http://www.financealley.com en-us editorial@financealley.com In times when inflation is on the rise and the economy is on the downturn, it becomes more important than ever to make sure our money is working as hard as possible for us. This applies regardless of the situation you are in. For example, you may h... http://www.financealley.com/article_635773_19.html 11th September 2008 There seems to be no shortage of advertising for financial solutions and it’s hard to know which messages could be relevant to you and are worth looking into. High interest rates on savings accounts, low interest rates on credit cards and overdraft... http://www.financealley.com/article_634033_19.html 10th September 2008 With the so-called ‘credit crunch’ wreaking havoc with the global economy, it’s probably safe to say that money is more of an issue than it has been in a long time for most people. Homeowners, in particular, have perhaps felt the squeeze m... http://www.financealley.com/article_629705_19.html 09th September 2008 When the coach makes that big signing, it’s easy for fans to get excited. Remember the buzz around Chelsea when Roman Abromavich took over, brought in Jose Mourinho, and splurged on top players like Andrei Shevchenko, who cost the Russian business... http://www.financealley.com/article_623074_19.html 05th September 2008 In 2008, having entered its second year, there seems to be little chance of the credit crisis easing forcing most financial analysts to re-evaluate their position and work out how severe it will get and how much longer it will prevail. Indeed, a rece... http://www.financealley.com/article_620209_19.html 05th September 2008 In recent times the press has been full of reports of monetary doom and gloom. The credit crunch has undoubtedly been the talk around many breakfast tables across the UK and with predictions of a looming recession is there any silver lining to this c... http://www.financealley.com/article_613125_19.html 01st September 2008 According to the IMRG, the industry body for global e-retailing, the online shopping market has grown more than 14-fold over the last eight years. One of the fastest-growing online retail sectors is electrical goods, which sold £204m of items in Nov... http://www.financealley.com/article_605366_19.html 21st August 2008 With adverts about loans being commonplace on the TV, radio, magazines, online and in newspapers, it certainly appears that getting a loan is easy, while often also suggesting it’s a good idea to get into debt for the sake of a luxury holiday or a ... http://www.financealley.com/article_603813_19.html 20th August 2008 If you've ever been in a non-fault incident - perhaps on the road, or at work - then it could be more than just yourself which is in pain; if the accident causes you to miss an extended period of work, or makes your working or day-to-day life more di... http://www.financealley.com/article_602690_19.html 18th August 2008 It usually starts off during New Year’s resolutions; making promises that you will spend less and save more. More often than not, however, this claim normally lasts until the January sales begin and previous spending habits then inexorably continu... http://www.financealley.com/article_601380_19.html 16th August 2008 Availing of a mortgage means many things to those who wish to be homeowners. For most, it means entering into a lengthy and detailed process that requires a significant amount of paperwork - much of which is used to prove the identity of the borrower... http://www.financealley.com/article_597238_33.html 13th August 2008 Accidents happen all the time; occurring through personal fault, or as a result of others’ actions, they are a common factor of everyday life. Just look at the statistics: every year, according to the Citizens Advice Bureau, around 2.5 million peop... http://www.financealley.com/article_589382_18.html 24th July 2008 Financial savings are vitally important. Not only do they provide a way to purchase the more expensive items in life, such as a car or house, but they also provide security against the unexpected. Savings are also crucial for those who are retired, s... http://www.financealley.com/article_588294_19.html 24th July 2008 Broadly speaking, there are two kinds of people who choose to buy a house. There are those that buy with the intention of living in it, and then there are those that buy with the intention of renting it out. And whilst those who are simply seeking... http://www.financealley.com/article_582540_19.html 21st July 2008 When we are young we don’t tend to think too much about planning for the future. We are too busy enjoying ourselves to worry about anything else. But sooner or later we do start thinking about how we should approach the next stage of our lives,... http://www.financealley.com/article_582404_19.html 21st July 2008 It could be argued that too much choice is a bad thing. When shopping at the local supermarket for instance, there is usually a dizzying amount of brands to choose from and knowing which item to choose over another can be confusing. Price is always a... http://www.financealley.com/article_572792_19.html 09th July 2008 Endowment mortgages are policies that were marketed on the grounds that they would pay off a person's mortgage once the policy matured. The policy is intended to be a long-term investment whereby the homeowner would pay premiums into the policy – w... http://www.financealley.com/article_562732_19.html 25th June 2008 The unpredictable nature of life has the ability to surprise us all. Often there’s very little that can be done to stop unpleasant events from occurring. However, you can make sure you are prepared for when the unthinkable does become a reality. Do... http://www.financealley.com/article_561587_19.html 23rd June 2008 How much money do you have saved up for a rainy day? The experts all say you should have around three months worth of your usual salary or wages tucked away in an account to provide a safety cushion should you need it. But for many of us that can... http://www.financealley.com/article_560268_19.html 20th June 2008 If you’ve always had to travel into your local town centre to do your banking, you’ll find online banking to be a completely different animal altogether. One of the greatest benefits is that you'll no longer have to spend half your lunch hour ... http://www.financealley.com/article_559586_19.html 20th June 2008 As a result of the recent much-publicised credit crunch, UK banks are now seeking to offer better interest rates on their savings accounts in order to attract additional customers and alleviate the loss of income from the falling numbers of mortgage ... http://www.financealley.com/article_557159_19.html 18th June 2008 When shopping for anything, most people like to seek out the best deals and get the most they can for their money. Whether it’s a holiday, clothes or even groceries, nobody likes to be paying more than they otherwise need to. But browsing for th... http://www.financealley.com/article_555794_19.html 13th June 2008 The UK has around 11.8 million mortgages and the industry is currently valued at £1.1 trillion. The ability to borrow an agreed amount, in order to fund purchasing a house, is something that is often taken for granted, and mortgages are even seen by... http://www.financealley.com/article_554938_19.html 11th June 2008 If asked to think of something associated with London, most people would probably say Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, London Bridge or Westminster Abbey. In fact, London probably has more than its fair share of iconic images. But this only helps to demon... http://www.financealley.com/article_554051_19.html 10th June 2008 The end of a tax year always signals changes in the financial sector, and is a good time to have a rethink about where you are investing your money. Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) are a great way to save, as there is no tax to pay on interest ear... http://www.financealley.com/article_553932_19.html 10th June 2008 During the 1980s and 1990s, thousands of people took out their mortgage on an interest-only basis, hoping to use an endowment plan to pay off the mortgage at the end of the term. At the time, investment returns were high and many investors were ... http://www.financealley.com/article_544035_19.html 21st May 2008 Despite controlling the majority of the population’s day-to-day finances, the UK’s big five banks only appear nine times in the top 64 Best Buy credit cards, loans and savings accounts list issued by consumer magazine, Which? But, despite thei... http://www.financealley.com/article_528636_19.html 02nd May 2008 Since the birth of the Egyptian civilisation 5000 years ago, Egypt has long been considered one of the most awe-inspiring places on Earth, with the breathtaking, man-made structures of the pyramids and the Sphinx giving way to a natural, expansive de... http://www.financealley.com/article_527863_19.html 01st May 2008 A rapid increase in the number of days that the UK population has to work to pay off the interest on outstanding loans and credit card balances has prompted a warning from one independent financial search website. Unbiased have calculated that it ... http://www.financealley.com/article_527725_19.html 01st May 2008 Despite a large number of people in the U.K feeling a strain in the current financial climate, 83% of British people have admitted to making no effort to reduce their tax burden, according to a report from TaxAction. Despite inheritance tax being nam... http://www.financealley.com/article_524748_19.html 28th April 2008 The global credit squeeze isn’t bad news for everyone; it has boosted business for credit reference agencies as more people realise the importance of having an up-to-date credit record, according to a leading financial comparison website. A spok... http://www.financealley.com/article_524693_15.html 28th April 2008 For businesses planning to reach out to the masses and strengthen their corporate branding, promotional gifts are a safe bet. Having your company brand printed on T-shirts, caps or bags for example, can only help to get your brand noticed. Promotiona... http://www.financealley.com/article_524438_15.html 28th April 2008 When a potential buyer walks through your front door first impressions will count, especially now that we have entered a new phase of house price uncertainty. Therefore it is vital that you ensure that you present your home in the best possible light... http://www.financealley.com/article_523760_33.html 27th April 2008 As the summer months approach, offices, shops and factories across the country will increasingly place demands on their air conditioning units. Having been in hibernation mode throughout the winter months, many air conditioning units will have had s... http://www.financealley.com/article_523580_15.html 25th April 2008 The unfortunate truth is that anyone can be affected by a road traffic accident – whether you are the driver of a car, a passenger in the car or a pedestrian / cyclist on the street. From April '06 to March '07 there were approximately 189,000 roa... http://www.financealley.com/article_520398_18.html 18th April 2008 If you have a pension scheme that you are paying into every month, your retirement years will be well taken care of. Does that statement sound right or wrong? In truth it could be either. The ability of your own pension to provide for you after yo... http://www.financealley.com/article_517597_19.html 16th April 2008 When it comes to thinking about the dreaded inheritance tax, most people think they will be safe from it and don’t need to worry about how to distribute their assets upon their death. They believe the current threshold of £312,000 per person is m... http://www.financealley.com/article_516188_19.html 13th April 2008 The recent Bank of England interest rate cut comes as cold comfort to millions of homeowners who saw their mortgage payments rise in the weeks before the reduction, as UK banks and building societies are struggling in the wake of the global credit cr... http://www.financealley.com/article_509618_19.html 06th April 2008 Most businesses know the importance of letting current and potential customers know about their products. When companies first start out, they normally send out all their mail using the traditional postage stamp, and will most likely buy books of sta... http://www.financealley.com/article_508776_15.html 04th April 2008 Getting the right finance deal is as important as getting the right car, but while most people will search long and hard for their dream motor, many will not invest anywhere near the same amount of time and effort into finding the cheapest car financ... http://www.financealley.com/article_502736_19.html 01st April 2008 People looking to improve their credit rating should first of all familiarise themselves with their credit file. Credit reference agencies such as Experian, Equifax and CallCredit hold information about every financially active person in the UK, incl... http://www.financealley.com/article_498368_19.html 27th March 2008 Credit ratings are of huge importance and play a vital role when trying to obtain any form of credit. Credit scores range from the lowest at 300 up to the highest at 850, but it is a widely considered that a credit score of 680 or over will most like... http://www.financealley.com/article_495450_19.html 26th March 2008 Few people in the UK manage their finances perfectly, with unsecured and secured loans, credit cards and mortgages adding up to a nationwide debt of billions of pounds. However, through various ways, getting debt under control isn’t an impossible t... http://www.financealley.com/article_491213_19.html 19th March 2008 In recent years, in an effort to lure customers into signing up for a credit card, lending companies have turned to the actual design of the card in addition to offering lower interest rates and higher credit limits. When credit cards first appea... http://www.financealley.com/article_489721_19.html 12th March 2008 For years, thousands of European tourists have visited the beautiful island of Cyprus on vacation, returning over and over again, to see the stunning historic sites and basking in its incredible heat. It's no surprise now that they are taking the plu... http://www.financealley.com/article_489116_33.html 11th March 2008 Kevin Smith was born in Red Bank, New Jersey and attended school in both Jersey and New York before enrolling at the Vancouver Film School. However, half way through his studies, Smith decided to drop and out and took a partial reimbursement of his t... http://www.financealley.com/article_483422_19.html 28th February 2008