Analysis Topic: Personal Finance
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.Friday, July 20, 2007
Ten Top Tips For Selling Your Home / Personal_Finance / UK Housing
Nationwide research reveals the most important things to consider when selling a property
Following a recent report* of a reduction in the number of buyers visiting estate agents, the competition to sell property is stronger than ever.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
New Inflation Beater Bond from Leeds BS and Loans Getting More Expensive / Personal_Finance / UK Banking
Lisa Taylor, analyst at Moneyfacts.co.uk – the money search engine comments:
Loan rates getting more expensive
“Although not directly linked to base rate, a trend has emerged that loan rates are being tweaked quite quickly following base rate rises. However, the size of the rate rises do not always correlate with the increase in base rate, take the examples below, where the loan increases are anything up to one per cent for certain loan amounts. So with that said there must also be other factors contributing towards these rises. Perhaps it’s a combined effect of rising costs and bad debt provisions.”
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Monday, July 16, 2007
Best Cash ISA Tax Free Savings Accounts - Updated July 2007 / Personal_Finance / ISA's
UK Interest rates were recently increased to 5.75% and now cash ISA providers are starting to reflect the change by raising interest rates on the cash element of individual savings accounts. The following table represents a selection of the best Cash ISA rates currently available.Read full article... Read full article...
Monday, July 16, 2007
The Halifax Websaver's Excellent Short-Term Fixed Interest Rates / Personal_Finance / Savings Accounts
Halifax's flagship online savings account, the 'WebSaver' on face value offers a relatively poor interest of just 5.05%, but dig a little deeper and you would be surprised by the short-term fixed rates currently available. starting at 6.15% and rising to 6.57%Read full article... Read full article...
Friday, July 13, 2007
Nationwide Launches New UK 25 Year Fixed Rate Mortgage / Personal_Finance / Mortgages
Guaranteed stability of payments for 25 years, with full flexibility after 10 years
Nationwide Building Society today announced the reintroduction of its innovative 25 year fixed rate mortgage at a rate of 6.39%. The new 25 year fixed rate will be available from Tuesday 17 July.
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Thursday, July 12, 2007
Don't Get Burnt with Unnecessary Foreign Credit Card Usage Fees this Summer / Personal_Finance / Credit Cards & Scoring
Nationwide reveals holidaymaker's lost £326 million last year : With summer holidays around the corner, millions of holidaymaker's are planning to travel abroad. Despite shopping for the best holiday deal, many people overlook the foreign usage charges imposed by their card provider. Nationwide estimates that travelers wasted over £326 million* in unnecessary foreign loading fees on their credit card whilst abroad last year. The Society therefore urges consumers to pay as much attention when selecting the card they take abroad, as they do in choosing the perfect holiday destination.Read full article... Read full article...
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Moneyfacts.co.uk Comments on the Long Term Fixed Rate Mortgage Market / Personal_Finance / Mortgages
Lisa Taylor, Analyst at Moneyfacts.co.uk – the money search engine comments:“This week Alistair Darling, the new chancellor of the exchequer announced that Labour would shortly be issuing proposals to increase the supply of long term fixed rate loans, in a bid to tackle the affordability crisis and concerns that the short term market thrives on collecting regular arrangement fee income.Read full article... Read full article...
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
UK Government is Still Underestimating Inflation According to Fool.co.uk's Inflation Index / Personal_Finance / Inflation
Despite two interest rate hikes this year to curb the cost of living, Fool.co.uk readers say official inflation figures are still wide of the mark (1).
- Consumers say the true rate of inflation is 7.3% not 2.5%
- Inflation is lower for men than women
- Older people are worst affected by inflation
- Scotland experiences the lowest rate of inflation
- Northern Ireland experiences the highest rate of inflation
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Impact of Interest Rate Rise to 5.75percent on Mortgages and Savings / Personal_Finance / UK Interest Rates
Moneyfacts.co.uk – Base Rate Ready Reckoner : With base rate almost certain to rise a further 0.25% this Thursday, this might come in handy!
MORTGAGES
Impact of a further increase
Monday, July 02, 2007
Headline grabbing savings accounts – How long before we see a 20% interest rate? / Personal_Finance / Savings Accounts
Rachel Thrussell, Head of Savings at Moneyfacts.co.uk – the money search engine, comments on the new regular savings accounts launched today from Alliance & Leicester and Abbey:
Alliance & Leicester
“Alliance & Leicester has really taken savings market to another level with the launch of its Mortgage Regular Saver, not only in terms of its headline rate but also the number of conditions that are attached. The headline interest rate of 15% may look fantastic, and for anyone who can match the account requirements it is the best paying regular saver on the market.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Barclays Tax Beater Cash ISA Does Not Live Up to Promises of Back Dating Interest / Personal_Finance / ISA's
Many UK Savers investing in the Barclays Tax Beater Cash ISA were sucked into the headline 6.50% interest rate, well above competitor cash ISA's that at the time were hovering at around 6%. However on opening a Tax Beater Cash ISA, savers were met with an open ended delay in account opening, running into several months.Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Nationwide Calls On Gordon Brown to Make a Difference on Housing and Savings As He Moved to No 10 / Personal_Finance / Savings Accounts
Nationwide Building Society has challenged Gordon Brown to put hard-pressed home buyers and savers at the top of his agenda through real reform that will make a genuine difference. During Mr Brown's ten-year tenure as Chancellor he has made some significant changes, including the introduction of the Child Trust Fund and increases to stamp duty thresholds. However, Nationwide continues to believe there are some major concerns that still need to be addressed. As he enters No. 10 as Prime Minister on 27 June, Nationwide Building Society calls on Gordon Brown to:
- Ensure fair tax treatment for all child savers
- Provide more help for hard pressed home buyers
- Increase the limits on annual ISA savings
Friday, June 22, 2007
Home Buying Valuations - The Forgotten Mortgage Fee / Personal_Finance / Mortgages
Julia Harris, mortgage analyst at Moneyfatcs.co.uk – the money search engine comments:“As we move away from a totally rate driven mortgage market, much focus has been placed on total cost, inclusive of rising arrangement and exit fees. We also talk of higher lending charges, procuration fees and redemption charges, and even go so far about complaining about the money transfer fee. But one fee, which perhaps we view as a service charge, has slipped through the net – the valuation fee.Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Banks Prepared to Pay You to Bank With Them / Personal_Finance / UK Banking
Michelle Slade of Moneyfacts.co.uk – the money search engine, comments:“Current accounts are big business for the banks, and this has been made clear by several banks who over the last six months have been offering deals to entice you to switch. Not only does it secure them your prime current account, more importantly, it offers the opportunity to cross sell their whole range of other products.Read full article... Read full article...
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Nationwide Launches New Range of Fixed Rate Bonds Paying up to 6.15% / Personal_Finance / Savings Accounts
Nationwide Building Society has launched a new range of Fixed Rate Bonds offering highly competitive interest rates and guaranteed returns for savers. The following new Fixed Rate Bonds will be available:
- One year Fixed Rate Bond
- Two year Loyalty Fixed Rate Bond
- One and two year Fixed Rate e-Bonds
Friday, June 15, 2007
Barclays 6.5% Fixed Rate Mini Cash ISA Account Opening Delays Continue / Personal_Finance / ISA's
When Barclays first announced their 6.5% Mini Cash ISA account to the public on 16th March 2007, many savers leapt with joy at this excellent 12 month fixed rate ISA. However, having applied for the account months ago, people are still waiting for the accounts to be opened.Read full article... Read full article...
Friday, June 15, 2007
Top 10 Personal Finance Tips for Graduates by MoneyFacts.co.uk / Personal_Finance / UK Banking
Andrew Hagger, Head of Press at Moneyfacts.co.uk – the money search engine comments:“On leaving university, searching for the best current account provider may be the last thing on many graduates’ minds. But by taking the time to shop around, they could find an account that suits their circumstances and also save some money into the bargain.
“There are only six UK providers of graduate finance, so choice is limited to the major players.
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Friday, June 15, 2007
What was it like when interest rates were last at 5.50percent? / Personal_Finance / UK Interest Rates
Julia Harris, Mortgage Analyst at Moneyfacts.co.uk – the money search engine, comments:“It’s over a month since base rate rose a further quarter point to 5.50% and with the last MPC decision to keep rates on hold the mortgage market is starting to show signs of settling down. But with another rise anticipated in the short term the market will just have time to come up for air before products are repriced yet again.
“So how do today’s best deals compare with when rates were last 5.50% in May 2001 and 5.75% in March 2001?
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Saturday, June 09, 2007
Tips For Responsible Credit Card Use When You Have Bad Credit / Personal_Finance / Credit Cards & Scoring
Here are some great tips for responsible credit card use.
If you have several credit cards look into transferring the balances to one or two that have the lowest interest rates and then get rid of the other credit cards. By limiting the number of credit cards that you own you will not have to worry about juggling a repayment schedule that you can't afford to keep up with. Once you have the balances on your remaining credit card under control then try to limit your purchases to things that you really need.
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Saturday, June 09, 2007
Fool.co.uk calls for further simplification of Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) / Personal_Finance / ISA's
Virtually all savers find the plethora of rules governing ISAs confusing according to new research (1) by independent personal finance website Fool.co.uk.
- One in five savers think couples can open a joint ISA
- Two out of five say you lose your tax benefits if you withdraw money from an ISA
- Four out of five think ISA season ends in April
- Three out of ten savers reckon CAT standard ISAs are better
- One in five savers believe they must tell the taxman about their ISA nest egg
- One in ten think all cash ISAs are the same