UK Property Investment Information
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Moneynet promotes a more ethical approach to investing with new ethical investment product guid

Moneynet.co.uk, the UK’s most established personal finance consumer information website, has published the latest edition in its series of online product guides to help consumers get to grips with the increasing complexity of personal finance products. Continuing the success achieved by the previous credit card, mortgage, life insurance and loan guides, Moneynet has issued a new guide to cover . . .

Fraud - would you credit it?

Findings from a recent study by APACS show that the amount of overseas fraud exploiting UK debit and credit cards has hit a five-year low. However with ID fraud as one of the UK's fastest-growing crimes, this should not be a cause for credit card protection complacency. The figures show credit card fraud overseas £92.5m in 2004, which is the lowest figure since 1999, and following a £138.4m . . .

The Internet and customer care: aid or anarchy?

Consumers take customer care into their own hands It was reported in ‘Marketing’ magazine this month, that Britain is becoming a “disaffected nation”, with each adult apparently making an average of 12 complaints to service providers each year, based on a “Service in Britain” survey by ASR (Andrew Smith Research). In response to the rise of the ‘assertive consumer’, brands are endeavouring to . . .

How much is that house in the window?

With the recent release from the UK's biggest mortgage lender, the Halifax, of its latest house price report for May 2005, showing that prices fell by 0.6% last month, and prices falling just 0.1% since the start of the year, the bank said that the market is broadly flat. Nationwide however released its survey last week, showing a 0.3% rise in May. Commenting on the figures for March, Nation. . .

UK debt becoming a cause for concern

The UK attitude toward debt has received a major shift over the past few years. Where once the UK was seen as a nation that held up thrift as being virtue and considered debt a vice, it has now changed to owing £1.3 trillion on mortgages, credit cards and other loans. The main cause of this growth in debt is the British obsession with house ownership, making up 80% of the borrowing. Figures f. . .

How to score with credit

With a massive £1.3 trillion of personal debt in the UK, obtaining credit and staying financially afloat are daily dilemmas for the British consumer. Many major banks, including Lloyds TSB, have recently declared an increase in the number of customers experiencing repayment difficulties, with the need for better financial advice and support has never been more important. Shadow Chancellor Ol. . .

Moneynet reports homeowners enjoy modest house price inflation in April

Moneynet reports homeowners enjoy modest house price inflation in April • Overall average property value for April was £208,854 • The average value of a property for a First Time Buyer (FTB) was £194,961 • Users looking to re-mortgage valued their property at an average of £251,919 There was more evidence of a market-bucking trend for property owners in the higher rate tax bracket* from the la. . .

BBC announces online financial health check

Controlling your finances in the UK has never been more difficult; national levels of personal debt spiralling out of control, house prices out of reach for most first-time buyers, high street banks warning of increased numbers of people unable to pay off their debts, and the oncoming pensions time bomb looming in the distance. The question exercising economic analysts and institutions is what. . .

Car insurance gearing up to drive down costs

For once finances seem to be going in favour of the UK motorist, with Esure (http://www.esure.com/) announcing plans to double its share of the UK's car insurance market - a move which is likely to spark a price war, other internet-only direct insurers passing on to consumers savings based on their low overheads, and specialist insurers offering reduced rates for their particular target markets. . .

War of the Worlds: Student Finance versus Life

It’s a worrying time for current and prospective students. Figures from the Prudential, show that a third of UK university students have considered abandoning their studies due to the financial strain they have encountered. It is not surprising that many prospective students are finding the need to seriously think through the merits of going to university. With the increase in course fees, a. . .

Debt and financial optimism in the UK continue.

With £1.3 trillion pounds worth of debt in the UK, Scotland’s Citizens Advice Bureau ( http://www.cas.org.uk/ ) has welcomed a new Bill to regulate lenders and protect borrowers from creating un-repayable levels of personal debt. Chief executive Kaliani Lyle said: "For years, Citizens Advice Bureaux have been dealing with case after case of ordinary people who have been enticed into unsustain. . .

Poor call centre performances driving motorists online for insurance

In their efforts to cut costs more and more finance companies are looking to use offshore call centres to provide their customer services and administration. This is especially prevalent in the insurance industry, where it seems as if there is a newspaper announcement of previously UK based services migrating abroad every day. As more insurers use offshore call centres, recent research from. . .

Alliance turning towards the financial dark side

Following in the footsteps of many of its high street competitors, Alliance and Leicester has announced that it will no longer accept new customers onto its Online Saver and Direct ISA accounts. The interest rate for the Online Savers account is also being cut from 5.35% to a straight 5%. Richard Brown of the financial comparison website Moneynet ( http://www.moneynet.co.uk ) believes that All. . .

Rate tarts losing ability to cherry pick

A “rate tart” is someone who switches from one zero per cent introductory credit card deal to another to avoid paying interest; however they may be set to become something of the past. Recently a number of the major credit card companies, including Egg, Barclays, the Royal Bank of Scotland and MBNA have introduced transfer charges for people who want to shift their outstanding credit card bala. . .

G8 to discuss world debt while Scots lack basic financial understanding.

Last week saw the launch of Scotland’s Financial Inclusion Forum, and with it requests were issued for local authorities, banks, and other financial institutions, to work together to generate and share ideas to help people take control of their own finances. Those attending the forum were asked to help ensure, “that poverty is not exacerbated by lack of access to financial services”. Deputy co. . .

University Life: a course in personal finance

Recent findings from the Educational Policy Institute indicated that the UK is the third most expensive place in the world to go to university. Combine this with figures from the Prudential, showing that a third of university students have considered abandoning their studies due to the financial strain they have encountered, and it is not surprising that many prospective students are finding t. . .

Parents turn down free money

The British government at the beginning of this year officially launched its Child Trust Fund (CTF) initiative in an effort to encourage parents and children to develop the savings habit and to teach children the value of saving their own money. Chancellor, Gordon Brown said, "The Child Trust Fund is designed to ensure that every child in our country has assets and wealth and that no child is. . .

Mortgage sales hit problems

The housing market has been buoyant over the past few years, but mortgage providers and first-time buyers are both now facing a tough time. Following announcements from the Bank of England that there has been an overall decline in the total number of UK home-buyers, and a declaration from the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) that the number of disputes concerning mis-sold mortgage endowments . . .

The World is Not Enough - Calling for a More Ethical Approach to Personal Finance

At a time when the entire world’s attention is focused on the problems of world debt, with the Live 8 (http://www.live8live.com/ ) concerts, the G8 summit in Scotland, the Make Poverty History Campaign ( http://www.makepovertyhistory.org/ ) (MPH) and the various anti-poverty marches, it seems that everyone wants the world’s governments to behave more ethically towards the manner in which inter. . .

UK graduates looking short-term at their long-term financial responsibilities

With almost two thirds of university entrants from England and Wales who applied for maintenance grants for this year being unsuccessful, and the average graduate owing £13,501 when they leave, according to Barclays, combined with a survey by High Fliers Research showing that only 21% of students were confident of managing to enter a graduate-level job this year, it is not surprising that there. . .