Start getting ready for Christmas...

Posted in 'Personal Finance' by Barry Stamp

17 November 2011

With such a long and welcome spell of unseasonally mild weather, it's easy to think that Christmas is a long way off. But, it is in fact coming at us as fast as an express train.

Take action now and you'll get in early and stand the best chance of having the right credit card in your wallet in plenty of time to start shopping for Christmas. It takes five minutes of your time and you'll be making a good start to managing your Christmas spend and controlling costs.

Because of the increased number of credit card applications that are made in the build up to Christmas, credit card companies are placed under extra pressure – increasing the time it takes to issue a card. The nearer to Christmas, the higher the cut-off score and the more difficult it becomes to get cheap credit - as savvy lenders know that the risk of bad debt increases in relation to how close to 25 December that applications are received.

By applying for a new card now, or switching your balance to a better deal, you’ll have a new credit card in your wallet in plenty of time, and you'll avoid the stress of the late rush. You'll also be able to take advantage of some of the amazingly long 0% purchase and balance transfer deals on offer right now.

By using our free credit card finding service, you’ll see which cards are matched to your credit rating – increasing your chances of being approved first time. Click here to find out which credit cards are matched to your personal credit score, for free.