Customers are becoming increasingly disgruntled over the fees charged by airlines to use credit and debit cards, a consumer expert has argued.

Amanda Diamond, news and investigations journalist at Which? Holiday, says people want their airlines to be upfront, as opposed to being stung by charges later in the booking process.

"In the past, there was a flat credit card fee so people knew what they were paying but that has increased quite substantially recently," she continues.

The expert claims that airlines such as Ryanair are charging a fee per person, per booking, which she deems to be a "disproportionate charge".

Britons are needlessly paying out more than £9 billion pounds in credit card interest each year, according to research from Abbey.

It also suggested that those aged over 55 are most likely to own a credit card (77 per cent), compared to 71 per cent of those aged between 35 and 54.

Furthermore, only one in five Britons with credit card debt are planning to transfer their outstanding balance over the next few months to take advantage of a zero per cent deal.

Many Britons are making cutbacks in their lives in a bid to beat the credit crunch, it is believed.

New research from Abbey shows that over half of Britons are adopting this lifestyle, with many resorting to cheaper products in the supermarkets.

"In today’s difficult economic climate, reviewing your monthly expenditure to find ways you can make your money go further is absolutely essential, which is why straightforward, good value products are the order of the day," comments Roger Lovering, managing director of Abbey Credit Cards.

Those who have made cutbacks and are still facing financial troubles, however, may want to consider taking advice from a debt management company.

The research shows that people under the age of 20 are most likely to buy no frills products, with 30 per cent of those questioned saying they have always bought such items.

In response to the latest Budget, Abbey welcomed plans to extend the stamp duty holiday, saying the move would help first-time buyers.

It did, however, express its disappointment that the move did not go a step further.

Shoppers in the UK like using their credit cards due to the security they offer, it is believed.

Tim Pie, a spokesperson from HSBC, believes debit cards are also popular for the same reason, with people enjoying the convenience they offer.

"It is becoming increasingly common for people to buy a round of drinks with a debit card and other convenience goods as more and more retailers are now accepting cards," he reveals.

Cheque usage is in decline, however, with many businesses now refusing to accept them as a method of payment.

However, tradesmen are still accepting cheques, which Mr Pie believes is because "they have it in their in their hands rather than giving you their account details".

Latest figures from Apacs, the UK payments association, show that plastic cards accounted for 66 per cent of all UK retail spending last year, with debit cards accounting for two-thirds of all spending on cards.

During 2008, the growth of debit card spending at retailers remained strong with spending rising by 6.8 per cent, with electronic payments also continuing to rise.

Older people are at risk of fraud, which may lead them to need the services of a debt management firm.

Editor-at-large of Saga Magazine Emma Soames says they are vulnerable and therefore liable to attack from fraudsters.

"Do not give away personal information such as bank details and pin numbers, reputable companies don’t ask for this information," she continues.

People also need to be aware of the signs of scams and need to take precautions against becoming victims, Ms Soames believes.

Those who are approached with such offers over the phone need to be given time to consider the deal, the expert advises, with people advised to ask for confirmation in writing to deter potential fraudsters.

A recent survey by the Financial Services Authority showed that 35 per cent of people targeted by share fraudsters in the last year were over 65 and 23 per cent of people over this age felt they could become victims of fraud in 2009.

Furthermore, 41 per cent of the people questioned who did not know that fraudsters could use personal details in passports, driving licences and mortgage applications to steal their identity, were aged over 65.

Tackling debt head-on is one of the most effective ways of clearing financial difficulties.

Sam Barrett, writing for Moneywise, says those who are in debt are not alone, with the Bank of England predicting that the average adult in the UK owes around £30,435.

"We have had a 70 per cent increase in the number of people contacting us last year compared with 2007," Beccy Boden Wilks, a spokesperson for National Debtline tells the website.

He suggests to those who have racked-up thousands of pounds worth of debt that they arrange an individual voluntary arrangement, as this will enable them to pay some of the outstanding debt back to creditors over a five-year period.

People can also make cuts on their expenditure, with Frances Walker, a spokesperson for the Consumer Credit Counselling Service telling the website that drawing up a plan can make all the difference.

"Be realistic about your spending, but also about your income," he reveals.

Total UK personal debt at the end of February 2009 stood at £1,458 billion, according to Creditaction, with total secured lending on dwellings at the end of February 2009 standing at £1,227 billion.

A number of mortgage lenders throughout the UK have refused to join a government-led plan to support those at risk of repossession.

The Homeowners Support Scheme was launched by Gordon Brown and helps those unable to make payments on their mortgage to defer some of their payments for up to two years.

However, a number of high street lenders have failed to get behind the scheme, with only those that are part-nationalised showing their support.

Speaking to the Times, Ray Boulger of John Charcol said: "This scheme may be useful for a small number of homeowners but for other borrowers it could make the situation worse."

The scheme is aimed at those who are eligible for income support, yet experience loss of earnings though either a job loss or a pay cut.

Among the banks to have taken the measures on board are Lloyds Banking Group, Northern Rock, Royal Bank of Scotland and Bradford & Bingley.

Critics believe the scheme will defer a spike in repossessions but will not benefit those repaying their mortgage over the long-term.

Over two-thirds of all spending last year was done on plastic cards, figures from the UK payments’ association show.

Apacs reveals that debit card and electronic payments have continued to rise, with credit card usage and cheques seeing a slight decline.

"Despite what started to happen across the economy last year these latest figures don’t reveal any marked changes from the annual trends we’ve seen over the past few years," comments Sandra Quinn, director of communications.

She added that spending on debit cards is likely to outstrip cash transactions for the first time in 2009.

Additional statistics show that £371.6 billion was spent on plastic cards alone last year, with credit card usage experiencing a two per cent increase.

However, the UK retail statistics suggest credit card transactions suffered a decline of 0.2 per cent.

Last month, Apacs welcomed moves by the government to protect vulnerable credit card customers by making checks to ensure they could repay what they owed.

"This is part of our ongoing commitment to champion responsible lending," the association stated.

Those who fail to clear their credit records could find themselves in a difficult position, it is claimed.

Emma Holyer, a spokeswoman for LV=, says identity fraud could cause additional problems for those already in financial difficulties.

"Check for symptoms of something more serious and that it’s not just a one off because the cost of ID fraud to you personally can be quite significant," she states.

Ms Holyer believes such fraud has risen significantly over the last decade, with those affected often finding themselves blacklisted in terms of their credit ratings.

This is mainly happening online, she continues, with the modern way of banking coming with its flaws.

The latest Unisys Security Index has revealed that 72 per cent of UK citizens believe they are at greater risk from identity theft and related crimes such as credit card fraud as a result of the financial crisis.

It also discovered that 88 per cent of consumers are concerned about other people obtaining and using their credit card, debit card or bank account.

Many pensioners find it difficult to sustain their standard of living as they get further into their retirement, it is believed.

Findings from the Pensions Policy Institute (PPI) show that those in their 60s can generally maintain a good way of life, although this changes as their need for care grows.

Niki Cleal, PPI director, comments: "This research shows that pensioners will need a range of assets and sources of income to help them cope with the uncertainty and extra costs they may face later in their life as a result of the onset of disability, widowhood or the need for long-term care."

Those who are struggling to fund their need for care in later life may wish to turn to debt management companies for advice, with Ms Cleal saying that financial assets may be turned to as a means of creating funds.

The Office for National Statistics recently reported that 39 per cent of working age people in Britain (13.8 million) were contributing members of private pension schemes.

For men, the proportion who were members of any private pension scheme fell from 49 to 43 per cent between 1999/2000 and 2005/06.

Pension schemes currently in place in the UK are unlikely to prevent retirees becoming poorer, says one expert.

Liberal Democrat shadow work and pensions secretary Steve Webb reveals that there is so far no intention to restore the link between pensions and earnings.

"Pensioners should not be forced to rely on complex means-tested benefits in their retirement, which has put many off from even claiming," he continues.

He describes the pensions as "too little to live on", suggesting a more generous scheme is required.

In May 2008, there were 2.72 million claimants of Pension Credit (3.32 million including partners), a fall of 14,000 on a year earlier.

Of these, 882,000 claimed Guarantee Credit only, 1.25 million claimed Guarantee and Savings Credit and 591,000 were claiming Savings Credit only.

The National Association of Pension Funds says that 96 per cent of pension schemes surveyed believe that the economic crisis has made the closure of defined benefit schemes more likely, while 72 per cent said closure was much more likely.