CPP Group Plc, which provides credit card and identity protection, claims that a mis-selling investigation by the Financial Services of Authority (FSA) could put it out of business. The FSA has been reviewing the firm for a year following complaints over the way it sold card protection and identity protection products. The regulator has now [...]
The government expects to either achieve or exceed its target of borrowing no more than £127bn this year, after recording its biggest surplus for four years in January. In the tax year to date the government has borrowed £93.5bn and in January it made a net repayment of £7.75bn, excluding financial interventions. Although a surplus [...]
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has fined Santander £1.5m for failing to explain to customers that some of its investment products were not covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). The FSCS is a financial safety net which pays compensation to customers of financial services firms authorised by the FSA, if the firm itself [...]
Gross mortgage lending fell to £10.5bn in January, 12 per cent lower than the total for December. However the figures represent a year-on-year increase of 10 per cent, the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) said. January was the sixth consecutive month of higher lending compared with the previous year. Home loan approvals also increased in [...]
The average rent increased by 0.1% from December to January, a traditionally quiet period for the rental market. It was the first January increase in rents ever recorded by LSL Property Services, which said that tenants were trying to take advantage of the quiet period. With many potential first-time buyers unable to afford to buy [...]
The economic downturn, the rising cost of living and the government’s austerity programme have pushed over 70 per cent of UK families to the brink of poverty, according to online parenting organisation Netmums. The organisation surveyed over 2,000 of its members this month to find out how they are coping in the economic downturn and [...]
The number of properties bought with buy-to-let mortgages increased by 84,000 in 2011 according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ latest figures. In the final quarter, 34,800 buy-to-let mortgages totalling £4 billion were approved, compared with 26,300 worth a total of £2.9 billion, in the 2010 final quarter. Demand for rented accommodation has increased significantly [...]
Barclays’ free ‘Pingit’ app allows the bank’s UK current account holders to send money from their phone by simply entering the recipient’s mobile phone number. Up to £300 can be sent via the app and funds are sent using ‘Faster Payments’, which means the payment could be credited to the recipient’s account within a few [...]
In a speech to bankers, the head of the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) said that banks must improve their services or face being broken-up. The OFT’s chief executive, John Fingleton, said that despite investigations into the UK’s banking system by competition authorities, consumer bodies and the government, there is still too little competition. He [...]
Parenting expert and author Andrew Watson has added his voice to those calling for young people to learn money management at an early age. Mr Watson, who wrote a book for dads-to-be when his wife was expecting their first baby, suggests that allowing young people to make financial mistakes will help prevent them making more [...]
Danny Alexander, chief secretary to the Treasury, has told The Telegraph that he wants to cut tax relief on pensions to 20 per cent across the board, eliminating the higher rate of tax relief currently enjoyed by high earners. The reform would help to pay for an increase in the tax allowance to £10,000. Under [...]
Inflation fell sharply in January to 3.6 per cent on the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), from 4.2 per cent in December, according to the latest official figures. Retail Prices Index (RPI) inflation, which includes housing costs such as mortgage interest and council tax, fell to 3.9 per cent from 4.8 per cent. Although CPI inflation [...]
David Cameron is attending an insurance summit at Downing Street today in an effort to tackle Britain’s reputation as “the whiplash capital of Europe”. It is estimated that claims for whiplash injury following accidents are adding £90 a year on average, to car insurance premiums, which have risen by an average of 17% over the [...]
Paula John, the editor-in-chief of Your Mortgage magazine, has advised first-time-buyers to consider paying for their home through an offset mortgage. Offset mortgages are “the way forward” she said, suggesting they are “the most tax-efficient way of using any excess income”. However offset mortgages are only suitable for potential house buyers who have a significant [...]
New bank NBNK is believed to be considering a bid for Clydesdale and Yorkshire banks after it was announced that the two banks will undergo a strategic review. The review, by parent company National Australia Bank, could lead to Clydesdale and Yorkshire banks being sold or floated on the stock market. NBNK has not confirmed [...]
M&S Money has launched an Advantage Cash ISA paying 3 per cent, and which allows transfers in from other ISAs. It can be opened with a minimum deposit of £100 lump sum followed by minimum monthly deposits of £25. The 3% rate is variable, but there is no short-term bonus so the return won’t plummet [...]
Google has closed its UK mortgage comparison site which it launched in July last year, after it proved to be less popular than expected. Mortgage comparison sites are designed to allow visitors to compare mortgages quickly and easily without having to visit each lender’s individual site. Google was competing with several well-established comparison sites, including [...]
The AA is launching an innovative car insurance policy called Drivesafe which could help younger drivers save up to £850 a year. Younger drivers already pay substantially higher premiums than other motorists and these costs are increasing. A new study by Confused.com suggests insurance costs for younger driver have gone up by 5.7 per cent [...]
ATOL, a financial protection scheme managed by the Civil Aviation Authority, is being extended to protect up to six million more holidays a year. The scheme ensures that holiday makers do not lose out financially if a travel company collapses, and that they are not stranded abroad. An increase in the number of holidays booked [...]
The number of UK homes repossessed fell to 36,200 in 2011, significantly below the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ forecast of 40,000, and lower than 2010 when 37,100 homes were repossessed. With interest rates remaining low and lenders adopting a sympathetic attitude to customers in financial difficulty, repossessions fell to their lowest level since 2007. However, [...]
CPP Group Plc, which provides credit card and identity protection, claims that a mis-selling investigation by the Financial Services of Authority (FSA) could put it out of business. The FSA has been reviewing the firm for a year following complaints over the way it sold card protection and identity protection products. The regulator has now [...]
Government on track to beat borrowing target
The government expects to either achieve or exceed its target of borrowing no more than £127bn this year, after recording its biggest surplus for four years in January. In the tax year to date the government has borrowed £93.5bn and in January it made a net repayment of £7.75bn, excluding financial interventions. Although a surplus [...]
FSA fines Santander £1.5m over compensation scheme
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has fined Santander £1.5m for failing to explain to customers that some of its investment products were not covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). The FSCS is a financial safety net which pays compensation to customers of financial services firms authorised by the FSA, if the firm itself [...]
Mortgage lending 12% lower in January
Gross mortgage lending fell to £10.5bn in January, 12 per cent lower than the total for December. However the figures represent a year-on-year increase of 10 per cent, the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) said. January was the sixth consecutive month of higher lending compared with the previous year. Home loan approvals also increased in [...]
Rents continued to rise in January
The average rent increased by 0.1% from December to January, a traditionally quiet period for the rental market. It was the first January increase in rents ever recorded by LSL Property Services, which said that tenants were trying to take advantage of the quiet period. With many potential first-time buyers unable to afford to buy [...]
Netmums says families in financial crisis
The economic downturn, the rising cost of living and the government’s austerity programme have pushed over 70 per cent of UK families to the brink of poverty, according to online parenting organisation Netmums. The organisation surveyed over 2,000 of its members this month to find out how they are coping in the economic downturn and [...]
More buy-to-let mortgages approved
The number of properties bought with buy-to-let mortgages increased by 84,000 in 2011 according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ latest figures. In the final quarter, 34,800 buy-to-let mortgages totalling £4 billion were approved, compared with 26,300 worth a total of £2.9 billion, in the 2010 final quarter. Demand for rented accommodation has increased significantly [...]
Barclays launches mobile banking app
Barclays’ free ‘Pingit’ app allows the bank’s UK current account holders to send money from their phone by simply entering the recipient’s mobile phone number. Up to £300 can be sent via the app and funds are sent using ‘Faster Payments’, which means the payment could be credited to the recipient’s account within a few [...]
OFT calls for step change in banking sector
In a speech to bankers, the head of the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) said that banks must improve their services or face being broken-up. The OFT’s chief executive, John Fingleton, said that despite investigations into the UK’s banking system by competition authorities, consumer bodies and the government, there is still too little competition. He [...]
16-year olds should manage own bank accounts
Parenting expert and author Andrew Watson has added his voice to those calling for young people to learn money management at an early age. Mr Watson, who wrote a book for dads-to-be when his wife was expecting their first baby, suggests that allowing young people to make financial mistakes will help prevent them making more [...]
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