Bargain Hunter: DEAL OF THE WEEK: Drastic plastic

HUNDREDS OF thousands of people will happily stash vast sums each month into savings plans - though they owe a small fortune on their credit cards. The interest they pay will generally be far greater than what the investment earns them.

Which is why cheap credit cards make sense. This week RBS Advanta announced that it is extending its 7.9 per cent APR interest rate until July 1999. The rate applies to the issuer's standard, gold and platinum cards. RBS Advanta claims that anyone with one of its cards and debts of pounds 1,000 would save pounds 124 a year compared to a Barclaycard. The catch? After July next year, the rate reverts to 17.9 per cent APR. But that's still below Barclaycard's present 22.9 per cent APR rate. This is one for debt transfers. Call 0800 077770.