January 25th, 2021 | Andrew Hagger | News

As millions of UK residents continue to work from home, Aviva is urging people to take extra care of their possessions when using summerhouses, outbuildings or sheds as workspaces.

ONS data suggests around 13 million UK people became home-workers last year as a result of the pandemic⁽¹⁾ and sales of sheds and summerhouses have been rising rapidly⁽²⁾.

But Aviva warns that home contents cover is often limited for items stored in sheds, garages and outbuildings, compared to the main home. The insurer is therefore encouraging “shoffice” workers to remove valuable items such as laptops, phones and tablets when not in use.

Sarah Applegate, Head of Risk, Aviva General Insurance says: “While many insurers cover home office equipment as standard under home contents policies and some are extending cover during the pandemic for people who need to work from home, cover may be restricted for items located outside the main property.

“Contents in outbuildings usually have an upper limit of around £2,500 for theft claims, so people should think carefully what they store in their outdoor rooms, particularly if they are using home office equipment.

“Tech devices are easily portable and can quickly add up to hundreds or even thousands of pounds in value. We’d encourage householders to remain vigilant when working in outbuildings and remove expensive equipment when not in use.”

Aviva has the following advice regarding outbuildings and keeping contents safe:

• Limit what you store in your outbuildings, sheds, garages and summerhouses, particularly if items are valuable. Check your home contents policy wording and be aware of cover limits for items kept in external buildings.
• Pay particular attention to portable items such as laptops, phones and tablets, if you are using an outbuilding as a home office. Tech devices can be lifted in a matter of minutes.
• Lock your sheds, summerhouses, garages and outbuildings when not in use. Replace any damaged or rusty padlocks.
• Check the access to your home and garden in case any would-be burglars are watching. Close gates and repair damaged fences – deterrents are sometimes the best prevention.
• If you’ve bought new office equipment, don’t leave packaging in a place where others can see it, such as by outdoor bins. If boxes are too large to go in a bin, store them in your home until you can dispose of them, for example at your local recycling centre.
• Inform your home insurer if you’re making substantial changes to your home – such as building an extension to provide a home office space or converting an integrated garage – before you start building works.
• Find out more about Aviva home contents cover for outbuildings here.

January 12th, 2021 | Andrew Hagger | News

Research by finance experts, TotallyMoney shows that Brits paying interest on their credit card debt are wasting hundreds of pounds by not switching to a better deal.

• Customers can save a massive £676 in interest by transferring the average credit card balance of £2,177 to a 0% balance transfer card of 21 months
• A huge 54% of active credit card accounts have interest accruing balances outstanding at the end of the calendar month
• January marks balance transfer season, the busiest month for balance transfers which sees an average of 687,000 transactions worth an average of £1.55bn each year
• There were just 60 balance transfer cards available in the market in December compared to 75 the year before, while the average number of interest-free days is at its lowest level since May 2015

54% of credit card balances incur interest – but these interest charges are avoidable for borrowers eligible for a balance transfer card.

Balance transfer cards charge 0% interest for a set period of time, meaning 100% of credit card repayments go towards reducing the debt, not paying interest.

TotallyMoney found that by transferring the average credit card balance of £2,177 to the average balance transfer duration of 21 months, customers could save a huge £676.

Customers seeking the best 0% deal to ring in 2021 should move fast — before lenders cut the honeymoon period even further. Recent figures show that as of December 1st 2020 offer durations were at the lowest level since May 2015.

Not only are the offer durations shortening but the number of products available to customers has also fallen from 75 in December 2019 to 60 in December 2020.

An interest freeze still comes with fees

Most balance transfer cards charge a balance transfer fee. This is quoted as a percentage of the debt transferred, with a minimum cash amount. For example, ‘3% with a minimum of £5’. This means if you transferred £1,000 of debt, you’d pay £30.

The golden rule with 0% balance transfer credit cards is to repay your entire debt in the interest-free period. For example, if you had £2,000 of debt and could afford to repay £100 a month, you’d need a card that’s 0% on balance transfers for at least 20 months.

Alastair Douglas, CEO of finance experts TotallyMoney, comments:

“As many look to get their finances in shape for the new year, one way that customers can save money is to stop paying interest on their debt when there’s no need to. Transferring existing debts over to a balance transfer card lets you pay off your debt while avoiding the spiralling interest charges.

“Unfortunately, balance transfer deals aren’t as generous as they used to be with both the introductory durations on offer and the number of cards available in decline.

“When applying for a credit card make sure you check your eligibility. This will help you avoid rejection and damage your credit score.

“You should also use these cards carefully. Resist the temptation to use a balance transfer card to make purchases as most will charge a high rate of interest on any new borrowing.

“At TotallyMoney, we’re on a mission to improve the UK’s credit score and help people move on up to a better financial future. Switching your credit card will mean clearing debts quicker, which will reduce your credit utilisation. Cutting your credit usage will normally have a positive effect on your credit score.”

January 12th, 2021 | Andrew Hagger | News

RoosterMoney, the pocket money app, reveals that kids received an impressive £321 pocket money (£6.18 a week) last year, and encouragingly they saved 37% of it. This is in line with adult saving rates also reaching record levels of 28.1% during the Covid-19 pandemic.* Video games Roblox & Fortnite also dominated the spending charts as kids spent more time at home.

Children are picking up lasting money habits as young as 7 years old**, and RoosterMoney is showing that a strong pocket money routine is a great way to build positive money habits early on, lockdown, or no lockdown…

• EARNING: 66% of parents gave regular pocket money last year
• Average weekly allowance was £6.18 (£321 a year)
• Kids received £52 in cash gifts this Christmas
• Families embraced chore routines: The highest earning chores were ‘washing the car’, ‘mowing the lawn’, & ‘washing windows’
• SPENDING: Video games Roblox & Fortnite rose to the top of the spending charts
• SAVING: Average saved was 37%
• Most popular things to save for were Lego Sets, Phones & Roblox
• Top Lego Sets: Star Wars, Harry Potter, Friends
• The average time it took to reach a savings goal was 45 days
• GIVING: Most popular causes were Children’s Charities, Animal Welfare & Cancer Research.

Top things to SPEND on in 2020.

Roblox & Fortnite rose to the top as kids spend more time at home.

Top things to SAVE for in 2020:

Holidays and bikes fall down the rankings.

1. Lego Sets (-)
2. Phones (-)
3. Roblox (new)
4. Fortnite (new)
5. Nintendo Switch (-2)
6. PlayStation (+2)
7. Books & Magazines (-2)
8. Holidays (-4, biggest drop)
9. Bikes (-3)
10. Xbox (-)

Will Carmichael, RoosterMoney CEO says:

“The Pocket Money Index can often provide a fascinating reflection of what’s going on in the wider world. The pandemic has shifted most of our spending online and that’s seen clearly here with kids’ spending habits too. It’s also really encouraging to see the saving rates remain so high.

Now more than ever, building financial capability into our kids is so incredibly important. The financial impact of this crisis has the potential to affect us for a generation – perhaps several. Having confidence with money, building positive habits around saving and learning to make considered spending choices will be something that sticks with kids for life.”

January 5th, 2021 | Andrew Hagger | News

M&S Bank has today launched new offers across a range of its insurance products – offering up to £150 in M&S vouchers – when customers take out a new Pet, Home and Motor Insurance policy.

Customers purchasing a new Premier M&S Pet Insurance policy will receive £50 of M&S vouchers, while customers taking out a new Standard policy will receive £30 of M&S vouchers. Customers who take out a new Premier or Standard combined buildings and contents policy from M&S Home Insurance will also receive £50 of M&S vouchers, as will customers taking out a Premier Car Insurance policy.

M&S Pet Insurance customers have access to three levels of cover; Essential, Standard and Premier, depending on their individual needs, and customers can choose either lifetime or time-limited cover. In addition, customers will receive 24-hour access to qualified nurses via vetfone^TM, as well as a 5% multi pet discount for any additional pets they insure with M&S.

Customers with M&S Premier Home Insurance benefit from cover for accidental damage, storm damage to gates and fences, and visitors’ belongings. The policy also covers the policyholder’s children when they are living away from home at university or college, or a dependent relative living in residential care.

M&S Premier Car Insurance provides customers with a guaranteed replacement car, if their own vehicle is out of action due to an accident, as well as uninsured driver protection, so they’re not out of pocket if hit by a driver without insurance.

For more information, visit: https://bank.marksandspencer.com/insurance/overview/.