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.
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.
" 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.
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?
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.
New Year, New Finances: Mortgages This first in a series of posts looking at freshening up your finances for the New Year concentrates on mortgages....