MY READS OF THE WEEK
You may have seen this ad on the tube and wondered “what is this?” Me too, so we looked into it.https://t.co/ZrNgqKGs7c
— George Nixon (@George_Nixon97) February 4, 2020
- Well done to George Nixon at Thisismoney (see tweet above!) for exposing the Zeux savings account as an unprotected crypto-currency outfit from China. London Underground has got form when it comes to displaying dodgy financial adverts – as Young Money can testify! – so let’s hope this doesn’t become the norm.
- Overdrafts aren’t the only debt coming under increased scrutiny. This piece from Felicity Hannah explains how some credit card borrowers will now be pushed by lenders to pay off their debt – which could be a real double-edged sword.
- The rise of easy savings apps like Chip has been phenomenal. But they don’t come universally recommended. In an admirable (and sadly rare) case of a financial blogger putting public interest ahead of personal profit, Hollie at The Thrifty Mum did her homework on Chip – here’s what she found.
- Coronavirus is officially here and while it’s still low-level, it’s worth being cautious – not least when it comes to your investments. This latest London business bulletin from CNN helps to explain why I sold some of my more profitable investments recently – though I am mostly holding my nerve on my portfolio as investors should ALWAYS think long-term. We will be returning to this subject soon so watch this space…
MY DEALS OF THE WEEK
- Christmas is becoming a distant memory but some retailers are still trying to clear out their festive shelves: cue bargains galore. And they’re not all Christmassy. I was looking for a small inexpensive treat and was chuffed to see a lovely bath bomb, handmade by a British company, on the Boots clearance shelf for half price – just £2 (see above). There’s a thought if you’re having a Valentines night-in 😏
- All those big changes to debt products present an even more compelling case to use a 0% balance transfer card to try and clear pesky debts, once and for all. The longest 0% balance transfer window is available from Sainsburys for 29 months though it comes with a sizable 2.74%. This may be worthwhile, however, if you use the card correctly. Alternatively, Barclaycard offers the longest 0% balance transfer period without a fee at 20 months. Use MoneySavingExpert.com’s credit card eligibility tool to check which cards you’re likely to be accepted for before applying – this only conducts a soft credit search so it won’t damage your score.
