Mortgage Features
Dead cat bouncing? How will the stock market slump affect you?
The faces of the traders were the same pale beige as their uniform Chinos (worn with light blue shirt and loafers). It was a Friday after all and the City's usual pinstripes had been laid aside for dr...
How to avoid credit card fees
The credit card fees battle has been won! Or has it? Credit card bills now have 'honesty boxes'. Credit card providers are now required to spell out to us how much interest we're being charged and the...
An extra 'silver lining' in savings accounts for the Over-50s?
An increasing number of banks and building societies, keen to cash in on the burgeoning grey pound market, are launching savings products aimed at the Over-50s. A recent study found that eight million...
Fixing your life?
Housing is high up on Gordon Brown's new agenda as Prime Minister and the government have said it wants to see more longer-term fixed deals of up to 25 years. In his first couple of weeks in the job ...
Degree or House, that is the Question... and never mind the Pension
Students graduating this month will have racked up debts of more than £13,250, according to the latest NatWest Student Money Matters Survey. They are the lucky ones! Now that annual tuition fees have ...
Beware of credit cards with hefty APRs
Opening my junk mail last week, I was just about to put the latest round of credit card and loan offers into the bin when one particular deal caught my eye. Vanquis were offering me a credit card wit...
Cover up with the right insurance policy for you
Buying the wrong insurance can be worse than having no insurance at all. If you buy the wrong insurance you may not simply have inappropriate cover, or not enough cover, you could find you have no cov...
Feline finance
Britain is a nation of animal lovers, lavishing £3.5bn on their pets each year. But in the event of your pet having an accident or becoming sick, while it is heartbreaking to enough see them suffer, a...
The 'grass roots' effect of the latest HIPs crisis
The long running saga of Home Information Packs (HIPs) reached a new low on 22 May when Ruth Kelly, announced that the packs would be introduced on 1 August, rather than the previously 'concrete' date...
Hedge funds: protecting wealth or clipping the unwary?
The purpose of hedge funds is to protect wealth, to hedge bets and endeavour to make absolute returns for investors regardless of north or south movements in stock markets. The investing strategies em...
Are store cards ever a good idea?
Imagine the scene; you're hot-footing it to the till of your favourite clothes store with a pile of new gear to pay for when a friendly face appears and offers you an apparently amazing deal. "Would y...
Why put your money in collective investments?
Many private investors are nervous about buying shares in individual companies. Despite being as cautious as possible and investing wisely, you are still exposed to other factors such as global condit...
What next for house prices and mortgages?
Will Thursdays increase in the Bank of England base rate to 5.5%, its highest level in more than six years - and the prospect of at least one more rise to come - put the housing market into reverse? T...
Banking for beginners - teen current accounts
If you're a teenager looking for a current account (or a parent looking on behalf of a teenager), then the past couple of weeks have seen some new options for you to get a grip on your money. Young wo...
Should you be quaking about buildings insurance?
Nobody really thinks of the UK as being in an earthquake zone and that's why the quake mainly affecting Kent on Saturday 28 April took us all by surprise. Although minor by international standards...
Property beats a pension for saving 20-somethings
A growing number of companies are offering savings schemes that allow younger employees to buy their first home. The schemes, which work like a pension, are helping employers to attract staff in areas...
Pet Insurance or The truth about cats and dogs
A dog may be a man's best friend, but a pet pooch can be the enemy of his bank balance! You don't have to be a celebrity pet owner, like Paris Hilton or Geri Halliwell, to pay a fortune for a pet. Ani...
Green finance - A Breath of fresh air? Or hot air?
No matter what you thought of last week's budget, there's one thing you must have noticed - it was coloured green. Gordon Brown, the Chancellor, introduced a number of green measures such as cutting ...
More rights for consumers
Borrowers are granted increased rights from next week (April 6) when new consumer credit rules come into effect. The changes are part of the continuing implementation of the Consumer Credit Act 20...
The new squeeze on mortgage exit fees and how to get your money back if you've been overcharged...
Mortgage exit fees have rocketed in the past year or two. Time was when giving you back your deeds at the end of the mortgage term would have been all part of the service. Until recently, some mortgag...
Why pension planning for toddlers makes sound financial sense
With so much pressure on to buy the latest designer trainers or a PDA for birthdays and Christmas, putting money into a grandchild's pension pot may not be the first gift to spring to mind. Child Trus...
How inflation is calculated and how your personal inflation rate bites
The cost of living is going up faster than at any time for 11 years, and economists fear that inflation could be on the march again. Last month the rise in the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) stood at 3%,...
Make the most of your second property tax breaks
The runaway property boom has led to a significant rise in the number of people investing in a holiday home or entering the buy to let market. Around 3.5m of us now own a second home in the UK or over...
Driven to excess
Food and drink may not be the only excess you will be driven to this Christmas; although at least accepting a higher excess on the road can be good for you. Otherwise, the resultant speeding fine of ...
How your interest rates may have changed - for both savers and borrowers
Last months Bank of England base rate rise was widely predicted and the hike from 4.75% to 5% means that people on variable rate mortgages will be faced with increased monthly payments. So is now the ...
