New Government Reforms on Credit Cards

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Peter_I_Robinson]Peter I Robinson

David Cameron's new coalition Government is planning tough new legislation for the credit card industry on unfair charges. UK consumers have heard this before of course, but there's a new twist in the story.

Tighter regulations for credit and store card issuers was on the election manifesto of all the major parties, and had been discussed by the previous Government. However, the financial meltdown and the nationalisation of many banks mean credit card companies are now faced with direct competition from Government controlled banks as well as legislationary pressure to give consumers a far better deal.

The arrival of independent websites which allow consumers to compare credit cards easily online also creates a more open market, putting further pressure on unfair charges.

Marc Gander from Consumer Action Group, a strident campaigner on bank charges, gave a cautious 'thumbs up' to the Governments plans, but said announcements so far were short on detail.

Marc said "It [the government] doesn't define 'unfair' or say what protections will be granted overall".

In a shrewd move UK card issuer MBNA Bank has seen the writing on the wall and acted ahead of the legislation by changing the way customers payments are allocated to their accounts.

MBNA which has over 6 million UK customers has announced that from 1st September 2010 it will allocate incoming payments from customers towards paying off the highest interest charges on their accounts first. Customers should be notified of the changes formally any day.

In March this year, the card industry announced a series of gentle steps to improve the lot and the rights of customers in a bid to ward off harsher regulation when the Government finally gets round to looking more closely at the industry's charges.

The industry's planned changes are rumoured to be likely to cost �533 m over the first 2 years, doubling the cost of the package of proposals put forward by the industry in January 2010. The proposals were based on the analysis of 44 million customer accounts covering cardholder behaviour over the last 2 years.

The author Peter Robinson, is a writer about personal finance and he specialises in credit cards. Peter runs a news feed and independent credit card information website called Cardchoices where you can [http://www.cardchoices.co.uk/compare-credit-cards/]compare credit cards and apply online for instant approval.

On Peter's site you can review the best [http://www.cardchoices.co.uk/compare-credit-cards/overseas-credit-cards/]Overseas Credit Cards that have reduced charges for overseas transactions.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?New-Government-Reforms-on-Credit-Cards&id=4440422] New Government Reforms on Credit Cards

Travel Rewards Credit Card Offers - Things You Need to Know in Order to Find the Best Deal

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Kirby_E_Sutton]Kirby E Sutton 

A travel rewards credit card can be a superb means for getting rebates on hotel reservations, flight tickets, holiday packages, and rental cars. When comparing travel credit card offers, you should remind yourself that you must recognize what exactly you're seeking in order to find the best card for your situation. Not bothering to take a step back and truly realize what you need can hurt you in the long run.

 There's no dearth of travel rewards credit cards on the market today. A few of these cards have exclusive partnerships with issuers, e.g, Continental. These kinds of cards are worthwhile if you regularly fly with a specific airline or use another particular travel-related company. Other programs give you the freedom of chosing how to trade in the rewards points that you amass through spending. These are the most flexible of the offers because they give you the freedom to mix 'n' match how you'd like to use your points. For instance, you might use them to book a cruise, to make hotel reservations, or maybe towards a rental car. Though not often considered a travel reward, money back on petrol purchases can be very favorable when applied towards travel including a large amount of driving. A card that offers cash discounts on gasoline can offer major savings over an extended time.

 There's a number of things to consider before beginning your hunt for a travel card. It's vital that you check out the terms of any offers that interest you. Benefits and features are fantastic but the true value of a credit card offer lies in its terms, so you have to be familiar with them before applying. Many times rewards cards will have above-average costs and rates. This is due to the fact that the financial institutions and banks that issue them have to defray the expenses of their rewards programs. These costs are sometimes passed on, at least in part, to cardholders in the form of fees, raised interest rates, and other charges. This is one of the most significant reasons it is so pressing for you to do your research, for example by visiting a credit card comparison site. Take the time to make yourself familiar with all of the details before applying. Thoroughly compare credit cards and you will be certain to find an offer that'll serve you well in your travels.

Get started comparing travel [http://www.creditparrot.com/]credit card offers now at CreditParrot.com.

Kirby Sutton is a freelance writer, online journal editor, and ebook author with a background in finance. He specializes in consumer credit issues.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Travel-Rewards-Credit-Card-Offers---Things-You-Need-to-Know-in-Order-to-Find-the-Best-Deal&id=3453578] Travel Rewards Credit Card Offers - Things You Need to Know in Order to Find the Best Deal

Credit Card Comparison Online

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Tom_Tessin]Tom Tessin 

When you compare anything online, you always find it best to go to one website, right? Well, if you're saying "no", you're probably wasting a lot of time online going website to website. What you need is one big comparison engine that will help you find exactly what you need. If you're in the market to compare credit cards today, there are tons of sites out there that can help you find what you need, and let me show you how it's done.

How to compare credit cards...

Look at the fees: Fees are important because you're going to pay them regardless, and when you sign your contract, you're binding yourself into that agreement. Look at the monthly fees, annual fees, late payment fees, and so much more. Please know that all cards will have some sort of fee, but the biggest one in my opinion is the annual fee.

Know your rewards: I only get a credit card for the rewards. If you have a great credit score, you should do the same thing. You want to get rewards for every dollar that you spend. If you want rewards, what kind do you want? Do you want travel rewards? cash back on everything? gas? etc. There's a lot of them, so this is something that you should research as well.

Comparing cards isn't that hard, and as long as you look into the fees, and you know what kind of rewards that you're going to get, you're going to find that it's going to be awfully easy to find a card that works great for your wallet.

Compare credit cards today, and find the best credit card rewards [http://www.findcashbackcards.com] online all at FINDcashbackcards, where you can also find more of my work.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Credit-Card-Comparison-Online&id=3313249] Credit Card Comparison Online