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By Julia Kukiewicz Staff Writer
Friday, 21 November 2008
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Money News Roundup
If you only do one thing with your money this week...
Compare credit cards and switch your credit card deal.
Typically, we carry on using credit cards even when their benefits have lapsed (over-50’s I’m looking at you in the back). This is particularly true at the moment as credit card companies hike fees.
If your credit card is racking up interest compare credit cards offering 0% on balance transfer. If you always pay off your balance at the end of the month then compare cash back credit cards and compare credit cards offering rewards.
 Compare credit cards
Previous Money News Roundups
See our other recent Money News Roundups and other related news stories:
Money News Roundup (14 Nov 08)
A glance back at this week's personal finance news, including why you should compare credit cards offering 0% on balance transfers.
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FISHY news about Martin Lewis and the latest on prawns in this week’s money roundup.
Forlorn Prawns
SOME stories just put a smile on your face, even when you know they’re not really funny.
This week it was the news that Scotland’s prawn fishing industry is suffering in the credit crunch.
The industry is finding banks unable to assure their profits and jobs are at stake but you’d have been hard-pressed to find the story discussed without a giggle.
What is it that’s so funny about rows of forlorn prawns sitting about this festive season?
Not-so-special Offers
WHICH? confirmed this week what everyone’s been suspecting for a while: most supermarket special offers ain’t that special.
Which’s study found that many items in the major supermarkets were on offer for much longer than they were on sale at their ‘original’ price.
If, like me, you feel the way about reduced stickers that moths feel about this news will come as a sharp wake up. Or, to carry on the moth metaphor, an electrifying shock.
Although the supermarkets have promised to stick to government guidelines in future I know I’ll be taking an extra moneysaving moment to look at the price.
Lewis Love
Speaking of moneysaving, if you’ve got a thing for strangely thrifty men you might be interested to know that Martin Lewis’ is currently planning his first one man show.
If you love some Lewis but you’re not quite ready to schlep along to see him then never fear you’ll be able to catch it on a free DVD with the News of the World in January.
Make do and Amend
‘MAKE do and mend’ might be a useful mantra when you’re considering buying those shiny new trainers but it works less well with your finances, research from Alliance & Leicester argued this week.
It found that although 98% of over-50s surveyed said they had been affected by price rises, half had done nothing to improve their finances and only 7% had switched current accounts to get a better deal.
Alliance & Leicester has a stake in this: they have one of the best current account rates on the market but everyone’s too busy trying to keep their money getting away from them altogether to notice.
Time to ‘make do and amend.’
And Finally, if you only do one thing this week...
AND finally, if you only do one thing this financial week then why not make do and amend whatever your age by switching your credit card deal.
Typically, we carry on using credit cards even when their benefits have lapsed (over-50’s I’m looking at you in the back). This is particularly true at the moment as credit card companies hike fees.
If your credit card is racking up interest compare credit cards offering 0% on balance transfer. If you always pay off your balance at the end of the month then compare cash back credit cards and compare credit cards offering rewards.
Compare credit cards
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