As bad as the markets are at the moment, many financial companies (including banks, building societies, insurance firms and umbrella companies) are still desperate for your business. No matter that they are all drawing in their horns and trying to save money – they still need customers, so if you are in the market for a credit card balance transfer, then you should still be able to find some great offers. For those people who are currently looking for credit card transfers, the following tips will be useful:

Look at multiple providers: Keep telling yourself that the market for balance transfers is still wide open and that you don’t need to take the first deal you are offered. Look around and do your research – it will be well worth it in the long run. When going through the various deals, compare the interest rates on offer and the fees that they that are charged to transfer over as well as any introductory offers available.

Try to Avoid those Fees: Once you have cut the list down to four or five companies, look and see if any of them allow you to transfer over without paying fees. Some companies will charge you fees as a percentage of the balance, so try to avoid these companies if you are making a large transfer.

Ensure that you Closely Compare Interest Free Periods: A few credit card companies only offer a measly two or three months on your balance transfer whilst others are willing to go to six months or even, possibly, a year. That’s why it is so important to wait for the right deal. The longer the period that you can keep that balance at 0%, the better fixed you will be to get your finances in order.

Lastly, make sure that you learn, and then keep in mind the interest rate that the company will start charging at the end of the period of the introductory offer. If it is very high and you have not paid off your balance in full then you can always look for a new transfer once again.

Esther is a financial journalist and blogger. She writes about all areas of personal finance from mortgages to credit cards to tax reduction .