My colleague Maynard Paton and I had a fallout over the collapse of the online poker sector this week. I said that risky Internet poker companies should never have been allowed to float on the London market. I also believed that bankers who brought companies such as PartyGaming (LSE: PRTY) and 888 Holdings (LSE: 888) to market should have done more to protect unsuspecting private investors. But Maynard reckons that stock market investors should always be allowed to make their own choices.
Motley Fool: How Much Are Insurers Ripping Us Off?
In Fine Times Are Here To Stay, I wrote about financial watchdog the Financial Services Authority (FSA) fining a number of firms for mis-selling products and treating their customers unfairly.
Motley Fool: Two High Interest Alternatives
Despite the recent rise in interest rates, the table-topping savings accounts haven’t been jumbled around much. This isn’t good as lack of competition means no pressure for banks to provide a better service. So, if you’re looking for alternatives to top savings accounts such as those from Birmingham Midshires, ICICI Bank or Alliance & Leicester, here are some ideas.
Motley Fool: Current Accounts Which Beat Savings Accounts
A saver’s Golden Goal is simple: to maximise the interest earned on any money sitting safely on deposit in a bank or building society. However, this is a far from easy task, thanks to the wide variety of different accounts on offer. Who wouldn’t be confused when faced with choosing between over four thousand different savings accounts?
Motley Fool: It Had To Be…
Lloyds TSB (LSE: LLOY). The bank share that you couldn’t exclude from any HYP (High Yield Portfolio) constructed for quite some years now. An HYP without Lloyds would be like Hamlet without Yorrick. At least until another bank becomes a higher yielder. Which will happen for certain sooner or later.
This Is Money: Fujitsu Recall 287,000 Sony Batteries
Electronical manufacturer Fujitsu has said it will recall 287,000 Sony laptop batteries because of risks they could catch fire
This Is Money: Government Profited From Benefit Hotline
The Government’s biggest department was attacked today after the ‘startling admission’ that it received £268,000 through the use of telephone hotlines for benefit claimants
MoneyExpert: ‘Most’ Young People Fear A Debt-ridden Future
While most of those over the age of 55 feel relatively financially secure, many of their younger counterparts fear for their financial future, according to a recent survey by Scottish Widows.
MoneyExpert: Mortgage Lenders Gauge ‘ability To Pay’
When considering how much to lend, many mortgage companies consider a consumer’s ability to repay, rather than income multiples, according to analysts from moneyfacts.co.uk.
This Is Money: Mortgage Equity Withdrawal
The Daily Mail City team explain the background to the fall in the amount of cash being borrowed against rising property values