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Moneyextra Personal Finance News

Share investors 'planning to use increased allowance'Thu, 18 Mar 2010 13:02 +0000

More than half of all cash investors plan to fully utilise their increased stocks and shares Isa allowance from next year, it has been reported. A study conducted by The Share Centre indicates that six

CML highlights effect of stamp duty holiday end on lendingThu, 18 Mar 2010 13:02 +0000

House purchase loans fell by more than three times the decline in remortgages in January, latest figures have indicated. Latest figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders CML clearly highlight the

Scottish bank launches Isa productsWed, 17 Mar 2010 12:12 +0000

The Dunfermline has launched two new cash Isa products, as the deadline for using the 2009-10 tax-free allowance draws near. Consumers in Scotland can take advantage of a one-year account at a savings

Lloyds encouraging consumers to overpay on their mortgageWed, 17 Mar 2010 12:11 +0000

Lloyds Banking Group has launched a new scheme allowing all homeowners to overpay on their mortgage by up to 20 per cent without incurring a penalty charge. The bank says it will run the scheme for one

New 3-year tracker and capped rate mortgages launchedWed, 17 Mar 2010 12:10 +0000

Britannia and The Co-operative Bank are to jointly launch a new three-year tracker and a five-year capped rate mortgage. The banks, which are making the deals available from Friday March 19th, have described

NS&I to launch new RPI-linked savings certificatesTue, 16 Mar 2010 13:31 +0000

National Savings and Investments NS&I is to release new issues of its Index-linked Savings Certificates. The new issues, sold in three and five-year terms, will be available to consumers from Wednesday

Property sales stall during MarchTue, 16 Mar 2010 13:31 +0000

The UK property market is experiencing its slowest March in recorded history, Rightmove has claimed. Prices have reached a virtual standstill, the firm has reported, with new sellers asking for just £216

Women 'better than men' at managing financesMon, 15 Mar 2010 13:54 +0000

Women tend to be more adept at budgeting than their male counterparts, it has been claimed. Jasmine Birtles, founder of Moneymagpie.com, said female professionals tend to be better at controlling income

Savers 'believe Isa allowance rules are unfair'Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:24 +0000

The vast majority of UK savers believe current rules on individual savings accounts Isa are unfair and penalise those wishing to minimise investment risks, it has been reported. According to research

Many mortgagees 'in danger of defaulting if income falls'Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:24 +0000

A drop of £300 in income would cause one in four people to default on their mortgage payments, it has been reported. Research conducted by Callcredit, which interviewed professionals in the 35-44

N&P introduces six-month e-bond at 3.05%Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:36 +0000

Norwich & Peterborough N&P Building Society has announced the launch of a new Six Month E-Bond, plus an increase to the savings interest rate paid on its One Year E-Bond. The bonds, which offer

Guarantor mortgage products 'an interesting development'Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:34 +0000

A new mortgage product range has been launched by The Mortgage Works – a subsidiary of Nationwide Building Society – which allows a guarantor to cover up to 30 per cent of the purchase loan. The

Santander slashes cost of fixed-rate mortgagesFri, 12 Mar 2010 08:34 +0000

Santander has reduced rates by up to 0.40 per cent across its four-year fixed-rate mortgages, increasing the options available to homeowners. The bank is now offering a four-year fix at 4.49 per cent with

Levels of remortgaging activity have increased, says John CharcolThu, 11 Mar 2010 13:36 +0000

The remortgage market has returned to strength during the first two months of 2010, it has been reported. According to the John Charcol Index, purchases took only 47.3 per cent of mortgages sold by the

Savers 'remain happy with cash investments'Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:35 +0000

Over half of all investors have their money stored as cash, according to the Fair Investment Company. The firm reports that 25 per cent of investors are happy with their savings interest rates and will

Mortgage competition 'leading to cheaper rates'Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:34 +0000

Additional market competition has led to the emergence of cheaper mortgage rates, according to one lender. Andy Pratt, chief operating officer at Alexander Hall, said confidence is gradually returning

NS&I launches Direct Saver accountWed, 10 Mar 2010 13:06 +0000

National Savings and Investments NS&I has launched a new savings account offering customers an easy way of managing their cash reserves. The institution is making its Direct Saver account, which

Rics says housing supply is outstripping demandWed, 10 Mar 2010 13:05 +0000

Housing market supply is once again outstripping demand, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Rics. The organisation says new instructions outpaced buyer interest for a second consecutive

Northern Rock launches new fixed-rate bondsTue, 09 Mar 2010 13:21 +0000

Northern Rock has launched two new issues of its fixed-rate bond which offer guaranteed savings interest rates of at least 3.15 per cent. The state-owned bank offers the rate to one year bonds, or a higher

Savers 'penalising themselves' by not using IsasTue, 09 Mar 2010 13:15 +0000

Savers who fail to use their Isa allowance are effectively giving money to the taxman, according to one financial commentator. David Kuo, director of the financial website Fool.co.uk, said consumers should

Higher loan-to-values 'becoming more accessible'Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:15 +0000

The increasing tendency among lenders to offer higher loan-to-values is a positive sign for those seeking cheap mortgage rates, it has been claimed. Ben Wilkie, editor of What Mortgage, said the market

Iceland votes against savings repayment proposalMon, 08 Mar 2010 12:48 +0000

The Icelandic population has voted overwhelmingly against repaying £3.3 billion worth of loans to the UK and Netherlands. In the country's first referendum as an independent nation, 93 per cent of

Base rate hold 'keeps tracker mortgage rates low'Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:47 +0000

Homeowners on tracker deals should remain on cheap mortgage deals for at least another month after the Bank of England chose to freeze interest rates once again. The Bank's Monetary Policy Committee held

Isa savers 'must be aware of the Easter weekend'Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:29 +0000

Savers wishing to capitalise on their 2009-10 Isa allowance cannot afford to leave it until the last minute this year, it has been claimed. Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks have reminded consumers that the

NS&I reports drop in savings over the winterFri, 05 Mar 2010 14:29 +0000

Consumer saving dropped to the lowest level for over two years during the winter, it has been reported. According to National Savings & Investments' NS&I Savings Survey, people are now putting

Lack of mortgage cost awareness 'a worry'Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:28 +0000

It is worrying how many people are missing out on cheaper mortgage rates through ignorance over their current repayment costs, according to one expert. Ray Boulger, senior technical manager at mortgage

Mortgagees 'ignorant to the rate they are paying'Thu, 04 Mar 2010 13:11 +0000

At least three million UK borrowers do not know the rate of interest at which they are currently repaying their mortgage, it has been reported. Post Office Mortgages reports that 28 per cent are ignorant

Co-op launches new fixed-rate mortgageThu, 04 Mar 2010 13:10 +0000

The Co-operative Financial Services has added a new two-year fixed-rate deal to its mortgage range. Available through both the Co-operative Bank and Britannia, interest rates of 3.19 per cent are accessible

MP urges British consumers to save moreThu, 04 Mar 2010 13:05 +0000

Consumers need to be encouraged to save more following the recession, according to one MP. Mark Hoban, shadow financial secretary to the Treasury, said the UK economy has become too heavily reliant upon

Increased Isa allowances 'set to be utilised'Wed, 03 Mar 2010 09:10 +0000

Levels of individual savings account Isa business are set to surge when the increase tax-free allowance comes into force for all consumers, it has been reported. From April 6th 2010, all savers will

Lender launches free mortgage competitionWed, 03 Mar 2010 09:10 +0000

Homeowners seeking cheap mortgages can go one better with Santander this month, as the lender is offering lucky competition winners the chance to win free repayments for a whole year. Consumers applying

3.1% Isa launched by National CountiesTue, 02 Mar 2010 12:48 +0000

National Counties Building Society has launched a 45 Day Notice Cash Isa ahead of the new tax year. The cash Isa offers a variable interest rate up to 3.10 per cent tax-free AER for balances of £35,000

Santander launches 3.75% fixed-rate bondsTue, 02 Mar 2010 12:48 +0000

High street lender Santander has today launched a new range of fixed-rate bonds. The new products pay up to 3.75 per cent gross/AER, meaning they could be of interest to consumers seeking the best savings

'Improved availability of cheap mortgages needed'Mon, 01 Mar 2010 13:05 +0000

Banks need to be more willing to lend if the availability of cheap mortgages is to improve, it has been suggested. According to Catherine Hearnden, director of MyMortgageDirect, increased loan-to-value

Nationwide reports fall in house pricesMon, 01 Mar 2010 13:04 +0000

UK house prices have fallen for the first time since the second quarter of 2009, it has been reported. Latest figures from Nationwide indicate that prices fell by one per cent during February after nine

Cheap mortgages for energy efficient homes could come to an endFri, 26 Feb 2010 11:10 +0000

Cheap mortgages could soon be harder to come by for non energy-efficient properties, borrowers have been warned. According to the latest English Housing Survey released by the Department of Communities

Yorkshire Building Society to double mortgage lendingFri, 26 Feb 2010 10:15 +0000

Yorkshire Building Society has given a further boost to the UK property market by signalling its intention to step up its mortgage lending over the remainder of 2010. The country's second-largest mutual,

Brits wish they had started saving earlierFri, 26 Feb 2010 10:14 +0000

Around one in four Britons wish they had started putting money away earlier in life, new research has found. With millions still struggling financially as a result of the economic downturn, a study carried

Fair Investment Company launches new Isa support serviceThu, 25 Feb 2010 13:51 +0000

The Fair Investment Company has launched a new funds service which allows customers to take control of their own Isas and other investments. Nick Scarrett, head of pensions and investment at the firm,

BSA welcomes removal of Northern Rock guaranteeThu, 25 Feb 2010 13:51 +0000

The Building Societies Association BSA has welcomed the announcement that Northern Rock's 100 per cent savings guarantee is to be removed. Earlier this week, the Treasury announced that from May 24th,

Debate rages over increased competition in mortgage marketWed, 24 Feb 2010 13:42 +0000

Updating existing legislation to allow more online estate agents to compete in the property market would create better deals for homeowners and buyers, it has been claimed. According to the Office of Fair

Briffy.com supports relaxed mortgage sector plansWed, 24 Feb 2010 13:41 +0000

Plans to allow additional online competition in the mortgage industry have been backed by Briffy.com. David Amstell, founder of the property website, said such a development could help keep prices in check,

Northern Rock savers to lose 100% guaranteeWed, 24 Feb 2010 13:40 +0000

The 100 per cent savings deposit guarantee offered by Northern Rock is to be scrapped in three months time, it has been reported. According to the Treasury, the guarantee will be removed on May 24th, meaning

Majority of savers unaware of new Isa allowance limitsWed, 24 Feb 2010 13:40 +0000

Many consumers could miss out on their tax-free allowance from the start of the new tax year, according to Barclays. The bank reports that 42 per cent of consumers are unaware that new limits - £5,100

'Make the most' of ISA allowancesWed, 24 Feb 2010 08:13 +0000

Individuals looking for the best savings rates in possession of individual savings accounts ISAs should make the most of their allowance before the end of the tax year. This is the recommendation from

Housing market could dip again, expert suggestsTue, 23 Feb 2010 14:06 +0000

House buyers unable to secure cheap mortgages could be part of the reason for a future dip in the housing market. This is according to Kate Barker, policymaker and housing market expert at the Bank of

ISAs the 'best place to start' for saversTue, 23 Feb 2010 13:35 +0000

Individuals looking for the best savings rate should start by looking at individual savings accounts, commonly known as ISAs. This is the recommendation from totallymoney.com, which recommends ISAs because

January mortgage lending figures are 'no surprise'Tue, 23 Feb 2010 13:33 +0000

The relatively weak level of mortgage lending in January has been met with little surprise from the British Bankers' Association BBA. Figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders CML revealed that

Paying off debts 'a good idea for reluctant savers'Mon, 22 Feb 2010 14:32 +0000

Savers should take the opportunity to pay off debts on mortgages and credit cards if they are unwilling to put money away at present, it has been suggested. According to Martin Bamford, chartered financial

Mortgage market 'will take time to recover'Mon, 22 Feb 2010 14:31 +0000

Mortgage lending will recover in time, but it is likely to remain at current levels of decline for the next few months, one lender has claimed. Timothy Lambert, head of consulting at Ducalian, was commenting