MBNA is Europes largest credit card provider. Based in Chester, UK, it has a wide range of affinity and charity credit cards, along with its own competitive APR credit cards.

MBNA offers online banking so that you can have 24-hour access to all your credit card accounts, including making payments, balance transfers, loans, paying your balance, increasing your limit and much more at no extra cost. In fact they have online only credit cards too, ensuring you make the most amount of saving my remaining an MBNA valued customer.

You will be able to log onto the MBNA website with a password and be taken to a page with your accounts. From there you can look at your credit card statement and see all the charges you’ve made. This is an easy way to keep track of your spending. It is also an opportunity for you to watch out for fraudulent transactions. If you see what you believe to be a fraudulent transaction, you should notify the bank as soon as you can, they have a well detailed credit card security and protection procedures to make sure you are safe at all times.

You can set up an automatic transfer each month to transfer money from your checking or savings account to your credit card account. Or you can transfer the money online yourself if you want to pay different amounts each month.

Your statement will show you where you made purchases, the amount of purchase, credits issued (for example, if you returned merchandise), your running credit card balance, how much you’re paying in interest, whether you’ve been assessed any fees, and how much credit you still have available. Your statement can be downloaded and printed out, as can bank statements for up to 24 months.

If you are part of a rewards program, your statement may include information about your rewards points or cash back up to the current statement, or if it is part of an affinity like the play.com credit card, you can see where you need to go to check your points balance.

When reviewing your credit card statement, check the due date first. The due date can vary by a day or two every month, and if you’re late, you’ll probably be assessed a late fee. Also check your balance to be sure you are not in danger of going over your credit limit. There are fees if that happens, too. Some people compare their charges to their sales slips to make sure the correct amounts were charged.

Being burdened with accrued unpaid dues and charges can be one of the worst things that can happen to a credit card holder. If you ever find yourself in such a situation, fear not as there is always help available. You just need to be willing and can speak to somebody who knows how to consolidate credit card debt. Transferring all your debts to the same card is perhaps the most common method adopted by people but you may also find a new card where you can transfer your balance and pay your debt before the offer ends, which is usually within 12 months.

The whole idea of consolidating your credit card debt to a new card is only successful if the offers in the new card are better than the previous card. A balance transfer credit card helps you to consolidate credit card debt and lessen the burden of debt. But there are a few features you need to check to avoid extra spending.

* Keep a watch on the offer: Find out how long the offer will last to avoid unnecessary spending. Such offers keep on changing very frequently. Keep a track of it and see what you have to do keep them.
* Transfer your money on time: Try to do the credit card balance transfers on time without overlapping to avoid paying high interest charges.
* Check for annual fees: Check if there are annual fees applicable to your card. As balance transfer credit cards offer very low interest rates, often it is seen that they charge a high annual fee. This point is to be taken into account while deciding whether to choose that card.
* Look for the interest-free method: Unlike a long term solution to consolidate credit card debt, this is an interest-free method to consolidate credit card debt within 6 to 12 months.
* Read the fine print: Do not forget to read the fine print. Check whether your balance transfer card offers 0% APR. Also check that the 0% includes your balance transfer and the time you have before the APR changes.
* Trust a reputable company: It is better you apply with a company whom you trust. Never apply just for the sake of missing out on a good offer.

Card providers achieve sky-high profits by offering various interest rates and fees for their clients. So before you take your step to consolidate credit card debt, give special attention to the features of such balance transfer credit cards.

The main tip to reducing your Irish credit card costs is to pay them off every month. But in real life, that’s not always possible. Emergencies come up, and you need time to pay off your expenses. But if you can’t pay off your entire balance every month, the next best thing you can do to keep expenses down is to pay as much as you can, and pay on time. That way you’ll keep your average daily balance as low as possible (which is what your minimum payments are based on), and you won’t be hit with late fees. If you have a low APR credit card, then the interest will be low also, just in case you cant pay back the whole amount borrowed in one go!

If you have a wallet full of credit cards, the most obvious way to keep your expenses down is to pay off and get rid of cards you don’t use. Another option is transferring the balance to another card if that is possible. Most money experts recommend having two credit cards so that you minimize the amount of financial hot water you can get into while having a “backup” card if the other one should be lost, stolen, or not accepted somewhere you need to use it.

One of the best ways to keep your credit card costs down is to avoid cards with lots of “perks” like points, airline miles, or some other incentive. While these cards can work well if you are disciplined, use your card a lot, and pay off your balance in full every month, if you carry a balance, the interest you’ll pay will far overshadow any benefit you’d get from the card’s perks.

So, supposing that you can’t pay your balance in full every month, you usually pay on time, and you’ve cut back to two credit cards. How do you save on credit card expenses? You could use them less, for one thing. It is much harder to be disciplined and stick to a shopping list if you have the extra cushion of credit that a credit card gives you, so taking out cash and using it may be a way to cut down on card use, thus lowering the amount of debt you have.

Other than that, your best bet is to choose a credit card with no annual fee and the lowest interest rate you can qualify for. Once you have that, and you avoid late fees, or over the limit fees, you’ll do best with a low interest rate card.

In a word – yes. You can apply for as many credit cards as you want. However, you must keep certain factors in mind if you want to avoid doing harm to your finances and credit score.

Applying for too many credit cards at once will result in numerous inquiries on your credit history. Everytime you do something with you credit card, wether it be apply or cancel one, it is recorded onto your history. Since this is one of the many factors considered in determining your credit score, you must keep this in mind before making numerous applications. A large number of inquiries by numerous credit card issuers will hit your score negatively, especially if you are diapproved.

Secondly, why would you want numerous credit cards at once? There is no real point in having a dozen credit cards if you are not going to use all of  them. It is not just a question of administrative fees and the annual charges that you pay. Lenders will notice that you have a large number of cards that are not used very often.

Lenders will use this as a pretext to conclude that you are not very confident about your finances and that you have the cards to overcome financial emergencies. Whether this is the truth or not is not relevant.

Thirdly, you should consider the pros and cons of going in for many credit cards at once. If you fly a lot, going in for a credit card that offers airmiles as rewards is a smart move. Your decision to apply for many cards at once should be based on common sense and need, if you need to have two cards, one for emergencies, and one for wants – maybe directly linked to your current account, so the balance is paid off in full at the end of each month – what have you got to worry about?

Irrespective of whether you are applying for a credit card or multiple credit cards, you should make use of the internet to get all the information you need. There are numerous credit card issuers in the market. It is not possible to determine a single card issuer as the best one for all persons. A lot depends on your specific requirements.

Hence, make use of the resources you have at your disposal to compare and analyze the pros and cons of different deals before you take a final decision.There are even options of getting a second card from your partner or spouses account, hence helping collect those airmiles and keeping your spending under control!

It’s hard to know what to do with old financial statements – which ones to keep and which to shred. But there are guidelines, and in general, if the statement could have to do with taxes, you should keep it for a long time, perhaps several years. Of course, if you do all your banking online, it is rather a moot point, because there aren’t paper records to protect. But how do you know what to do with other financial statements?

Tax returns should have the longest shelf life, as should cheques and receipts for things like charity contributions, mortgage interest, and other documents that may affect your taxes. You should keep such records for several years, if not permanently.

Documents related to pensions should be kept for at least a year, and permanently if possible. The same goes for bank statements where there might be something that relates to your taxes. For bank statements that don’t have any long term importance, you can get rid of them after a year.

You should keep your credit card statements anywhere from a couple of months to several years. Again, it depends on whether the statements contain tax related expenses. If not, keep your receipts until you get your monthly credit card statement. If they match up, go ahead and shred the receipts. Hang onto the credit card statement for another month or so, and if there are no purchases with long term importance or related to taxes, you can get rid of them then.

The term “get rid of” goes well beyond tossing your statements into the bin. At the very least, they should be run through a shredder. Cross cut shredders are more destructive than regular shredders, but even with regular shredders, if you mix up the shredded paper that collects, you’re going to put off all but the most determined (or crazy) criminals wanting your financial information.

Some people go farther than shredding their financial records. Some incinerate them, and others get very creative, using them to line the cat box or composting the bits with chicken manure (if they have chickens). These measures are probably not necessary, but it does point up the need to keep your financial information close to the chest.

If you have the option of having your statements online, it may be worthwhile. For one thing, they’ll be archived, and for another, you won’t accidentally leave them lying around in plain view where a dishonest repairman or dodgy roommate might see them.

Choosing a credit card in Ireland, like anywhere else, involves taking into account what you want the credit card for and what kind of credit you have. Obviously, if you have good or excellent credit, you’ll have more choices and better interest rates. But with so many cards out there to choose from it can be confusing to know where to begin. Three types of credit cards you can choose from are “rewards” cards, so-called 0% cards, and balance transfer credit cards.

Rewards cards allow you to earn “points” or credits toward some goal when you use your credit card to make purchases. Maybe you’ll get discounts, or points to use toward purchases. Sometimes the “reward” is cash back.

0% credit cards vary. There are the 0% balance transfer cards that let you transfer a debt from another card. There are 0% cards that allows you to make purchases on which you won’t pay any interest until the introductory rate is over. That period may be a couple of months or a whole year.

Balance transfer cards may or may not have a 0% introductory “teaser” rate. Often they do have a low introductory rate for a set period from the time you open your card. It is important to know that the clock on the introductory rate begins when you open your account, not when you transfer your balances. If you wait to transfer balances, you’ll have a much shorter period in which you’ll benefit from the low rate.

Some people simply opt for the card with the lowest interest rate they can get. “No annual fee” cards are very common now, and you shouldn’t have to trade off a low interest rate at the expense of a high annual fee. There are plenty of no annual fee cards that carry relatively low interest rates. Often, in the long term, choosing the card with the lowest interest rate – particularly if there is no annual fee – is the best strategy. Assuming you make payments on time and don’t incur fees for going over your credit limit or for other reasons, you should be able to keep that relatively low interest rate. And if they try to raise it on you for no good reason, you can probably shop around and find another card that will offer you a low interest rate. Low interest rate cards may not have the cachet that points or rewards cards do, but when it comes to keeping credit card expenses under control, it’s almost always the best way to go.

If you’re like most Americans, you have a huge cloud of debt hovering overhead; and most of that debt comes from credit cards. Credit card companies make it so easy to sign up for them. Sometimes you get a zero percent interest rate (at least at first) and sometimes you get a free hat, T-shirt or some other free gift. It’s only after the card arrives that most people go crazy with them.

They buy high end television sets, expensive vacation and order loads of things online. They figure they’ll just pay it back later. The problem comes when the interest rates jump after the introductory offer expires and that’s when people find they can no longer afford to pay the balances they’ve racked up over time. It may be time to consolidate those credit cards so that you can more easily pay them off. The following are some tips for effective credit card consolidation so you can get yourself out of this mess.

Consolidation
Credit card consolidation refers to the practice of taking your current cards and transferring them to another card. There are several reasons for doing this. For one, you can often take advantage of a new card’s introductory offer, which is usually a very affordable interest rate. Sometimes, there’s even a zero percent interest rate; at least for a while. This allows you to pay off your new balance with no interest.

The second reason why you want to consolidate is that you will be paying off your current cards. This will positively affect your credit. When you pay off your credit cards by transferring them to a new card, it’s recommended that you cut them up. There’s no use in consolidating your credit cards if you’re just going to charge more money and tack on more interest to your already overwhelming debt.
The third reason you want to consolidate is that you’ll only have one bill to pay off. Instead of paying on three to five cards, or however many you have, you only have to pay off the one card. It’s easier to manage and it’s amazing how consolidation can take a huge weight off your shoulders; especially if you’re getting inundated with phone calls by the credit card companies demanding payment.

Finding a Card
Before you consolidate your cards onto another one, you have to find the best deal. As stated, you’ll want to find a card that offers a very low interest rate, or even a no interest rate special. Really do your homework and never settle on just any card. Soon you’ll find one that’s perfect card for consolidation.
When you consolidate credit cards, and you only have one balance to pay off, pay off as much as you can each month so you can whittle that debt down as quickly as possibly before your introductory interest rate offer expires. As long as you’re picky about the card you choose for consolidation and you make a promise never to get in over your head again, you’ll be able to consolidate your cards and finally pay off that debt that’s been hanging over your head for so long.

Ireland is the only country that has a credit card stamp duty. A stamp duty is a tax the government imposes on certain legal documents. The word “stamp” is a holdover from the days when an actual physical stamp was attached to a document to prove that the duty had been paid. The stamp duty on Irish credit cards and charge cards is for €30 per year per account. Charge cards are like credit cards except there is no interest because you pay it off at the end of the month.

It is important to note that multiple cards attached to one account, such as an account where both spouses have a copy of the credit card, only one stamp duty is imposed. If you transfer a credit card account from one issuer to another, you can avoid paying the stamp duty again as long as you close the old account and have documentation from the account you’re closing saying so.

In 2007, Ireland had more than 2.3 million credit cards in circulation, more than double what it was in 1997. Even if only a quarter of those were attached to unique accounts, it would add up to over €20 million in credit card stamp duty income per year.

There is also a stamp duty levied on debit laser cards and ATM cards. For these cards, the tax is €10 on every ATM card or debit laser card, or €20 annually on every combined Laser/ATM card.However, with debit laser cards and ATM cards the duty is affixed on every card rather than every account.

While you may balk at having to prove that you’ve already paid the credit card stamp duty once in a year if you’ve switched cards, or if you think that it’s too much trouble to bother with, consider what would happen if 100,000 Irish citizens didn’t bother. The Irish government would get an extra €30 million in a year for no good reason.

Same thing with the duties on ATM and debit laser cards. If nobody bothered disputing the stamp duty if they switched cards after having paid the tax for the year, the government would rake in an extra €10 million. There’s no sense in trying to get out of paying the stamp duty, but at the same time there’s no reason for you to pay it twice in a year if you don’t have to.

Feel you have far too much credit card debt?  You are far from alone.  In 2009 credit card debt was at an amazing £53 billion!  With so much debt happening, and the credit crunch still biting, no matter what experts say about recovery, it is no wonder people are starting to feel the pinch.

So how can you help control your own debt, what simple methods are there to reduce credit card debt?

Simple Ways to Reduce Credit Card Debt

Now there are complex legal methods that might help you reduce your debt such as debt consolidation, debt management and IVA, but that is for the experts – what we are looking at here is simple methods of reducing the debt, little things you can incorporate into your everyday life.

• Move cards.  One of the biggest problems with credit card debt is interest.  Find a new card that allows 0% on balance transfers and you could save yourself a lot of money if you consolidate debts.  Remember to cancel the old card though – you don’t want to build up more debt.
• Pay off cards.  Sounds obvious but the interest is a problem, your debt keeps increasing.  So if you have the money in the bank pay off your cards, don’t just sit there letting your debt build.  Certainly try pay off more than the minimum monthly payment.
• Leave the credit card at home.  Stop building up debt on your card by only taking cash out shopping with you – that way you control exactly how much you spend and can’t go over it.
• Cut out the little things.  Do you realise how much you spend on little things – things like a morning starbucks or buying lunch?  A coffee, a sandwich and a pack of crisps can easily add up to £5 – that s £5 a day, £150 a month, that can go to paying off your debt.

By following just a few simple steps every day, you will start to see that credit card balance shrink!

Credit Card Theft is a funny thing.  Just possessing stolen credit card can still be enough to get somebody in trouble.  It used to be that a person had to commit an actual larceny to be convicted of a crime.  With the Internet, the use of credit cards online, and identity theft, credit card theft is now often covered under a more general crime of identify theft.

Consumers are protected by consumers’ protection acts that limit how much they are on the hook if somebody steals their credit card.  Somebody still has to pay for all that fraud.  The Bank where you apply for a credit card is usually responsible for the bad debt or fraudulent purchases. In the US, The Department of Homeland Security reports that credit card fraud could be as much as $500 million dollars a year.  Credit card fraud in the UK was estimated to be 535 million pounds in 2006.

In the US, understanding the difference between felony and misdemeanour is easiest explained by the time spent in jail.  Generally, if you do something so bad that you end up in jail more than a year, you must have committed a felony.  Everything else are called misdemeanours.  Crossing the line to a felony means losing rights even after the felon puts time in behind bars.  Felons often face restrictions when travelling abroad, and lose the right to run for public office or carry firearms.  Countries that do not use this distinction use some other form of categorization.  In the UK and the Republic of Ireland, crimes are categorized as summary offences and indictable offences.

In the US, both federal and state law determines what can happen to a person who commits credit card theft. Federally, credit card theft falls under the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act in 1998.  Offenses under this law can carry up to thirty years in prison (definitely a felony). In order to be charged federally, the crime has to meet certain requirements.  Two examples are crossing state lines or mailed through the US postal service.

State law varies regarding how credit card theft is handled.  Usually the following information is used in determining if state law will charge the person with a misdemeanour or a felony:

• How much did he or she charge with the stolen credit card?  In many states in the US, if the amount is over $300, the charge crosses from being a misdemeanour to being a felony.
• What kind of criminal record, if any, did the person have before committing credit card fraud?  In some states, the charge for the first time somebody commits credit card fraud is a misdemeanour.  The second time they do it, they receive a felony charge.

Besides getting incarcerated, people found guilty of credit card fraud will usually have to pay fines and may be required to do community service after they serve their time.