Abbey applies charges to accounts in credit

The High Street Spanish owned bank, Abbey, has found itself in trouble after a number of customers complained about having various charges applied to their account even when they were within their credit limits. According to reports a number of customers have found different charges applied to their bank accounts, ranging from a few pence to pounds, and none of the charges have been justified. Read more

Tags: bank accounts, letter, pence, Debit card, money, situation, abbey, issue

Tips on saving money this Christmas

After a particularly difficult year financially many families will be trying to cut back on the cost of Christmas this year, and with consumer spending levels already having fallen most retailers are well aware that they will need to take action in order to get consumer spending levels up and keep their profits up at the same time. The recent VAT cut of 2.5 percent may go a little way towards making this a more affordable Christmas, but the difference this small cut will make is negligible, and it is really up to the individual to try and take action to keep costs as low as possible. Read more

Tags: Another way, different retailers, vat cut, christmas, case

Discounts hit the High Streets in a bid to increase spending

Officials have said that consumers in the UK can look forward to a season of huge discounts as Christmas approaches, with many High Street retailers slashing the cost of goods by huge amounts in a bid to increase spending levels and try and boost profits. This comes at a time when many consumers are having to tighten their belts when it comes to spending, even through the Christmas period, in order to escape overstretching themselves financially. Read more

Tags: discounts, High Street retailers, Christmas spending, order, retail supplier, bargain basement

Homeowners could be paying over £100 extra a year on mortgage

According to a recent report the average homeowner in the UK could end up paying over £100 a year extra on their mortgage as a result of the bailout of failed Icelandic banks and the Bradford & Bingley. One finance expert said that the bailout had resulted in homeowners being charged around an extra £108 a year because of home loan rates being pushed up as a result of the bailout. These figures come from John Goodfellow, who is the chairman of the Building Societies’ Association. Read more

Tags: john goodfellow, building, Financial Services Compensation Scheme, average homeowner, Mortgages, uk

Energy firm says bills may be cut early next year

One of the UK’s major energy suppliers has recently stated that it may be looking at cutting energy usage costs early next year if wholesale energy prices continue to fall. The price of crude oil fell earlier this year, and energy firms were slated by consumer campaign groups and officials by not responding to the drop in oil prices by cutting bills, but the energy firms said that the reason behind this was that the cost of wholesale energy was still high. Read more

Tags: Energy crisis, bill, wholesale energy, watchdog, cut, step, wholesale energy prices

Low deposit mortgage numbers fall

Industry officials have reported that there has been a fall in the number of low deposit mortgages that are still on the market. This could cause huge problems for potential first time buyers, many of whom do not have much in the way of savings to put towards a deposit and none of whom have a previous property from which to take equity to put towards a deposit. Read more

Tags: low deposit mortgages, credit, substantial deposit, Deposit account, none, Real estate economics, Mortgages

Man claims his Abbey account was frozen in revenge

A man who gave a low rating to an employee at a call centre at Abbey bank said that he had his account frozen out of revenge. The customer of the Spanish owned bank said that he had found the customer services representative at the call centre to be ruse and arrogant, and when he had been asked to complete a survey on his experience he gave the lowest scores to the employee, which he felt was justified. However, he says that as a result his account was frozen in revenge. Read more

Tags: money back, standing, massive inconvenience, revenge, bank account

Repossession hitting many households each day

Many households in the UK are being forced out of their homes through repossession on a daily basis according to recently released figures, with around 125 families a day having had their homes taken off them. An increasing number of people have been falling into arrears with their mortgages, not just because of higher interest rates, which have now fallen considerably, but also as a result of higher living costs, increased bills, and job losses. Read more

Tags: vulnerable households, Personal property law, repossessions, homeowners, repossession levels, Mortgages

Could energy price cuts be on the way?

A consumer campaign group, Consumer Focus, has indicated that there could be energy price cuts on the way as a result of a fall in the cost of wholesale energy. This comes as a result of one of the major energy suppliers in the UK, Scottish and Southern, stating that it could see prices falling by early 2009 as a result of falling wholesale energy prices. With energy prices having rocketed twice this year any fall in prices will be welcomed by businesses and consumers, many of whom are struggling to keep up with bills. Read more

Tags: Wholesale, Business Finance, energy companies, wholesale energy, energy suppliers, trend

7 percent fall expected in Christmas spending overall

According to recently released figures an overall fall of around 7 percent is expected in Christmas spending for this year, as consumers continue to try and cut back on their expenditure. The cutbacks will be made in a range of areas, such as gifts, food, clothes, entertainment, and socialising. The survey was carried out by research group Deloitte, and showed the different areas in which people were planning to cut back on their Christmas spending. Read more

Tags: holidays, Deloitte, Opinions, consumers, financial situation, research, Verdict Research, Business Finance

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