We all need and use financial products – everything from everyday bank accounts to credit cards. And with some smart strategies it’s possible to trim the fees you pay.

Many regular account fees can be kept to a minimum simply by shopping around and finding the account that best suits your style of banking.

However you may also be charged ‘exception’ fees’ – sometimes termed ‘penalty’ fees. These sorts of fees can be avoided altogether simply by knowing the types of events that could trigger an exception fee. Take a look through the terms and conditions applicable to the financial products you use for a complete picture of the types of exception fees involved.

• Cutting the cost of everyday accounts
• Cutting the cost of credit cards
• Cutting the cost of lines of credit