The Bank of England Base Rate may have remained frozen at an all-time low of 0.5 per cent since March, but loan rates have continued to head upwards - making the gap between the base rate and the aver

The Yorkshire building society announced on 2 December that it is merging with the Chelsea building society, in what some believe is a bail out. The Gloucester-based Chelsea has made massive losses in

Government gets tough on credit card providers Do you already have a credit card or perhaps even more than one? Well if so, new rules are being drawn up by the government that may affect you. In a s

Paying out a monthly fee for a packaged current account offering a host of incentives may seem to make financial sense. But while these so-called "premier" accounts might appear attractive at first s

Most people know by now that the current recession has made banks and lenders of credit generally more risk averse. The 100 per cent mortgage which two years ago was taken for granted is now almost a

A credit card can take you nearly you anywhere; the only thing that may be holding you back is the credit limit. Maybe you are considering a large purchase that your credit limit won't cover. Maybe yo

For many people with debt, refinancing is the best way to lower monthly payments and save a great deal of money over the life of the loan. Loan refinancing offers consumers the chance to find more fav

Switching your debts between credit cards used to be a simple affair, but the days of transferring your balance from one 0% deal to another could be coming to an end. Bad debts are causing major pro

If you've recently applied for a credit card, you may have found it far more difficult to get accepted than before. This is because card providers are now stricter about who they lend to and are opera

Derogatory information is information in your credit history that lenders may legally use to turn down a loan request or application for credit. Derogatory information includes such things as bankrupt

The recession has made us all tighten our purse strings, and that includes the number of times we use our credit card. However, don't put them away for good as they are still a convenient, and sometim

Although not a new thing, pre-paid credit cards seem to be popping up all over the place at the moment, with mobile phone companies even getting in on the act. So with the recent launch of O2's fee-f

Perfect credit history required In the current uncertain climate, many card providers have introduced increasingly stringent criteria when assessing applicants, and are now reserving their top deals

Don't damage your credit rating If you have recently missed debt repayments, defaulted on a past debt, or made late payments, this will all show up on your credit report - and make a huge dent in you

Think of credit cards as your friends, each with their own unique personality, strong points and shortcomings. Some you'd take to the pub, others you'd take on an expensive holiday. As the saying goes

How much can I earn back? The best deal on the market is currently being offered by American Express' Platinum Cashback Card, which pays out 5% of your total expenditure during the first three months

Balance Transfer Credit Cards Balance Transfer cards can be a good choice for those already paying off debt on an expensive, high-interest credit card. By switching to a 0% balance transfer card, you

Maybe you are just intrigued as to what financial providers see when they check your credit file. Well there's one way to find out - read your own credit record. Why check your credit report? It can

You need to type in your address, your credit card number, expiry date and CCV number each time - and that's just for starters. With PayPal, once you've initially registered a card, you can put your

It does not take a Master's Degree to figure out how to master your finances. You simply need to become organized and determine which areas need correction. The area of debt will be the one you'll w