Many banks have transferred credit-card loans to home-equity loans, which are tax-deductible for the borrower and offer collateral for the lender.

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After the system is launched nationally in autumn 2013, existing claimants will be transferred to universal credit in stages until 2017.

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Those details could be transferred by computer to other credit cards, whose owners could have their accounts accessed and cash taken.

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When family or friends were involved in elderly abuse, the study found that most cases involved forged checks, stolen credit cards, drained bank accounts, and transferred assets.

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Banks are marketing either a program where overdraft transactions are covered for a fee or one that allows you to link a checking account to a savings account, line of credit or credit card so if you overdraw funds are transferred in as needed, says Greg McBride, a senior financial analyst at Bankrate.com.

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The universal credit will be introduced from October 2013, with 8 million households to be transferred to the new benefit by 2017.

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Many credit card companies only give cash back and other incentives for new purchases, not transferred balances.

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