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By Julia Kukiewicz Staff Writer
Friday, 27 March 2009
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Money News Roundup
If you only do one thing with your money this week...
Make sure you're not a statistic, there are still very good 0% balance transfer credit card deals on offer, including the Virgin credit card with 0% on balance transfers for a market leading 15 months.
The Virgin credit card also lets you move the 0% credit to a current account - allowing you to pay off overdraft debts too - so no excuses!
Previous Money News Roundups
See our other recent Money News Roundups and other related news stories:
Money News Roundup (20 Mar 09)
A glance back at this week's personal finance news with Julia Kukiewicz reveals a rise in gold investments, Nationwide calls for fair 'allocation of payments' on credit cards, and people are missing out on saving money due to over-complicated insurance forms.
Money News Roundup (13 Mar 09)
On a Friday that's unlucky for some, Julia Kukiewicz explores the personal finance headlines and finds that ASDA's price cuts aren't quite as handsome as they might like you to believe, Burger King hands out loose change and the Office of Fair Trading shut down debt management websites.
Money News Roundup (06 Mar 09)
Julia Kukiewicz looks back at a somewhat gloomy week for personal finance news, uncovering tax credits as a cause of divorce, and women are being warned the recession could increase cases of domestic violence and discrimination in the workplace.
Money News Roundup (27 Mar 09)
Could the bank charges row be drawing to a close? Why should we regulate the banks? And why do we love our credit cards? Find out in this week's money news roundup with Julia Kukiewicz.
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News on voucher codes, eating your pets and saving money with a 0% balance transfer credit card deal in this week's beautifully balanced money news roundup.
Which Voucher Code?
CONSUMER group Which? has been busy again this week investigating discount voucher websites.
Which? found that many discount codes were out of date or didn't work at all while standard comparison sites often found products that were cheaper.
This is odd research since it seems to in no way reflect how people actually use voucher code websites, which you might think a consumer group would want to take into account.
Voucher codes are most useful to people who have already decided what they want to buy and from where. It's simple bad faith to compare them to price comparison sites.
Cat Crunch
REPORTS that the recession has strengthened the current trend for self-sufficiency and that more pets are being given to animal rescue centres came dramatically together this week.
A piece in The Guardian chronicled the shock of animal sanctuary workers who have been encountering some hungry-looking customers.
"More and more people are trying to buy our animals with the intention of selling them on for their meat," a worker said. "These animals have been brought up as pets, how long will it be before they are literally making a dog's dinner?"
Presumably, the main problem is that people will be less likely to give Thumper away to the RSPCA if they think that he might find his way into a delicious stew.
But the final comment seems to reveal a deeper issue at steak (sorry, stake).
Now, I'm a vegetarian and so possibly out of the loop on this one but I’m not sure that it's a short step from goat to dog (who has a pet goat anyway?) or that widespread Fido Dining is likely to break out.
I suppose the worry is that after cats and dogs cannibalism is the next logical step.
Credit Card debt could be reduced by £9 billion
IN non-cannibal related news, research from Abbey Credit Cards has shown that the total UK debt-burden is £9 billion larger than it needs to be.
According to the bank, 69 per cent of people have credit cards but the majority of them have not moved any of their debt on to a zero per cent balance transfer deal.
Furthermore, Abbey found that 40 per cent of those with credit cards had held debt on them for more than one year, which would enable it to increase as it accumulates interest.
According to Abbey Britons could save an average of £443 a year by transferring their debts onto a 0% balance transfer credit card.
Once commonplace, however, 0% balance transfer deals have become a little heard to come by of late.
Compare 0% balance transfer credit cards here.
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