There aren? many people who enjoy thinking about finance at Christmas, but when you consider that it? the time of year when we?e likely to spend the most money ?perhaps the management of our personal finances deserves more time.

         If you?e looking for a more short-term form of borrowing, then a credit card might be the most suitable method. As you will have seen from the numerous advertisements for credit cards in the media, the credit card market is highly commercial, highly saturated and keen to get your attention and commitment. The choice of cards available does give the consumer great freedom of choice, but without researching the best cards available, it is easy to sign up to a card which looks fantastic on the surface, but may turn out to be something more sinister.

         You may have one or more existing credit cards and it? tempting to put the Christmas shopping straight on to these. Yet it may be worth considering whether you can actually get a better deal on a new credit card, not only in terms of interest free credit for a limited period on all balance transfers, but also a better interest rate ?typically referred to as the APR (Annual Percentage Rate). Also read the small print for penalty charges, as companies will vary on these.