Price comparison sites helping cash-strapped consumers

ABI calls for action on flood insurance

The Association of British Insurers has warned that time is running out to ensure that UK home owners in areas at risk of flooding can afford to insure their properties in the future. A voluntary flood agreement between the government and the insurance industry expires in June 2013. Under the current agreement, which started in [...]

Personal debt falls by £377 million

Economic uncertainty and the threat of another recession is causing consumers to take charge of their finances and cut back on debt according to the latest figures from the Bank of England. Personal debt, excluding mortgages, fell by £377 million in December, the biggest fall since records began. Howard Archer an economist at Global Insight [...]

Downing Street won’t micro-manage bonuses

Speaking to the BBC after the Royal Bank of Scotland’s chief executive announced his decision to forgo his bonus this year, the government has said that it will not block bonuses to the bank’s other executives. RBS chief executive Stephen Hester was awarded £963,000 in shares but following pressure from public opinion and MPs he [...]

House prices fell 1.3% last year

The latest figures from the Land Registry show that house prices fell by 1.3 per cent in England and Wales in 2011, with the average property costing £160,384 in December. Prices remained stable at the end of the year, with no change between November and December 2011. The only place in England and Wales where [...]

Lloyds withdraws charity credit cards

Lloyds Banking Group has decided to withdraw Halifax and Bank of Scotland charity credit cards at the end of February because it doesn’t consider them a cost-effective way of donating to charity. The bank has been issuing charity credit cards for over 23 years and they have raised millions of pounds for charities such as [...]

Payday lenders face tighter regulations

The government’s Financial Services Bill, which was presented to Parliament today, could see Payday loan companies facing much tighter regulation. Payday loans are designed to provide emergency funds for a short period of time. Amounts of between £50 and £1,000 are offered on weekly or monthly terms for a charge of around £30 for every [...]

House move costs soar by 69%

The cost of moving house is 69 per cent higher than it was in 2001, according to Lloyds TSB, with estate agency fees, mortgage fees and stamp duty responsible for most of the increase. A typical house move cost nearly £9,000 in 2011, £3,632 more than it did a decade ago. Some regions have experienced [...]

Price comparison sites helping cash-strapped consumers

With household incomes under increasing pressure from inflation and unemployment more consumers are turning to price comparison services to help them reduce their outgoings and the New Year has seen the launch of several new sites. Insurance specialist comparethemarket.com has launched a new service which allows consumers to find which credit cards and loans will [...]

N&P launches 3.99pc fixed-rate mortgage

Norwich & Peterborough Building Society (N&P) has launched a low rate, low fee mortgage to attract buyers who plan to stay in their property for a longer period of time. The ten-year fixed rate mortgage offers an interest rate of just 3.99 per cent APR, making it one of the cheapest deals on the market. [...]

Record amount of PPI compensation paid in November

Compensation paid to consumers who were mis-sold Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) reached a record £379m in November, compared with £268m in October. PPI was routinely sold alongside loans to protect re-payments if the customer fell ill or became unemployed, but many people were sold policies that were invalid because they did not meet the qualifying [...]