Martin Lewis Credit Cards
Martin Lewis Credit Cards – Consumer Advocate Martin Lewis has issued a call to credit card holders to assess whether they can reduce their debt before interest rates could potentially rise. He cautioned that deals could get worse quickly and warned:
Martin also advises consumers to apply for a balance transfer card before beginning any debt repayments. These cards often provide an interest-free promotional period after you transfer your credit card debt onto them.
Interest Rates
Credit and store cards can be the costliest types of debt due to their hefty interest rates. On average, a credit card will charge an annual interest rate of 20 per cent or more, making them incredibly hard to repay.
- Loans for good or bad credit
- Loans from £100 to £20,000
- Repay over 3 to 120 months
- Short-term loans No Fees
- Representative 79.5% APR (fixed) - Rates from 12.9% APR to 1721% APR
Representative Example: If you borrow £1,000 over a 12-month period, your monthly repayment will amount to £116.05. The total repayment sum, inclusive of £392.60 in interest, will reach £1392.60. This example assumes a fixed interest rate of 79.5%.
MoneySaving Expert founder Martin Lewis has shared an expert tip to help you pay off debt faster. He suggests transferring balances from your highest-interest card to a lower one in order to save thousands of pounds in interest charges.
He also advised anyone with debt to consider a balance transfer card which typically offers a promotional period of zero interest. This can help you pause all your interest payments and accelerate the process of getting out of debt much sooner.
MoneySavingExpert founder Dave Ramsey is advocating for an overhaul in how interest rates on loans and credit cards are advertised to prevent people from being duped into paying more than they anticipate. Under current rules, firms only need to display a “representative” APR rate to 51% of applicants.
Fees
Credit cards come with a range of fees that depend on the merchant type and card type. Additionally, these fees can change due to interchange fee adjustments introduced by card issuers.
Martin Lewis, founder of Money Saving Expert, has devised an innovative method to reduce credit card fees. He advised people to list their debts by interest rate and then use any spare cash they have to pay off the highest rates first.
He also advocated using a balance transfer card to convert expensive debts onto zero percent deals, noting that he had saved thousands by doing this.
The credit card industry has long struggled to turn a profit, and in the past it was common for providers of such cards to charge annual fees as compensation – usually designed to cover the cost of providing access to credit. However, this practice is becoming less frequent now that the market has matured.
Rewards
Martin Lewis credit cards offer a range of rewards to suit any lifestyle, from free travel and gift cards to experiences and even higher earning rates than average credit card points. Some cards are affiliated with specific airline, hotel or car hire brands while others don’t; whatever works best for you depends on which card you select.
What’s more, many credit cards offer welcome bonuses or introductory promotions that can boost your points earning potential temporarily. Some even come with money transfer fees or interest-free periods; however, it is essential to clear your balance each month in order to avoid paying unnecessary charges.
In fact, not paying off your debt completely each month could cost more in interest charges in the long run; so consider applying for any card with a high APR before considering getting one with zero-interest – you’ll save money and still be able to use rewards!
Convenience
Credit cards have become a convenient way of paying for items without needing cash on hand. Many come with an interest-free grace period of 21 days that allows you to clear your balance interest-free after your billing cycle ends, provided you pay off the minimum amount each month.
Martin Lewis, a money saving expert and consumer advocate, has advised people to avoid applying for more credit cards during this economic downturn. Too many applications in a short space of time could make you appear as if you are a risky borrower to banks, leading them to deny your request.
To help you pay off debt quickly, he suggests using savings to pay off higher-interest rate debts before using a card with an extended 0% deal. Once set up, set up direct debit payments to cover the minimum payments and transfer any balances onto a balance transfer card offering an extended 0% rate.
