Useful finance Links
• British Bankers' Association
• Financial Ombudsman
• Office of Fair Trading
• Financial Services Authority
• Ass. of British Insurers
• Council of Mortgage Lenders
Credit Cards
UK websites
If you have a bad history of credit, or, indeed, no history of credit, and are having problems getting a credit card company to accept you, you might be interested in Poor History Credit Cards which are designed to help you to either establish or strengthen your credit rating. These cards typically have a much higher APR than standard credit cards, but as long as you are carefull to pay off the balance by the due date this should not be a problem.
American Express Nectar card
• www.americanexpress.com
5,000 Nectar bonus points when you first spend £200
Double Nectar points for the first 3 months
1 point for almost every £1 you spend
Typical 15.9%APR Variable.
American Express MoneyBack Credit Card
• www.americanexpress.com
The American Express MoneyBack Credit Card gives you something back on everything you buy - 5% for your first 3 months and up to 1.5% after that.
Features:
• No annual fee
• 5% MoneyBack for your first 3 months, then up to 1.5% MoneyBack
with no limit to what you can earn*
• Free Additional Cards to help you save even more
• 24/7/365 customer service
• Purchase protection5 alleviates the worry of "what if" on your purchases in case of loss, theft or accidental damage
• Refund Protection5 lets you buy with peace of mind, offering a refund of up to £200 on eligible purchases, if a UK retailer won't give you one
• Online Fraud Guarantee
* No rebate is payable in any month in which the minimum payment is not received by the due date. No rebate is payable on cash withdrawals, interest, fees, balance transfers, amounts subsequently re-credited to your account due to refunds, or expenditure in any one month exceeding the amount of your Credit Limit.
TYPICAL 18.9%APR variable .
American Express Red Credit Card
• www.americanexpress.com
This card is designed to help eliminate AIDS in Africa.
Features:
No annual fee for life
American Express donates a minimum of 1% of all your spend to the Global Fund, to help fight the AIDS emergency in Africa. If you spend more than £5,000 in a year, the REDmoney rate increases to 1.25% on all spend above the threshold.
Typical 16.9% APR Standard Purchase interest rate
Barnardo's
• www.barnardos.org.uk
The UK's leading children's charity.
Barnardo's also a credit card which means you can help without actually sending them any money! There is a 0% p.a . on all purchases and balance transfers• fixed for the first six months, reverts to a variable rate of 17.9% p.a., 15.7% APR (excluding other Co-op Bank cards), no annual fee and discounts on thousands of full brochure priced holidays through The Co-operative Bank Travelclub. Terms and conditions apply.
(Click on "Support us" for more details)
Extreme Cred
• www.extremecred.com
Headers: Prepay Credit Card
Extreme Cred supplies a range of re-loadable, pre-pay and pre loaded debit cards. It’s a pre pay card so you have to pay up front before you can use it. Any one of any age can get one, and it works just like a traditional credit or debit card, but has to be ‘topped up’ or ‘loaded’ before it can used. You can top up in any shop displaying the Paypoint sign, online with a credit or debit card or at any post office. No monthly management fees and no card transaction fees. You pay £8.95 for the card initially and onging charges are "topping up fees" which are around 3-5% depending on amount. However if you top up at the Post Office there is a flat fee of 70p whatever the amount. Buy online.
Features: Chip and pin, cash withdrawal at any cash machine and the ability to purchase on and off line anywhere the Maestro sign is shown. Extreme Cred will donate a percentage of profits to charities of the card holder’s choice.
John Lewis Parnership Card
• www.partnershipcard.co.uk
Earn 1 point for every £1 you spend at John Lewis (instore, online or by catalogue) or Waitrose shops or at Ocado.com.
Earn 1 point for every £2 you spend everywhere else.
Every 500 points you earn is worth £5, which is converted into vouchers.
Receive exclusive theatre ticket promotions and invitations to special events such as summer concerts and country shows.
Enjoy discounts and exclusive offers from John Lewis, Waitrose and ocado.com.
Card Features:
0% on purchases for 6 months from account opening.
0% on Balance Transfers and Account Card transfers for 6 months from account opening.
A 2% Balance Transfer fee applies (minumum £5, maximum £50).
If you transfer your total Account Card balance during application, you will not incur a Balance Transfer fee. Your account will then be closed.
A typical 16.9% APR (variable)
Marks & Spencer Online Store
• www.marksandspencer.com
Sign up for the Marks & Spencer credit card, &more, and you get Marks & Spencer reward points whenever you use the card plus 10% off holidays in association with Thomas Cook. 0% interest for 2 years on M&S furniture purchases instore over £1,000. 0% pa on balance transfers for 6 months from date of account opening. Typical 17.9% APR (variable).
MBNA Platinum Plus Credit Card
• wwwn.applyonlinenow.com
The MBNA Platinum Credit Card now gives you 0% p.a. on card purchases* until your statement date in August 2008 and 0% p.a. on balance transfers until your statement date in June 2009 (2.9% handling fee applies) and then 15.9% APR typical (variable)
There is no annual fee to pay and no liability or excess to pay for theft, loss or fraudulent Internet use - as long as you tell them as soon as your card cannot be found or you notice any unusual transactions on your account. On top of that, there is a free 24-hour worldwide telephone helpline and online banking service that provide control and flexibility in managing your account.
WWF Credit Card
• wwwn.applyonlinenow.com
Provided by MBNA, the World Wide Fund credit card offers the following features:
WWF receives a contribution from the card issuer, MBNA Europe Bank Limited, for every account opened, and further contributions for every card purchase you make.
Introductory balance transfer rate of just 0% p.a. - available for twelve months from the date your account is opened. 2% handling fee applies.
0% p.a. on card purchases for three months from the date your account is opened.
Typical rate 15.9% APR (variable)
Post Office Credit Card
• www.postoffice.co.uk
The 2in1 credit card through he Post OfficeTM is a new kind of credit card that also acts like a personal loan.
Features include:
0% on balance transfers (2.75% balance transfer fee applies) for the first 10 months, as long as the transfer is made within 3 months of the account opening.
0% on purchases for the first 3 months
0% commission on purchases overseas
0% again on balance transfers for 5 months (2.75% balance transfer fee applies) on the month of your 1st and 2nd anniversary
Lower interest rate on big purchases
Online account management
3 ways to pay: in branch, by Direct Debit or phone
Free purchase and fraud protection
Helpline available 365 days in a year
15.9% APR Typical (variable)
Provident Financial
• www.providentpersonalcredit.com
This is actually a loan that you can use in the form of a Visa card.
• The Provident Visa Card is a debit card so you can't go over your limit. You can spend as much or as little of your loan as you want, when you want
• Cards are available in values of £300
• It lets you shop safely from the comfort of your home - on the phone or over the Internet
• You can withdraw cash as and when you need it from cash machines and banks
• You'll have your very own PIN (Personal Identification Number) to make sure only you can
use it
• You can check your balance; so that you always stay in control of your finances.
• It works in exactly the same way as a Provident loan where your Agent will collect
your repayments each week at a time convenient for you.
Typical 183.2% APR
The GM Card
• www.gmcard.co.uk
The GM card is a credit card but with a reward scheme that pays £3.00 in reward points for every £100 you spend. The points can be redeemed against the purchase of a new Vauxhall (up to £2000) or Saab (up to £2500). 0% per annum on balance transfers and purchases fixed for five months from account opening (no fee will be charged during your 5 month introductory period). Typical 14.9% APR variable.
Mothercare Mothercard
• www.mothercare.com
Mothercare has its own Mothercard, a mastercard where you can earn reward points - 1 point for every pound that you spend in Mothercare and 1 point for every £2 spent elsewhere.
Typical 19.9% APR Variable.
Poor History Credit Cards
Vanquis Bank
• www.vanquis.co.uk
Headers: Credit Cards
Vanquis Bank caters for people with credit problems in the past, those who are completely new to credit, people who are self-employed or those with a low income. Also useful if you are trying to rebuild your credit record and cannot get a card elsewhere - but be careful as the APR on these cards can be very high! Vanquis Bank Ltd is a new bank and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Provident Financial plc.
All Vanquis Bank Visa cards have the following features:
• no annual fee
• up to 56 days interest free on purchases
• free additional cardholder
• free fraud monitoring
• Chip & PIN technology
Abacus Card: Typical 39.9% APR variable
Blue Card: Typical 29.9% APR variable
Gold Card: Typical 19.9% APR variable
Other Websites of Interest
CreditExpert
• www.creditexpert.co.uk
Headers: Consumer Credit Monitoring, Identity Fraud Prevention
If you are concerned about your credit history, want to check that your credit information is correct or would like to protect yourself from identity fraud, you can get a free online credit report plus a 30 day free trial at CreditExpert. Becoming a full member gives you: access to credit specialists, unlimited access to your credit report and weekly text or email alterts to warn you of potential fraudulent activity. Full membership is £49.99 per annum. Also, as a member, you can view (£4.99) your National Credit Score. To become a member, or take part in the free trial, you should have a UK address and a valid credit or debit card.
• Special Offers: Free online credit report plus a 30 day free trial
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