The John Lewis Partnership, which is regarded as a barometer of British retailing, today announced that sales grew 11.7% to £56.5 million in the week to 18 September, compared with the same period a year ago. The renowned employee-owned department store said trade had been boosted by a strong increase in fashion sales. However, sales [...]
The National Audit Office (NAO) has warned the student loans and grants system is at “substantial” risk of being hit by delays again in 2010. Last year, almost a quarter of a million students were left without cash prior to the start of term, as a new system resulted in delays. The student loans system [...]
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 [...]
The cost of putting their children through university is forcing some parents to remortgage their home, The Children’s Mutual revealed this week. Students starting university this year will spend an average of £42,000 during their three-year course, and many parents will be expected to fund the majority of this bill. “University can be as much [...]
The cost of living for students has increased 5% in the past 12 months to nearly £200 per week, according to research by Halifax. A poll by the financial provider found the average student now spends £193.50 per week during term time on food, accommodation, socialising, alcohol, clothes, and books. The increase, up from £183.80 [...]
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 [...]
Lloyds TSB this week launched its 2009 Student Account with a first-year interest free tiered overdraft of up to £1,500. Benefits include free mobile banking until August 2010, an NUS Extra card offering discounts at over 60 retailers, one year’s membership to the Youth Hostel Association (YHA), and 35 music downloads from eMusic. The overdraft [...]
Research by price comparison site, Savebuckets.com, has found that parents of children who are off to university this month can expect to spend large amounts of money on university-related merchandise. In order to provide all the requirements for their child’s university room, parents can expect to pay over £750 – more than the average UK [...]
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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