13 March 2010 :
Compare Credit Cards, Pet Insurance and Savings Accounts
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Did you know?
The first credit cards were given out in 1950 to just 200 people. They were only accepted in 14 restaurants in New York.
Source: About.com (http://history1990s.about.com/
od/1950s/a/firstcreditcard_1.htm)
Current accounts
Current accounts quite simply allow you to keep your money in a bank and access it in a variety of ways. It's often not convenient to pay by cash or move your money around as cash but with cheque books, debit cards and online transfers it's possible to pay bills and make other payments directly from your current account. Read more...>
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Alliance & Leicester PremierMulti-trip European travel insurance when you open an account |
0.1% | £500.00 |
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First Direct£100 when you switch your banking to first direct. Switch now |
0% | £0.00 |
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| ** £100 if you move to First Direct ** | ||||
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Alliance & Leicester Premier DirectFeature packed current account with a superb interest rate + benefits |
5% | £500.00 |
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Compare Current Accounts
Like other accounts current accounts also allow you to receive money that's paid to you as a cheque or bank transfer.
Although there are some offer based exceptions, generally current accounts are not designed to be savings accounts so they do not pay a high rate of interest on the money in your account. The idea of a current account is not to so much to help you to save money as much as helping you to use your money easily.
Current accounts are not intended as access to easy loans so spending more than you have in the account and going overdrawn will result in penalties and overdraft charges which can be quite high. Some current accounts may include a small interest free overdraft facility but this is a special feature and not one generally available to current accounts.
All high street banks run current accounts for their customers and the differences between them can be hard to spot. Features such as overdraft facilities, interest rates on overdrafts, interest on remaining balance or higher interest on a balance over a certain amount may all be part of the choice.
New current account customers are much sought after by banks as they are more likely to go on to use other services from that bank, so introductory offers and incentives are often available to new customers.
Top Tips for Current Accounts
- Access is everything for a current account so make sure that the facilities match your needs
- You won't make much interest on a balance in your current account so consider transferring spare money to a high interest savings account
- Make sure you know what the overdraft conditions are. Accidentally slipping overdrawn can prove costly
- Check to see if your current account gives you discount or benefits on other banking services
Articles
- Santander re-brand nearly completed 27 Jan 2010 | Read More ›
- Don't make the same mistakes as the politician card fraud victim 15 Dec 2009
- Tips for spotting fake websites 17 Nov 2009
- Free 5-year railcard with the NatWest Student Current Account 2 Sep 2009
- £100 cash back if you switch to Alliance & Leicester Premier Current Account 21 Aug 2009
Save an average of £244.60
on your energy bills
on your energy bills
Current Account News
Acceptance of bank account fees 'will take time'
10-Mar-10
10-Mar-10
Consumers may be reluctant to accept monthly bank account fees.
Bank accounts offer 'scandalous' overdraft rates
05-Mar-10
05-Mar-10
Bank account holders are being hurt by high overdraft rates.
Contactless payment 'the next big thing'
04-Mar-10
04-Mar-10
Contactless payment to become more popular this year.
Product Offers
Please ensure that you fully read the terms & conditions of any product or policy before you decide to proceed and are fully aware of the total costs and the benefits and any exclusions or limitations applicable to the product or plan.
Please note that the product links will take you direct to the Issuer or Insurer's site direct and we cannot be held responsible for the information which they provide within their own sites. On some comparison tables we use a star rating which rates products by visitor popularity.
Please ensure that you fully read the terms & conditions of any product or policy before you decide to proceed and are fully aware of the total costs and the benefits and any exclusions or limitations applicable to the product or plan.
Please note that the product links will take you direct to the Issuer or Insurer's site direct and we cannot be held responsible for the information which they provide within their own sites. On some comparison tables we use a star rating which rates products by visitor popularity.