Many Brits 'have secret credit cards'

Many Brits keep a credit card hidden from their partners, according to a survey.

As times get harder and we try to save our cash, some people are opting to use "secret" credit cards to buy their day to day shopping items.

The most common purchases on these types of cards are groceries, fuel and occasional "luxuries" like sweets, clothes and electronics.

The Halifax's 2009 poll, which was conducted by GfK NOP, found that there are an estimated 217,000 pieces of plastic being concealed from other halves.

Keeping debts hidden from a spouse can cause financial problems, as both could be using secret credit cards for their own needs, running up huge bills each month. The estimated amount of spendature on these cards is somewhere around the £500 mark.

Head of marketing for the company's credit cards Adrian Bryant said: "It's important that people are honest about their finances with their partner as it may affect their ability to secure products in joint names."

He did point out, however, that their research found that most couples are "open and honest" with their spouses about their monetary activities.

He went on to say, "It seems that the majority of Brits are honest people, not keeping any financial secrets from their partners. It is always best to be open and honest about your spending - this way you can get to the cause of the problem quickly and make sure you can avoid any future financial pit-falls."

Halifax has also commented that people tend to review their finances during the new year period, which they advise everyone to do to save some extra cash.

Its 2009 research, also conducted by Gfk Noble, found that doing this can save up to £151 each year.

Those wanting to know the best options for taking out a credit card could have a Q&A session with a financial advisor or banking expert.