Alliance and Leicester launches account for over 50s
July 21, 2008
The Alliance and Leicester has launched a new bank account that is specifically aimed at the over 50s, known as the Premier 50 account. The bank states that the Premier 50 account offers a number of benefits that will suit consumers within this age group, and therefore could prove invaluable. Consumers will have to pay a monthly fee of £10 for the account, but the Alliance and Leicester states that the value of the benefits that they can enjoy for this price is tremendous. Read more
Broadband bigwigs release data
July 16, 2008
A number of major broadband providers have recently released their latest quarterly performance reports, with Virgin Media and BT having released their figures openly last week. This comes shortly after another report that indicated that new broadband subscribers across the UK and other parts of Europe had fallen during the third quarter of the year, and had also fallen in the second quarter of the year in comparison with the figures in the first quarter of this year. Read more
Severn Trent profits plunge due to fines
July 14, 2008
The profits of water giant Severn Trent have plunged because of the hefty fines that have been imposed by the water regulator Ofwat. The water company serves three million households in the Midlands region, but has found itself enveloped in disgrace and controversy recently, resulting in fines from Ofwat. In fact, to the end of the last financial year profits had reportedly plunged by 40%, sinking to just £195 million. Read more
Housing market being adversely affected by HIPs
July 7, 2008
Home Information Packs that came into force earlier this year are now required for homes of three bedrooms or more that are being marketed for sale, and a number of estate agents have stated that these controversial packs are adversely affecting the housing market. Industry officials have stated that according to their record there are fewer larger properties up for sale on the market for the time of year, and this is thought to be connected to the requirement of HIPs. Read more
The right mortgage advice could save consumers a fortune
July 6, 2008
According to officials from the Association of Mortgage Intermediaries seeking the right mortgage advice from a trained and experienced professional could save the average consumer a small fortune on the cost of mortgage repayments. Officials claim that the global credit crunch has made it more difficult and more expensive to find the right mortgage, but by enlisting the help of someone such as an experienced Independent Financial Advisor consumers could ease the process and save a fair amount of cash on annual repayments. Read more
Take advantage of the supermarket price war
July 6, 2008
Most of us will be quick to agree that there has not been much good news on the financial front for most households for many months now. The global credit crunch brought with it complete chaos in the financial markets, leaving many consumers unable to get affordable finance in any sector, from loans and mortgages to credit cards and car loans. On top of this the cost of petrol has rocketed to record highs, leaving drivers financially strapped, energy firms have increased their prices significantly and intend to do so again before the year is out, and the cost of food has spiralled out of control, adding hundreds of pounds to the average annual grocery bill. Read more