An investigation organized by Egg says consumers have greatly underestimated the amount that credit cards are used throughout the United Kingdom, what this means is consumers are spending a lot more than they think. The investigation revealed that when consumers thought they had spent was £236billion was in fact £437 billion, some difference!
How come there is such a big difference?
Well most of us usually pay for everything with the plastic card and find it hard to keep track of what we spend.
Most people have more than one credit card and a lot of them transfer their balances from time to time to get the best interest rate, so when you are working with two or more credit cards it’s easy to miscalculate how much you’re spending, and with so many different payment options for you to choose from you can see how there can be such a difference in what we spend, over £200billion! scary or what?
Another question you have to ask is, if we do not know what is in our accounts how do we know we are not getting ripped off?
Six out of ten consumers didn’t know how much was in their accounts so money could be taken out and they would have no idea. Mind you some would say (not me you understand) if you don’t keep track of your money you deserve to have it pinched.
The British Bankers Association revealed that by the end of September, credit card sales had fallen for the last two months indicating that consumers are being careful, but with Christmas around the corner I am sure the credit card sales will be up and we will have another bumper spending spree with the plastic cards.
So the question was, are we underestimating what we are spending? well the facts definitely say yes!
So what should we do about it well keep a tighter grip on your accounts, double check what’s coming in and out and make sure everything balances at the end of the month.
good luck!
Transfer Balance On Credit Cards
As you probably already know, there are many credit cards out there. The one you choose however should reflect your lifestyle and your ideal spending amounts. If you are looking for the best possible deal and the best company for your credit card, you'll obviously need to look around at what you have to choose from and what works best for you.
The key area you'll need to look at and compare is the APR (Annual Percentage Rate). The APR is what you will pay on what you purchase when the incentive period runs out. APR rates will vary among credit cards, so it is always in your best interest to compare and shop around. The lower APR rate you get, the better off you'll be.
One concern with choosing your credit card is the minimum payment amount. Most minimum payment balances will start around 3%, although some can be lower while others tend to be quite a bit higher. The interest free period is a concern as well, as you will obviously want to choose the longest period that you can keep the payments down.
You'll also need to think about the type of card that best fits your lifestyle. The credit card field is very competitive, meaning that you always have a lot of offers to choose from. Reward cards and becoming very popular, with more and more coming out all the time. If you look for your reward credit card on the Internet, you'll be able to compare hundreds and hundreds of offers - and decide which one is indeed the best for you.
If you like to pay your full balance at the end of every month, then you may find a reward credit card with a cash back feature to be the most enticing. There are some cards that offer cash rewards of up to 5%, which can equal quite a bit at the end of the year. All you need to do with cash back reward credit cards is make a purchase, and you'll get money back for everything you buy.
Some ways of comparing credit cards
All across the United States, there are hundreds and hundreds of banks and credit card companies looking for your business. This day and age, banks and credit card companies are in competition with each other, trying all they can to get your business. To try and get your business, they offer different credit cards with various incentives, rebates, and other perks.
Among the many options available to you, you'll have three primary choices for your credit card - Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. These three giants are the leaders in credit cards. Visa and MasterCard don't issue the cards themselves, they have banks and other companies issue on their behalf. American Express, or AMEX, is the only one that does everything themselves. AMEX issues their credit cards, maintains their own networks, and doesn't use any type of third party.
All in all make sure that you make a wise choose and fully read all the benefits you will and can get from your credit card supplier. Use online services for updated information and guidelines.
Both Peter Kenny & Mary Maseko are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Peter Kenny has sinced written about articles on various topics from Credit Cards, Finances and Best Money Market. Peter Kenny is a writer for creditcards-gb.co.uk.For additional articles and an extensive resource for everything about credit cards and loans, please visit us at
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