who has less coverage than needed. Most policies provide a stated maximum amount of coverage for the dwelling and another amount for contents.

Generally, dwelling coverage is based on replacement cost, which means that in the event of a total loss, the policy will provide reimbursement, up to the policy limit, to replace the structure. Ideally, a homeowner should buy enough insurance to completely rebuild the home, known as replacement value. This figure may not be the home's actual market value or what the owner originally paid for the home. This is especially true in a depressed or an inflated market or if the home is simply not replaceable to its condition prior to the loss. Replacement cost policies, which may pay over the policy limit to rebuild the home, may be available from your insurer.

To determine how much insurance to purchase, an accurate appraisal of the home for replacement cost should be made. Working with your insurance company is important in this process. Most insurers recommend or require that a homeowner insure the dwelling for 100 percent of its full replacement value. Some homes, very unique ones such as national register-types or very elaborate ones, cannot be insured for exact replacement since some features are not replaceable in either workmanship, materials or practical costs. The insurer and/or the agent is the best source for these issues.

Coverage for personal property is different. Most policies provide actual cash value coverage for contents which includes depreciation, or full value contents without depreciation. Actual cash value means that if a power surge blows out a 10-year-old television set, the homeowner should know what to expect. Unlike full value contents coverage, which would essentially provide a new television set, actual cash value coverage allows the insurance company to calculate the useful life of the item and then depreciate the item to present value. A depreciated 10-year-old television set would be insured for only a fraction of its original cost. A homeowner may want to consider replacement cost coverage to be sure that the contents are adequately insured.

In addition to making sure that contents are covered for replacement cost rather than actual cash value, homeowners should purchase additional coverage for items that would ordinarily be subject to loss limitations. Virtually all policies cover contents loss up to the policy limit for items that include furniture, clothing, toys, accessories such as lamps and other items which are used for decor. Explicit limitations are set in the policy for high-cost items such as jewelry, fine art, furs, electronics, collectibles, oriental rugs and antiques. If a thief comes in and steals a two-carat engagement ring, it will not be covered well enough without what is commonly known as a personal property rider to cover specific, costly items. For more information on home owners insurance visit our specialist site below.

Home Owners Liability Coverage

Liability insurance is very important to a homeowner's coverage because it helps protect the owner and the family from financial disaster if someone files a claim against the homeowner's policy, sues the homeowner or if the courts hold the homeowner legally responsible for someone else's injury or property damage. The standard liability limit for most policies is £100,000, but many people believe that additional protection is needed , especially if the homeowner has sizable assets.

For a small increase in premium, an additional £300,000 to £500,000 may be obtained. Liability coverage protects in three ways: Personal liability, damage to the property of others, and medical expenses for injury to others.

Another way to protect one's assets is to consider an Umbrella Policy which usually adds £1 million (or possibly more) in excess liability coverage to the homeowner's property and automobile insurance policies. It also covers claims excluded from most basic policies such as libel, slander, defamation and mental anguish.

For example, most policies provide liability coverage that covers not only accidents that occur on the insured property but accidents that occur elsewhere. If the family dog bites a neighbor in front of another neighbor's house, for example, the dog owner's homeowner's policy will usually compensate the neighbor for injuries and necessary medical expenses. For more information on home owners insurance visit our specialist site below.

Theft Off Premises

Most policies automatically insure against the loss of personal property even if that property is not on the insured premises when it is lost. If one goes to the airport with several suitcases and they are stolen, this is probably covered. Talk with your agent and/or your insurance company for details.

Additional Living Expenses

Another automatic benefit of which many homeowners are unaware is coverage for living expenses if the covered premises is damaged to the point of being uninhabitable. Not only should the policy pay for the cost to repair the damage to the dwelling, but it should also reimburse the homeowner for the additional expenses of living elsewhere while the repairs are being made. For more information and rates on home owners insurance visit our specialist site below.

What Can A Homeowner Do To Be Prepared?

How does someone find out what is and what is not covered? Read the policy carefully. It's not likely to be fun reading, but the good news is that if one reads and understands his or her policy before it is needed, this knowledge may save unexpected financial losses should a problem occur. It is always best to talk with one's insurance agent or the company that issued the policy for details.

Understanding your homeowners insurance policy is best handled before a claim is made. In the case of the contents, an inventory of items room by room is important to have with information such as the date purchased, serial number, the original cost of each item and a brief description. Video tape or still photos is very helpful along with the inventory. These items should be stored in a safe place such as a safety deposit box in a bank or savings and loan institution and not in the home because if the home is destroyed, the chances are the inventory and related photos or tape may also be destroyed.

Save Money On Your Homeowners Insurance

Insurance is a highly competitive business and the price paid by the consumer for homeowners insurance may vary by hundreds of dollars, depending on the insurance company with which the consumer intends to do business.

Companies offer several types of discounts, but they may not always offer the same discount or the same amount of discount. That is why the consumer should ask his or her insurance agent or company representative about any discounts that are available.

What should a prospective homeowners policy holder think about when assessing which policy to obtain? Here are several ideas for potentially lowering costs.

Shop Around
Prices vary so it pays to shop around. Ask friends, check the Yellow Pages, refer to consumer guides, insurance agents, the consumer phone line of the state's insurance commissioner's office and the companies for price information.

Raise the deductible
Deductibles are the amount of money the homeowner pays toward a loss before the insurance company starts to pay according to the terms of the policy. Deductibles on homeowners policies typically start at £250. By increasing the deductible to £500, £1,000, £2,500, or £5,000, discounts may be obtained, depending on the insurance company.

Buy home and auto policies from the same insurer
Some companies that sell homeowners and auto coverage may reduce their premium if two or more policies are purchased from them. When buying a home, consider how much insuring it will cost. A new home's electrical, heating and plumbing systems and overall structure are likely to be in better shape than those of an older house. Insurers may offer a discount if the house is new. Choice of construction materials and design could reduce the premium. Brick, because of its resistance to wind damage, is better in Georgia. Proximity to fire station, firefighters and fire hydrants also affects premiums.

Insure the house, not the land
The land under the house isn't at risk from theft, windstorm, fire and other perils covered in a homeowners policy. Therefore, the value of the land should not be included in deciding how much homeowners insurance to buy.

Beef up home security
Some insurance companies offer discounts for smoke detectors, burglar and fire alarm systems, or dead-bolt locks. Others offer discounts for homes equipped with a sprinkler system and fire detection and burglar alarms that ring at the police station or at a monitoring facility. Before buying such a system, consumers should check with their insurers to validate that such as system will be eligible for a discount and how much the device or system would cost. Most importantly, the consumer should know how much may be saved on premiums.

Stop smoking
Smoking accounts for more than 23,000 residential fires in a year nationwide. That's why some insurers offer to reduce premiums if all the residents in a house do not smoke.

Seek out discounts for seniors
Retired people stay at home more and spot fires sooner than working people. Retirees also have more time to maintain their homes. If a homeowner is at least 55 years old and retired, he or she may qualify for a discount at some companies.

Compare the limits in the policy with the value of the possessions in the home at least once a year.

Policies should cover any major purchases or additions to the contents of the home. Remember that additions to the physical structure of the home should be reported to your agent or insurance company for a reevaluation of the limits of your policy. In addition, review your contents which may require a special scheduling on your policy. Such items include jewelry, watches, furs and computers to name a few. If you have sold or given away special schedule items, they should removed from your policy.

Are You Adequately Protected?

Because there are so many options and variables associated with home owners insurance we recommend that you find a company in your area that specialises in home owner insurance. It is very possible to save hundreds of pounds a year by simply shopping rates and coverage.

For more information on home owners insurance in the UK visit our home insurance page

The Suite Card from BBVA

The Suite Card from BBVA

BBVA and the website hotelopia have launched a co-branded credit card, called the Suite Card.

Customers using the card will earn points when booking hotels via hotelopia, which can in future be exchanged against further bookings on the website.

The Suite Card also offers customers using the website a ten per cent discount on hotel reservations worldwide.

Javier Bernal, manager of innovation and development at BBVA, said this product "will enable BBVA to enter the UK tourist market by launching the Suite Card, which links leisure, personal finance and the Internet ? three areas of life with great development potential".

It is hoped that the card will also be linked to other tourist services and products in the future.

Benefits of The Suite Card

• Get a free hotel night for two when you first use your card.


• Turn your everyday expenses into free hotel night at over 16,000 hotels


• Exlusive hotel offers and discounts


• Never pay more for your hotels with our lowest price guarantee


• Typical 14.9% APR (variable)


• No annual fee

How to Earn Points

• You earn 10 Suite Points for every £50 you spend on The Suite Card. Think of your average monthly expenditure on your current card and divide it by 5. That's how many points you can earn each month.


• Book your hotel accommodation at the best price guaranteed with Hotelopia at the Suite Card website
  
  Pay with your Suite Card and you'll receive:
  120 Suite Points for every £50 you spend.


• Hotels are graded by colour according to level of luxury, location and season.

For more information visit the BBVA Suite Card website below.

Apply now

British youth afraid of money

A large number of young Britons are afraid of "crucial" money management tasks.


According to a survey by Barclays, almost one 16 to 24-year-old in three (29 per cent) could not prepare or manage a weekly budget, with almost half (47 per cent) not knowing how to apply for benefits.

"This research clearly indicates that we still have a long way to go when it comes to teaching young people how to manage their finances, and giving them the ?cash confidence? needed for their next steps in life; whether it be study, employment or training," said Peter Kelly, head of financial inclusion for Barclays.

The bank also uncovered that two young Brits in three do not know about the Entry to Employment programme and 58 per cent are unaware of the Help with Health Costs allowance.

But while they are unaware of theses schemes, Barclays finds that many could be eligible for benefits including almost £2,000 in Working and Child Tax Credits, or up to £1,500 in Education Maintenance Allowance or Jobseekers Allowance.

Mr Kelly added: "Although the research indicated that almost one quarter (21 per cent) registered staying out of debt or getting into money trouble as the most important to them at this stage in life, the realities were that very few actually knew how to avoid this happening and only 38 per cent were able to name any sources of support, advice or resources available.

"We are particularly concerned about those young people who are not aware of the full range of benefits and allowances available to them when starting out or if they are in disadvantaged circumstances."

To try to address this, Barclays has developed MoneySkills and moneychoices - resource packages available for youth workers and advice agencies.

They are available free here.

Brits saving and not borrowing for Christmas

UK residents would rather raid their savings than borrow money to fund the festive season, new research reveals.

Nine out of ten Britons claim they will cover the cost of Christmas from money squirreled away during the rest of the year - rather than add to their debts figures from MyCallcredit show.

Consumer affairs director at the credit report firm, Mel Mitchley, described these findings as "really encouraging".

"There?s a lot of emphasis on lenders to lend responsibly but there is also an onus on the individual to borrow responsibly. Our survey shows that message is getting through and it?s going to be individuals who are piling on the pounds this Christmas, not their debts," he added.

The firm found that more women (10.4 per cent) than men (8.8 per cent) plan to borrow money to pay for the Yuletide spending splurge.

But one in four of these men adds that more than half their costs will go on credit cards, compared with just one in eight women.

However, 67 per cent of these Christmas credit users say they will have paid off their festive debt within three months.

And the holiday season can be costly, with figures from MyCallcredit indicating that 34.8 per cent of Brits think Christmas will cost £500 or more.

Over 65s think they will spend the least, with two in five saying Christmas will cost them under £250 - almost double the national average.

However, the 35.6 per cent of people paying for the holiday season from their savings might be missing a trick.

This is because by paying for Christmas items on a credit card with zero per cent on introductory offer on purchases such as HSBC's Christmas credit card, and then paying this off with in the introductory period (usually six to 12 months), means you can spread the cost of the festive season for free - while leaving your savings to build up interest.

Barclays Home Insurance

Barclays Home Insurance Challenge

Barclays Home Insurance has issued a price to challenge to customers, stating if someones current home insurance price can't be matched, it will match it and give the customer 25 when they switch.

The insurance already offers competitive rates, stating 60 per cent of its customers are saving with the provider, compared to other insurers' rates.

Now, its new price challenge is available to anyone, but only through its Barclays and Woolwich Branch Network.

For those wishing to take up the challenge, all it requires is a visit to a local branch of Barclays, taking along a copy of an existing policy.

A like-for-like quote will then be given, and if the existing policy is cheaper Barclays will "match the price" and give the customer a "Capital Bonds voucher for 25".

About Barclays Home Insurance

Barclay now offers Home Insurance. Barclays believe that if you take out a Barclays Home Protection Plan and they could cut the cost of your cover by up to 40 per cent. Benefits of the Home Protection Plan include a choice of buildings or contents insurance so you can take out exactly what you need and 24 hour help lines. Barclays won?t charge extra for paying your premium over monthly instalments. To entice you into their products, Barclays will even refund any charge made by your current provider to switch to Barclays. See what the reviews say.

Barclays claim to be able to save uo to 40% on home insurance. They offer buildings and contents insurance, and if you switch from your current provider they will pay any charges that are incurred up to £25.

On contents insurance, Barclays offer a new for old policy, and it is possible to extend your cover so you are insured against every eventuality.

A major disadvantage is that you can't get a quote online, which is strange because all other areas of the Barclays website are really up to date. A lot of shopping around takes place online, so I think Barclays would benefit from offering the same online application processes as its competitors.

Barclays Home Insurance - Apply Now

Low Interest Credit Cards

If you are searching for low interest credit cards in the United Kingdom, then you have come to the right place.

Major credit card companies are desperate for new customers with good credit ratings to sign up for their cards, and most are now willing to offer a zero percent introductory interest rate (0% APR) for up to six months or more.

This is effectively a free loan! So why not take full advantage of this situation now and play the credit card companies at their own game?

Remember, before the six months introductory period is up, it is time to move on to another credit card company, and transfer that balance!

It only takes a few minutes of your time to sign up, and you will start saving money on interest on outstanding credit card balances as soon as your transferred the balance to your new card. It's as simple as that!

Best Low Interest Credit Cards

Most borrowers don?t shop around before applying for a new credit card and inevitably fail to get the best credit card deal. Most people think they just haven?t got the time to sift through all of the information available. With so many interest free credit cards and low interest credit cards on offer, finding the best credit card for you can be a headache. This site makes is easy for you to shop around and compare what is on offer.

If you have a debt on you're current card it makes sense to transfer the outstanding balance to a card offering 0% for credit card balance transfers.

It Pays to Shop Around

The aim of this website is to summarise what each credit card is offering in a clear and simple format by providing consumers with a comparison service that does the shopping around automatically. You can see at a glance which cards offer introductory rates, low interest rates, cashback deals, reward programs and which cards could save you money by providing a 0% credit card balance transfer facility or interest free credit on purchases.

Recent research revealed that more than 60% of people don't know the interest rate they are currently being charged on their credit card. Only 32% of people questioned said they chose their card provider because it offered a low interest rate. At the same time 78% admitted they had never changed their credit card and were probably on a deal that was out of date, while 58% said they simply get their plastic from their bank.

If you've had your current credit card for a couple of years or have a card provided by your bank, it is very likely you are paying significantly more in interest than you need to. The UK credit card market has traditionally been characterised by customer apathy with many people sticking with the first card they receive which is quite often a card provided by their bank. This does not have to be the case as switching credit card providers is very easy and there are some very good deals for credit card balance transfers.

Simply view our low interest credit card comparison table in order to find the right card for you. We have also reviewed all of the leading credit card providers in the UK today so you can get both Bruce and my opinions plus the views of our readers on the best credit card for you.

Car Insurance Quote

What you will need to apply for a car insurance quote online

Before you apply for a car insurance quote online you should ensure you have the following details to hand in order to complete the application form.

If you have applied for car insurance before you should have:

• Your renewal proposal form listing your car and personal details - make sure they haven't changed.


• If you have changed your car, make sure you have the registration, make, model and engine size details to hand.


• The number of years No Claims Discount or details of any accidents that you may have had during the past five years


• Your credit card or payment details

If this is the first time you have applied for car insurance you will be asked for the following information:

• Personal details including your date of birth and postcode and licence details


• Car details - including registration number, make, model and engine size


• Use of the car - whether the car is used for business or not


• Annual Mileage


• Other drivers details including date of birth

Do you know your car's history?

If you are buying a new used car you should always check out its history with the AA.

Five Tips for Lowering your Car Insurance Premium

Have you ever wonder why car insurance costs vary from one car insurance company to the other? This is due to the different type of computation factors that car insurance companies use to derive the car insurance cost. Based on the answers that you replied to the car insurance company, they will add or discount the cost before arriving at a final price for your car insurance. Thus, it is important for you to shop around first before you commit yourself to a particular car insurance company as different companies take a different view of the various high risk factors. We will look at some of the factors that car insurance companies take into considerations.

1. Having a clean driving record.
Without a doubt, car insurance cost would increase if you have been convicted of a driving conviction. Thus, it pays to be a safe driver so that unnecessary costs won't be incurred.

2. Adding additional drivers to the policy
By adding additional drivers to the policy, extra premiums will be added. Thus, do not add in drivers into the policy just because you think that this person might be using the car in the future. Consider carefully whether it is necessary to add this person into the policy.

3. The age and gender of the driver
If the driver is under the age of 25 the rate will mostly likely be fairly high. This is due to the lack of driving experience. Usually, you will need to have over three years driving to be quoted a lower rate. Also, a single male driver rates higher than a single female. This is because males are rated as a higher risk to car insurance companies.

4. Your credit report history.
Most car insurance companies take into account of your credit history. Paying your bills on time and maintaining a good credit history will allow you to enjoy lower car insurance cost.

5. Anti-theft alarm
Fix up an electronic central locking and alarm on your car. Discount could be given by insurance companies when you have anti-theft devices install in your car.

Find the cheapest car insurance quote with Finance Choices

Bruce and I have done a lot of research into the car insurance market to help you to find the best deals for your car. Our car insurance guide will help you to find the best deal for your car insurance. We have provided you with a best buy table that shows the best deals currently available for car insurance and even whether you get a discount for buying online. We have also reviewed dozens of car insurance providers so that you can get our opinion on them plus the valued opinions of all of our readers.

Read our car insurance buyers guide now

Bankruptcies hit record high

The number of individual insolvencies has risen 46 per cent in the last year to reach record highs.


New government figures show that bankruptcies rose 30.9 per cent and Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVAs), an alternative to bankruptcy, rose 95 per cent in the three months to September, when compared to the figures for the same period last year.

"The very dramatic increase in the number of IVAs shows that record numbers of people are trying to deal with their financial difficulties without recourse to bankruptcy," said Desmond Flynn, chief executive of the Insolvency Service.

"They know that bankruptcy is not an easy option and that if bankrupts can pay towards their debts, they will pay. Discharge from bankruptcy now happens after one year and not three, but bankrupts are now liable to make contributions from their income for three years. Bankrupts have agreed to pay some £9 million this year towards their debts."

But the rise could not simply be explained by the change in the law to introduce IVAs.

Howard Archer, chief UK economist at consultancy Global Insight, noted: "Even allowing for the fact that recent changes in the legislation have made it more attractive for people to register as insolvent to deal with their financial problems, the very sharp jump ... highlights the fact that many people have borrowed to their limits.

"This has made them vulnerable to the higher interest rates that resulted from the Bank of England's tightening of monetary policy between November 2003 and August 2004 [when interest rates were raised five times], as well as to rising unemployment and extended below-trend growth."

Insolvency expert Philip Long, from business advisers PKF, attributed the rise to a fundamental shift in attitudes to debt.

"Lifestyle expectations have changed. Fifty years ago buying on credit was the exception and a last resort for many. Nowadays credit is so easy to obtain that people buy before considering whether they can afford to repay the debt and with little fear of what will happen if they cannot," he said.

But insolvency - whether through IVAs or more traditional bankruptcies - should not be entered lightly.

"Any insolvency procedure will affect a person?s future credit rating and they might find that their career is adversely affected ? for instance, many professional bodies do not permit membership if a person has been subject to a bankruptcy restriction order or undertaking," Mr Long warned.

But things are looking up.

Mr Archer noted: "Latest evidence suggests, though, that consumers are trying to curb their borrowing and improve their balance sheets.

"Consumer credit has risen at a reduced rate in recent months, while the savings ratio picked up to five per cent in the second quarter of this year, having averaged just four per cent in 2004 (its lowest level in more than 40 years).

"However, the continuing need for many people to repair their balance sheets is likely to limit consumer spending for some time to come."

Being declared bankrupt sees your slate wiped clean - eventually.

You lose control of all of your assets, including the family home, and have your debts written off. You are only allowed to keep things that are needed for work or for household purposes (i.e. bedding).

But in addition to an official receiver being able to sell almost everything you own, being made bankrupt means - for at least a year - you are barred from a string of jobs.

Additionally bankrupts need court permission to do other jobs and the bankruptcy order stays on your credit record for six years - making it far harder to open accounts, get credit cards or a mortgage.

£60,000 homes unveiled

The government has announced the winners of its new low-cost home competition.

A total of 173 homes, costing just £60,000 each, will be built in four locations across the country - and today it was revealed what they would look like.

"People's sons and daughters are finding it increasingly difficult to get a foot on the housing ladder and we need to do all we can to make sure they are not denied the opportunity of a decent, affordable home of their own in future," said deputy prime minister John Prescott.

"The £60,000 home competition is breaking new ground, bringing down construction costs and using publicly-owned sites for development. As well as the new homes that will be delivered through the competition, the lessons learned will influence thousands more developments in future."

Following advice from an independent panel of experts, Barratt Developments plc, George Wimpey UK and the SIXTYK Consortium have been selected to develop the first four sites.

Baratt's design (opens in a new window) is the most conservative of the three. It will build 46 £60,000 homes at the Allerton Bywater Millennium Community development in Leeds and another 50 at Upton in Northampton.

The design for the three-bedroom terraced houses uses modular pods and panels on a light steel frame that includes windows, doors and insulation, and factory pods to provide fully-fitted bathrooms and kitchens.

George Wimpey is building 56 £60,000 homes at Oxley Park in Milton Keynes. It has opted for a far more bold design (opens in a new window), in which energy efficiency is optimised by lining up the homes and windows to make the most of the sun.

The final winner, the SIXTYK Consortium, will be building 21 £60,000 homes at Renny Lodge in Newport Pagnell. Their contemporary design (opens in new window) is based around a flexible internal layout, with very high energy efficiency.

"The winning designs offer a range of construction solutions, concentrating on producing a level of standardisation without reducing choice," said Joe Martin, executive director of building cost information services at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

"If these designs can be delivered within budget they will produce better houses and improved value for money. Where land is available and real demand exists these developments should enable homes to be delivered faster and more efficiently."

The competition is still open, with the companies that win the contracts to develop sites at Oxford Road, Aylesbury Vale; Horns Cross, Dartford; School Road, Hastings and Park Prewett, Basingstoke to be announced next.

These developments will be followed by others in Linton in Maidstone and Rowan in Merton, London.

To learn more about the competition, and rate the finalists for the next stage, visit www.designformanufacture.info

Loan Calculator

You can use a loan calculator to figure out loan payments and fees, but you can also use multiple quotes to ensure that you are getting a good deal. We encourage consumers to get multiple quotes (4 is a good number) for their loan and then use either a loan calculator or basic math to figure out what the best deal for you will be. It?s pretty easy and it?s all about shopping around for the best deal. There are different types of loans and you should also inquire about that, in order to get what you want.

Any loan where the lender pays all of your closing costs (title & escrow fees, appraisal, lender's fees, etc.- any non-recurring expenses), is commonly referred to as a "no-cost" loan. A true "no-closing cost" loan differs from both a "no lender fee" loan or a loan in which the lender adds the closing costs to the amount financed. A "no lender fee" loan, sometimes advertised by banks, usually will not cover the title, escrow, and other outside charges you may need to complete the refinance.

With a true "no-closing cost" loan, you can refinance for any incremental drop in your interest rate since the transaction costs are zero. Even in a declining rate market, where you believe rates may continue to fall, a no-cost loan will make sense. Should rates continue to decrease you will have invested nothing in the loan costs, and can simply refinance at any time. Some borrowers refinance every year or less!

There are a variety of interest rate and point combinations available to the borrower at any point in time for the same product or loan type. As an example, for a loan amount of £200,000 a borrower can be quoted 6.75% with .875% points, 7.0% with zero points, or 7.25% with no closing costs. All three of these quotes are for a 30 year fixed rate mortgage. The lender allows the borrower to choose amongst rate and point combinations since some people prefer a lower rate immediately, while others prefer minimizing how much they pay out of pocket up front. Thus, the borrower can select the combination which feels most comfortable to their personal situation. For some borrowers, the no closing cost option of 7.25%, while providing a slightly higher rate, still requires the least investment up front and therefore is the best option.

No cost loans will always carry a slightly higher rate than a loan that does not pay your costs. In general, a no cost loan is the better strategy if you plan to keep your loan for the next two and a half to three years. Longer than that, you should consider paying the costs yourself to get a lower rate. Over time, the lower rate will save you more money. And if you plan to keep the loan for four to five years, it often makes sense to pay points to get an even lower rate.

You can use the Finance Choices loan calculator application here, or alternatively you can read our easy to understand reviews of the latest loans on the market here.

Instructions for using the Loan Calculator:

Using the Loan Calculator is pretty simple. Enter the data asked for on the screen (Principal Amount, Interest Rate, Payment Period, Term/Length Of Loan, Payment Amount, optional First Payment Date). Press CALCULATE to calculate the loan (or RESET to clear all the entry fields on the screen and re-enter data). When CALCULATE is pressed, the loan calculator will build a new screen (web page) with your loan data included. You can print this information to a printer using the print command on your browser (assuming you know how to print from your browser). Below is a summary of the fields (data) to be entered. This summary will hopefully answer any questions you may have.

PURCHASE PRICE - Enter the sale amount of the item you are financing.
DOWN PAYMENT - Enter the amount (if any) you are putting down on the purchase.
SALES TAX - Enter the percentage (if any) of sales tax applicable to this purchase. Enter 5% as 5
YEARLY INTEREST RATE - Enter the yearly interest rate (APR) for the loan. Enter 10.5% as 10.5. To have the interest rate of a loan figured by the calculator, leave this field blank, enter a PAYMENT AMOUNT and any TERM (LENGTH OF LOAN) except for Calculate Term (see PAYMENT AMOUNT and TERM below).
PAYMENT PERIOD - Choose one of eight (8) options. Monthly will calculate the loan for a payment period (number of days between each payment) of 30 days. Annually - 360 days. Quarterly - 90 days. Semi-Monthly - 15 days. Bi-Weekly - 14 days. Weekly - 7 days. If you choose the option Other, you will be prompted after pressing CALCULATE to enter the payment period in days. The Other option is included to allow you to enter a payment period (example: 6 days) other than monthly, bi-weekly, or weekly, ect. If the Other option for PAYMENT PERIOD is choosen, TERM (LENGTH OF LOAN) must be set to Other or it must be set to Calculate Term. The Mortgage Bi-Weekly option will calculate a monthly payment, divide it by 2, and then it will apply this payment amount bi-weekly (payment every 14 days/average of 26 payments a year). This should result in an average of two (2) extra payments a year, which should pay off the loan faster and with less interest than a conventional mortgage or loan. Please Note: To correctly estimate how mortgage bi-weekly payments can pay off a conventional mortgage loan faster and with less interest, the TERM (LENGTH OF LOAN) must be set to the length of a conventional mortgage loan (usually 15 or 30 years). If you enter a PAYMENT AMOUNT coupled with the Mortgage Bi-Weekly PAYMENT PERIOD, the calculator will assume this payment amount is a monthly payment amount and it will calculate the mortgage bi-weekly payments accordingly. The Mortgage Bi-Weekly option may be disabled by the web site owner. If so, you will probably see the option N/A - for not available.
TERM (LENGTH OF LOAN) - Choose one of several options for the length (term or number of payments) of the loan. If you don't find an option that fits your loan, chose Other. The Other option will prompt you to input the length of the loan (number of payments) when you press CALCULATE. The Calculate Term option allows you to enter a payment amount in the PAYMENT AMOUNT field and the calculator will figure the term. See below for more details.
PAYMENT AMOUNT - This field should be set to 0 if you would like the loan calculator to figure the payment amount for each pay period. However, the PAYMENT AMOUNT field is provided so that if you know the payment amount of each loan payment, you can enter it here and the loan calculator will use this payment as the basis of its other loan calculations (such as calculating the term). This feature is useful if you have a loan and you would like to see the amortization and/or payment dates for that loan. If you do enter a payment amount, you must set TERM (LENGTH OF LOAN) to Calculate Term or you must leave INTEREST RATE blank.
FIRST PAYMENT DATE - Enter a date here if you wish the loan calculator to date each payment. Entering this field is optional. This field is only used if CALCULATE DETAILED PAYMENT AMORTIZATION is set to YES.
IS THIS A MORTGAGE LOAN? - CHECK THIS if you wish to calculate the loan estimate as a mortgage loan. Calculating the loan estimate as a mortgage loan will figure estimates for taxes and insurance and add these estimates to your payment. Checking this option will also display estimated closing costs according to points. This option has no effect if the PAYMENT AMOUNT field is other than 0. UNCHECKED is the default.
CALCULATE DETAILED PAYMENT AMORTIZATION - CHECKING this option will cause the calculator to display each payment (with a payment date if you entered FIRST PAYMENT DATE), along with displaying the interest accrued during the period, amount applied, and the new balance. UNCHECKED is the default. Be aware that the calculation and display of each payment can considerably slow or disrupt display of the results in some browsers.

Student Loans

If you are thinking of entering the higher-education system, student loans and tuition fees might be concerning you. Finance Choices has put together this guide on what student loans are and how you can finance your education.

What are student loans?

Student loans are available to those entering higher education to help them meet their living costs while studying. The loans are fixed at a low interest rate and are issued by the Government through the Student Loans Company; for most students they act as the main source of financial support (although some parents might argue otherwise!). Once your course has finished - and you are earning enough money - you can start to pay back your loan.

How much can you get?

The amount of a student?s maintenance loan depends on where they live and where they are studying. To give you a guide, the maximum annual loan for maintenance you could get as a student in 2004 is shown in the table below. The figures for 2005 are expected to increase in line with inflation.

Loan entitlement for the 2003/04 academic year was as follows:

Maximum student loans for maintenance 2004

Maximum annual loan available
If you live away from your parents? home and you study in London £5,050
If you live away from your parents? home and study outside London £4,095
If you live at your parents? home £3,240

75 per cent available to all students*
If you live away from your parents? home and you study in London £3,790
If you live away from your parents? home and study outside London £3,071
If you live at your parents? home £2,430

*75 per cent of the maximum loan is available to all eligible students regardless of any other income they have. Whether you can get any or all of the remaining 25 per cent depends on your income and that of your family. This will be assessed by your LEA.

How and when will you pay this back?

Repayments of loans start in the April after you leave higher education, and only once you start earning in excess of £15,000. Repayments are reasonable and depend on the amount you earn, not the amount you borrowed. For instance, if your income was £20,000 you would repay £37.50 per month.

The annual rate of interest is always based on RPI (retail price index) and the interest has been calculated daily at the appropriate rate from the day your loan began. This interest is added to your account every month.

It is important to know that:

• If you have had four loans or less, you will have to repay your loan in 60 monthly instalments - the equivalent of five years.


• If you have had five loans or more, you can repay your loan in 84 monthly instalments - the equivalent of seven years.


• If you're feeling flush at any given time, you can repay your loan at a quicker rate by increasing your payments or by making additional payments - other people can even make payments for you, if you can find someone to do this.

The Student Loans Company will normally contact you in the February after your course has finished and will ask you to declare how much money you are earning. They will then calculate your repayment plan for you or grant deferment.

You will then be sent an annual statement every September. This will show you the interest rate that applies, how much interest has been added during the year, how much you have repaid during the year and the balance outstanding.

2006 entrants: fee loans

While maintenance grants will operate under the same system for the academic year 2006/07, student loans for fees are also provided to pay for the exact amount of fees your course requires. In these the money is paid directly to your university or college. For further information see the tuition fees section.

Commercial Loans

There are also a range of commercial loans available to you. We have compiled a guide to the best offers currently on the market at the Finance Choices Loans Guide

Mortgage Calculator

What is a Mortgage Calculator?

Until a few years ago the mortgage calculator was the sole remit of the major high-street banks, lending institutions and brokers. Consumers could estimate borrowing limits and repayments based on their income in general terms but had no real access to a detailed calculator. Getting all the options would involve actually talking to a mortgage lender or broker. This added up to much time and effort spent on meeting with lenders, talking to them on the phone or trawling through brochures and fact sheets.

Online Mortgage Calculators

Using a Mortgage Calculator can be very useful. By using a Mortgage Calculator you should be able to estimate how much you will be able to afford to spend on your chosen property.You may wish to use a Calculator to estimate this figure before you begin searching for your property. This means that when you are searching for your property you will know which ones are within your price range. If you do not use a Mortgage Calculator before you begin searching for you property you could find that you think that you have found the perfect property only to find it is out of your price range when you finally do use a Mortgage Calculator.

A Mortgage Calculator will usually give you a good estimation of your Mortgage repayments. It is possible to find a calculator that will even estimate how much the interest on your loan will cost you and this is well worth knowing.

When you decide to apply for a Mortgage it is exceptionally important that you will be able to afford your repayments. A Mortgage Calculator can give you a good idea as to whether you will be able to afford your loan.

When you use a Mortgage calculator you will be asked for the amount you wish to borrow, the term of your Mortgage and the interest rate you will be paying. A good Calculator will be able to tell you your total monthly Mortgage repayment, the and Interest amount you will pay separately.

Once you have used the Calculator to estimate how much your repayments will be, you need to work out whether you can afford them. In order to do this you may wish to write down all of your monthly bills and costs. Subtract your monthly bills and costs from the net income you receive each month and you will be left with your current disposable income. All you need to do then is work out if you can afford the Mortgage repayments, which the Calculator estimated, with the income you have left after you have paid everything else.

The Finance Choices Mortgage Calculator

Finance Choices provide you with 10 great free mortgage calculators: "Monthly payment calculator", "Additional payment calculator", "How much do I have to earn", "How much can I borrow", "Should I pay discount points", "How much will I save by refinancing my loan", "How much will my tax deduction be", "Bi-weekly mortgage calculator", "APR calculator", and "Interest only monthly payment calculator".

To start using our free mortgage calculators simply click here

You can also find out about the latest mortgage deals in the UK at our mortgages page