Cashzilla

Surprise, surprise. I go away for a while, and there is an announcement from the Consumer Credit Counselling Service that levels of ‘extreme debt’ in the UK are worsening. Now I don’t want to draw any obvious connection there, but the timing seems a bit coincidental don’t you think. Well now I am back, so [...]

Those pesky credit card companies which are offering longer and longer interest free periods in order to attract new customers have started new methods to get back the money they lose due to rate tarts.  Some months ago most of the card companies started introducing a transfer fee of aroung 2% payable on the amount [...]

I received a letter a couple of days ago telling me that the APR on an old credit card which I still have but no longer use, was going to go up from an already high 17.9% up to a rediculous 24.9%. Given that it is easy to get a variety of cards with an [...]

The UK in recent years has seen a massive growth in the levels of personal debt and thanks to increases in secured loans corresponding to a strengthening of the housing market; it does not appear to be slowing down. Recent figures from Creditaction show that since the end of 1993 when debt level were around [...]

I know this is also not finance related, but regular readers will know that a certain dinosaur likes chocolates – see What £1.1 trillion of debt actually means. I have recently found out that the cult Texan “mighty chew” bar has returned!! Too cool. I remember having tooth fillings removed by these babies when I [...]

Sucker. I’m sorry, but it had to be said. Let me explain. I went to this particular clothes shop this lunchtime to buy my grandpa a shirt for his birthday – he’s 93 you know. Standing in front of me in the queue to pay was a young-ish guy who was also buying a shirt. [...]

Ok … forgive the title, blame it on super strength coffee and very little sleep … but I do enjoy a little financial doom and gloom. We have been telling you lot for ages that house-prices are too high and you’re spending too much money. But you wouldn’t listen. Bankruptcies are continuing to rise, alongside [...]

A “rate tart” is someone who switches from one zero per cent introductory credit card deal to another to avoid paying interest; however they may be set to become something of the past. Recently a number of the major credit card companies, including Egg, Barclays, the Royal Bank of Scotland and MBNA have introduced transfer [...]

For those of you who were present in Edinburgh on Saturday 2nd July 2005 and saw the “drop the debt” campaign – which began in The Meadows… you’ll be familiar with the diversity of agendas at the event. Suddenly “drop the debt” became “drop capitalism” and “drop polution” or even “drop war” or “drop politics”. [...]

I liked the heading in the Sunday Herald last Sunday (3rd July 2005) … “Sharp fall in first-time buyers casts a long shadow over housing market” Oh I hope so. 1) I am fed up with my friends becoming anxious about getting on to property ladder, especially when they have to give up their social [...]