New pet owners should get their pets insured

With Christmas Day now over for another year there are many households that will have a new addition to the family in the form of a new pet, such as a cat or dog. However, whilst families will be looking forward to starting the New Year with a new member of the family it is also important to start thinking about the health and welfare of the pet as early on as possible.

It is important for new pet owners to start thinking about getting their pet some health insurance, so that if they pet falls ill or suffers an accident it can get treatment or medication without the owners having to worry about finding the huge amounts of money that this can cost without insurance cover.

Officials have advised new pet owners to compare pet insurance to find a good deal, and to make sure that their pet gets the protection of health insurance as soon as possible. This is particularly important for those that have had younger pets such as kittens and puppies, as they are more susceptible to health problems.

Whilst there are a number of insurance companies that offer competitive health insurance policies there are also some veterinary surgeries that offer their own pet cover, so when you get your pet registered with a pet – which should also be done as soon as possible – you can enquire about their own bespoke pet health cover schemes.

Without pet insurance cover in place it can be very difficult for pet owners if something happens to their beloved animal, but with cover in place pets will have the protection of being able to get treatment and medications quickly and easily if the need arises, and pet owners will be able to enjoy peace of mind.

Tags: protection, welfare, pet, officials, new pet owners, worry, Pet Emergency Management

Mortgage aimed at FTBs

As first-time buyers (FTBs) struggle to get onto the property ladder a number of lenders are now releasing mortgages aimed specifically at them.

Earlier this month Nationwide announced that it had a fixed-rate 25-year mortgage to offer and now the Co-operative Bank is throwing its hat into the ring.

The firm is offering FTBs a mortgage which is designed to make the first steps onto the property ladder a little bit easier.

It comes with one per cent cashback, which will be helpful in covering stamp duty and any other costs that FTBs may incur.

In addition, the mortgage has a fixed rate of 6.29 per cent for five years and a free basic valuation.

Research by Co-operative Bank shows that many FTBs are still finding it extremely difficult to get onto the property ladder with cost being the main factor.

It is in response to this that the bank has chosen to release its latest mortgage.

“As house prices have continued to rise it is important that the lifeblood of the market – first time buyers – are given extra help to gain that all important first footing on the ladder,” said John Barker, head of mortgages at Co-operative Bank.

“At the Co-operative Bank we believe that new innovative mortgage products such as this should be developed to help alleviate some of the extra worry for first time buyers.”

FTBs are urged to make sure that they are completely aware of all costs before they enter into a mortgage agreement.

Tags: mortgage, mortgage agreement, co operative bank, main factor.It, worry, finance, FTBs, Banking

Brits worried about finances

The majority of us are more concerned about banking and our current financial situation than other threats to our security.

According to research by Abbey, the perils of global warming and international terrorism worry us less than managing our money.

Nearly one in four of us identify concerns about cash as the biggest threat to our quality of life, with only four per cent of us highlighting the environment as a pressing issue.

The Abbey Lifestyle Report looks at trends and concerns across the UK and this year’s report found that the majority of Brits are optimistic about the year ahead.

“People are generally positive about their quality of life in 2007 and the much-publicised issues around crime and the environment don’t seem to be denting this optimism,” said Sue Hayes from Abbey.

“The real concern for people is money and we are hoping that this is a signal that people are planning to get more engaged with their finances in 2007.”

Students were found to be the most optimistic demographic in the country, with 49 per cent believing that 2007 will herald an improvement to their quality of life.

This is in contrast to pensioners, with only 21 per cent holding the same belief.

If money worries are getting you down the best thing to do is face up to your problems and take control of your finances.

Tags: majority, improvement, international terrorism, worry, Opinion poll