Thinking Differently about Insurance

Date:16 April 2012 I Comments: 0 I Views:7,199

Many people don’t enjoy spending money on insurance. Car insurance is a legal requirement and can sometimes feel like a financial burden which is one reason people like to shop around for the best deal. Anyone who has had to make a claim on their car insurance is more likely to appreciate the benefit and may subsequently start to look more closely at what they are buying to make sure they receive the best care when they need it most. Car insurance comparison sites know this which is why a few years ago they started to display some of the

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Thinking About Investing in the Stock Market

Date:1 March 2012 I Comments: 8 I Views:11,302

Is it a good time to invest? The global economy is shaky, businesses are struggling and marketing budgets are tight. How can businesses increase their value and their profit if they can’t afford to expand..? When will be a good time to think about investing in the stock market? Well, I don’t know a great deal about it but I read and digest information and I dabble with a virtual portfolio (an excellent way to get started without spending a penny). In my opinion, the best time to get into investing in the Stock Market was 2008! To justify claiming

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My 2011 – A Thoroughly Belated Review & Here’s to 2012

Date:7 February 2012 I Comments: 2 I Views:10,326

The financial future still looks pretty bleak. ‘The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos has wrapped up….. and in short, the outlook, after a week of intense discussion, is of a troubled world pressed for solutions across a number of fronts, but with optimism provided by human ingenuity and progress.’ I too am optimistic about 2012 thus far and good fortune throughout 2011 has most certainly helped. The PPI Mis-selling bonanza lured me onto the bandwagon and I pursued a claim without employing the services of a third party. The claim was referred to the Ombudsman and upheld. I received

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UK First Time Buyers Given a Boost with a 95% LTV Product Launch

Date:20 January 2012 I Comments: 1 I Views:9,159

This isn’t one of my own but a useful tidbit nonetheless. I have some thoughts and ideas floating around for some original articles but January has started with a boom and free time is hard to find! So here’s something someone else wrote! Newcastle Building Society has launched two competitive mortgage schemes to help first time buyers (FTB) with a low deposit take their first steps to owning their own home.  With recent research highlighting that affordability for first time buyers is at the best level since before the credit crunch the Newcastle’s new products may be a timely introduction.

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100% Mortgages are Back! – Or are they..?

Date:9 November 2011 I Comments: 7 I Views:15,927

A new product that has appeared on the mortgage scene is being called a 100% LTV Family Guarantee Mortgage. This has been designed for families who wish to help their children get on the property ladder. As the name suggests, a family member must provide a guarantee and that guarantee must come in the form of security on their property and must cover at least 25% of the child’s new mortgage. What’s more, the security on the family member’s property must not take the total combined liability of all the secured debt (mortgages, loans etc.) above 75% across both properties. eg: Parents have

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The Greek Referendum

Date:2 November 2011 I Comments: 2 I Views:8,981

How many European leaders slapped their brows when they heard the news about the proposed referendum in Greece? I’d hazard a guess at ‘quite a few’. Having spent ‘hours’ in meetings discussing the way forward for further bail-outs for Greece the Greek Prime Minister decided his public should vote on the matter. Why? Can you imagine what would have happened here in the UK if the ConDems had allowed us to vote on the austerity measures? More people would have voted than they did in the elections and there would probably have been a unanimous result of a resounding ‘no’ to cuts.

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What’s this? My Overdraft Protection isn’t Compulsory?

Date:1 November 2011 I Comments: 0 I Views:14,465

For as long as I can remember I’ve had a monthly entry on my bank statement that was called ‘O/D Protection’. I thought this was a compulsory part of having an overdraft and for a time I was occasionally dipping into the overdraft so protection seemed like a good idea. It wasn’t until my bank changed the title of this to ‘Payment Protection’ that it caught my attention. What with all the automated sales call about PPI I keep receiving I thought my bank had taken it upon themselves to mis-sell me some without me even knowing about it. I spoke

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An ‘Online Only’ Car Insurance Experience

Date:26 September 2011 I Comments: 2 I Views:16,270

The theory goes that if a business doesn’t need to pay as many salaries, it can offer its products at more competitive prices. The internet is therefore an ideal medium for transacting low cost automated business. If a company can use its website to take a customer from enquiry through to sale without the need for human intervention it should be able to save money and either increase profit margin or pass the savings on to customers. Having tried a selection of car insurance comparison sites I recently settled for an ‘online only’ car insurance policy. It was the cheapest

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What to do About Energy Price Rises

Date:23 August 2011 I Comments: 5 I Views:13,413

Shop around! I did and I found gas for about half the price of British Gas – with no standing charges! What’s more, I know what the price will be after a forthcoming rise and it’s still nearly half the price of BG who haven’t even put their prices up yet! So the story goes; I’ve recently rented a place closer to my office so I can spend a little more time at work (madness, I know). The letting agent told me they would contact the utility providers on my behalf and then sent me a letter saying that although they would try,

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Blink and Miss History – It’s Eye Opening!

Date:10 August 2011 I Comments: 0 I Views:10,580

In times of economic uncertainty, people striving to make a living can so easily bury themselves in work and while getting engrossed by work is a sure-fire way of getting things done, in this fast paced world in which we live it also means we may not be paying attention to everything else that’s going on around us. Pause for one minute, stick your head up and look around and it’s amazing to see what’s gone by in just a few days. Admittedly, some weeks are less impressive than others but with so much news available at all times from all over the

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