Shelter Cymru has won a £250,000 lottery grant to fund a three-year project to offer debt advice to people in Wales. The Wrexham-based service is expected to help around 200 households a year, in an area where there are high levels of personal debt. The project is expected to open in autumn, providing a range [...]
The Government’s massive spending cuts, which were introduced to trim the spiralling budget deficit, is to lead to a cut in funding for debt advisers. The news comes as debt advice charities are at their busiest as households are squeezed by unemployment, tax hikes and rising inflation. As a result, many debt advisers believe that [...]
Using a credit card to pay household bills is “financial suicide”, an insolvency expert has claimed. Richard Sorsky, of the UK Insolvency Helpline Debt Advice Service, warned consumers against using their credit card to pay their mortgage, tax, and other financial commitments. Credit cards should be reserved for emergency use only, he said. “Consumers are [...]
Record numbers of consumers are turning to the Citizens Advice Bureaux for help with financial problems. The charity said that since the start of the recession it has helped over 3.25 million people with 11 million money problems, including problems with debt, benefits, employment, and housing. New figures released by the CAB in England and [...]
Debt advice charities are struggling to cope with high levels of consumer inquiries about debt management, according to a new report from the National Audit Office. At least two debt agencies are refusing to take on any new clients, the National Audit Office found, while others have waiting lists of up to six weeks for [...]
Unscrupulous financial advisers are charging people in debt for advice they could get hold of for free, an industry insider has claimed. Jessica Brown, of talkaboutdebt.co.uk, said research by the website found nearly 48% of people in debt have paid for debt advice. “People in serious debt are a vulnerable group and it is vital [...]
Three in ten people who seek debt advice are so far in the red that they will never find a way out of debt unless they earn more money, the Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS) said this week. Frances Walker, CCCS spokesperson, said that although it’s “good news” many people are starting to pay off [...]
Brits approaching retirement should do their utmost to pay off debts before they leave employment, a consumer advice charity warned this week. Anyone aged over-50 should strive to pay off debts as soon as possible to ensure they have a comfortable retirement, the Money Advice Trust (MAT) said. The MAT made the remarks following reports [...]
Consumers are increasingly struggling to pay off debts, according to figures released this week by the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB). Debt enquiries to the Bureau increased 11% on year between April 2008 and March 2009, with the CAB advising 1.93 million people struggling to pay back debts. Redundancy enquiries during the same period soared by [...]
The Government is introducing a £10 million package of measures to support homeowners who may be experiencing difficulties with their mortgage repayments. Debt advice services provided by organisations such as the Citizens Advice Bureau will receive £9 million in extra funding and the money will also be used to expanded access to free legal representation [...]
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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