Getting on the property ladder and securing a mortgage can be an arduous tasks for those looking to own their first home. With reports showing that young would-be homeowners may need a deposit of £60,000 by the end of the decade, the plight of the first-time buyer seems inevitable without support from parents or other financial [...]

Just as the UK seems to have gotten a grip on mis sold payment protection insurance, another monster has emerged that threatens to cause severe financial distress for a great number of small to medium size enterprises (SMEs) around the country. To compound the problem, bankers have become savvier in their mis-selling of complex financial [...]

With the news announced this week that the UK could be entering a triple-dip recession and worries about the fiscal cliff still high in the US, many people around the world have been left questioning when exactly their finances are going to start improving. The last few years have highlighted the extent to which individuals’ [...]

Once associated with the wealthy few, offshore investment is today becoming more accessible and more appropriate to a whole sector of the population. Against the backdrop of low global interest rates and incessant financial doom and gloom, pressure is truly on savers to find homes for their cash which will give them anything like a [...]

Businesses have been advised to get their unclaimed tax allowance back from HMRC. Experts have advised companies to claim some much needed, rightful revenue in the form of unused capital allowances. Concerning capital allowances, Rift UK and Portal Tax Claims have both said that most of their clients are not aware of the claims they [...]

The Office of Fair Trading have announced plans to refer the car insurance market to the Competition Commission after it emerged that drivers are paying £225m extra a year as a result of insurers inflating costs. It is claimed that the costs of repairs and hire vehicles were specifically inflated by insurers. The provision of [...]

The UK Cards Association has published a new plain English advice guide giving Britain’s 30 million credit card holders clear information about their rights when using their card. ‘Credit cards – your rights, a consumer guide’ is being sent to every Citizens Advice Bureau in the country during May and is also available to download [...]

By and large contents insurance and building insurance are sold alongside each other and therefore aren’t usually considered separate entities. However there are occasions when a prospective policy holder would do better owning one over the other—of course both cover the unexpected loss of property, so this is meant as a quick and dirty guide [...]

It would certainly be an understatement to say that the last three years have been challenging. The biting recession, property prices nose-diving, lenders going bust and those that are left seemingly reluctant to lend have contributed to as great a sense of uncertainty as seen in two generations. The effect of the new Coalition Government’s [...]

Website re-launch caters for growing diversity and experience levels of UK traders LONDON, UK, 03 November, 2009 – eToro (eToro.co.uk), the fastest growing online financial trading platform has re-launched its website as part of its on-going digital development strategy to cater for increased traffic and the growing diversity of UK traders. The improved site delivers [...]

There is no disguising the fact that financial institutions are tightening purse strings and reducing the amount of credit available to consumers and businesses. Credit card companies have started making changes to the way they do business which reflects the lack of available credit. Many consumers have recently experienced credit card interest rate rises some [...]

New mortgage offers are being released almost daily in the current climate. The best way to keep on top of the best deals and offers that are emerging is to either keep a very close eye on things yourself, or let someone else do it for you. Not everyone has time to keep searching and [...]

In uncertain financial times people develop a keen desire to protect their long term interests. Although interest rates are currently at an all time low and short term fixed rate mortgage offers below 3.5% are widely available, there is growing concern over the future highs to which interest rates could climb in the coming years, [...]

New fixed rate mortgage offers with no lenders arrangement fee have been launched today by Alliance & Leicester. This enhances their range of fee free mortgage solutions to include 3 and 4 year fixed rates. A&L now have a 2 year fixed rate offer with no fee at 4.29%, a 3 year offer at 4.69% [...]

The income multiples used by mortgage lenders vary from one lender to another. Some are more ‘generous’ than others and will allow over five times the household income to calculate how much a customer can borrow. All lenders will also take into account a variety of factors as well as just a basic income multiple [...]

Banks and Building Societies are continuing to tighten the purse strings and reduce their exposure to risk. By cherry picking only the most suitable customers who neatly fit their strict criteria mortgage lenders are trying to safeguard their future and improve their own creditworthiness. Abbey are making it tougher for applicants by assessing their affordability [...]

A £300BN rescue plan has been laid out to help save the UK financial sector and improve lending woes between banks. The details as yet are slightly vague but in short the Government intends to insure banks against bad or toxic debt and provide cash in return for assets. The ‘Credit Crunch’ has been caused [...]

Low rate fixed rate mortgages are becoming available once more with several lenders reducing rates more than once in recent weeks. Following a recent spate of rate reductions borrowers can now access a low fixed rate mortgage at just 4.69%. This low rate offer does however have a downside. The arrangement fee is 2.5% of [...]

In the space of a few months news reports have signaled the death of the Buy-to-let market, continuing gloom and doom and significant losses for recent would-be landlords. But the grey clouds have a silver lining. Most Buy-to-let properties are purchased using an ‘interest only’ mortgage. What this means is only the interest is repaid [...]

It’s only been a matter of days since several mortgage lenders announced a drop in their rates but a number of consumers are likely to be annoyed at the circumstances which may have led them to secure a mortgage in recent weeks at a rate which puts them out of pocket compared to one they [...]