June 2008 Newsletter
| Created: 12/06/2008 |
Dear Stoozer,
This month we bring some hot card offers to your attention, to help you maximise your stoozing profits. We also have some useful new additions to the site, to make your life a little easier.
Since the early days of the Official Stoozing Website, we have maintained our unique Stoozing Cards Table which lists all the 0% Balance Transfer cards on the market. The table also shows which cards have the all important SBT facility. To make your life even easier, we have now created an additional table which simply lists all the SBT Cards in one place.
The other addition this month is our brand new Quick Start Guide to Stoozing. It is a straightforward one page introduction that helps the new stoozer get up and running immediately by using simple stoozing techniques. The guide also includes a list of the best cards and savings accounts, making this a one-stop-shop for new stoozers and more experienced ones who want to make life simple.
As always we welcome your comments on the new features - or suggestions for more features - in our free forum.
Stooz and Clariman
Read Our New Articles
There are no articles in this month's newsletter. However, the team that brings you the stoozing website has also developed a general purpose credit card website called makesenseofcards which has many guides to help any UK consumer select and use credit cards. It also contains useful information and calculators to help those in debt. If you like what the stoozing site provides for stoozers, then why not tell your friends about makesenseofcards.
Card News
Capital One has re-vamped its product line again and now offers an excellent 15 months on balance transfers. This matches the 15 months on BTs offered by Virgin Money and the Egg Visa card, but Capital One also offer a matching 15 months on Purchases! This means that you can use it for fast stoozing, then use purchases to replenish the stooz pot after making minimum payments.
The other notable fast stoozing card announced since our April newsletter is the Abbey Zero card which advertises a fee-free 0% on Balance Transfers and Purchases for 6 months. Although user reports tell us that it ends up being a 5 month deal in practice, it is great to see a new fee-free card on the market.
After a stint of offering 0% purchase card deals, HBOS has returned to good BT deals with a long 15 month offer.
Overall it is worth noting this month that we have seen a general increase in the length of deals being offered. We suggested in April that things looked to be turning a corner, and it is more obvious in June. Typical APR rates have been shifting, and balance transfers becoming competitive between the main front-runners.
Other news
Faster payments are rapidly becoming a reality. They allow transfers between bank accounts to be almost instant. This is great news for stoozers who lose many days of interest every time money is moved to and from the Stooz pot. Same day transfers will help increase stoozing profits! You can check which accounts are currently using the system at Canipayfaster.co.uk
Alert! If you have ever purchased online from Cotton Traders, be aware that there have been news reports that customers' credit card details have been stolen in a recent website hacking.
Best Deals
Top Fee-free and Capped-fee Cards
Top capped-fee deal - Virgin Atlantic Amex offering 6 months with a capped fee of £50. Has a good track record of repeat deals and high credit limits. SBT Capability.
Top fee-free deal - the new Abbey Zero card offering 5 to 6 months 0% on purchases and balance transfers. SBT Capability. Credit limits appear to be low to medium (few reports of anything in excess of £3000).
Top 3 longest Balance Transfer Cards
1)
Cap One BT + Purchase Card
with 16 months. -
Typical APR 15.9%
2)
Virgin Money Card
with 16 months. -
Typical APR 16.6%
3)
Egg Card
with 15 months. -
Typical APR 16.9%
Top 3 longest Purchases Cards
1)
Cap One Platinum
with 13 months. -
Typical APR 16.9%
2)
Barclaycard Breathe
with 12 months. -
Typical APR 12.9%
3)
First Direct Gold
with 12 months. -
Typical APR 16.9%
Top 3 highest cashback cards
1)
AMEX Platinum Moneyback Card
with 5.0% max. -
Typical APR 18.9%
2)
Egg Money
with 1.0% max. -
Typical APR 12.9%
3)
Citibank Shell Mastercard
with 1.0% max. -
Typical APR 16.9%
Top 3 Life of Balance Cards
1)
Citibank iTunes Rewards
with 4.9% intro APR. -
Typical APR 17.9%
2)
Citibank Platinum lob
with 5.8% intro APR. -
Typical APR 16.9%
3)
First Direct Gold
with 5.9% intro APR. -
Typical APR 16.9%