Card Customers Being Surprised By ‘trailing Interest’
Credit cards customers who are trying to clear their debts are being surprised with further charges even though they may think they have already cleared the balance.
An egg customer and Guardian reader brought the problem to the media attention, the problem can occur when a customer is paying debt carried over from the previous month.
This is what many credit card companies call trailing interest on any negative balance between the issuing of the last statement and the customer paying off the debt.
Some have a minimum fee and if interest does not reach, that amount it will be “topped up” the charge, so borrwers will be repaying no lower than the minimum fee.
Unfair minimum charges
In the case of Egg the minimum is 50p, while at MBNA and Barclays it is 1. For customers with Egg, the internet bank who pay off their debt via direct debit they could incur up to 18 days worth of interest on a balance that they think they have settled in full.
A spokeswoman for Egg, speaking to the Guardian newspaper, said: “Interest is charged on the outstanding balance between our issuing the statement and the payment being made. We request payment via your direct debit 14 days after the statement date.”
Direct debits cannot be called over a weekend so if a customer’s direct debit is due to leave their account on a Saturday or Sunday, we’ll move the payment date to Monday. The longest they’ll go between statement date and paying their account is 16 days – 18 if their payment date falls over the Easter weekend.
The spokeswoman added: “If the interest amounts to less than 50p we top up the charge so it equals that amount. She added that interest would be charged on the outstanding interest and top-up fee.
“All credit card contracts will mention trailing interest in the terms and conditions but more often than not it can be hidden away within the small print of the contract. In Egg’s case the explanation behind the charges has been described as virtually incomprehensible.”
The top-up fee
In the contract it says it will charge, “a top-up fee where the amount of interest charged to your account on any statement is less than 50p and the fee will be the amount required to make the top-up fee plus that interest equal to 50p. Where this applies, your statement will show a 50p minimum finance charge”.
Barclay card mentions on its website that interest is charged until the full date of repayment meaning that you may receive a further interest charge the second month, however there is no mention of the extra 1 pound charge.
Peter Harrison, a credit cards specialist at a leading price comparison website, said too often financial services companies include these wrinkles in their terms and conditions and it is important customers check the details before applying.
He added: “Whilst the sums of money involved are quite small, many customers who want to clear their full balance will, no doubt, find this irritating.”
The extra interest charges are not likely to send customers spiraling back into debt but there is no doubt that many would find it annoying receiving another statement after thinking that the balance had already been paid off.
Some Helpful Hints To Remember When Immigrating To Canada
Choosing a new life abroad can be one of the most rewarding decisions a family can make.
With the recent economic downturn seemingly easing, the beginning of a new year is a time when the thoughts of some will return to the dream of immigrating to Canada and a new life overseas.
Over the past decade Canada has seen a multitude of new immigrants arrive at its major cities. Many choose to emigrate from their home countries to the major cities Vancouver, Montreal, and Calgary. Immigration policy for the country, as with many other countries, can be seemingly complex; and anyone considering the move should seek a professional assessment of their eligibility to find out they qualify and under which category.
There are a number of possible options for those thinking of moving to Canada — visit my website, breakingbarriers.info, for more information.
If your familys visa application is already going through, you are probably assessing the final preparations that you need to make before immigrating to Canada. Depending upon your circumstances you may need to search out details of the local education establishments in your new home town, on the other hand your first priority may be to find yourself a job before you emigrate. Dont forget, the job marketplace and school systems of each country can vary a great deal, and finding out beforehand is the only way to ensure a smooth transition after you have emigrated.
There are certainly a few simple things that you can take care of just before you emigrate to Canada and doing so will save you so much money and time once you have arrived. These include:
Have your qualifications and work experience properly assessed before you go. Visit my site now to find out where you can have this done. Canadian qualifications and experience differ from those elsewhere (as is the case in most places) and without a credential evaluation you may find yourself talking to a brick wall when being interview by Canadian employers and thats even if you get through the door for the interview!
Ask for references from your previous landlords this will help you secure accommodation when you emigrate to Canada. Also, take with you proof of funds in the bank to show to any wary landlords.
Apply for a credit history report. This will help with landlords and all other situations where you need a line of credit. You will probably find that credit is near impossible to obtain from most sources for at least a year after emigrating. Help build up a credit rating by taking out a pre-paid credit card. In addition, some of the banks appear to have more favourable offers for newly landed immigrants.
Make sure that you have sufficient medical coverage for the first 3 months after you have landed. You will not be covered under the Canadian Medical Services Plan for that period of time so a stand-alone policy is needed. You can arrange this online before you go it is harder to do, if not impossible, once you have emigrated.
Ask your general practitioner for copies of your notes which you can take with you and give to your new doctor unless you want them to use guesswork!
Write or call your home and auto insurers and ask them to provide written details of your no claims status as well as details of any prior claims. Doing this can help you save a great deal of money on your insurance here in Canada.
This is not an exhaustive list of the things you need to get around to before you immigrate to Canada, although hopefully some of the things included here will assist you in saving time and money, and most importantly, help moving to Canada become a reality for you that little bit sooner!
Do not forget, immigration policies can change any time. To ensure that you dont miss out find out as much as you can as soon as you can! You only get one chance at life and if moving overseas is something that you yearn for then set the wheels in motion today, you will be glad that you did!
[Top]Do It Yourself Credit Card Settlement The Fastest Way To Peace Of Mind
Do it yourself Credit card debt settlement is like getting a new lease on life. All those nagging phone calls from collectors and creditors will become history and the letters will stop. And now more than ever creditors are taking what they can get, or what you can give them.
You can approach do it yourself debt settlement in 1 way. Stop paying, get behind, save your money and get on the phone playing the big guy or gal. So there is a little more to it than that.
Do it yourself debt settlement, is by far the fastest and cheapest way to go about debt settlement. Is it the easiest in my opinion, yes. Because I am the one calling the shots. Meaning I don’t have to rely on some guy in an office somewhere in Boise, Idaho with 321 other credit accounts to step up to plate for me. By the way I randomly picked Boise Idaho. But you get the point. Plus the the greatest thing is not only am I saving thousands of dollars doing it myself, but it makes me responsible for MY own financial status.
The other way is paying a debt settlement company to do it for you. There are hordes of people and companies that advertise credit card debt settlement in one day or something of that kind which will look just fantastic. Such credit card debt settlement offers/advice are generally not genuine. Plus know that debt settlement will not happen over night. So, beware of the agencies offering miracles. But this post is about do it yourself or DIY debt settlement.
Here are some quick tips for do it yourself credit card settlement:
* Gather your statements and original paperwork if you have it
* Order a copy of your credit report
* Total up how much you owe (balance, fees, rates)
* Know your history like how long you have been with the creditor
* Make the call
That is it a nutshell, but you want to come across as knowing your account just as good or better than they do.
Always remain calm and never take the first offer.
Your future plans are important and creating a plan, mindset, and lifestyle that will keep you out of debt is just as important as the debt settlement process.
Create a plan to start over, and new beginning if you will. The Money Mastering Mindset is not just reserved for the affluent people of the world, its meant for you.
If this was helpful and you would like more information such as what to say and who to speak with when you call join my newsletter and drop a note.
Thanks for reading!
Gene
[Top]How to Save Yourself From Drowning in Credit Card Debt
Credit card debt has been widely recognized as the primary reason why people are suffering from low credit scores in the country. The most likely reason why many people suffer from this vicious cycle of debt is that it is difficult to keep a track of all the points of expenditure through credit cards. This is especially true when a person is struck with some form of a medical or even non medical emergency. In such situations, it is impossible to think of the consequences of expenditure because expenses like medical bills cannot be avoided at the cost of life or fitness. Therefore, most people in a medical emergency end up getting trapped in debt. Fortunately, while it takes some doing, it is not very difficult to get rid of the problem. All it takes is a little bit of common sense and diligence. Consider the following steps through which you can get rid of your credit card debt, if you are stuck in one.
1. Find some good refinancers and pay each of them a visit
The first step of your strategy to get rid of credit card debt is to find and visit good refinancers in the region. The loan refinancing industry has grown significantly as the number of people getting trapped by different types of debts is increasing. Therefore, it would not be difficult for you to find some good refinancers in your region. You should shortlist the best ones and arrange an appointment with each one of them. During your meetings with these refinancing professionals, your job will be to try and get as much information about the kind of credit card debt settlement plan that they think would be good for you.
2. Analyze the credit card debt settlement plans that they have set out for you
After you have met with all the refinancing firms, you would have rough information on the credit card debt settlement plans that they had devised for you. If you are smart, you can get a lot of very useful information from a refinancing firm’s representative. You should analyze all the information that you have gathered in terms of different instruments, different schedules and, in a nutshell, the whole settlement plans’ structure.
3. Combine the positives of all the plans strategies and create your own
Finally, you should combine the good aspects of all these strategies that you think fit your specific situation and formulate your own customized settlement plan. Ideally, the best way to get rid of credit card debt would be to pay the debt. However, sometimes the debt is so large that it requires some manipulation through refinancing loans and other credit cards. Your own settlement plan would consist of this kind of information. Furthermore, since you took the positives and most suitable aspects from all the restructuring and refinancing plans offered to you, you would find that your customized plan would be better than all of them because it is designed to your specific needs by you.
[Top]Chase Credit Card Application Status
In todays world, there’s no doubt about how important to people the credit card has become over recent years. Providing you can manage your debts; is there anything wrong with using your credit card to have what you want right now.
One of the most popular brand names of credit cards in the market today is the Chase credit card. Accepted around the world, the Chase credit card is similar to many others. Aside from Chase credit card, the company also offers travel cards, Auto & Gas cards and student cards.
So there are a number of reasons to have a Chase credit card all of which will be of great benefit to the user over time. Probably the most used feature is its online capabilities used by workers and other people that have little time to go out shopping. Using the web site, secure of course means that managing your finances is only a few mouse clicks away.
For some people, the ease with which they can go online to manage their account is the only excuse they need to own a Chase credit card. If you are looking to save money then Chase offers waived membership fees along with other introductory deals including low APR’s.
There is more than one type of Chase credit card and loyal customers can expect to be rewarded when they use the card. For those that don’t fly but still want rewards then they can have a version of the Chase card that will award you points when you spend any money. These points will then enable you to purchase from a Chase credit card catalogue and they will have your chosen item shipped to right next to your doorstep! There are holidays, plus other well sought after rewards and all at no charge to you.
Chase credit cards know that if they look after their customers they won’t lose them; a philosophy that many companies could learn from. Well all like our gifts but knowing that no matter where you are or what you are doing there is someone to talk to if you need them can often mean much more than material goods. You will really appreciate this if you are abroad and your card is lost or stolen because a new card will need to be sent to you as soon as possible.
If you are thinking about transferring your balance then this is the way to do it with a guaranteed six month zero percent interest rate which also incorporates current purchase balances as well. A no annual charge policy and if you pay your bill in full, there will not be any other interest charges to pay. Having a Chase credit card also allows the holder to earn cash rewards on purchases. If you are considering transferring your account or balance, it is easy over the internet with the secure server.