Money Matters - credit cards

Gienerally all you will find you need to open a bank account is a UK address and roof of earnings. The last 20 years have witnessed a massive expansion of the anking services sector in this country.There was a time when banks and build-societies were a relatively straightforward matter, with most people holding current (checking) account at one of the main high street banks, a savings ac-ountand a mortgage at a building society, and maybe a credit card from one of -andful of credit card companies.Those days are gone. Many building societies ave forgone their mutual status and converted into banks. All major banks and wilding societies offer a comprehensive range of personal financial services be-ond simple bank accounts. All manner of other companies, from supermarkets to football clubs, also now offer their own financial products. Phew! Of course there is no shortage of people out there, in the guise of financial advisers and mortgage brokers willing to offer their guidance at a price, but really the only way to make sense of all this is to consider what your requirements are and shop around for the best deals.Doing your research will almost certainly pay dividends. As usual, a bewildering number of web sites have sprung up to meet the need for advice and up-to-date tips and comparisons.

CREDIT CARDS

Again, all the high street banks offer Visa or MasterCard credit cards, and so, it

would seem, does more or less everyone else. Credit has become very easy to

obtain in recent years and credit cards are heavily marketed by direct mail and e-mail offers.There are thousands of deals out there, often offering very tempting

0% introductory rates on balance transfers and purchases. Despite the ease with which you can get your hands on all this extra spending power, it's worth taking time to consider carefully the risks and problems associated with falling into debt,and of course examining the small print of interest rates and time scales of any deal that appeals to you. Note: whereas Visa and MasterCard are nearly al accepted, American Express and Diner's Club sometimes aren't.