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credit cards

What is a personal loan?

A personal loan is a monetary loan you can get from a credit provider such as a bank, credit union or online lender – usually for a specific life purpose like renovating your home, paying for a holiday or consolidating several smaller loans. Lenders approve personal loans by evaluating your creditworthiness. When you enter into a contract for a personal loan, you typically receive money in a lump sum and agree to repay the lender back the money in regular…

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Avoid financial heartache this Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s day is just around the corner. And you know what that means: candle-light dinners, romantic water-side strolls, mouth-watering chocolates, exquisitely arranged bouquets and… your beloved’s outstanding debt?  At first you’ll be enamoured by that special someone’s talents and strengths but there will come a day when you have to face their flaws. And no, we’re not talking about letting one rip in the middle of a Netflix special, because we all do that. What we’re talking about here is…

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Managing your finances when life throws you a curveball

Occasionally life will throw you a curveball that directly or indirectly impacts your finances: you’re made redundant, your furnace dies or you’re expecting a child and you realise you’ll need to upgrade homes in the not-too-distant future. The last thing you want is to dig yourself into a deeper hole because you weren’t able to manage the financial side of things. Here are some ways to avoid that, so that you can bounce back sooner rather than later. 1.  Put…

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Choosing a rewards credit card that’s right for you

Rewards credit card programs have exploded in recent years, offering everything from flights to merchandise to cash in your pocket. With so many options, it’s important to choose a rewards card that suits your lifestyle and preferences. Here’s how. What is a rewards credit card? Rewards credit cards typically work by letting you accumulate a certain number of “points” for every dollar you spend and you can later redeem these points for valuable goods and services like flights, household items…

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How to compare credit cards the right way

Comparing credit cards the right way can be rewarding, because there’s a credit card that can cater to almost every lifestyle and financial need. When you compare, you’ll be looking at everything from interest rates, to reward programs to promotional offers to fees. Compare credit cards by type of card Since you probably already know that closing your accounts too often can hurt your credit score, we hope you’ll keep your card for some time. That’s why it’s important to…

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Debt consolidation loan vs. balance transfer credit card – which one to choose?

When you consolidate your debt, you are essentially taking out one large loan and using that money to pay off two or more smaller debts. The two major ways you can do this is by applying for a balance transfer (BT) credit card or taking out a debt consolidation loan. This guide explores why you’d want to consolidate debt in the first place and then looks at your two options to help you determine which one is right for you.…

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Personal loans vs credit cards. What you need to know.

A personal loan is about as straightforward as it gets when it comes to borrowing money. It can help you pay for something special like a car, holiday or home renovations, or to consolidate debt. With a personal loan, you borrow a specific amount and you make regular payments until it’s paid (along with the interest), usually one to five years. And for a long time personal loans have been in the shadow of credit cards. That’s because credit cards…

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Credit cards: What is a Low-interest or balance transfer credit card

How credit card balance transfers work If you find yourself in credit card debt, paying a huge amount of interest every month and never making any reduction in the balance because it’s all going in interest, a balance transfer could be your way out. In a way you would be paying off your credit cards with another credit card, but the crucial difference is that the new credit card may come with an interest rate holiday. (After a basic card?…

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Colourful cards on pale backdrop
What you need to know about balance transfer credit cards

A friend called me the other day in a panic because he suddenly realised he owed more than $2,000 on his credit card and had no way of paying it off in a reasonable fashion. “You work in finance,” he said, “what am I supposed to do now?” First I made him do the calculations to see how much interest he would pay on that $2,000. He’d blown it on dinners, drinks, and a new smartphone he didn’t need, and…

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How to: be more disciplined with credit cards

If you’re considering opening a new credit card, you may worry you’ll overspend and get yourself into trouble. And understandably so – the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that the average household debt in Australia is $168,600, and the most common form of debt is credit card debt. So how can you use a credit card responsibly? Let’s look at the best ways to stay disciplined. Think of your credit card as a debit card A great way to stay…

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