Personal Finance Tips

According to MoneySupermarket.com, ‘consumers should check their rates to ensure they are maximising their returns’ in light of today’s Bank of England announcement that The Consumer Price Index (CPI) has reduced from 2.6 percent to 2.5 percent.

According to Bright Grey, their Financial Safety Net report has revealed that more than one in four Britons over the age of 35 would take a greater interest in their personal finances if they could go back to the age of 20.  This is reportedly equivalent to 9 million people.

According to a MoneySupermarket.com poll of 1,000 UK adults who are in a relationship, the average couple spends almost £135 on Valentine’s Day every year – commonly on items that are unwanted or unnecessary.

According to new research commissioned by Gocompare.com, 26 percent of Brits are expecting to owe money on their credit cards throughout the course of the year.  In fact, findings have shown that 9 percent are reliant upon their credit cards in order to ‘make ends meet’.

The national money education charity, Credit Action, is urging consumers to ‘take a more serious approach when managing their money’ due to concerns about the attitudes that Brits have towards budgeting.  Therefore, the charity is supporting the Financial Planning Week campaign, which is being led by the Institute of Financial Planning (IFP) between November 21st and 27th.

According to moneysupermarket.com, research has revealed that 18 percent of parents are expecting the cost of family days out to push them into the red this summer.  Findings have shown that 76 percent of this group will use a credit card or overdraft facility to pay for activities, whilst 22 percent will take out a loan for this purpose.

Following Scottish Power’s announcement that they will be increasing gas prices by 19 percent and increasing electricity prices by 10 percent, Confused.com has offered consumers some energy conserving tips.

New research by uSwitch.com has revealed that mothers use the most household energy according to 32 percent of respondents, whilst children waste the most energy according to 28 percent.

According to Sainsbury’s Finance, 25.4 million adults are now making regular online purchases with their credit cards.  This news comes following an online survey of 2012 people, conducted by ICM.

According to new research from Prudential, UK couples could be ‘risking an old age in poverty’ due to a failure to discuss financial planning for their retirement.

According to a survey conducted by M&S Money, over half of people will leave their properties vacant when they venture away.  Therefore, holidaymakers are being urged to secure their homes.

A recent study conducted by Gocompare.com has revealed that 41 percent of UK consumers surveyed feel ‘worse off now than they did this time last year’; with almost 25 percent of respondents admitting that they needed to make cutbacks to ‘make ends meet’.

According to research by the Post Office, 77 percent of holidaymakers believe that they will take just as much holiday this year as they did last year.  Furthermore, it was found that eight in ten holidaymakers will tailor their travel plans to fit in with their budgets.

According to Saga Pet Insurance, 21 percent of those over the age of 50 are cat or dog owners, and those living in the North West are likely to face the most significant veterinary bills in the UK when their pets become unwell.

According to new research conducted by Santander Current Accounts, 24 percent of respondents have switched insurance providers during the last year, 21 percent have switched gas, water or electricity suppliers, and 12 percent have switched mobile phone providers.

According to new research released by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, UK consumers each lose an average sum of £4,950 during their lifetime as a result of faulty goods that they have not returned.

According to Scottish Widows, young adults have been affected by the economic downturn – so much so that they have become more reliant upon the support of their parents than ever before.

Since the introduction of contactless payment technology in 2007, all Barclaycard VISA debit cards are now reportedly issued or re-issued with this technology incorporated as standard.

As many householders gear up for their annual spring clean, moneysupermarket.com is reminding people to ‘tidy up their finances as well as their homes’.

According to new research from Sainsbury’s Finance, 56 percent of vets have revealed that they have had to put down cats and / or dogs in the past five years because their owners could not afford the required treatment.

According to moneysupermarket.com, 10 percent of British adults are ‘permanently in their overdraft’ whilst 12 percent go into their overdraft a minimum of five times per year.

A survey conducted by R3 has revealed that 66 percent of the insolvency trade body’s members have dealt with cases where people have taken on a store card ‘without understanding what they had let themselves in for’.

According to Moneynet.co.uk, the average authorised overdraft interest rate has risen from 13.85 percent in February 2008 to 15.32 percent in February of this year.

According to LV=, the results of their seventh annual survey have shown that the cost of raising a child to the age of 21 is likely to cost parents in excess of £201,000 – equivalent to £26 per day.

Moneysupermarket.com is advising travellers to ensure that they have a competitive deal on foreign currency.

Moneysupermarket.com is advising British holidaymakers to ensure that they have adequate travel insurance in place – particularly when planning to spend time on the slopes.

According to Sheilas’ Wheels, two thirds of women have lost jewellery and one fifth have fallen victim to jewellery theft.

According to moneysupermarket.com, following the coldest winter for 30 years, the average household’s standard tariff winter energy bill has risen by 20 percent in the past 12 months.

According to Unbiased.co.uk, in January of last year 51 percent of people were of the opinion that property prices wouldn’t recover until the latter part of 2010 onwards.

As a result of many households recently experiencing power cuts amid the cold snap, uSwitch.com is urging householders to keep a ‘handy guide' to staying safe and warm during a winter power cut.

According to moneysupermarket.com, the recent cold snap will cause winter energy bills to significantly rise – particularly as Brits typically utilise approximately 40 percent of their annual energy consumption throughout the winter period.

According to Nationwide, there was a dip in personal savings during the lead up to Christmas.

According to Sainsbury’s Car Insurance, 23 percent of male motorists would set off on a journey amid severe weather conditions despite advice not to.

According to Scottish Widows, 21 percent of parents and grandparents do not feel that they are prioritising their children or grandchildren enough.

Confused.com is advising people to keep warm during the cold winter months.

According to Andrew Hagger of Moneynet.co.uk, consumers who slip into an unauthorised overdraft could find that their New Year might not start well.

According to research conducted by Gocompare.com, 41 percent of consumers have not switched financial services or utility providers during the past year.

As 2010 gets underway, Friends Provident is suggesting that the New Year is used as an opportunity to commence planning for that ideal retirement.

According to moneysupermarket.com, a New Year’s resolution to switch to more competitive deals could save people in excess of £4,000 during the next 12 months.

With Christmas just around the corner, many Brits will be shopping in preparation.

According to new research by The Co-operative Bank Credit Cards, it is likely that the British population will spend their money on practical things, such as food and train tickets to visit family, during the countdown to Christmas.

As Christmas approaches, some people will be heading over to the continent to get into the festive spirit.  Therefore, Caxton FX has advised this group to make the most of their travel money and to make currency plans in advance.

Christmas is coming, and whilst the geese are getting fat, are you getting ready??

Recent news from Moneysupermarket.com has revealed that over 750,000 households will don extra clothes rather than put the heating on this winter. This is in an attempt to lower the cost of bills as the winter sets in.

According to Confused.com, the Vauxhall Corsa is the most popular choice amongst new drivers when it comes to purchasing their first car.

New research by HSBC and NUS has revealed that students’ finances are becoming progressively tighter when it comes to their final year at university.

Well, you’ve done it. You’ve got your first place and it’s all yours. Now it’s time to put your own stamp on it and turn it into a home.

If you’re in the market to buy a property, there are essentially two avenues open to you: searching the private listings or engaging the services of an estate agent.

Confused.com recently offered some words of financial advice for those students who are leaving home.

Why is it that when we start to pick out areas of our home that could do with a bit of a facelift, the list just seems to keep on growing?

So, during those cold winter months you’ve been putting off a few of those odd jobs and now they’ve caught up with you. It’s understandable, you get home from work and it’s pretty dark already, it’s too cold, it’s too wet… it can wait.

According to new research by Halifax, UK homeowners with a mortgage experienced a rise in spending power during the course of last year.

According to moneysupermarket.com, 54 percent of Brits have non-mortgage debt to the average value of £6,956.

Home is a shared space. The ongoing power struggle may ebb and flow but, at the end of the day, the whole family is in it together. So, lets make it better.

So you’ve got your new house or apartment. Congratulations! The next few weeks or months will need planning, a good eye for design and a smart use of budget to furnish the place.

Direct Line Home Insurance has recently revealed that 800,000 households have been victims of burglary whilst away on holiday.

Sainsbury’s Finance recently reported that approximately 6,900 personal loans have been taken out to wholly or partially pay for dental surgery since the start of 2007.

Tescocompare have recently encouraged house holders to better understand which gadgets cost the most to keep going.

According to new research by Abbey Credit Cards, British holidaymakers spend a staggering £1 billion purchasing goods that they have left at home.

At a time when the economy is proving particularly challenging, first direct has offered some advice to assist people in successfully finding their way through the recession.

With the traditional home-buying season just around the corner, Tescocompare.com has offered some advice to assist people in avoiding expensive, lengthy and stressful ordeals:

According to Halifax Home Insurance, 78 percent of homeowners would prefer to keep their collectables rather than selling them at a profit.

According to Tesco Travel Money, the challenging economic conditions have failed to alter the fact that holidays are regarded more highly than other luxuries.

Recent research by Post Office Insurance has revealed that 4.8 million of drivers in the UK would consider swapping 4 wheels for 2 until Britain reaches the end of the recession.

We all get 1440 free minutes every day. What do you spend your free minutes on? Most of us work for one-third of that time; we spend another couple of hours thinking about work, money and how to snag that promotion. The rest of the time we spend dreaming about how to make more money.

Soon it is summer time. British summer time. And soon the question on everyone’s lips will be where to spend their time, what to do with it…. and their money.

As the Government announces its intention to fit ‘smart meters’ in all UK homes by 2020, Confused.com are encouraging UK consumers to take control of their energy consumption by reading their own meters in the interim.

With a hot summer predicted, MORE TH>N has offered householders some advice for protecting their outdoor belongings from opportunistic thieves.

The October mid-term break is fast approaching and a holiday can seem like a tall order for the family on a budget. However, by staying in the UK, it needn’t be.

The half term holidays are upon us. Soon families will be wondering what activities they can enjoy that will not cost too much. But it’s even better if the activities are free. We always feel that we should always have lots of money to spend on going out. With this guide you won’t need it. Not when we have the outdoors, friends, and our imagination.

The short answer is yes and no, depending on what you do. Taste is subjective.

In one of our previous posts we asked whether home improvements could add value. The answer was a mix of yes and no. Homeowners should make improvements that future home buyers would appreciate. Homeowners should not make any drastic alterations to their properties which only have a market appeal of one (you).

Everyone tells us to aspire towards the big, the bold and the beautiful. The bigger car, the bigger house, the better holidays, the better job…the list goes on.

Your family has expanded but your property (unfortunately!) has not. Or perhaps you just feel that having larger home will benefit you in other ways. This may be the addition of a garden, off street parking or simply an extra bedroom for the many guests you have to stay.

According to a survey conducted by M&S Money, the average garden shed contains a huge £888 worth of goods.

Long weekends are often a calendar highlight. The attraction of a ‘4 day week’ or ‘free holiday time’ is a big attraction for most of us.

According to new research by Fairinvestment.co.uk, Brits are being penny-wise amid the currently challenging economic conditions.

Spring has sprung and as many of us prepare to spring-clean our finances, esure has offered tips on how to go about reducing the cost of car insurance premiums.

As British summertime commences, many households will be eager to retrieve their patio furniture from sheds and garages in preparation for enjoying the weather to come.

Credit cards are an undeniable part of most people's lives. Used correctly, they can be extremely useful whether it be to guarantee purchases to or to indulge in something special on rare occasions.

As car dealers reduce prices in a bid to entice custom, it would appear that this could be a good time to buy a new or second-hand vehicle.

With the cost of a mortgage, their limited availability, significant arrangement fees and the deposits needed, not to mention the cost of decorating, furnishing and maintaining a home, it seems common practice for individuals to invest with a partner.

Recent news from Confused.com has suggested that extreme weather conditions require extra precautions in order to protect homes against the risk of flooding.

With the current economy crisis, everyone is scrambling around looking for ways to save or make extra money. But the quickest and easiest ways to make a little extra cash is staring you right in the face - the internet. The internet is useful in many ways, with making money online becoming the latest craze. Here are some great ideas on how you can cash in on the online money making phenomenon:

According to cahoot, the recession may be bad news in the majority of respects but it is turning out to be good news for the environment.

Supposedly, many first time buyers have been frozen out of the property market. You, however, might want to buy property and may be in a position to do so. You may have either saved up a decent sized deposit or someone (most likely a family member) may be helping you.

According to car insurer LV=, 19 percent of drivers have downsized or sold one of their cars as a result of the credit crunch.

It’s 2009 and you are through with struggling. You deserve better than worrying about your bills and how you’re going to get through the month.

Nowadays, buying a house is, in theory, your safest bet for a financially successful future. But with the prices of houses these days, this ideal seems more like an unachievable dream to those not already on the property ladder, than a realistic venture.

According to AA Insurance, the company has seen a 450 percent increase in home floods this winter as a result of frozen pipes.  Consequently, they are advising people to take preventative measures.

As the credit crunch bites even harder, Cheshire Building Society is urging couples to avoid letting financial pressures adversely affect their relationships by talking freely about their finances this Valentine’s Day.

Managing money is not as simple as working out your budget and sticking to that budget for the rest of the month. It requires intense planning, not to mention the actual execution.

This is one topic that might resurface within the next few months and is worth considering.  Do you need a car, or is it a luxury, especially with the current state of the economy and volatile petrol prices?

According to Moneyextra.com, homeowners could save in excess of £330 million a month by downsizing their home.

These tips aren’t easy to adhere to and they require willpower. Many people want a quick-fix to their financial problems. There is no such thing. Spend less than what you earn - it’s the only way you’ll ever become debt-free.

Millions of UK households have had to increase their energy consumption as a result of the recent cold spell.

As temperatures plummet across the UK, Lloyds TSB Insurance has issued a warning to unprepared homeowners.

It’s the beginning of a fresh year, and many people will be setting themselves resolutions for the coming twelve months – perhaps getting fit or embarking upon a new hobby.

Latest news from Halifax has revealed 2009’s must have New Year’s resolutions.

According to research conducted by MoneyExpert.com, 30 percent of British adults are anxious about their ability to manage their personal debt.

With all the financial help and advice available online, it could seem a bit overwhelming. Here are some simple, quick and easy tips you can implement into your lifestyle to save money and be financially secure.

From the day you find out you’re pregnant, to the day your child leaves home or gets married, there is no doubt that having a child will cost you money.

Finances and Banking

Pay your credit card on time and if you can, in full. Take your credit card out of your wallet and leave it home. This will remove the temptation to make any frivolous purchases. Consider a balance transfer, and be careful not to spend on the new card. Website such as MoneySavingExpert offer excellent advice on the best credit cards and balance transfers.

There are always ways to save money that can also save you time, are easy to do and only need a small amount of planning or research. Anyone can do it and here is our super quick guide to the best 4 tried and tested ways which could save yourself some money in less time than your lunch break.

A new study on holiday spending by CreditExpert.co.uk, the online credit monitoring service from Experian, has revealed that 12 million Brits fall into debt paying for holidays.

Savvy homeowners who are opting to stay in their properties as opposed to battling the soaring house prices are considering developing their current property to increase the value of their home according to moneysupermarket.com.

As warm summer weather is just around the corner thirsty trees are sucking water out of the soil, which in turn is destabilising the foundations on which properties lie.

New research conducted by GE Money Home Lending has shown the differing opinions between homeowners and estate agents when it comes to profitable home improvements.

During the last year, according to new research from Halifax Unsecured Personal Loans, the UK paid out £36.4 billion on purchasing new and used cars.

The latest comment from IFA Promotion on students starting university this year suggests that finance will be the last thing on their minds.

Those looking for a good credit card rate  will be relieved with HSBC’s announcement that its new credit card will offer 0% APR.

Poor consumer knowledge is putting over two million UK households at risk in the event of an economic downturn, the Financial Services Authority (FSA) has claimed.

Consumers wishing to take out a personal secured loan are being advised to shop around for the best deal this Easter.

Taking the time to look for a low APR personal loan instead of agreeing to dealer finance on a large purchase could save you a substantial sum, according to a new report.

The average cost of running a modern day home has overtaken the £10,000 mark, according to recent research.

A detailed personal budget could help many people plan their way out of debt, according to a national charity.

A new pre-paid cash card is expected to be popular with gap-year students and business travellers, according to the Times.