The standard variable rate (SVR) on your mortgage is the lender’s default rate that borrowers end up on when they come to the end of a mortgage deal (e.g. a fixed rate mortgage). The SVR tends to be several points above the Bank of England’s Base Rate, and will mean you are paying much more […]
Tag: Featured
Money Saving March: Paying Too Much Tax?
According to Independent Financial Advice Promotion (IFAP), there are 4 main ways in which people are missing out on tax breaks, and end up paying too much tax: Failing to claim tax credits they are entitled to. Forgetting to make simple IHT planning steps, such as writing life insurance into trust. Non-taxpayers failing to claim […]
Money Saving March
Purely because the month starts with an ‘M’, I’m starting a series of posts titled “Money Saving March“. I’ll attempt to post a money saving tip each day for the whole month, and as I’ve already managed to miss the first day of the month (my excuse: I’ve been suffering from a cold over the […]
Guide To ISAs: Where Can I Buy An Equity ISA?
Equity ISAs can be bought from many different sources, through several different channels. Which is best?
Intelligent Finance Life-of-Balance Credit Card
IF recently unveiled their new credit card – the Life-of-Balance Credit Card, which promises the following features: 0% on purchases for 8 months. 4.95% p.a. for life on balances transferred within the first six months of opening the account 16.9% APR (variable) for balance transfers and purchases after introductory period It’s worth noting also that […]
Save Money On Calls To Companies
Many companies now use 0870 and 0845 telephone numbers which you get charged for when phoning them – in some cases, the companies themselves will take a cut of the charges. SayNoTo0870.com is a website that gives you alternatives to these numbers for many companies. Just search for the company you’re calling, and hopefully someone […]
Guide To ISAs: Where Can I Buy A Cash ISA?
Cash ISAs are generally available from banks & building societies. If you’re looking to find out the best current rates on cash ISAs, you can compare them at MoneySupermarket. Some fund managers also offer cash-based funds which will give you some of the security of a normal cash ISA, but with the possibility to invest […]
Cost of Smoking
The big story of the day is government’s vote to ban smoking in all confined public places, such as pubs and restaurants. The government predicts that 600,000 people will quit smoking as a result of the ban, but apart from the obvious health risks, smoking can put a serious dent in your finances. I was […]
Costly Financial Mistakes
The Scotsman has ten common financial mistakes that people make. Of the ten, my ‘favourites’ are: Failing to understand credit card interest rates – 80% of cardholders do not know what rate they are paying or think they are paying a lower rate than they really are. But let’s face it, with about 14 different […]
Remortgaging Tips
Get yourself a lower rate, then overpay your mortgage to reduce the term and overall outlay.