Credit cards and postgraduate finance

Pinacolada_2

Hi all

First of all, sorry if I'm not in the right thread, I couldn't find one to match my situation. I am hoping someone has some sensible advice and I will be eternally grateful

I've recently started a part-time Masters course which I will do alongside working. I could just about to afford to do it without taking out a postgraduate loan, which I think has 6% interest, but then I did something silly. I was so stressed out in September with changing jobs and beginning a Masters as well as some personal issues, that I missed a credit card payment despite having money to pay it. When I realised, I immediately paid the credit card however I've now lost my 0% interest on the £3k I owe.

I have been saving in a Help to Buy ISA for a couple of years and have almost £6k in there. I was going to use this to pay my uni fees and my credit card off but now I am wondering if it's better to keep the ISA earning interest, and transfer the credit card to another card (I see there's a good Halifax deal with 0% balance transfer) and either take a postgraduate loan for the shortfall in covering my fees or stick those on a 0% credit card too?

I think it's better to keep the ISA earning interest and use a 0% credit card to pay the fees - I could always use the ISA to pay off the credit card in future if I couldn't pay it all off in time. What do you think?

Thank you

bigadaj

Have you appealed to your current lender to the 0% deal reinstated, they may do this if it's a first offence.

If not then applying for another 0% deal is a decent option. Making one or even two applications won't do any harm, if you get declined then you can fall back on your option of using your isa cash.

StopIt

As above really.


try the card issuer first and beg for forgiveness. Then try a different -% card transfer. if both fail then at least you have a fallback.

Pinacolada_2

Thanks both, I have managed to get the fee reversed and 0% reinstated but may go ahead with transferring to a new 0% card as my 20 interest free months will be finishing in six months time anyway.