Keeping friends and family entertained on the cheap

Christmas is fast approaching and after a particularly difficult year in terms of finances many of us are dreading the extortionate costs that tend to come with the festive season. Read more

Tags: example, little forward, food, thing, christmas

Are you protected if your airline goes bust?

Over the past couple of years the news has been filled with stories about airlines and holiday firms going bust, and whereas in the past many people would simply book the cheapest airline or holiday it has now become necessary to consider whether the airline or holiday company will survive as long as your holiday. Read more

Tags: travel, consumer protection, Aviation in the United Kingdom, Package holiday, travel insurance, travel industry, airline failure

Firms will have to stop forcing pensioners to retire

In his recent pre-election budget speech the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, indicated that the Labour party was looking at scrapping the default retirement age, which would mean that firms would have to stop forcing pensioners to retire at the legal retirement age of sixty five.

At present firms can use their discretion with regards to retirement of workers that reach this age, but whilst they can allow them to continue working they can also refuse to allow them to continue to work should they wish to do so.

Under new reforms, should they go ahead, firms would have to allow workers to continue working if they want to. Alistair Darling indicated in his budget speech that the Labour party would either scrap the default retirement age or would increase the retirement age. He also indicated that the party was looking at giving older workers more rights with regards to being able to get more flexible working hours and conditions from their employers.

A number of campaign groups and charities have said that having the current retirement age in place is discrimination, as it means that older workers that feel perfectly capable of continuing to work could be forced to retire by employers simply because of their age, regardless of their abilities, health, and other factors. However, some believe that the plans will cause concern for some businesses who do not want to be stuck with older workers that refuse to retire.

In his budget speech Alistair Darling stated: ‘To enable people who want to work longer, we are consulting on reform of employers’ right to make people retire at 65. We are looking at options which include scrapping the default retirement age, raising it or giving employees stronger rights.’

Tags: retirement, place, Social Issues, Ed Miliband, Alistair Darling, pensioners

More people to get access to bank accounts

According to recent report many more people will be able to get access to bank account facilities, after plans were announced by the government to force banks to offer bank account facilities to all. Under the plans, which were revealed in the recent budget, banks may have to offer at least a basic bank account to everyone that is legally entitled to have banking facilities in the UK. With banks having been at the receiving end of much criticism over the past year this is just one of the measures that are being looked at to try and tighten the way in which the UK’s banks operate.

The government claims that there are around 1.75 million people in the UK that have not got access to banking facilities at present, and hopes that this move will help to ensure that a large proportion of these people are provided with access to bank accounts. Many may be able to get basic banking facilities under the new regulations, and these are accounts that allow the accountholder to carry out transactions such as transfers, payments, receiving money, and setting up direct debits, but do not come with a cheque book or overdraft facility.

The British Banker’s Association has argued that the move is not necessary because people that want to have a bank account can have one anyway. Many of those that can only get access to a basic bank account are people that are on low incomes and are limited in terms of how much they can put into the account, or those that have a poor credit rating.

A promise was also made to move more quickly when deciding whether to grant a new banking licence to companies, and this was welcomed by consumer campaign group Which?. Officials from the group said: “People have been telling us how fed up they are with the sales culture that appears to have replaced customer service in our banks. New entrants in the market offering genuinely competitive products will help bring about the culture change the industry so desperately needs.”

Tags: british bankers association, which, bank account facilities, bank account, basic bank account, Banking

Desperate customers being shunned by banks

It has been claimed in a recent report that many banks in the UK are turning away many desperate customers who are in need of help with their finances. Read more

Tags: bank, position, Financial Ombudsman Service, previous year, advice agency, United Kingdom, debt advice agency, agency

Rules tightened on renting homes by banking industry

According to recent reports the banking industry has decided to clamp down and tighten the rules when it comes to renting out homes. Read more

Tags: lenders, last ten years, industry, blasé, mortgage

Charities want banks to extend offer of services

A group of charities is urging banks in the UK to extend who they offer their services to, with officials from the charities stating that millions of people are being excluded from using banking services. Read more

Tags: Better Banking Campaign, overdraft, Payday loan, Credit card, basic banking services

Out of date food savings consumers money

With many households still reeling from the financial impact of the credit crunch and the recession in the UK many are still looking for ways to reduce their outgoings. Read more

Tags: Grocery store, supermarket, demand, Shelf life, date items, Food industry, food, service

No code of conduct for comparison sites

Consumers that use price comparison sites will continue to be without protection following the collapse of a proposed code of conduct for price comparison sites. Read more

Tags: Affiliate marketing, final attempt, business, site, comparison sites

Cutting back on mobile phone costs

Cutting back on a variety of costs has become a part of everyday life for many people in the current financial climate, as many are keen to try and save money on their outgoings because of financial difficulties and the risk of job losses. Read more

Tags: t-mobile, mobile phones, Mobile phone, Subscriber Identity Module, Technology

Holidaymakers could benefit from credit cards

Many holidaymakers in the UK that head off on holiday each year use credit cards to make payments for purchases, and one recent report has suggested that this could prove to be an ideal solution for holidaymakers. Read more

Tags: consumers, Debit card, sums of money, britons, Credit card, recent report, rate, cheque

Camelot wants to expand abilities of terminals

It has been announced that the lottery giant Camelot is looking to expand the capabilities of its lottery ticket terminals, and wants consumers to be able to use the terminals to top up mobile phones and make bill payments in addition to purchasing their lottery tickets. Read more

Tags: National Lottery Commission, banking giants santander, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, magnetic swipe, Mobile phone, lottery operator, Camelot

Packages bank accounts could be mis-sold

Over recent years many people in the UK have upgraded their current accounts with their banks, and have signed up to a packages bank account. Read more

Tags: Insurance, regular bank account, Financial Services Authority, packages bank account, packaged bank accounts

Banks need to do more to help struggling customers

It has been claimed by the Financial Ombudsman Service that banks in the UK need to take more action to help consumers that are in dire straits with their finances and who need help to keep them afloat financially. Read more

Tags: debt management, customer, Financial Ombudsman Service, turned away, Financial Services Authority, financial assistance, bank, overdraft

Renting out your home short term could be made more difficult

For many people in the past being able to rent out their homes when they are away for a period of time has been a great way to raise a little extra cash as well as to save leaving their property empty. Read more

Tags: order, mortgage, property, time, Mortgage broker, problems, consent, climate

Are we home and dry when it comes to repossessions?

The UK, like many other countries, has been through a tough time over the past couple of years in terms of finances, and one of the side effects of the financial crisis has been the soaring level of repossessions that have taken place. Read more

Tags: personal finance, Financial Services Authority, homeowners, mortgage, repossession, financial crisis

Banks make the switch from Maestro

It has been reported that a number of UK banking giants are working towards replacing their Maestro payment cards to alternative such as Mastercard and Visa payment cards. Read more

Tags: Credit Cards, switch, Maestro, Visa, Debit cards, MasterCard, personal finance

Stamp duty holiday affects mortgage lending figures for January

It has been revealed in a recent report that the level of mortgage lending for the month of January has been badly affected by the end of the stamp duty holiday, which came to an end on 31st December last year. Read more

Tags: advanced warning, council of mortgage lenders, mortgage, duty holiday, stamp

Grandparents struggle so they can help the grandkids

It has been reported that millions of grandparents in the UK are prepared to struggle financially so that they can use their money to provide for their grandchildren. Read more

Tags: cutbacks, official, family, quarter, clothes

Interest rates and government intervention helped repossession levels

According to figures that were recently published there was a significant drop in the number of repossession in the UK in the final three months of last year. Read more

Tags: government, finance, general election, United Kingdom, mortgage

Elderly not always getting best deal on insurance cover

Many older consumers in the UK opt for insurance services that cater specifically for the elderly, and in most cases they believe that they are getting a great deal on their cover. Read more

Tags: insurance services, cheaper motor insurance cover, Insurance, insurance cover, health insurance, Types of insurance, British Insurance Brokers Association

Number of JSA claimants soars

According to recent figures the number of people that are now seeking Jobseeker’s Allowance has soared, going up to 1.64 million in January. This reflected an increase of 23,500. Read more

Tags: failure, jobseeker's allowance, Employment law, time, Bad news, summer, unemployment, uk

BT changes times for free calls

Many people that are with the communications giant BT have packages that allow them to make free evening calls so that they can get better value for money depending on when they tend to make most of their calls. Read more

Tags: 6pm, provider, BT Total Broadband, bt, call, announcement, money, British Telecom

Credit card borrowing increased in December

Figures that have been released recently have shown that for the month of December the level of credit card borrowing increased, leading to an increase in overall consumer borrowing. Read more

Tags: sector, consumer spending, Credit card, consumer debt, Value added tax, bank of england, small increase, end

Increase in mortgage availability could spell good news for consumers

A recent report has indicated that the number of mortgages on offer to consumers could be on the increase, and access to these mortgage deals may be getting easier, even for first time buyers in some cases. Read more

Tags: mortgage, lenders, uk lenders, Subprime lending, Mortgage broker

What to consider when you take out home insurance

Every year many people renew or take out new home insurance policies to protect their belongings against theft and damage, but a recent report has highlighted how many of these people overlook necessities when taking out home insurance cover and forget to take into consideration basic needs that could end up costing them big time in terms of their finances. Read more

Tags: Insurance, Garden furniture, home insurance cover, Types of insurance, home insurance

Banks urged to provide services to those that are excluded

A group consisting of charities and local groups is urging banks to extend their services to those that are currently excluded from a wide range of banking services, such as current accounts, basic bank accounts, credit cards, loans, and overdrafts. Read more

Tags: quarter, Credit card, interest rates, bank accounts, Credit Cards, overdraft

Cash back cards set to become scarce

Over the years many consumers in the UK have taken advantage of cash back credit cards, and these are a type of reward credit card that enable consumers to earn a set level of cash back on every pound that they spend on the card on purchases. Read more

Tags: personal finance, figures 25 percent, credit card provider, pound, reward schemes, Credit Cards, United Kingdom, rewards credit cards

Sharp fall in retail sales for January

According to recently released figures January saw a sharp fall in the level of retail sales, with sales levels falling at their sharpest level in a year and a half. Read more

Tags: double dip recession, food sales, recessions, cash flows, whilst, bashing, Office for National Statistics, retail sales

93 percent of asking price being achieved for properties

Recently released data has suggested that the property market is once more swinging in favour of sellers, as an increased number of homes are achieving almost the full asking price when they are sold. Read more

Tags: asking price, Home.co.uk, Real estate economics, swinging, property market, Real estate broker, house prices

10 percent of Brits affected by scams

It has been revealed by the Office of Fair Trading that around 10 percent of Brits have been affected by scams in the past. This equates to around four million adults who have said that they have responded to what turned out to be a scam. Worryingly whilst 50 percent of those that had fallen for a scam had lost more than £50 to the fraudsters around 5 percent had lost more than £5000. Read more

Tags: Advance-fee fraud, Ethics, Confidence tricks, Deception, Reloading scam, fraud, Social engineering, office of fair trading, Financial Services Authority, Spamming

Another data breach bungle by HMRC

It was revealed recently that HM Revenue & Customs had been involved in another data breach bungle, raising further concerns over identity theft. The latest blunder involved over two thousand letters being sent out to claimants with regards to child benefits, but many of them had the personal details of other people on. Read more

Tags: security, Data breach, HM Revenue and Customs, Data security, identity theft, Crimes, United Kingdom, Taxation in the United Kingdom

Exercising safety when shopping online

As many people will already know the Internet is home to a myriad of bargain covering a vast range of products and services. Whilst many consumers make the majority of their purchases via the Internet there are others that refuse to shop online because they are fearful about things such as security breaches and card fraud. Read more

Tags: Password, Internet offers, price comparison site, clone site, internet, secure site

Cash strapped shoppers turn to out of date goods

According to a recent report many shoppers who are struggling to make ends meet financially are trying to save money by going to websites that offer out of date food on the cheap. Many people are now looking to bag a bargain by buying food that has passed its official sell by date and is available for a fraction of the normal price. Read more

Tags: Grocery store, food, date food, official, Shelf life

Confidence tricksters duping lonely hearts online

These days the power of the Internet means that a rising number of people have been using the Internet in order to look at dating sites and more importantly to meet someone, and it can be incredibly easy to chat with ease to people through these sites and feel as thought you have got to know them. Read more

Tags: Romance scam, Online dating service, Ethics, crime, Spamming, Online daters, Human behavior, office of fair trading

Are you looking to switch broadband?

Switching utilities and services has become a part of every day life for many households these days, particularly given the financial restrictions that many households are facing. It has become increasingly important for consumers to save as much money as possible on the cost of their services. Read more

Tags: broadband services, Broadband Internet access, broadband provider, thinking, bear

Warning for pensioners over tax codes

It was revealed recently that the systems being used by HM Revenue and Customs had resulted in millions of tax codes being incorrect, which in turn was leading to many people potentially paying too much or too little in the way of tax. Read more

Tags: Business Finance, amalgamation, customs, end, Taxation in the United Kingdom, Tax code, Low Incomes Tax Reform Group, finance

Consumer protection laws could fail to protect travellers

Over the past couple of years many people that have booked flights and holidays have been shocked to hear that the holiday firm or airline that they booked through has gone bust, leaving them wondering whether they are entitled to a refund in addition to ruining their holiday plans. Read more

Tags: travel, Package holiday, firm goes bust, couple, bust, Brits, travel insurance, consumer protection

Consumers more satisfied with discount retailers than major supermarkets

Over the past couple of years discount supermarkets have become increasingly popular amongst consumers, and this is due to the financial problems that many households have faced, which has forced them to seek out ways in which they can save money on their monthly outgoings such as their shopping bills.

Many have started to use discount supermarkets in addition to or instead of the major supermarket giants, and a recent poll has shown that customers seem to be more satisfied with these discount stores compared to the supermarket giants.

A recent report has shown that when it comes to the affections of customers, discount stores such as Lidl and Aldi have rated higher than the big name supermarkets such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and Asda. The measure of customer satisfaction showed that the discount retailers managed to score an impressive 61 percent in terms of customer satisfaction. The big name supermarkets, on the other hand, did not do as well.

Asda and Tesco both scored less than 50 percent in the customer satisfaction polls, and the most popular of the supermarket chains, Sainsbury’s, only scored 58 percent which was still less than the discount supermarkets.

Waitrose fared better than the discount stores, scoring an impressive 79 percent when it came to customer satisfaction levels. The study was carried out by consumer campaign group Which? and involved looking at areas such as staff attitudes, prices, and choice.

A spokesperson for Which? stated: ‘The success of some budget supermarkets in our survey proves that savvy shoppers can make the most of their money without compromising on quality. UK shoppers want the whole package – great value for money, a wide range of quality products and a pleasant shopping environment. It’s not rocket science, but those supermarkets that consistently get it wrong should beware – shoppers will vote with their feet and take their business elsewhere.’

Tags: Waitrose, business, Aldi, tesco, Asda, supermarket, Wal-Mart, quality products, supermarket chains, sainsburys

Can comparison sites be trusted?

In the past anyone that wanted to look at finding cheaper prices on various products or services had to go to the hassle of ringing around or trawling the shops to try and get a better deal, which was quite frankly an inconvenience that put many people off trying to get a better deal. Read more

Tags: which, uswitch, mobile phones, Information technology management, broadband, Price comparison services, online shopping, compare products

Data breach could result in FSA fine for Skipton

The Skipton Building Society has hit the headlines recently after it was revealed that there had been a serious breach of security. Over the past couple of years the topic of security breaches has become more and more of a concern, with many fearing that they have become victims of identity theft as a result of security breaches by banks and other financial institutions. Read more

Tags: building society, Financial Service Authority, identity theft, Skipton, National security, Data security, Public safety

Recession over for UK

It was announced last week that the UK has finally come out of recession. All of the other major economies had already come out of recession, with the UK left lagging behind but following the release of recent figures the UK has now joined the other countries that have at last shaken off the recession and can now start looking forward. Figures showed that in the final three months of 2009 the UK economy grew by 0.1 percent. Read more

Tags: United Kingdom, economics, Late 2000s recession in Europe, Economy of the United Kingdom, recessions

Do you want faster payments from your bank?

For many people that amount of time that their bank takes to transfer money from one bank account to another can be a real problem, and whilst banks are supposed to adhere to regulations that have been formed by the UK Payments Council there are many banks that still do not carry out the same day transfers in line with the Faster Payments Scheme, which was brought in back in May of 2008. Read more

Tags: BACS, bank, Payment systems, bank account, cheque, finance

Is the recession finally over?

To many people it may feel as though the UK has been stuck in recession forever, and the recent recession has resulted in many businesses and consumers suffering hugely as a result of job losses, plummeting sales and profits, and financial and economic chaos. Read more

Tags: recessions, economics, Macroeconomics, Economic history, Economy of the United Kingdom, Late-2000s recession

Retail giant may move into banking

Over recent years a number of well known retailers and supermarket giants have started offering various financial services, such as insurance services, credit cards, and even loans. Marks and Spencer, for example, has its own M&S Money sector and supermarkets such as Sainsbury’s and Tesco have been offering financial products for some time. One supermarket giant, Tesco, has recently announced that it is moving into the banking sector through offering full banking services, which will be rolled out over the course of this year. Read more

Tags: car insurance, supermarket giants, insurance services, tesco, Financial services, financial products, Sainsbury

No movement in Bank of England base rate

It has been announced by the Bank of England that the base rate is to remain at its record low level of 0.5 percent once again, making this the eleventh month in a row where the base rate will have been at its lowest level in the history of the Bank of England. The decision comes just over a week after it was announced that the UK had finally joined other major economies by coming out of recession. Read more

Tags: bank of england, inflation, interest rate, economics, recessions, base rate, bank of england base rate

Tips to make 2010 a money saving year

If you are one of the many people that have decided that their New Year’s resolution involves cutting back on costs and saving money then you may still be thinking of ways in which you can achieve your goal. Saving money and cutting back on your outgoings isn’t always easy, and you may have to think carefully about the different areas in which you can make cutbacks. However, there are actually a number of ways in which you can save money, and some of these are outlined below. Read more

Tags: insurance policies, debt consolidation, interest, Credit card, finance, insurance market, Direct debit

Savers group hoping for support

A savers group that was set up by a retired Surrey entrepreneur is looking for support in the hope of accumulating one million signatures so that it can petition Downing Street. The group is called Save our Savers, and it is hoping to fight the cause on behalf of around thirty million savers across the UK. It was set up by seventy year old Peter Duckworth, who invested around half a million pounds of his own cash to found the company. Read more

Tags: Surrey, voice, savers, government, Surrey entrepreneur, savings

Supermarkets offering better deals on credit cards than banks

A recent report has claimed that on average supermarkets tend to offer better deals on credit cards these days than banks, which means that consumers can often get a great deal on a credit card simply by heading to their local supermarket rather than trawling through the websites of the various High Street banks. Read more

Tags: loyalty points, report, lending criteria, cash gifts, local supermarket, personal finance, Credit card, Spencer

Bonus payments to Barclays executives to be deferred

It has been announced recently that the High Street bank Barclays has decided that it will be deferring bonus payments that were to be made to banking executives for up to three years. This means that directors and senior staff at Barclays will have to wait up to three years to get their bonuses, which are likely to be paid in the form of shares that are staggered up until 2013. Read more

Tags: bank executives, G20, United Kingdom, barclays, bank bonuses

‘Bumpy’ recovery for firms in the UK

According to a recent report UK firms should be prepared for a bumpy ride to recovery over the course of this year. Despite a fall in the number of profit warnings over the final quarter of last year the accountancy company Ernst & Young has stated that the recovery for UK firms is still likely to b a bumpy and challenging one, and that companies needed to prepare themselves for this. Read more

Tags: economics, scheme, United Kingdom, recession, spending, Ernst & Young, accountancy, contrast

Elderly women suffer most with car insurance costs

According to a recent report the demographic group that suffers most when it comes to the cost of car insurance is elderly women. Data from the insurance industry, which was recently released, has shown that from an insurance point of view elderly women are considered more dangerous behind the wheel than young men, and the higher risk is reflected in the cost of premiums charged to older female drivers. Read more

Tags: finance, insurance point of view elderly women, car insurance, insurance premiums, Insurance

Credit card industry speaks out against government proposals

The credit card industry in the UK has spoken out against one of the measures that has been proposed by the government to try and curb some of the practices used by credit card companies. One of the measures that the government has proposed in order to reduce problems relates to the credit limits that credit card providers offer, and the aim of the government was to try and get credit card companies to reduce these limits. Read more

Tags: UK Cards Association, Stoozing, Credit card, Credit history, interest rates, personal finance

Many don’t realise costs of using prepaid cards

According to a recent report many low income consumers in some of the poorest areas of the country are having benefits paid onto prepaid cards, but fail to realise the high costs that can be involved in doing this. Concern has been expressed by officials from the Department for Work and Pensions over the lack of awareness amongst consumers when it comes to the charges involved in using prepaid cards for such purposes. Read more

Tags: prepaid credit cards, Prepaid, Payment systems, Stored-value card, Credit card

FSA cracks down on sale and rent back schemes

Over the past few years an increasing number of people have had to turn to sale and rent back companies to try and get themselves out of a sticky situation with their homes. Read more

Tags: mortgage, Real property law, Real estate, Financial Services Authority, Economy of the United Kingdom, home insurance, sale and rent back, Renting, finance

0.3 percent increase in retail sales for December

Figures have recently been released showing that in the month of December there was an increase of 0.3 percent in retail sales. Official figures proved disappointing when they showed that between November and December of last year retail sales grew by just 0.3 percent despite increased spending in the run up to Christmas. Read more

Tags: retail sales levels, Office for National Statistics, Late 2000s recession in Europe, last year retail sales, Value added tax, Christmas and holiday season, Tax reform

Extra council tax due despite fewer refuse collections during cold snap

It has been announced that many households whose rubbish was left uncollected by the refuse service over the Christmas period and during the cold snap that followed could actually end up paying more council tax as a result of this. As a result of the bad weather less rubbish was recycled and instead ended up in landfills, which resulted in extra tax being incurred. Read more

Tags: Recycling, Taxation in the United Kingdom, Sustainability, Waste management, Landfill in the United Kingdom, Recyclable materials, environment

Stick to your New Year’s resolution to save money on your insurance costs

At the start of every year millions of people make New Year’s resolutions, which at the time they fully intend to stick to. Of course, as most of us know these resolutions simply melt away into nothing within a few weeks for many of us but there are the determine few that are able to stick out their resolutions. Read more

Tags: Insurance, health insurance, finance, life insurance, new year resolution

Thirty billion a year attributed to fraud

Fraud is a type of crime that has hit the UK, as well as other major economies, hard over the years, and over the past few years, with the credit crisis and the recession taking their toll, the levels of fraud have become even more disturbing. Read more

Tags: insurance fraud, Madoff investment scandal, Deception, Crimes, fraud

Better future for economy following drop in unemployment

Recent figures showing that unemployment has finally fallen has brought with it hopes that the future of the economy is looking a little brighter. The figures showed that there was a significant drop in unemployment figures for the month of December. Many think that this will spell good news for both the jobs market and the economy as a whole. December saw unemployment levels fall for the first time in around two years according to reports.

Read more

Tags: unemployment, month, jobless figures, Labor, Late-2000s recession

Treasury gets involved in controversy over cheques

Recently it was announced by the banking industry that by 2018 it was planning to phase out the use of the humble cheque altogether. Over recent years a rising number of retailers have stopped accepting cheque as a form of payment, stating that cheque use can be time consuming and costly for businesses to process. This has led to the banking industry stating that it plans to get rid of cheques altogether over the course of this decade. Read more

Tags: treasury, inclusion, cheque, Payments Council, bank, Cheque and Credit Clearing Company

Negative equity forces couples to live together

Charity officials have recently stated that there are many estranged couples that are being forced to live together under the same roof as a result of the property still being in negative equity, which means that they are unable to sell their home and move on as a result of the relationship ending. Read more

Tags: finance, Homelessness, negative equity, percent, Social Issues, partner

Record numbers having to take on part time work

Recent figures have shown that record numbers of people in the UK have had to take on part time work through the recession as a result of being unable to get any full time employment. Whilst the rising number of people taking on part time work has helped to bring unemployment figures down for many of these workers the hours that they are working are not bringing in adequate income to continue keeping on top of their bills, rent or mortgage, and financial commitments. Read more

Tags: Types of unemployment, recessions, record numbers, part time work, unemployment, total, economics, office

Tough year ahead for British retailers

Officials from the British Retail Consortium have recently stated that despite the encouraging sales figures seen by retailers over the Christmas and New Year period most retailers would be facing yet another very tough year over the course of 2010. Read more

Tags: High Street, Marks & Spencer, Deficit, consumer spending, Socioeconomics, economics, Retail Consortium

Supermarket hopes to cut food waste with special offers

One leading UK supermarket is hoping that it can allow its customers to save money on their shopping whilst cutting back on food wastage through the launch of a new offer that is to run over the next couple of weeks. Read more

Tags: food wastage, United Kingdom, Economy of the United Kingdom, food waste, tesco

Customers not getting the full value of their jewellery from cash for gold companies

It has been claimed in a recent report that companies that offer cash for gold jewellery are not giving consumers the full value of their jewellery. In fact, the report claims that quite often consumers are only receiving a fraction of the worth of the jewellery from the firms. According to the consumer campaign group Which? consumers are getting ’shockingly bad value’ on their gold jewellery given how the value of gold has increased. Read more

Tags: gold advertisements, Valuation, Precious metals, consumer campaign group, which

Faster payments possible if consumers change banks

The UK Payments Council has recently stated that many banks are still not making same day transfers to accounts at different banks despite the Faster Payments System that was brought in back in 2008, and officials from the council have stated that if customers are not happy about the fact that their bank does not provide this service they should consider switching to a different bank, as there are some that do provide this facility. Read more

Tags: Faster Payments Service, bank customers, finance, Payment Council, Payment systems, Single Euro Payments Area

Are you hoping to get onto the property ladder this year?

Over the past couple of years first time buyers have been hit with a whole new problem. Following years of lack of affordability because of the sky high value of properties many first time buyers probably thought that their time had finally come when property prices started to plummet. Read more

Tags: Subprime crisis impact timeline, Mortgage loan, mortgage, Real estate, first time buyer

FSA to monitor refunds from banks

It has been reported that the UK’s financial regulator, the Financial Services Authority, is to closely monitor refunds that are made by banks in instances where the consumer states that he or she has not authorised a transaction. Regulations that were brought in last November required banks to make immediate refunds to consumers for transactions that they claim that they had not made unless there was clear evidence that the consumer was involved in fraud or had been reckless. Read more

Tags: bank, ATM, Financial Services Authority, Economy of the United Kingdom, hsbc, HSBC Holdings PLC

Economic downturn results in rise in shoplifting

The economic downturn has apparently led to an increase in shoplifting activity in the UK according to a recent report. Figures have shown that retailers have seen a sharp rise in shoplifting activities over the course of the recession. The figures formed part of the latest crime survey by the British Retail Consortium, which revealed that between 2008 and 2009 shoplifting activities had increased by around one third. Read more

Tags: Crimes, Ethics, Criminal law, theft, Shoplifting

Britain drops to 25th for quality of life

A recent report has indicated that Britain has now fallen to 25th in the global rankings in terms of quality of life, falling even further down the list than last year when it came in at number 20 in the rankings. Amongst the countries that have now overtaken Britain in the rankings for quality of life are Lithuania, Uruguay, and the Czech Republic. France took the number one spot in the polls for the fifth year in a row. Read more

Tags: Britain, France, Jackie Flynn, United Kingdom, International Living

Charity wants more help for elderly in cold weather

A leading charity for the elderly is calling for more help with fuel bills for older people who are struggling to keep warm during the ongoing cold snap that is being experienced across Britain. Charity Age Concern and Help the Aged has stated that the government needs to increase the payments it makes to pensioners for fuel during the unusually long cold snap that is being seen across the country at the moment. Read more

Tags: Help the Aged, Social Issues, nhs, spokesperson, United Kingdom, normal energy bill

Recreated paperwork could cause problems for borrowers

According to a recent report many lenders tend to misplace or lose loan and credit agreements, and in some cases this paperwork is even disposed of, which means that if and when the banks need to refer to the agreement for any reason they are having to recreate the agreement. Whilst this is not frowned upon there is one problem that has been highlighted, and this is the fact that the recreated document often has discrepancies that leave the consumer even worse off. Read more

Tags: debt, Banking, High Court, office of fair trading, consumer credit lawyer, Mortgage loan, credit, personal finance

Look out for the new BOGOF deal from Tesco

As a nation Brits are suckers for special deals in supermarkets, and many of us are guilty of buying something that we didn’t even actually need simply because it was on special offer. Amongst the various offers that supermarkets have launched in the past are half price goods and buy one get one free deals, and both of these prove hugely popular amongst consumers. Read more

Tags: buy one get one free, bogof, special offers, tesco, shopping, money saving

Over £27 billion worth of free overtime put in by workers

According to figures that have been released recently workers across the UK have put in more than £27 billion worth of free overtime in the past twelve months, amounting to a whopping £5400 per person. Workers across the UK were found to have worked for free to the tune of £27.4 billion, with many putting in the extra time in order to save their jobs during the recession. Read more

Tags: Employment law, unemployment, Overtime, Labour relations, Extra time

Green insurance on offer from M&S

High Street giant Mars & Spencer has branched out into a number of different areas over the years, including financial services and insurance. It has been reported recently that those thinking of taking out cover with M&S insurance services will be able to do their bit for the environment as the retail giant is now offering green insurance cover. Read more

Tags: energy saving, Types of insurance, Financial services, Insurance, energy efficiency rating

Skiers need to remember their travel insurance

Industry experts are warning skiing enthusiasts not to skimp on their travel insurance of they are planning to head to the slopes over the coming months. Figures were compiled by the Ski Club of Great Britain recently, and officials from the group claim that more than one million people from Britain will be heading to the slopes in the months to come. However, the group also claims that worryingly nearly 50 percent of these people will fail to take out ski travel insurance. Read more

Tags: Ski Club of Great Britain, travel insurance, winter sports, Insurance, travel insurance cover, snowboarding, ski travel insurance cover, ski travel insurance, Types of insurance, Skiing

Consumers could start shunning post offices

A recently released report has suggested that consumers are going to start shunning post offices and the services that they offer, adding that the whole post office service could ‘go the way of Woolworths’. The report raises concerns that the Post Office Service is offering poor products, poor service, and poor accessibility due to branch closures, and that this will lead to more and more people shunning the post office altogether sending what has become a national institution the same way as Woolworths. Read more

Tags: Consumer Focus, David Cooper, Woolworth, United States Postal Service, Woolworths Group, post office

Businesses and consumers still wary about economy

A recent report has suggested that business and consumers across the UK are still wary about the outlook for the economy, despite assurance that the economy is heading towards some degree of recovery. Although various industry groups and government officials have tried to make the economic outlook appear to be somewhat brighter than many people see it, to many consumers and businesses the fragility of the economy means that any recovery could quickly be overturned. Read more

Tags: BDO, consumer confidence, Confederation of British Industry, bank of england, Consumer behaviour

Thousand leave Halifax over bank charge changes

It is reported that around seventy thousand customers have left the High Street banking giant Halifax amidst anger over changes to the way it charges for overdraft facility usage. There is also speculation that customers of the bank are still leaving, which means that eventually the changes may have cost the banking giant in excess of 100,000 customers. Many customers are said to have moved to rival banks, with many others trying to open new current accounts with an alternative bank so that they can leave Halifax. Read more

Tags: overdraft, fee, Office of Fair Trading v Abbey National plc, halifax, Bank charge, Banking in the United Kingdom

Cheques will be phased out if alternatives found

It has been reported that by 2018 cheques could be phased out altogether in the UK, but that this will only happen if suitable alternative for cheques are found. The data has been released by the UK Payments Council, which has set the date of 2018 to try and encourage alternative forms of payment to be developed and used so that the end of the cheque will not have such a huge impact on consumers. Read more

Tags: Payment systems, UK Payments Council, Debit card, Banking, cheque

Tips for Reducing Your TV and Broadband Bills

Television and broadband are very important to most people – so important, in fact, that most would rather cut back on other pleasures than reduce the service they receive from their telecommunications providers. According to a survey conducted by Ofcom, the television regulator, consumers say they would prefer to cut back on their holiday spending or eat less at restaurants than cut down on the amount of money they have to pay for TV and Broadband each month. Read more

Tags: Digital television, DVD rental store, British Sky Broadcasting, tv guide, deep discounts, Satellite television, telecommunications providers, megabyte service

Credit card companies to start targeting high earners again

Whilst there has been something of a credit boom in the UK over the past decade, prior to this boom it was not unusual for credit card firms to focus only on wealthy, higher earners, leaving those on lower incomes out in the cold when it came to getting credit. In fact, seeing someone open a purse or wallet with a string of credit cards suggested that the person was well off and earned good money. Read more

Tags: credit, interest rates, Sandra Quinn, Credit Cards, Credit history, Debit card, Payment systems, PricewaterhouseCoopers

False sense of security for consumers being asked for minimum repayments on credit cards

Experts have recently expressed concern that many credit card customers may be getting lulled into a false sense of security as a result of credit card companies asking for very low minimum repayments on their credit card balances. Read more

Tags: lloyds tsb, Credit card, Lloyds Banking Group PLC, Stoozing, debt

Lotto scam sees some elderly consumers lose life savings

There are many different scams in circulation at present, with the economic climate and recession having seen the number of scams in circulation rise and the number of people prepared to take a risk on these scams also increase. In many cases fraudsters that operate these scams target more vulnerable people such as the elderly, and this is what has been happening with a lottery scam that has seen some elderly consumers dwindled out of their life savings. Read more

Tags: Social engineering, office of fair trading, Lottery scam, Spamming, Lottery

Shoppers get extra time over VAT rise

As most people are already aware the start of this year kicked off with the level of VAT being put back up to its original level of 17.5 percent. The level of VAT was reduced by the government last year from 17.5 percent to 15 percent in the hope that this would help consumers to save money, improve finances, and kick start the economy. However, the measure was a temporary one that has now come to an end, which means that in most places prices will now include VAT at 17.5 percent. Read more

Tags: john lewis, Taxation, Value added tax, Asda, Tax reform

Common scams to avoid

Scam artists and fraudsters have been around for centuries in some form or another, and in the past most have focussed their efforts on the more vulnerable people such as the elderly or low income people who are desperate for a way out of their situations. However, in the past few years scams have become more widespread and have resulted in a greater range of people being targeted. The global credit crisis has brought many fraudsters and scam artists out of the woodwork, and many are now using methods that are either very sophisticated or ones that are so simple and obvious nobody would think to question it. Read more

Tags: online scams, Spamming, Lottery, Phone fraud, Scam letters, government agency

Shopper panic buying due to weather

The past week has seen the weather in the UK take a nasty turn, and what started off as a cold snap is now being described as a big freeze, with roads and pavements across the UK covered in snow and ice, and conditions becoming increasingly dangerous for both pedestrians and drivers across the country. Read more

Tags: Asda, Wal-Mart, hot food, Litter box, weather, Grit, supermarket

Cold weather does not put Christmas shoppers off

With the effects of the recession and the global financial crisis still taking its toll on many households many may have been keen to cut back on the spending this Christmas and try and avoid spending a fortune over the festive season. However, despite the financial difficulties that many are facing at present it appears that even the freezing weather in the UK has not put off the shoppers that are determined to get their purchases bagged and home in time for the big day. Read more

Tags: credit, New West End Company, Richard Dickinson, Snow, economics, christmas, recessions, purchases

Sort your budget out for 2010

Like many other people you may have experienced a great many difficulties in terms of your finances this year, and this is partly because many of us were not prepared for the onslaught of financial problems that were set to hit us, ranging from the recession and job losses through to increasingly difficult credit conditions. However, the last year should have taught most of us some valuable lessons in terms of finances, and one thing that many people will be planning to do for 2010 is try and sort out their finances. Read more

Tags: difference unsecured debts, time, consolidation, store, magazines, lenders, package

Buyers striving to complete property purchase before end of stamp duty holiday

Many buyers are now said to be rushing to try and complete the purchase of a property before the stamp duty holiday in the UK comes to an end. The stamp duty holiday was brought in last year in a bid to try and kick start the property sector. Read more

Tags: Richard Morea, Stamp duty in the United Kingdom, stamp duty, Alistair Darling, first time buyer, london, Taxation

FSA slated over its treatment of lenders

According to recent reports the Council of Mortgage Lenders has accused the UK’s financial regulator, the Financial Services Authority, of treating banks and other lenders like ‘drug dealers at the school gates’. Read more

Tags: Financial Services Authority, council of mortgage lenders, Economy of the United Kingdom, Matthew Wyles, Financial services

Bill for losses from floods could be more than £100 million

It has been estimated that the bill for the losses that were suffered in the recent and devastating floods in Cumbria could come to more than £100 million, according to a recent report. Hundred and homes and businesses were affected after flood defences failed to provide protection when rivers burst their banks in Cumbria, Dumfries, and Southern Scotland, causing devastating levels of damage and huge losses. Read more

Tags: Insurance, weather, flood, insurance providers, Disaster_Accident, environment, Association of British Insurers, scotland

Number of empty homes reached five year peak last year

Recently released figures have shown that the number of homes that were left empty reached their highest level in five years in 2008. The number of homes that had been left empty for at least six months in England is said to have increased by 9 percent in the year to April 2008, with the number of private homes that had been left empty for at least this length of time rising to 303,285. This was the highest figure since April of 2003. Read more

Tags: higher levels, time, average earnings, loan, homes, empty properties, economist, big gap

Getting ready for the January sales

With Christmas almost upon us many people will be getting ready for the big day, and will be busy wrapping gifts, sorting out Christmas dinner, and organising visits to and from relatives. Read more

Tags: january sales, Seasons, sales, christmas, discounts, online sales, Christmas and holiday season, Boxing Day

Is your pet insured against Christmas chaos?

There is evidence to suggest that over the past year many cash-strapped consumers have been trying to save money in what is still a difficult financial climate, and one way in which some have done this is by reducing or cancelling insurance policies that are not legally required such as health insurance and pet insurance. Read more

Tags: pocket, christmas, treatment, pet insurance, pooches

Making your money go further over the festive season

In years gone by Christmas usually referred to just one day, which was of course Christmas day, and whilst preparations for the big day were made in the run up to Christmas it was not like it is today, where the two weeks leading up to Christmas were filled with festive events and parties and the week between Christmas and New Year was also filled with events and festivities that often usually cost money. Read more

Tags: Christmas spending, festive budget, interest rates, save you, trimmings, lucky ones, finances

House prices could take years to recover according to Bloomberg survey

A survey from Bloomberg has suggested that property prices in the UK could take a number of years to recover back to the level that they were at back in 2007, before the credit crunch hit. Since around October of 2007 house prices have plunged in the UK, although the last few months have seen some nominal increases in property values. Read more

Tags: housing market, economics, Bloomberg, house prices, Real estate

Mortgage fraud made possible with fake payslips from the Internet

Mortgage fraud is an issue that has been at the centre of a crackdown in the UK, with the difficult mortgage conditions that have been seen over the past couple of years resulting in a surge in mortgage related activity. An investigation was recently carried out by a national newspaper, the Observer, with one of its reporters finding out just how easy it can be to commit mortgage fraud. Read more

Tags: worth, mortgage related activity, search, Observer, Consumer fraud, Mortgage fraud, mortgage, controversy

Is it worth going for a bundle with your broadband provider?

Many UK households these days have a wide range of television channels, a landline, and a broadband connection, but many people still take these services separately through different providers. Read more

Tags: basic landline services, Virgin Media, basic services, Technology_Internet, Digital technology, broadband, media, Digital TV, Telecommunications

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