AA Motorcycle Insurance Review

Insurers quicker to hike premium after offences

Insurance companies are becoming quicker at raising the price of motor premiums when the driver has committed an offence such as speeding or using a mobile phone, according to the AA. Insurers often used to ignore a first SP30 speeding offence, but it is now likely to result in the driver’s car insurance premiums increasing [...]

People waiting until 30 to buy first home

The average age of a first time buyer in the UK has increased to 30 according to research by Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks. In the face of large mortgage deposits, a shortage of affordable housing and pressure on personal incomes, many potential house buyers have to wait longer before they can afford to take their [...]

Barclays Pingit extended to all banks

Barclays’ recently-launched Pingit app can now be used by customers of all UK banks and building societies. The app, which allows users to send and receive up to £300 between bank accounts, simply by entering the recipent’s phone number, has been available since February, but only to Barclays account holders. It reduces the need for [...]

NBNK submits new offer for Lloyds branches

NBNK Investments Plc, which was formed in 2010 to create a new British bank, has submitted a new offer to buy 632 Lloyds TSB branches from the Lloyds Banking Group. Lloyds is required to sell the branches under European Commission competition regulations. In December it named the Co-op Bank as preferred bidder for the so-called [...]

Firms mislead consumers with pension projections

The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is calling for pension and insurance providers to reduce the estimates of returns used when marketing their products. The regulator warns that firms are using over-generous forecasts which could be misleading for consumers. It wants them to reduce the estimates of returns on investment products by at least 0.5 percent, [...]

Mortgage fees and energy costs soar

Mortgage fees have increased by 27 per cent in just three years, according to new data from independent comparison site Moneyfacts. The average mortgage arrangement fee is now £1.502, which is £321 more expensive than it was in 2009. While residential mortgage rates have fallen over the same period, helped by a record low Bank [...]

Energy firms to reveal their best deals

The UK’s six largest energy companies will be required to write to their customers each year telling them if their current tariff is the cheapest one which meets their needs. Vulnerable customers, including pensioners and those eligible for assistance from the warm home discount scheme, will be contacted twice a year. The news, announced by [...]

UK on verge of economic recovery

The UK and German economies may have reached a positive turning point, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation, which just a couple of weeks ago said that the UK was in recession. The OECD’s latest forecast is based on its composite leading indicators (CLIs), which are trusted to reliably predict the economic outlook for [...]

Government may tax state pension at source

As part of its plans to simplify the tax system the Government may start taxing State Pensions before they are paid out. Pensioners whose taxable income, including their State Pension, exceeds their tax-free personal allowance, still have to pay income tax, although it is estimated that only 40 per cent of pensioners realise that their [...]

Black box technology improves young driver safety

The use of telematics technology to monitor the driving habits of young drivers has led to a 20 per cent fall in accidents, according to Co-operative Insurance. This could lead to a reduction in the cost of motor insurance for young drivers, which will be welcome news for many young people who are currently unable [...]