Analysis Topic: Personal Finance
The analysis published under this topic are as follows.Wednesday, October 06, 2010
Fee Paying U.K. Current Accounts Double, Big Profits for the Banks / Personal_Finance / UK Banking
In the current economic climate, current account credit interest rates have fallen significantly. So much so, that a number of providers have decided to scrap paying credit interest altogether.
In recent weeks, NatWest and RBS have stopped paying credit interest on all of their current accounts.
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Tuesday, October 05, 2010
How To Decide Between Fixed-Rate and Tracker Mortgages / Personal_Finance / Mortgages
One of the biggest decisions to make when taking on a mortgage is whether to go for a fixed-rate mortgage or a tracker mortgage. You need to consider your own personal circumstances, and all the potential outcomes of being signed up to each kind of mortgage.
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Tuesday, October 05, 2010
Top Tips For Switching Between Mortgage Deals / Personal_Finance / Mortgages
If your mortgage deal is no longer competitive, it may be time to switch. However, choosing the wrong mortgage could cost you thousands of pounds a year. Here are the most important things to consider when planning to switch mortgages.
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Thursday, September 30, 2010
Retirement Investors Take Advantage of the Greatest Government Tax Loophole Ever / Personal_Finance / Pensions & Retirement
On December 31, 2010, the government will close an amazing loophole... one that affects 60% of the U.S. population.
In an attempt to collect taxes today to pay for its excesses, the government is promising to never tax our retirement money in the future. Let me explain...
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Tips for Finding Cheap Loans You can Rely On / Personal_Finance / Debt & Loans
If you see an advertisement for a cheap loan which seems too good to be true, it may well be. Here are some top tips for spotting the potential pitfalls of loan offers and finding the right cheap loan for you.
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Saturday, September 18, 2010
Top 10 Tips For Finding the Best Savings Interest Rate / Personal_Finance / Savings Accounts
More and more people are reducing their spending and choosing, instead, to save or invest the money they earn. Find the best savings rate available to you and the money you put away will go a lot further. Here are the top ten tips for finding the best savings rates.
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Friday, September 17, 2010
Mortgage Repayment Protection, Is it worth it? / Personal_Finance / Mortgages
Mortgages were seen in the boom years as a foolproof way of borrowing, leading to inevitable profits from soaring house prices. Now the recession has hit, many people are struggling to repay their mortgages by themselves - this is where mortgage protection comes in.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Save on Credit Card Interest Rate Payments by Utilising Interest Free Credit Cards / Personal_Finance / Credit Cards & Scoring
Paying interest on a credit card can take a big chunk out of your monthly earnings, so if you can avoid paying interest by using an interest free credit card, you should do so. There are now a variety of different credit card deals which can help you last longer without paying interest, you just need to know how to navigate the interest free credit card marketplace.
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Tuesday, September 14, 2010
What Are ‘Adverse Credit Cards'? / Personal_Finance / Credit Cards & Scoring
David P Walker writes: Adverse credit cards are available for people who may not have access to the most competitive credit cards. This is usually because they have a bad credit rating, and are therefore considered by lenders to be in the ‘high risk’ category of borrowers. Adverse credit cards usually have higher interest rates and less features than other credit cards, making them an unattractive option for those who can take out other types of credit card. However, they can help to rebuild a good credit rating, if used sensibly.
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Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Top 5 Tips for Using a Credit Card Abroad / Personal_Finance / Credit Cards & Scoring
Using a credit card abroad can be an expensive business. If you are planning to make use of your credit card abroad, there are some simple steps you can take to ensure you get the best deals and pay as few fees and charges as possible.
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Monday, September 13, 2010
Three Steps to Your Monetary Freedom / Personal_Finance / Fiat Currency
Richard C.B. Johnsson writes: What is needed for us to have real monetary freedom? Do we have to repeal legal tender laws? Abolish the central bank? Introduce a gold standard? Denationalize money á la Hayek? Or perhaps to introduce some other major policy change?
Not really. We just have to use some magic, some monetary magic.
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Thursday, September 09, 2010
Banks Hit Customers With Increased Overdraft Intereat Rates Despite No Change in Base Rate / Personal_Finance / UK Banking
Recent figures from the Bank of England show overdraft rates at an all time high.
In the last 18 months, more than a quarter (26%) of current accounts have seen increases in their authorised overdraft rates, despite no change in the bank base rate. (See appendix for full details)
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Tuesday, September 07, 2010
Four Ways to Make Your Money Work Harder / Personal_Finance / Money Saving
After a great Labor Day weekend, a lot of Americans are now back at their desks, hard at work … and I’m no exception.
But while you might rather be back at the beach or the family barbecue, the good news is there are things you can do to make sure your hard-earned money is working hard for you in return.
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Saturday, September 04, 2010
HMRC PAYE Tax Error To Cost Workers £1,400 Each, £400 Rebate for Others / Personal_Finance / Taxes
A Treasury department audit of the Inland Revenue (HMRC) has revealed huge blunders in calculation of tax owed under the PAYE system which means 1.5 million workers have paid too little tax amounting to an average tax bill of £1,400 each or £2 billion in total. Against this HMRC was found to have over deducted tax from 4.3 million workers totaling £1.8 billion which averages out at a tax refund of £400 each.
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Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Retirement Distress as Annuity Rates Hit All Time Lows / Personal_Finance / Pensions & Retirement
The prospects of securing a comfortable retirement have taken a further blow with news that pension annuity rates have hit an all time low.
Research from Investment Life & Pensions Moneyfacts has revealed that annuity rates have fallen steadily over the summer months following a spate of re-pricing activity amongst providers.
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Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Reader's Question: Will the Gov't Confiscate my 401K and Should I take My Money Out? / Personal_Finance / Pensions & Retirement
I absolutely love getting great money questions. It might be my favorite thing about blogging about money, investments, trends, and strategies. Recently, I wrote a blog: More people tapping 401(k)s . In that blog, I wrote about unfortunate reasons why people are taking premature distributions from their 401K plans. A reader responded to that blog with a very well thought out and pro-active question:Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
The Perils of Tapping a 401(k) / Personal_Finance / Pensions & Retirement
Fidelity just released a new report and it’s pretty depressing.
The upshot? A record number of Americans are making hardship withdrawals from their 401(k) retirement plans. Worse yet, the number of U.S. workers borrowing from their plans is also at a 10-year high!
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Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Gold Falls with Stocks & Euro as Yen Hits 15-Year High / Personal_Finance / Pensions & Retirement
THE SPOT PRICE of wholesale gold dropped to a 7-session low Tuesday lunchtime in London, as world stock markets fell hard in thin trade and the Japanese Yen reached a new 15-year high vs. the Dollar.
"Monday was about as quiet as it gets," says one London bullion dealer in a note.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Protect Your Wealth From the Government, Expatriate Your Wallet / Personal_Finance / Investing 2010
Terry Coxon, contributing author of Casey Research’s ‘Going Global’ Special Report writes: If everything you own is held in your own name in your own country, then you are not merely exposed, you are vulnerable absolutely, to whatever decisions the government might make about how you should behave and who gets the wealth you've earned. Tomorrow's new government measure, which might land out of the blue, could be a law that affects everyone, or it could be a rule devised to deal with people like you. Or, it could be an administrative action aimed at you alone. In any case, with all your assets at home, you'd find out how the lobster feels when his trap is being hauled out of the water. Nothing he can do about it.
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Tuesday, August 03, 2010
Another New U.S. Mortgage Fee, Five Golden Rules for Applying for Mortgages / Personal_Finance / Mortgages
If you’re in the market to buy a new home, be aware that the U.S. Treasury Department is considering a new mortgage fee to fund the backstops it gives for loans purchased through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Analysts say the fee may be up to 1.5 percent of the borrower’s mortgage, which would be a big increase from the current 0.25 percent that both Fannie and Freddie currently charge mortgage borrowers. Plus, it remains to be seen if this new charge would be in addition to that current charge!
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