- 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. - AA Legal Services introduced to market
The UK’s first major non-legal brand to enter the market has emerged as AA Legal Services was launched. - HSBC mobile phone banking launched
In a joint venture with MoniLink, HSBC and first direct are the first banks to introduce next generation mobile phone banking to customers, encouraging banking on the move. - New Nationwide HomeBuy mortgage introduced
The Nationwide building society has launched its open market HomeBuy mortgage, underlining its support for the government scheme. - Direct Line Home Insurance – Pester power costs parents billions
20 billion. - MasterCard SmartData OnLine milestone reached
One million transactions are now taking place per month by European companies using MasterCard SmartData OnLine. - American Express Platinum credit card is a market leader
The cashback rate on the American Express Platinum credit card makes it a market leader, the bank has declared. - CIS Funeral Plan to reduce stigma of death
In order to give customers peace of mind in terms of funeral arrangements, the CIS Funeral Plan has been introduced. - "
The Post Office Fiveyear Saver has been launched, offering customers a guaranteed return on their investment and further opportunities for profit linked to the FTSE 100 Index. - Tesco involved in card fraud row
Self service tills at Tesco supermarkets could be leaving customers out of pocket, according to Which?, the independent consumer charity watchdog. - Travellers in the wars abroad, reports American Express
Research undertaken by American Express reveals that medical claims from European holiday makers account for a total of nearly a third of all holiday insurance claims. - Open Market HomeBuy may not be best option
A government institutive aimed at giving first-time buyers a helping hand on the property ladder might not be offering customers better value for money than a traditional mortgage. - Churchill Car Insurance: Brits shop uninsured drivers
Members of the public are more likely to report uninsured drivers than other types of offences, suggests Churchill Car Insurance. - Scottish Widows: Graduates priced out of house market
Over half of graduates are unable to purchase their first home due to financial constraints claims the Scottish Widows Bank Graduate First-Time Buyer report. - G Reserve Account set for launch
G) Reserve Account is set to be launched on October 9th 2006, boasting a high interest rate. - Lloyds TSB Insurance warns of flood of insurance claims
The rising level of spring tides this October is threatening to create a raft of insurance claims says Lloyds TSB Insurance. - Sterling Discretionary Discounted Gift Trust introduced
A trust aimed at intermediaries and their customers relating to inheritance tax has been launched by Zurich’s investment brand, Sterling. - Moneyfacts: ‘Better deals than cashback’ to be found
Following the recent Nationwide LoanCare offer launch, Moneyfacts, an independent provider of personal financial information, has declared that there are better loan deals available than cashback offers. - 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? - Brokers punt on growth of demand for spread betting
Stockbrokers are muscling in on the financial spread betting market, in a move that could entice mainstream investors into this risky arena. - Welcome protection from exchange-listed funds
Recent stock market volatility has boosted demand for structured products, securities that provide a combination of upside potential with some protection should markets fall. - Claimants pin hope on ombudsman
Tens of thousands of Equitable Life policyholders have left the life assurer following the compromise settlement agreed in 2002. But there are still around 50,000 Equitable policyholders who have no option but to remain with Equitable. - Wealthy investors urged to consider affordable flats
Disused banks and flats above shops might not be as glamourous an investment prospect as a villa on the Cote-d’Azure but buying into the development of these types of buildings has attractive tax perks for wealthy investors. - Load ’em up and take hold of the readies
If you make a claim on your home insurance policy or step off a flight to find your luggage has not arrived with you, you may now find that you are reimbursed with a pre-paid card rather than cash or a cheque. - Borrowers set up home in never-never land
First-time buyers and cash-strapped home owners are scrambling to take out interest-only mortgages that could leave them facing financial ruin or forced to trade down the property ladder to pay off their mortgage. - Ombudsman gets tough on banks over unfair charges
Bank customers who complain about unfair charges are getting record levels of compensation, in a growing sign of banks’ willingness to settle claims.