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Is the crunch putting the brakes on credit cards?

By: Mark Wright

The credit crunch is a little different to previous incarnations of economic slowdowns in that it has hit the consumer much harder and much earlier on in its development. The amount of personal borrowing against credit cards and the lenders' response to this particular crisis may have a great deal to do with that early-doors impact. A survey by the financial information analysts Moneyfacts has found that at least 10% of credit cards have raised their interest rates or fees as a direct result of the economic storm now battering UK PLC.
As a consequence, the average APR on credit cards has risen from 16.8% to 17.2% in just over three months. This upward trend is a direct counter to the Bank of England's 1.5% recent base rate cut, which brought the base rate down to 3% in an attempt to cool the prospect of rising inflation. This particular credit crunch is biting hard across the board. The slush fund banks use to lend to each other is running dry and this time consumers are feeling the squeeze as well. As a result consumer spending has dropped markedly meaning that even less money goes into the economy, perpetuating the situation. In lender's eyes, this lack of available cash means that customers pose a greater risk to the credit card companies due to the increased chance of defaulting on payments. But rather than just shoring up via interest charges, lenders are being much more proactive this time to try to stabilise the market for everyone.
As the financial institutions lost faith with each other, they tightened up on lending criteria across the board. This was primarily to stabilise an already shaky marketplace and stop everyone running the risk of 'bad debt', both lenders and borrowers alike. The lenders need money to continue trading and as borrowing from other banks and financial institutions has practically stopped, the only way for them to get the money they need to continue in business is to increase interest charges on credit agreements, loans, credit cards and mortgages. This signifies an end to the 'live now, pay later' lifestyle that the First World industrial countries have enjoyed for so many years.
Up until 2007 the previous ten years were a boom time for credit card lenders in the UK. It wasn't just the credit crunch that stopped the credit card companies in their tracks. An extremely competitive credit marketplace, coupled with a global economic slowdown, increasing international bad debts and government regulations made the credit card lenders re-evaluate their positions. Some more panic-stricken credit card companies responded by 'dumping' thousands of customers they considered not 'profitable' - namely those who paid off their credit card balance in full every month. Other lenders are reigning in their customer's spending habits by restricting credit limits and access to cash withdrawals.
The credit card industry has suffered a double-whammy. The loss of overall market share in the late 1990's resulted in a scramble by lenders for customers, enticing in consumers with 0% balance transfer offers and cashback schemes. That has all now changed, with most cards imposing up to 3% balance transfer fees in an attempt to regain lost profits as a result of the 0% offers. The second blow was the decision in 2006 by the Office of Fair Trading to impose a 12 cap on penalty charges. Now lenders are bracing themselves for another knock-back as the Complaint's Commission takes a close look at personal protection insurance schemes imposed by lenders on many credit card deals.
The economic slowdown could have yet another sting in its tail, with unemployment now under the spotlight. Higher interest rates on cards for everyone is the lender's way of buffering their position, minimising their financial exposure. It means that everyone pays the price through increased interest charges, but a more stable credit card market emerges as a result. Credit card lenders are keeping a close eye on their customers, looking for early signs of financial difficulty. They are well aware that things are tight for everyone, and by keeping a watch for customers who show signs of struggling, they can step in early and guide the customer through the financial rapids they may find themselves in. The credit crunch does mean a slowdown generally, but rather than a complete collapse of the house of cards, it's more a matter of shoring up the foundations so that the market can emerge stronger after the event.

Article Source: http://www.article-voip.com

Mark Wright writes for various popular websites, and keeps a regular commentary on the recent financial crisis and credit crunch. Read more about credit cards here.

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