Credit card approvals will fall and interest-free terms will shrink

Banks will increasingly tighten lending criteria over the next three months, approvals for credit cards and loans will fall and interest-free term lengths will shrink, banking giants and building societies predict. The Bank of England’s latest credit conditions survey revealed lenders by a large margin believe the availability of unsecured credit for households will decrease … Read more

Banking with Lloyds for 40 years helped it uncover my £12k PPI payout

When it comes to big banks it is often said that loyalty doesn’t pay. However, in an unusual case, 40 years of sticking with Lloyds Bank was the main reason behind a Hertfordshire man obtaining a £12,000 mis-sold PPI payout. But Richard Harvey’s case also highlighted how the banking giant stung him for worthless insurance … Read more

Catapillr offers work interest-free loans up to £10k to pay for childcare

The cost of childcare can be a stressful ‘how much?’ moment for many parents.  Families can part with almost £7,000 a year for a part-time nursery place, or more than £12,000 for a full-time spot, for a two-year-old, according to charity Coram Family and Childcare.  A new childcare employee benefit scheme, Catapillr, has now launched … Read more

Mastercard bans conversion con on its prepaid cards

Mastercard bans a conversion con on its prepaid cards which strips millions of pounds a year from British travellers Tourists are routinely offered a chance to pay in their ‘home’ currency  This process is called ‘dynamic currency conversion’  Such conversion rates are expensive, as the Mail on Sunday warned last week  By Laura Shannon, Financial … Read more