Are banks finally easing lending?
Do you believe that commercial banks are beginning to lend and do you think Project Merlin will force them to? Not really. It’s difficult to know exactly how banks will really be able to be forced to lend and in light of tightening criteria from regulation, it’s probable that lending might even remain tighter for […]
Fix my mortgage at 2.14% or gamble?
Should I fix my mortgage or keep it at a standard variable rate? There are two parts to the answer. The first relates to what risk you can take with your monthly outgoings and the other to the update on whether or not inflation really exists. Speak to an independent mortgage broker for advice but […]
Cautious investors lose again
I have been advised to invest in a cautious fund in the stock market but have read about how some cautious funds are really quite risky. Are they suitable? It really depends what the word ‘cautious’ means. It’s purely marketing twaddle for me, and I don’t believe investors are well enough informed on what it […]
Barclays financial planning – Exit stage right
It’s not been a great start to 2011 for the banks in terms of fines for the advice they have given. Barclays were walloped £11m by the FSA but agreed to settle in advance for £7.7m for advice relating to two Aviva funds of the global balanced income fund as well as the Global Cautious […]
Money for nothing but it can be for free
I read a column recently explaining that if I used a direct broker for my investments that I was losing out as they were effectively charging me but not giving advice. Is this correct? I’ll make this complicated subject as easy as possible. You can buy an investment product through an Independent Financial Adviser, a […]
New Year’s Financial Resolutions
New Year’s resolutions. They probably take 5 days on average to break. It’s probably because they are made with a bloated stomach and zero blood in your alcohol stream, but with little real drive or belief for the actual benefit at the end. If a real benefit was that you worked for four days and […]
Banks’ Contrived Combination Investments
I have seen some advertisements for combination investments with Barnsley Building Society and Yorkshire Building Society. They offer a high interest rate, but it appears that I don’t get their savings rate, unless I go into another investment plan. Most banks and building societies have been ‘found out’ over the years and are left wanting in terms […]
Beware Christmas Fat Cats’ APR 29.9%
‘Christmas is coming and the financial companies are getting fat, please put your entire wealth, and that of your kids in the old man’s hat’. I love Christmas, don’t get me wrong, everyone’s happy, saying happy things to each other like ‘happy Christmas’ and ‘seasons greetings’. It’s just great. Shopping, however …. Well I have […]
£960m in savings lost in fake stocks and shares
I have been contacted by a financial adviser who wants to sell me some shares which are apparently ‘under the radar of the stock market’ and are ‘set to fly’. Do you have any thoughts? I can let you know the name of the two shares they have said are well worth it. The financial […]
Festive money saving tips from Worldwide Financial Planning
Worldwide is offering free advice on how to stop the credit card from taking too much of a battering this Christmas. It has been estimated that 3.8 million people will get into debt over Christmas, while other consumers will be dipping into their savings to pay for the festive period. 29 percent of households have […]
Understanding the markets
It used to be really easy to understand the markets. You could read sentiment and marry that with reasonable economic data but today it’s a great big bun fight that makes it complicated for some. Why do we have inflation when most countries are fighting their way out of a depressive state, when the world’s […]
How much should you be insured for?
In an all too complicated world, life insurance is one of my least written about areas but it is fundamentally one of the most important tasks a family should make sure they ‘get right’. In the last year I have had three people close to me pass away, all under the age of 50, and […]