The best credit cards for Christmas
Jessica Furseth looks at the best credit card deals for Christmas, and rounds up the rest of the week's personal finance news.
It is not too late to get a new credit card before Christmas, writes Jill Insley in The Guardian. Those looking for an interest-free deal should consider the Tesco Clubcard or M&S credit card both are offering 15 months at 0%. Shoppers looking for a cash-back card should look to Capital One World MasterCard. It offers 5% cash back on purchases up to £2,000 for the first three months, up to a maximum of £100.
If you have a savings account with National Savings & Investment (NS&I), check the rate you are getting: around 2.5 million people with savings accounts at NS&I receive less than 0.7% interest on their money, says Dan Hyde at Thisismoney.co.uk. The worst-hit savers are those with a so-called "investment account" paying 0.3%, which is even less than the Bank of England rate.
Also be aware that NS&I is withdrawing some of its services from the Post Office as part of a "modernisation" move. From now on, only Premium Bonds and one other savings account will be available from the Post Office. Of NS&I customers, 16% used the Post Office to make a transaction in the last year.
MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
A newly-launched Isa from Leeds Building Society will pay 3.25% for one year, writes Melanie Wright in the Daily Mirror. The account can be opened with as little as £1. Customers will have access to up to 25% of their funds at any time without having to give notice or incurring a penalty.
Sainsbury's Finance has launched a market-leading personal loan, where those borrowing between £7,500 and £15,000 can get a rate of 6.1% if they pay back the debt over three years, says Thisismoney.co.uk. Borrowing the money for four or five years will cost 6.2%, on a deal available only to Nectar card holders. Anyone interested in a loan of £5,000 over three years will also find that Sainsbury's has the cheapest deal, at 7.9%.
Yorkshire Building Society has completed the takeover of Egg mortgages and savings, so some borrowers will see the cost of their home loan drop, says MoneySavingExpert's Helen Knapman. Customers on Egg's standard variable rate (SVR) will pay the Yorkshire Building Society's lower SVR of 4.99%. Also taking effect from next week is the cancellation of Egg credit cards, following Barclaycard's takeover of this unit in April. Customers should receive replacement cards with the Barclaycard brand.
Delays to compensation for mis-sold payment protection insurance could mean extra money for those affected, writes Lucy Tobin in the Evening Standard. Certain customers at Lloyds, NatWest and Barclaycard have been left hanging for as much as double the estimated waiting time: Lloyds TSB admits up to 56 days' wait. The Financial Ombudsman Service says banks must pay any interest due on compensation right up to the date of payment.
Get the latest financial news, insights and expert analysis from our award-winning MoneyWeek team, to help you understand what really matters when it comes to your finances.
MoneyWeek is written by a team of experienced and award-winning journalists, plus expert columnists. As well as daily digital news and features, MoneyWeek also publishes a weekly magazine, covering investing and personal finance. From share tips, pensions, gold to practical investment tips - we provide a round-up to help you make money and keep it.
-
Defeat into victory: the key to Simon Wolfson's successOpinion Next CEO Simon Wolfson claims he owes his success to a book on military strategy in World War II. What lessons does it hold, and how did he apply them to Next?
-
Aircraft leasing companies can lift investors' portfoliosThe aircraft leasing business is a safer way to cash in on air travel and its booming demand. David Prosser explains how it works and how to access it
-
Nationwide promises to protect all its branches from closures until at least 2030The building society has extended its pledge to keep all high street Nationwide and Virgin Money branches open, now until at least 2030.
-
Premium Bonds winners announced – did you scoop the September jackpot?NS&I has announced the winners for September’s Premium Bonds prize draw, with two lucky savers becoming overnight millionaires. Did you win this month?
-
Thousands of Brits switch to Nationwide, Co-operative Bank and Monzo – which banks are least popular?As current account bank switches reach a record high, we look at the most and least popular banks and building societies among Brits. Is it worth switching?
-
How long does it take to win a Premium Bonds prize?It could take much longer than you think to win something in the Premium Bonds prize draw
-
Lloyds Bank returns with £175 bank switch bonus – is it worth moving banks?Lloyds Bank is offering customers £175 to move to one of its Club accounts. We look at whether it’s worth taking advantage of the bank switching bonus
-
NatWest sell-off moves closer as the government offloads more sharesThe UK Treasury's stake in NatWest has fallen to below 11% - here is what it means for the share price
-
Premium Bond winners – who won the November £1 million jackpot?NS&I unveils November’s Premium Bond winners. Who bagged the jackpot and what other prizes are on offer?
-
NS&I to cut Premium Bond prize rate to 4.15%The odds of winning a prize will fall to 22,000 to 1 for the December draw, while NS&I is also slashing the rates on other savings products. We have all the details
