Leicester urges first-time buyers to clear debts Leicester’s director of mortgages, Stephen Leonard, has advised first-time buyers to clear their outstanding debts before they think about buying a property.
HSBC helps first-time buyers First-time buyers are getting a helping hand from HSBC which has launched an online centre offering advice about the process of buying a home and other related services.
Portman fixed-rate mortgages are reduced Following a review of the Portman fixed-rate mortgages range, the building society has decided to decrease a number of its interest rates and fees.
Post Office credit card free to use abroad The Post Office credit card now offers customers a better deal when using the card abroad due to the removal of commission charges.
Yes Insurance cashback scheme to benefit ‘green’ drivers Online insurance provider Yes Insurance has today embarked upon a cashback scheme that will reward car owners who drive hybrid vehicles when taking out motor insurance with the company.
Leicester Balance Builder account Leicester Balance Builder account, which is aimed at larger charities and the public sector, are to benefit from higher interest rates.
How landlords can avoid that 3am call The marketing blurb for one company’s landlord insurance policy reads: "3am. Who do they call? Don’t let it be you."
Stellar performance that could become dimmer A survey by Hotbed, a private equity investor network, suggests private banks have doubled their suggested allocation to private equity in private client portfolios to 10 per cent over the past three years.
Customers can click on advice beyond compare Comparison websites, internet-based supermarkets that collate and compare the prices of a range of products from mortgages to credit cards, are changing the face of the financial markets.
Sipps to be hit by new way of valuing shareholdings A change in the way pension providers are required to calculate the value of shares in their clients’ portfolios will lead to delays and additional costs for no obvious benefit, according to a leading provider of personal pension schemes.
Pound teeters near the top A large and growing proportion of fund managers reckon the pound is overvalued, according to a widely followed monthly survey by Merrill Lynch.
Stretched customers rack up banks’ income Last month the Office of Fair Trading capped the penalty charge on overdue credit card payments. It is now carrying out a preliminary review of current account charges.
A halfway house offers a place to shelter If your primary concern for your investments is the risk of losing money then it would seem counterintuitive to consider an equity fund. But there is a halfway house and growing numbers of investors are taking it.
More than a leg up for cash-strapped first-timers Buying your first home has long been a rite of passage in the UK. Like graduating from university and getting your first job, it is seen as part of the process of becoming a responsible adult in a culture that attaches great importance to home ownership.
Workers who contract out to enjoy greater flexibility Millions of pension savers who have accumulated funds worth as much as £100bn by opting out of the state second pension are set to enjoy greater freedoms over how they invest this money.
Put your feet up in a place in the sun A flat in the bustling beehive of Benidorm or a quaint white-washed casita on a hill overlooking the Mediterranean in Menorca? On the hunt for more affordable places to retire, Britons have long flocked to sunny Spain to live out their later years.
Lettings market faces a multiple problem Scores of landlords are either selling their large rented properties or paring back the number of tenants who live in them to avoid bearing the brunt of costly new licensing requirements.
Cyberspace, the final frontier for small investors Over the Christmas period last year, when most private investors were busy celebrating and even fund managers were away from their desks, a small group of maverick investors were having discussions that would lead to an attempt to unseat the chairman of a
Green investment is still in its budding stage Does Sir Richard Branson’s announcement that Virgin will invest an estimated $3bn (£1.6bn) in renewable energy over the next decade mean that clean energy production one step closer to becoming the next technological revolution?