Money Links For 23rd Aug 2006
August 24th, 2006 No Comments » | POSTED BY ROB
- CML: Mortgage lending remained strong in July
The CML has announced that mortgage lending remained strong throughout July - Halifax Home Insurance warns Brits to prepare for wild weather
Halifax is urging people to prepare for the wild weather that is in store over the next few days - AA: More savings used to buy cars
More and more people are looking to use savings to buy their next car according to AA Savings, with an increase of a third since the beginning of this year alone. - Sainbury’s: Many last minute holidays not insured
Sainsbury’s Bank is warning Brits to make sure they’re adequately covered for any last minute holiday, which close to a quarter (22 per cent) of us are planning to take. - L increases offshore pension rate
Leicester has announced a 0.25 percentage point rise in the interest paid on its Offshore Pension Reserve Account. - Woolwich lifetime tracker mortage relaunched
Woolwich has decided to relaunch its lifetime tracker mortgage, which is guaranteed to charge interest at only 0.19 per cent above the Bank of England base rate. - NatWest buy-to-let tracker launched
To celebrate a decade providing buy-to-let products for landlords and investors, NatWest has announced a new tracker product. - Half of Brits carry unused credit cards
New research suggests that almost half (45 per cent) of UK adults carry at least one credit card they don’t use, says Morgan Stanley. - Halifax Unsecured Personal Loans reveals ‘true cost’ of cars
36.4 billion on purchasing new and used cars last year, according to new research from Halifax Unsecured Personal Loans. - General’s HealthCare Choices insurance ‘ideal’ for unsure Brits
General’s HealthCare Choices insurance could be ideal for those who want peace of mind over their wellbeing, the insurer claims. - Sainsbury’s Bank home insurance offers 20% off
Sainsbury’s Bank is offering a 20 per cent discount on its combined buildings and contents home insurance cover for customers who apply online before September 12th. - First direct personal loans rewards early birds
With concerns rising about the number of consumers who are failing to pay back what they have borrowed, First Direct is offering financial awards for those who stick to their repayment plan. - Post Office travel insurance advice for multi-trip Brits
British travellers are being advised to take out annual travel insurance policies to make sure they are covered for spontaneous trips abroad. - MasterCard offers payment solutions for SMEs
MasterCard is to provide new payment solutions for SMEs through a Working in Europe package for small business card holders, offering a further range of services and deals. - Assetz: Britons can benefit from overseas buy-to-let
Assetz is encouraging British investors to purchase buy-to-let properties abroad rather than just buying holiday homes. - Banco Halifax Hispania launches ex-pats Xtra account
Banco Halifax Hispania has launched a new account aimed at helping British expatriates in Spain gain access to vital services in the English language. - Lloyds TSB launches Islamic Student Account
Lloyds TSB has launched an account designed specifically for Muslim students. - New Skipton 10-year mortgage unveiled
Skipton Building Society has launched a new 10 Year Fixed Rate Mortgage, expanding on its competitive range of mortgages products. - Friends Provident International reveals new trusts
Friends Provident International has launched two new trusts designed to help non-UK citizens who are living in the UK to mitigate inheritance tax. - Nemo Personal Finance: Bank holiday a good time to improve home
This coming bank holiday weekend is a perfect opportunity for homeowners to improve their properties says Nemo Personal Finance. - Lenders extend interest-free credit periods
It is a rare thing in the current climate for lenders to make their offers more generous. But several banks have recently extended deals on credit card balance transfers. - Ignore the freebies for a good financial education
With the start of the next academic year approaching, many new students will be preparing for life away from home – a life likely to be based on record levels of borrowing. - Borrowers hit after interest base rate rise
The Bank of England brought unwelcome news for borrowers this week as it raised base interest rates for the first time in two years. - Moves to quit final salary schemes
High-profile collapses of final salary pension schemes and reports about rising deficits are prompting thousands of people to transfer out of final salary pensions from former employers to safeguard retirement assets against a possible collapse of the co - Tax threat over lifetime pensions allowance
Pension administrators could start deducting tax directly from people’s retirement funds to pay to HM Revenue & Customs if they are unable to contact investors. - Let your agents do the legwork
When it comes to buying houses it can take weeks of traipsing around dozens of unsuitÂable properties to find the one you like. If you want to stay one step ahead of the game, however, there are people who will do the work for you. - Fixing a fair fee for finance advice
Figuring out whether the fees and commissions your independent financial adviser charges are fair can be difficult. Are the charges you are paying to invest in an annuity or unit trust appropriate? Could you find a more appealing deal? - Standard opens door to more changes
Modifying funds to meet new regulations. - Government threat to restrict the alternatives
The Treasury has thrown the pensions market into confusion by appearing to threaten the future of a valuable tax break for older people introduced in April. - Providers call for better deal on pension transfers
Pension providers are calling for the government to give a better deal to pension fund members who transfer out of final salary schemes when new regulations come into force next year. - Make sure your cover prepares for the worst
The vast majority of the thousands of travellers who were delayed by the security clampdown at UK airports to foil an alleged terrorist plot will not receive a penny in compensation because of terrorist exclusion clauses in their travel policies. - Older borrowers wise up on securing finance
Many of us will have to work extra years, and take our pensions later, to accommodate rising life expectancy. But for those looking to move up the property ladder later in life, most mortgage lenders are failing to keep up. - Hedge funds have not done what it says on the tin
Hedge funds are frequently promoted as offering positive returns regardless of conditions in the markets. But the recent performance of funds of hedge funds, which offer the additional security of investing across a range of underlying funds, has cast dou - Tax inspectors seek power to search and arrest evaders
HM Revenue & Customs is pushing for new powers to make arrests, take fingerprints and execute wider search warrants without the police as part of a government clampdown on tax avoidance. - Sound buildings will survive the rate tremors
Property has been an excellent investment for the past decade but this month’s quarter percentage point rise in the bank base rate is expected to put a brake on the sector’s already slowing momentum.
