When to apply?

JohnC_4

Bit of a novice at this game. I have an HSBC card on a 0% deal, ending mid-September. When would be the optimum time to apply for a new 0% card to transfer the balance? Is now too soon?
thanks.......

YorkshireBoy

JohnC wrote:

Bit of a novice at this game. I have an HSBC card on a 0% deal, ending mid-September. When would be the optimum time to apply for a new 0% card to transfer the balance? Is now too soon?
thanks.......

The short answer is 6 weeks. Now for the slightly longer answer...

Reproduced from Martin's "Best balance transfer" article...

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/cgi-bin/viewnews.cgi?newsid1107182516,76509,

"In the month before the 0% ends move the debt again to another 0% offer. To do this you’ll need to apply about 6 weeks before the deadline". *

These articles are written as a guide and to answer the most frequently asked questions. You can access all the credit card articles by clicking the yellow "credit cards" box to the left of this screen.

*Note that this is for the application - you should be researching cards for the best/most suitable offer around 8-9 weeks prior to the 0% expiry on your existing card. It's far better to switch early than miss the date by a couple of weeks.