With UK households expected to spend around A?8.5 billion on Christmas presents this year, according to a survey by Tesco Bank, insurers are warning consumers to keep their gifts secure. The Association of British Insurers (ABI) says that insurers received A?35m of claims for the 23,000 burglaries which took place in December last year. Shoppers […]
With a severe winter forecast, insurers are urging home owners to carry out checks on their properties. Insurer Paymentshield estimates that only 45 per cent of home owners in Central England plan to check that their homes are ready to face the winter weather, while Northern Ireland homeowners are more prepared, with 75 per cent […]
With flood warnings in place across the whole of England, the Association Of British Insurers (ABI) has warned that 200,000 homes could soon be left without insurance. The ABI claims that it has reached crisis point in its talks with the government over replacing an agreement which ensure that households in area at high-risk of […]
The growing risk of flooding in the UK could lead to an increase in the cost of home insurance for everyone, regardless of where they live. Britain has been awash with rain for the last three months and with many parts of the country suffering from repeated flooding, insurance companies are likely to miss their […]
Floods currently affecting Wales and south east England could be following by a rise in the price of home insurance premiums, according to analysts. The heavy rainfall could cause some insurance companies to miss their profitability targets, and there is more rain on the way according to the Met Office, with flood warnings in place […]
Housing charity Empty Homes has highlighted a clause in many insurance policies which could leave homes uninsured if they are left unoccupied. It is estimated that there are 930,000 empty properties in the UK and while their owners may think they are covered by insurance, this clause could mean that many are actually uninsured The […]
According to two separate reports by consumer champion Which?, insurance customers are facing unnecessary costs. Which? has found that 10 out of the 12 largest water companies are promoting pipe insurance from third parties such as Homeserve. This insurance costs consumers more than A?100m in total and in many cases it is unnecessary Which? claims. […]
The UK has suffered the driest 18 months since records and with the south east and east Anglia already officially in a state of drought the Association of British Insurers (ABI) is warning home owners to be aware of the risk of subsidence. Changing water levels in the ground can cause movement in the foundations […]
The Association of British Insurers (ABI) today said that motorist should not be charged extra on their motor insurance for fitting winter tyres. The ABIa��s members, which together account for around 90% of the motor insurance market, have confirmed that they will not expect motorists to pay additional premium if they fit winter tyres, provided […]
Cowboy builders have caused almost A?7 billion of damage to UK homes, according to new research published this week. A study by Santander found that nearly one in five (18%) UK households has fallen victim to “Bodger the Builder”, at an average cost of A?1,592 per botched job. Santander estimates the total cost of sloppy […]
Direct Line wants to put a dampener on Christmas by telling people not to leave gifts under the Christmas tree. Peace, good will, and festive fun with the family are anathemas to the insurer, which would prefer we spent our Christmas worried about thieves. According to Direct Line, the age-old tradition of leaving presents under […]
The Post Office has decided to spread a bit of Christmas cheer to its home insurance customers by increasing their level of cover during December. According to the Post Office, the 10% extra cover on contents insurance means people dona��t need to worry about the gifts theya��re buying for friends and family getting damaged or […]
Householders who are made redundant could be hit with a further blow of increased home insurance premiums, new research has found. A study by Confused.com found homeowners could face higher insurance premiums if they are unemployed. The price comparison site said this is because insurance firms factor in the likelihood of customers defaulting on payments […]
Homeowners renting a room to a lodger should inform their home insurance provider, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) said this week. According to the ABI, homeowners who don’t inform their insurance provider about taking on a lodger risk invalidating their policy. “If you are applying for insurance and you are taking a lodger, or […]
LV= has warned of the dangers of trusting the people we love the most. The insurer said debit and credit card users risk having their identity stolen every time they share their pin number with their husband, wife, brother, sister, father, or mother. “We would strongly urge all card-users not to tell anyone their pin […]
Nationwide is offering a 20% discount to new home insurance customers taking out combined building and contents cover. New customers taking out a combined policy at the building society will receive the 20% discount for 24 months. In addition, any new home insurance customers with a Nationwide current account will receive A?20 cashback if they […]
More than one in five students has had their bike stolen, according to new research by M&S Money. The poll by the home insurance provider found 22% of student cyclists have been targeted by bike thieves. Students should register their bike model, make and frame number so it can be identified if stolen, M&S Money […]
Student households are more than twice as likely to be burgled compared to the average home, Confused.com has revealed. The price comparison website released the figure as thousands of new students prepare for their first term at university. Confused.com also said students shouldn’t assume their possessions are covered on their parents’ home insurance policy. “Separate […]
The number of burglaries is on the rise as the recession deepens, Halifax warned this week. Home Office figures show a 4% increase in burglaries in the last quarter. Halifax said householders should be careful to secure their homes even on hot summer days. “When it’s warm outside people often leave windows and doors open […]
Car insurance premiums increased 3.5% over the past three months, research by the AA has discovered. The typical quote for annual comprehensive insurance cover now stands at A?778.13, according to the AA British Insurance Premium Index. This is 11% more than 12 months ago. Home insurance premiums also increased in the second quarter, up 2.5% […]
Home rental costs down in November
The cost of renting a house in England and Wales fell by 0.4 per cent in November, its first dip since March, according to a survey by LSL Property Services. Average rent was A?741m during the month, returning to the level seen in September. However, it was 3.4 per higher than in November last year. […]
Lloyds TSB halts sale of packaged accounts in branches
Lloyds TSB will stop selling packaged account in its branches from 1 January 2013, until its sales procedures are brought into line with those operated by sister bank The Halifax. Lloyds TSB is one of the main providers of packaged accounts in Britain, with around one in three of its customers choosing to pay fees […]
Housing market recovery to continue next year
Recent improvements in the housing market should continue into next year, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) Gross lending is estimated to have increased to A?12.9 billion in November, helped by the Funding for Lending scheme which provides banks and building societies with lower-cost funding, which they are then supposed to pass on […]
Newcastle Building Society exits interest-only mortgages
Newcastle Building Society has stopped offering interest-only mortgages to new borrowers, following the lead of the Royal Bank of Scotland, Nationwide, Co-operative bank and Coventry Building Society. The decision will not affect existing Newcastle customers and applications for interest-only mortgages received before 14 December will still be processed. Prior to the credit crunch, interest-only mortgages […]
Less than half of Brits considered creditworthy
Fifty-seven per cent of UK adults are at risk of having an application for credit turned down by a mainstream lender according to a new report. The a�?Mind the Credit Gapa�? report commissioned by aqua credit cards suggests that even people with a good credit rating and earning more than A?50,000 could have a credit […]
Monthly incomes A?22 lower in 2012
The average monthly income of UK households fell by A?22 in real terms compared with last year, according to a survey carried out for the Bank of England (BoE) by NMG Consulting. People on lower incomes have seen their income eroded more than higher earners and households still have high levels of debt the BoE […]
Savers dig deep to fund Christmas
New research from the Halifax suggests that savers are funding their Christmas spending with money set aside for other purposes. Thirty-seven per cent of 2,138 savers surveyed by the bank at the end of November had withdrawn savings in the last three months. The average amount withdrawn was A?1,186, more than double the average savings […]
Financial data at risk from unsafe passwords
According to a survey by the Payments Council the problem of having to remember a different password for several accounts means that many internet users are compromising the security of their financial data. Internet users have 22 password-protected accounts on average and many use the same log-in details for more than one account, even though […]
Wonga launches Paylater loans on retailer website
Payday loan company Wonga has launched a new Paylater service on furniture firm Cotswold Companya��s website. The service, which allows customers to “buy now, pay later” will be introduced on other retailersa�� sites in the near future. Although the Paylater branding is similar to Wongaa��s, the Wonga name only appears in the small print. A […]
First-time buyers take a decade to save for a deposit
Before the credit crunch it took first-time buyers two to four years to save up a deposit for a property but a quarter of first-time buyers now say it will take them at least ten years. In its latest Property Tracker report, the Building Societies Association (BSA) suggests that since September 2010 raising a deposit […]
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