As the coldest January for years starts to bite and the credit crunch is still in full swing, the financial forecast is pretty frosty for ordinary consumers. But a New Year can mean a new chance to take control and manage your money to your benefit, and taking advantage of credit card balance transfers could be one way to warm up your finances.

Although the number of enticing 0% offers has fallen because of the economic climate, there are still plenty of bargains to be had with some financial institutions even joining in the high street scramble for customers and offering 'Sale Prices' on their services. So the wise consumer can take advantage of an anxious market thats eager to please. There are still 0% offers out there, but the credit crunch has meant that they are harder to come by. Many credit card companies are only accepting people with good credit histories. So before you plan your 2009 finances, it is worthwhile checking that your credit record is up to date and that all the information held by the credit agencies is correct. If you have a poor credit history and are repeatedly turned down for credit cards this will compound your low rating and make it much harder to reapply for credit at a later date. Make sure your financial house is in order before you begin to think about changing cards.

If your credit history is all in order, there are still a few things to think about before choosing a balance transfer card. Firstly, a transfer fee is usually required to move an outstanding credit card balance onto a new card. This fee is normally around 3% of the total transferred, but some cards do have a minimum fee no matter how small the transferred amount. You will need to include this amount in your calculations of exactly how much transferring to another card will cost.

Not all 0% balance transfer credit cards are interest free for purchases as well. There is a mantra that anyone thinking of transferring balances between credit cards should learn " never use a balance transfer card for purchases as well. The amount you pay each month on your new card will go to pay off the most recent transactions (your purchases) rather than the initial balance transfer. If you treat the card as you would any other credit card, you may find that the interest free period has slipped by unnoticed and youre suddenly paying interest on the balance transfer anyway " negating the whole point of carrying out a balance transfer in the first place.

Some cards do offer dual functions " 0% on balance transfers and 0% (usually for a much shorter period of time) on purchases. However, once the purchases deal runs its course, you may discover that the payments you make go to pay off the balance transfer, rather than the interest on outstanding purchases. This is known as 'negative payment hierarchy', with payments being used to clear the balances attracting the lowest interest rate first (the remaining time on your 0% balance transfer) and not your recent purchases. This could result in customers paying the full interest charge on purchases (usually around 18% but some can be much higher). It's the polar opposite of the previous conundrum, but still reinforces the adage " keep your balance transfers and your purchases on separate cards.

Once you've decided (wisely) to keep your cards separate, work out how much you can expect to pay each month and how much you will need to pay to clear off the balance transfer amount before the interest free period ends. Dont forget to factor in additional charges such as insurance (sometimes mandatory), any late payment fees and transfer fees. By taking active control over your finances, you may find the current economic storm much easier to weather. The financial market is subject, like any other marketplace, to greater consumer power these days, and as such a smart customer can take advantage of financial deals, even when the economic future looks somewhat bleak.