The UK car scrappage scheme has been extended for one month – until the end of March. The scheme, dubbed cash for bangers, was due to expire at the end of this month (or until funds ran out). However no extra funds will be provided for the scheme but the Government said the extension would [...]
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that the UK’s trade deficit widened to £7.2 billion in September from a deficit of £6.1 billion the previous month and well above analyst expectations of a £6.1 billion deficit. The rise was attributed to a rise in car imports as the cash for bangers scheme helped foreign [...]
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has today revealed sales of new cars grew by 32% in October compared with the same month in 2008, boosted by the Government’s scrappage scheme. October also represented the fourth consecutive monthly rise. July saw the first monthly rise, prior to that there were 15 successive months [...]
Research from Sainsbury’s Finance has found that since the launch of the Government’s scrappage scheme in May, an estimated £61.2 million of personal loans per month have been taken out to purchase cars, compared with a monthly average of £44.7 million in 2009, prior to the scheme. The scheme, which pays consumers £2,000 to get [...]
According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), UK car production fell 16% in September compared with the same month last year. However, the SMMT said it was the smallest fall for 12 months and was considerably less than the annual rate of fall of 31.5% reported in August. The SMMT attributed the [...]
It has been reported that Business Secretary Lord Peter Mandelson will today announce that the car scrappage scheme, branded ‘Cash for Bangers’ will be extended. The scheme, which was launched on 18 May to boost the ailing car industry, pays consumers £2,000 to get rid of their old cars and replace it with a more [...]
Confused.com has welcomed Alistair Darling’s cash for scrapped cars scheme, announced in this week’s budget. The price comparison site described the initiative – which pays motorists up to £2,000 for handing in their old car to update to a brand new model – as ‘fantastic’. It is hoped that in addition to giving a boost [...]
M&S Money launches 3% cash ISA
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 suspends UK Compare Mortgages site
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 [...]
AA launches ‘black-box’ policy for young drivers
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 scheme updated to protect online bookers
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 [...]
Home repossessions lowest for four years
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, [...]
Monthly pay lasting just 17 days
Workers are running out of money just 17 days after receiving their monthly pay, according to new research by the Halifax bank. This means that the average UK worker spends half the month worrying about money. The study, based on the responses of more than 2,000 adults, found that 10 per cent of workers start [...]
Women disadvantaged by auto-enrolment changes
Government proposals to increase the auto-enrolment threshold to £10,000 could put 1.8 million women at risk of missing out on a pension, the TUC has warned. Under the auto-enrolment scheme, which will be phased in from October, private sector employers will automatically enrol workers between the age of 22 years and the state pension age, [...]
Emergency household repairs company Homeserve is taking longer than expected to get back on track after its operations were suspended last October. The company expected customer numbers to fall by 5% this year but it has increased this estimate to 8% and announced the loss of 200 jobs. It estimates that renewal revenue in 2013 [...]
Sale rumoured for Yorkshire and Clydesdale banks
There is growing speculation that National Australia Bank (NAB) may sell Yorkshire Bank and Clydesdale Bank after the Australian parent company announced a strategic review of the two banks’ operations. The Australian economy is performing well and NAB reported strong profits for the final quarter of 2011 but with the UK economy at a virtual [...]
More women experiencing debt difficulties
Women in Debt, which offers female-focused debt advice, has warned that the number of UK women facing serious debt has grown significantly over recent years. The organisation believes that more women will need advice on solving debt problems in the future because they are building up an unsustainable level of indebtedness. Women in Debt’s director, [...]
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