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By Julia Kukiewicz Staff Writer
Friday, 25 July 2008
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Money News Roundup
If you only do one thing with your money this week...
Compare credit cards that give to charity every time you spend on them.
With a charity credit card (assuming, of course, that you pay everything off at the end of the month) you can make sure that the bank’s money goes to a good cause instead.
Compare credit cards that give to charity bearing in mind the average amount you purchase on your card each month and keep an eye out for special one off donations.
 Do you want to compare credit cards that give to charity?
Previous Money News Roundups
See our other recent Money News Roundups and other related news stories:
Money News Roundup (18 Jul 08)
A glance back at this week's personal finance news, Julia Kukiewicz asks: are we in a bear market? And why you should compare credit cards for travelling with.
Money News Roundup (11 Jul 08)
Julia Kukiewicz takes a look at the week's personal finance stories, including how kids are getting richer, and how to compare credit cards that are interest free on purchases.
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THIS week: find out how to get money for free, avoid being relieved of it and give someone else’s away to charity every time you spend.
Switch and get £100
LAST week I was whining about the lack of incentives to switch current accounts.
Enter those lovely people at Alliance and Leister who - not content with topping ChooseMoney’s list of the best current accounts for, oh, months now – are now offering £100 just for switching to them online.
There are a few minor catches, of course, but only very minor ones.
You can’t already have an A&L current account and you have to have at least £500 a month going in.
More about the £100 A&L current account offer
Do you want to compare current accounts?
Phish Food
FIGURES released by APACS this week show that the number of us doing our banking online has gone up by just over 500% in the past seven years.
But where the money goes, scammers will inevitably follow.
Reports of phishing – the use of fake emails to trick people into handing over their bank details – have increased by 180% this year, that’s 20,000 separate incidents.
However, APACS figures also showed that the chances of actually being defrauded has actually gone down by 33% year-on-year.
The only way to explain that is increased consumer awareness. So remember to stay vigilant and never ever email your details.
No Changes on Charges
THOSE millions of template letters sent to banks in an effort to reclaim unlawful account charges will be gathering dust for at least another six months, it was announced this week.
The FSA has extended the freeze in the face of the case’s sluggish progress through the High Court and is expected to extend it again before it expires at the end of January.
In light of the bank’s blocking behavior the waive itself isn’t bad news for consumers, though.
If it was lifted the clock would start ticking on claims.
And Finally, if you only do one thing this week...
AND finally, if you only do one thing this financial week then look into giving to charity with a charity credit card.
Sad but true: when things are getting tight those direct debits to charity are often the first to go.
With a charity credit card (assuming, of course, that you pay everything off at the end of the month) you can make sure that the bank’s money goes to a good cause instead.
Compare credit cards that give to charity bearing in mind the average amount you purchase on your card each month and keep an eye out for special one off donations.
Do you want to compare credit cards that give to charity?
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