October 15th, 2015 | Andrew Hagger | News

Buying and renewing your home insurance ought to be a straightforward job, but with different prices charged depending whether you buy direct from an insurer or via a price comparison site trying to get suitable cover at the right price has become a real chore.

However things may be about to change as Virgin Money this week launched its home insurance product with the promise that their customers will be offered the same price whether they buy by phone, via the internet or through a price comparison provider.

Another welcome promise from Virgin is that it’s fair and transparent pricing structure means they won’t play games at renewal by quoting a higher price and then backing down if challenged by the customer – Virgin is taking the stance that it will offer its best price at the first time of asking.

Its research found that more than 80 per cent of people shop around for a better deal on renewal but when they go back to their insurer to cancel after finding a cheaper deal elsewhere, their insurer suddenly offers a lower price in an attempt to retain their custom.

A further plus point is that these products won’t have any hidden nasties buried in the small print with Virgin eliminating the annoying charges often levied by insurers for cancellation or if you want to make minor amendments to your cover.

Customers are fed up with the games that insurers play in order to extract maximum profits from them, let’s hope Virgin provides the wakeup call the industry needs so there’s no longer that feeling of despair when the annual renewal papers land on the doormat.

October 15th, 2015 | Andrew Hagger | News

October 8th, 2015 | Andrew Hagger | News

AA Financial Services this week launched a new ISA which enables savers can split their tax free savings between fixed and variable rate products within one online account.

The one year fixed deal pays 1.76% and the two year fixed pays 2.01%. The easy-access variable product offers 1%, with no introductory bonus and transfers in are permitted.

A spokesman for AA Financial Services said: “This proposition is at the fore of the savings market and offers a remarkable level of flexibility for savers.  It allows the customer the opportunity to divide their funds between a higher interest fixed rate and an easy-access variable rate, which can all be managed easily online.

“The AA ISA also accepts transfers in, enabling savers to consolidate their ISA savings under one roof and get competitive interest rates on their entire ISA pot.”

Andrew Hagger, personal finance analyst from Moneycomms.co.uk, said: “This is an innovative move from AA and will appeal to consumers looking for a competitive fixed rate but with the added option to keep an element of their tax free funds in an easy access account in case they need to get at it in a hurry.

“Usually it’s a choice of a variable or a fixed rate option, but with this new AA ISA the customer has the flexibility to be able to apportion their savings in a way that works best for their circumstances.”

October 8th, 2015 | Andrew Hagger | News

Customers looking to switch their current account to Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks have until 30^th November 2015 to benefit from a £150 switching offer.

Following the success of the initiative, the Banks have announced that customers have until the end of November to benefit from the offer when they complete a full current account switch to Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks using the Current Account Switch Service (CASS).

It is available to new customers who hold a current account with another bank or building society as well as existing Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks customers who meet the qualifying criteria, and use the Current Account Switch Service to transfer in an account held elsewhere.

Steve Fletcher, Head of Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks Retail Network, said: “We have had a very positive response to our Current Account Switch Service offer which makes moving your current account to Clydesdale Bank or Yorkshire Bank simple and hassle free.

“We want to thank customers for switching to Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks, however we would urge customers to act quickly as the offer will end on 30^th November 2015.”

October 6th, 2015 | Andrew Hagger | News

Regular household bills are rising relentlessly despite inflation remaining flat, according to figures from Bacs Payment Schemes , the people behind Direct Debit in the UK.

A “basket” of the most common household bills paid by Direct Debit – including energy, water, mortgages and rent, council tax, broadband and phone, TV licensing, and household insurances – has been tracked, with historical data used to look back as far as 2007. And the data shows the average amount paid out has gone up from £565 in pre-recessionary June 2007 to £668 in June 2015.

The data is drawn from 100 million actual anonymous monthly transactions processed by Bacs as householders use Direct Debits to pay for their essential household bills – it does not include elective personal bills such as gym memberships or mobile phone payments.

Seasonal differences in bills like energy are evened out by comparing each month with the same period in a previous year. For example, in January 2007, the average amount householders spent on core bills was £549. In the same month during 2015, the average figure was £662 – an increase of £113 or 21 per cent.

The Bacs Bill Tracker clearly shows that with the exception of small, occasional monthly falls, coupled with a constantly low rate of inflation, the pressure on households to find extra cash to pay for essentials has seen a continuing rise.

Mike Hutchinson from Bacs said: “These new figures – drawn from actual anonymised payments we have processed – reflect the financial burden householders face as the price of household bills increases steadily.

“With 71 per cent of regular bills paid by Direct Debit, this data gives a clear indication of the upward financial pressures across a basket of core household bills. Splitting costs across the year could relieve some of the strain on hard-pressed family purses and, with the discounts offered from many billers and service providers for paying by Direct Debit, there’s an opportunity to save some vital pounds.”

September 29th, 2015 | Andrew Hagger | News

As competition within the retail banking sector increases with the growth of challenger banks, Equifax research reveals that receiving the best rates is by far the biggest incentive for consumers looking to switch banks.

In an online survey conducted by YouGov, 42% of people cited better deals and rates as a reason they would switch bank accounts; 28% said that incentives like a cash bonus or new smartphone would prompt them to change and 24% flagged better customer service as a priority. More convenient branch locations are a deciding factor for 21% of people but only 14% would be swayed by better technology and security. 26% of people said that nothing would prompt them to change provider.

The research also showed that only 13% of respondents are aware of the government’s midata initiative, which allows consumers to easily compare current account offers based on their recent banking history. Only 1% have actually used midata.

Consumers’ focus remains on the traditional aspects of a bank account such as returns on savings or low interest rates for loans. A lack of awareness of comparison tools however means that consumers may struggle to determine the best financial deals for them, making them less likely to change provider.

September 28th, 2015 | Andrew Hagger | News

A new report from The Co-operative Insurance claims that around one hundred thousand parents are currently ‘fronting’ motor insurance for their children

One in ten of parents of young drivers in the UK currently aged 17-25 have admitted to fronting their son’s and daughter’s motor insurance policy at some point, for an average time of two years. Of those that have admitted to fronting, over a third at 99,600 of parents are currently fronting their child’s motor insurance*.

According to the DVLA, there are currently 2.9million drivers aged 17-25 on the roads with either a full or provisional driving licence.

‘Fronting’ is a type of insurance fraud whereby parents say that they are the main driver of a car when, in reality, most or all of the driving is done by their child. Whilst well meaning, 62% of parents are fronting to save their children money, the implications of fronting can be serious and in some cases it could make it extremely difficult for drivers to obtain insurance later if they are found to have fronted.

Seven out of ten of those parents fronting have children with full driving licenses, though figures show that over a quarter (27%) of parents are fronting insurance for their children who only have provisional driving licenses.

New drivers can have their licence revoked if they gain more than 6 points on their driving licence within two years of passing their test and, whilst well meaning, parents could be unwittingly putting their children at risk of this as in the worst case scenario they could be found to be driving without insurance – which comes with a maximum penalty of 6 points.

The findings have revealed that parents are willing to ‘front’, despite the fact that the majority are aware that it is illegal. Though, despite this, 94% of parents believe they would be covered if they had to claim on their motor insurance.

Dads are more relaxed than Mums when it comes to fronting motor insurance with 10% of Dads willing to admit to it in comparison to 8% of Mums. More parents of children aged 17-19 are fronting than any other, followed by parents of 20-22 year olds then 23-25 year olds.

September 28th, 2015 | Andrew Hagger | News

There have been increasing rumblings that we may see interest rates rise before the year is out whilst others are pointing to early 2016, either way it’ll be the first upward move in interest rates since July 2007.

The increases are likely to be in small steps of 0.25% every few months but whether you are a borrower or a saver it will increasingly have an impact on your finances.

Many people will have forgotten what sort of impact this could have on their finances, so here are a few pointers just to give you an idea of what may be around the corner for you.

Mortgage borrowers who don’t have the safety net of a fixed rate deal will be the ones fearing a rate rise the most, with the extra cost dependent on both the amount borrowed and the term of the mortgage.
For example someone with a £250,000 home loan over 20 years will pay an extra £128 per month if rates were to increase by 1% whereas a borrower with £350,000 outstanding will have to find an additional £179 per month from the household budget.
For those with credit card borrowing again the level of extra interest will depend on how much you owe, but for a £1,500 balance with your rate being increased from 18.9% to 19.9% you’ll pay £1.24 extra per month but if you have £7,000 on your plastic the same 1% increase will cost £5.83 per month more.
If you’re a saver a 1% hike will give you an extra £120 per annum (after 20% tax) on a £15,000 savings pot – UK savers will be yearning for that sort of hike and more after enduring a savings drought for what must seem like an eternity.

September 25th, 2015 | Andrew Hagger | News

Reviewing and planning your financial future with a financial adviser is time well spent if you’re looking to get the most out of your money and to be able to look forward to a comfortable retirement.

For many people the biggest obstacle is a lack of time during the working day, so heading into town to see a financial adviser just isn’t feasible.

However we’re starting to see greater use of new technology enabling you to discuss your future financial plans via a video link in the comfort and convenience of your own home.

Yorkshire Building Society has just launched an innovative new service in conjunction with Legal &General, who already offer investments through its branch network.

Its customers will now have the opportunity to get advice in the comfort of their own home via a secure video link.

It’s simple to set up and can be accessed through a laptop or tablet and allows the advisor to show documents on the screen whilst discussing investment options with the customer.

Time is an increasingly precious commodity and we need to see greater use of technology to help people plan their future finances at a time and place that works for them.

September 25th, 2015 | Andrew Hagger | News

It’s been well documented that households with a poor credit rating can pay hundreds of pounds more per year for finance and utilities payments than consumers with healthy credit scores.

Specialist credit card provider Aqua showed last year that families with a lower credit score typically can only access a month by month broadband contract (avoiding the need for a credit check) resulting in an average annual charge of £175, expensive when you consider that those with good scores pay only £60.

If you’ve never looked at your record, try taking a quick look at a new service from ClearScore.com where you can obtain a copy of your credit score and details for free.

This will enable you to check exactly what information is registered against your name as for all you know the details may be incomplete or incorrect and thus making it more difficult and more expensive to obtain credit than it should.

Your credit report contains details of your balances, limits and payment history.

It will also list any late or missed payments on your existing loans and credit cards as well as previous borrowing you’ve had during the last six years.

Your record will also shows details of any bankruptcies and county court judgements as well as the amount you currently owe on your credit agreements together with details of searches and new applications made.

It’s also worth trying to dispel some of the myths surrounding credit reports and CRA’s.

Ensure you are registered on the electoral role otherwise you won’t appear as being listed at your address if a lender makes a credit search.

Third party information, including members of your family who live, or have lived with you does not appear on your credit file as long as you don’t share any joint financial commitments.

Other people who have lived at your address previously will not affect your credit score.

If you’re looking for a few tips on how to improve your credit rating, consider the following.

Close credit card accounts that you’re no longer using. Even though your balance may be zero, any prospective lenders will take into account any existing credit limits you have available to you when assessing applications for new finance.

Having no record of managing credit can count against you so it’s worth having a credit card and using it a few times each year – if you repay the statement balance in full and on time it won’t cost you a penny, but demonstrates that you are capable of managing credit and will reflect positively on your file.