moneynet in the press

Express & Star (Cannock) (Kidderminster) (Late Final-Dudley) (Sandwell) (Stafford) (Walsall) – 27th September 2007

PAYING THE PRICE FOR FUTURE GOALS

By following these tips from www.moneynet.co.uk you could make the best of the student experience without worrying about finances.

• Assume you will accumulate debt over your period of study, but don’t unduly worry about it.
• If you can, take a gap year before going to university to work and save money before studying.
• Take a part-time job at university, though don’t let it distract from your course.
• If you have to, borrow. Make sure you always establish the cheapest forms of credit available, such as interest free overdrafts and student loans. Check the contract carefully before signing anything.
• Don’t take out a credit card. You are a student; remember that – keep the luxurious purchases for after you’ve graduated and when you can actually afford them.
• Make a budget for food and other expenses and stick to it. Also avoid paying for things with your debit card – it’s much easier to keep track of money if you pay with cash, and check your bank statements regularly – and don’t forget to include the small items in your budget too, coffees and snacks between lectures soon add up
• If you do hit hardship, investigate what schemes, grants and bursaries your university offers and whether you’re eligible for one.

Sunday Telegraph (Money and Jobs) – 23rd September 2007
Telegraph.co.uk – 24th September 2007

DEAL YOURSELF THE RIGHT CARD

The credit card market of hotting up. Three big players, Halifax, Capital One and Citibank, are introducing new deals in a bid to woo credit-hungry customers.

If you always pay off your balance in full every month, a cashback or reward card is a good idea. Capital One’s new World Mastercard offers both a cash incentive and perks. Cardholders get 4 per cent cashback on all purchases for the first three months and 1 per cent thereafter. The card has a typical APR of 15.9 per cent. Customers also get free travel insurance and travel assistance – which provides help with travel, legal and medical emergencies while abroad – plus identity theft assistance. Someone spending £2,000 a month on the card would get £420 in cashback over a course of a year.

Richard Brown of Moneynet.co.uk, the personal finance website, says the cashback on the card is generous and, coupled with the free travel insurance, makes a good choice.

Morley Observer & Advertiser – 19th September 2007
Batley News – 20th September 2007
Dewsbury Reporter – 21st September 2007
Spenborough Guardian – 21st September 2007

REPOSSESSIONS UP

Mortgage repossessions are up year on year, but the latest data from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) showing a 30 per cent rise on home repossessions in the first half of 2007 is not a forewarning of imminent property market recession, according to Moneynet.co.uk

“The reported increase in the number of keys being taken back be lenders comes at the same time as a reported fall in the number of insolvencies,” said Moneynet.co.uk chief executive Richard Brown.

Oldham Evening Chronicle – 18th September 2007

THE TRUE COST OF GOING TO UNIVERSITY

Thirty years ago, students could rely on grants, course fees being paid, help with travel expenses, and even the right to sign on the dole during vacations. But some would say they were an over privileged elite

Today the picture could hardly be more different because the continual expansion of the university population has meant that successive governments have no longer been able to afford to give people the same deal. Consequently, fear of debt tops the list of worries for sixth-formers according to a new survey.

We take a look at what new students can do to manage their dent and to make sure it does not reach unmanageable levels…

For a detailed guide on student finance, see: www.moneynet.co.uk

News Letter (Northern Ireland) (Main) – 18th September 2007

STUDENTS MORE WORRIED ABOUT MONEY THAN EXAMS

With fresh faced young students about to descend on university campuses across Northern Ireland, swotting up on finances should be as much of a priority as knuckling down to course work.

Follow these tips from www.moneynet.co.uk and make the best of the student experience without worrying about your finances.

• Assume you will accumulate debt over your period of study, but don’t unduly worry about it.
• If you can, take a gap year before going to university to work and save money before studying.
• Take a part-time job at university, though don’t let it distract from your course.
• If you have to, borrow. Make sure you always establish the cheapest forms of credit available, such as interest free overdrafts and student loans. Check the contract carefully before signing anything.
• Don’t take out a credit card. You are a student; remember that – keep the luxurious purchases for after you’ve graduated and when you can actually afford them

Mail on Sunday (Financial Mail) – 16th September 2007

OUR VOWS ARE FOR A LIFETIME AND THE LOAN LASTS 25 YEARS

Summer is an expensive time for most families, with holidays, day trips and other activities – including weddings – all draining the bank account. The result for many is higher levels of debt. Citizens Advice last week revealed it was receiving 6,600 inquiries about debt problems each day.

There are many credit cards offering zero per cent on balance transfers for an introductory period, the average being nine months. But research by comparison website Moneynet.co.uk reveals that more than half of all cardholders are paying interest at an average of 17 per cent.

Shropshire Star (Mid Wales) – 13th September 2007

DON’T BE A DEBT CASUALTY

Leaving home to go to uni should be an exciting time – a new location, new friends and new experiences – but money is topping the list of worries sixth formers.

Top Tips

Follow these tips from www.moneynet.co.uk and make the best of the student experience without worrying about your finances.

• Assume you will accumulate debt over your period of study, but don’t unduly worry about it.
• If you can, take a gap year before going to university to work and save money before studying.
• Take a part-time job at university, though don’t let it distract from your course.
• If you have to, borrow. Make sure you always establish the cheapest forms of credit available, such as interest free overdrafts and student loans. Check the contract carefully before signing anything.
• Don’t take out a credit card. You are a student; remember that – keep the luxurious purchases for after you’ve graduated and when you can actually afford them.
• Make a budget for food and other expenses and stick to it. Also avoid paying for things with your debit card – it’s much easier to keep track of money if you pay with cash, and check your bank statements regularly – and don’t forget to include the small items in your budget too, coffees and snacks between lectures soon add up
• If you do hit hardship, investigate what schemes, grants and bursaries your university offers and whether you’re eligible for one.

Nuneaton Telegraph – 3rd September 2007

CHOOSING TO GO TO UNI IS CHOOSING TO GO INTO DEBT

The image of university life as a carefree cruise from one party to another is fast disappearing. Rising fees and general living expenses are fast turning today’s students into early debtors. A new study suggests first-year students are totting up record debt levels of nearly £6,000 a year – and leaving university owing more than £17,500

Follow these tips from www.moneynet.co.uk and make the best of the student experience without worrying about your finances.

• Assume you will accumulate debt over your period of study, but don’t unduly worry about it.
• If you can, take a gap year before going to university to work and save money before studying.
• Take a part-time job at university, though don’t let it distract from your course.
• If you have to, borrow. Make sure you always establish the cheapest forms of credit available, such as interest free overdrafts and student loans. Check the contract carefully before signing anything.

Asian Image (Main) – 1st September 2007

HOW NOT TO BE A DEBT CASUALTY

New students are more worried about money than they are about passing exams, according to a new survey.

For a detailed guide on student finance, see www.moneynet.co.uk