When you begin the search for a good UK credit card, you are likely to encounter a vast amount of information. A lot of this information can be conflicting, as well as confusing, and you might feel that you will never be able to root out the best credit card deal to suit your circumstances.

The way to find the best credit card for you is to cut through all the waffle and jargon and simply focus on what you need from a credit card. Once you know this, you can narrow down your options so that there are only a small number of deals to compare and to choose from.

What type of credit card is best for you?

To get the best credit card deal, you need to understand your spending patterns and to have a good grip on your finances. This will help you find a card that you can afford and that suits your needs. Here are a few examples of credit card types along with who they are best suited to:

• Credit cards with low interest rates (low APRs) – these may attract your attention, but they are not for everyone. These are best if you want a card to use only occasionally and that you can afford to pay off in full each month. If you want a credit card for a specific purpose, this is not the option for you.

• 0% balance transfer credit cards – these cards, which give you 0% for a limited period (i.e. 12 months) are designed for people who already have debt and who will be able to pay off that debt by the expiry of the 0% period. They allow you to transfer the balance (debt) to the 0% card so that you get a better deal and can more easily manage your debts.

• Cash back credit cards offer you money back on everyday purchases on everyday purchases, which is very beneficial but only worth it if you can your balance off in full (or very nearly) every month.

• Low-rate life of balance credit cards – similarly to balance transfer offers, these cards allow you to switch existing debt over to a new card. The difference is that these cards give you a guarantee that the interest rate on the debt won’t increase as long as you can make minimum payments each month. These cards are best for people who can’t afford to completely clear their debts before 0% offer periods run out (usually within 12-18 months).

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One of the best things that people hope for in their lives is to finally own a home of their own. Very few people have the privilege of buying a home and making all the payments at once. Since many people cannot afford this option, people opt to get a mortgage.

The best way to get a mortgage is actually doing so via a mortgage specialist. A mortgage specialist will help you get the right type of mortgage that will fit your needs and assist you to acquire that house you have always wanted.

Who is a Mortgage Specialist?

A mortgage specialist is a person who has specialized in mortgages and can sometimes act as a liaison between you and the lender. The advice that they can give you is very valuable and comes in handy when it comes down to choosing the right type of mortgage to get.

Why should you get advice from a mortgage specialist?

• You can get the information by yourself but chances are that you will not be able to get a very good deal on your own because you do not have sufficient knowledge in the area of mortgages. They are experienced and so they know the mortgage industry in and out so they are able to give you sound advice about mortgages of all shapes and sizes.
• The second reason why you should take the advice of a mortgage specialist is because today you are faced with a lot of information which can easily misguide you when you are choosing your lender.
• The third reason is because you will be getting the information about mortgages for free. You will get the advice for free because the mortgage specialists can only get paid a commission when they have made a client sign a loan from a lender.
• Many people have poor credit scores and so when they apply for a mortgage, they are forced to pay higher interest rates than the people with good credit scores. The mortgage specialist can assist you to get lower rates from a lender than you would if you tried to do it yourself directly to the lender.
• The fourth reason is so that you can have someone do most of the legwork in terms of the negotiating and paperwork that needs to be done. They do the hard work for you so you do not have to go through it. The mortgage specialist will also become the point of contact regarding all the things that are related to your financing.

Other advantages of a mortgage specialist

You will save yourself a lot of time when you get the advice directly from a mortgage specialist. This is because all the time that you would have spent doing research online can be spent on other things related to the mortgage, all because you decided to get accurate information from your mortgage specialist.

If you are ever faced by a situation where you need to refinance your mortgage, the mortgage specialist will give the right advice and direct you in getting your mortgage refinanced the right way.

The amount of convenience that you will find from getting advice from a mortgage specialist is incomparable to the hassle that you would have to go through if you are going to gather the information for yourself from scratch. Another major advantage is that the mortgage specialist is always aware of new deals and changes in the industry so you can benefit from the most current information about mortgages.

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Not all annuities are the same

One of the safe retirement investment options currently on the market are annuities. It might surprise you as these have a reputation as unsafe financial products. Anyway, the truth is that there is very much confusion about annuities.

Such investment vehicles are not all the same. Except variable annuities, there are other similar options which are much safer, like fixed annuities. However, as some condemn all annuities, others tend to present the variable type as the one which can generate the higher gains.

Misleading information and an improper knowledge about these products is what leads people to choose variable annuities for their retirement plans. One the one hand, it is true that this option allows you to get high returns, but this opportunity is to set against some factors that can compromise your retirement income.

What are variable annuities?

Variable annuities are a security and consist in a mutual fund subaccount which includes fees that can reach 7%. These include extra fees that not every investment option has and can be therefore avoided. Variable annuities, in fact, are insured by an insurance company that normally charges management expenses along with other fees.

As the name suggests, the gains generated by this type of financial product can considerably vary as they are highly influenced by the market performance. It means that if you invest an amount of money today, an economical downturn can produce a negative return causing you to lose part or all of your money. That considered, variable annuities are definitely not the best way to ensure a fruitful retirement.

What makes variable annuities risky?

The worst thing about annuities are the many fees you’ll need to pay and that not every financial advisor will tell you about. When planning your retirement you most probably consider important to ensure a safe, steady income. One of the most important things to avoid is unnecessary fees.

In the case of variable annuities, up to 2% of the fees consist in management fees, which are due to the peculiar way this investment option is managed. To these, you have to add up expense fees that, like management costs, you will need to pay to the insurance company that manage your account even in case it crashes.

From this point of view, variable annuities differ considerably from other accounts that only include fees related to your contributions payment or money withdrawals. As experts say, the many fees included in a variable annuity can seriously compromise your gains as you might end up losing money even if your investments do well.

Federica writes for First Senior Financial Group, providing investment education to people at or near retirement with a team of Philadelphia retirement financial advisors. 

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Investment is the buzz word nowadays and with the volatility and the uncertain global situations, it would be a boon if investments would ensure that you get consistent income over life time, especially when you are nearing your retirement years.  This is where financial institutions like Banks try and sell Annuities. Annuities are financial instruments which provide the benefit of interest accrual along with the benefit of deferred tax.

This means that while the investment accrues compound interest over the course of few decades, there is just a one time tax at the time of withdrawal. The biggest benefit is that the interest is accrued until an age of 80 years or even more, perhaps the longest amongst all other forms of investment.

In a usual process, a bank representative sells annuities of the insurance company which has tied up with the bank. Even though annuities are a safe bet, there are many cases where unsatisfied consumers choose to withdraw from the product which has made this perception rife “Don’t Bank on Annuities”.

Are annuities really not that good?

First and foremost, annuities are not bad and offer unbeatable features in some respects vis-à-vis other products. But, almost selling of any other financial product, there are some agents who abuse the product as they are offered high commissions for it.

Bank Annuities

Earlier, banks used to offer annuities to a customer who wanted a little more than a deposit account. Banks take licenses so that some of their employees can sell the products. Upon successful sale, the employee is rewarded either through bank’s incentive program or through commission.

This results in twin benefits to the bank. The bank is not only able to generate additional revenues but also simultaneously able to maintain its relationship with the customer. Earlier, annuities were offered as the default investment option to consumers, but with the changing trends and newer products, banks with insurance licenses in the modern day world can offer a variety of options to customers.

Question the intent

Unless you have an old and trustworthy relation with your bank, you must raise questions if someone is trying to sell you an annuity scheme. For instance, one can ask why annuities are recommended and not other financial products? You can also ask whether the person selling the scheme has the relevant expertise to give you adequate information or whether the person has the license to provide something other than an annuity. This will only help you in having a better understanding of what you are investing into.

When it comes to putting your faith in money matters, having clarity will help you in achieving financial goals.

An honest person will guide you by explaining both the pros and cons as well as any alternative strategy which maybe better than annuity scheme. What must be really emphasized is that a customer must be made to understand everything.

Conclusion

Annuities were one of the first products which featured into the savings cum investment category. But, some unscrupulous elements have started making investors believe not to bank on annuities. If you can do a bit of due diligence and follow some of the above mentioned guidelines, this can prove to be the safest investment when it comes to providing rich returns.

This post is contributed by Adam Anderson. He has been using payday loans as one of the fastest option to get rid of his financial crunches.

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Babies are expensive but quite often people don’t realise quite how expensive they are. There’s no way that you can prepare for the added expenses that your family will have to deal with other than save from the moment you find out you’re pregnant. However, when your little bundle of joy is born there are loads of ways you can save yourself money so that you’ve got a little bit left over.

When it comes to having your baby you might find yourself in hospital for a few days so there are a few things you should remember when you’re there.

• Firstly, don’t use the TV; some hospitals charge as much as £6 per day to watch the TV so why not save that money and use the time to bond with your little one and recuperate as you won’t have time for recuperation and relaxation when you get home.

• There’s quite often a selection of toiletries in the cupboard including nappies, lotion, wipes and a thermometer, you should ask to take these things home – usually you’re allowed – to save yourself having to go out and buy loads as soon as you get home.

• Maternity wards in hospitals are always being plied with free samples and coupons too but generally nurses are too busy to give them out. If you ask they’ll be more than happy to give you whatever you have; a lot of the time there will be samples of baby lotions and creams as well as coupons for nappies and milk formula – you could save yourself loads.

Breast is best and it sure is cheapest. If you can’t breast feed then you obviously have no choice but to shell out on formula but if you can you’ll definitely notice the difference in your bank balance. A lot of people think that you have to have your own breast pump to express milk in advance but this isn’t the case, you can share them so if a friend or family member has one, as if you can borrow. The only thing you can’t share are the plastic attachments but you can buy those cheaply enough from chemists and even supermarkets. Borrowing a breast pump will help save you at least £100 if not more.

You should never buy too many baby clothes in advance; if you buy a winter coat in September it definitely won’t fit them by the time the cold weather hits so that’s quite a bit of money lost. Also, stick to neutral coloured baby clothes, that way you can use them again if you ever have another.

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