http://www.financealley.com en-us editorial@financealley.com There has been a reduction of almost 40% in the number of new loans for home buying being agreed in the last 12 months. Figures which the British Bankers Association refers to show that from 65,000 in April last year, the total of loans issued in April th... http://www.financealley.com/article_734132_19.html 04th January 2009 All responsible parents will do their best to guide their children’s progress through their earliest days, the first steps in education, teenage difficulties and so on. Various challenges will present themselves and will have to be overcome with carefu... http://www.financealley.com/article_734130_19.html 04th January 2009 It is no consolation whatsoever if you are facing the risk of your home being repossessed to be told that there are many thousands of others in the same traumatic position. There are also many in the worse position of having already lost their homes eithe... http://www.financealley.com/article_734129_19.html 04th January 2009 It is a reasonable guess that to many people the charity organisation ‘Shelter’ is the one to contact if you suddenly find yourself homeless for whatever reason. This is not strictly correct as their expertise should be requested when problems first a... http://www.financealley.com/article_734127_19.html 04th January 2009 There has long been an opinion amongst those with money to invest that property buying is often the best bet in the short term and definitely the route to follow for good long term returns. Recent years have done nothing to dispel the belief, and those wh... http://www.financealley.com/article_734126_19.html 04th January 2009 According to MGM Advantage, approximately five percent of us now prefer to keep our cash in the home rather than put it in a savings account. The company's recent Retirement Nation Study reveals that confidence in high street banks and building societies... http://www.financealley.com/article_719201_19.html 14th December 2008 Basically, credit referencing is the compilation of a credit report which refers to an individual person. This credit report contains a score which is then used, along with other criteria, by lenders to determine whether you are a good credit risk or not.... http://www.financealley.com/article_719200_19.html 14th December 2008 In today’s climate of credit crunch, nervous investment and the number of financial institutions that are going to the wall, it is not surprising that lenders want to cover their backs as much as possible. They need to be as sure as they can that borrow... http://www.financealley.com/article_719198_19.html 14th December 2008 Soldiers trying to get on the property ladder will be eligible for interest-free loans They are to be offered interest- free loans from the Government to help them climb onto the housing ladder. For the first time, service personnel who live in military... http://www.financealley.com/article_719197_19.html 14th December 2008 One in twenty cars on the road are being driven uninsured and a third of all drivers have at one time or another driven without insurance. And it’s a fact that uninsured drivers cause more accidents and are more likely to be involved in criminal activi... http://www.financealley.com/article_704469_19.html 02nd December 2008 Jeremy Clarkson recently asked everyone in his audience who considered themselves a conscientious safe driver, to put their hand up. A forest of hands appeared. But was everyone truthful? Even the most careful driver will have broken a speed limit at s... http://www.financealley.com/article_704467_19.html 02nd December 2008 Too many people are seriously injured or killed or on our roads each year in accidents involving drink-driving. It is currently estimate that around 3,000 people are killed or seriously injured each year on our roads in collisions where one or both of the... http://www.financealley.com/article_704464_19.html 02nd December 2008 This article is based on National UK Statistics Road Traffic, the Free Flow Vehicle Speeds and Road Congestion in Great Britain during 2007. These statistics are studied by the underwriters of car insurance at the UK’s largest insurance companies. Road... http://www.financealley.com/article_704461_19.html 02nd December 2008 Most people learn to drive between the ages of 17 and 25 and as soon as they’ve passed their driving test they think they’re 120% passed as competant drivers. They can take the world on at driving. They’re budding rally drivers and F1 proteges. The... http://www.financealley.com/article_704460_19.html 02nd December 2008 Depression is not by its very nature a happy subject, but with the pressures put upon us all in today’s world it is unfortunately only too common. To many people who have never experienced it, an instant cure should be possible simply by telling the suf... http://www.financealley.com/article_704289_19.html 01st December 2008 When the Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin died recently after he pulled a deadly stingray barb from his own chest, people not just in Australia, but the entire world grieved for the animal-loving icon. The tributes to Irwin came from far and wide with childre... http://www.financealley.com/article_704286_19.html 01st December 2008 A pension scheme is important to the individual, and most people are aware that if they have no other cover it is essential to initiate a scheme in preparation for later life. Really it has a close relative in life insurance, although the pension is tied ... http://www.financealley.com/article_704278_19.html 01st December 2008 Life insurance is a useful investment to have in your portfolio. It can give you peace of mind, with the knowledge that your family have been provided for in the event of your death. Alternatively it may provide you with a nest egg if you have chosen an e... http://www.financealley.com/article_704274_19.html 01st December 2008 In the extensive field which is insurance, life insurance stands out as one of a few which is usually taken out for someone else’s benefit. Insurance covering house, mortgage, valuables, travel etc. is intended to cover the holder against loss as a resu... http://www.financealley.com/article_704266_19.html 01st December 2008 If you want to pay less tax – and who doesn’t? – there is a new way of reducing your overall bill. And it is also a way to get really cheap life insurance. But before you rub your eyes and try to wake up, read on as we investigate whether this is as... http://www.financealley.com/article_703176_19.html 01st December 2008 Since the days of rationing in the 1940s and early 1950s the diet in this country has improved out of all recognition ……… and then slowly gone downhill. The ration limits of very small amounts of fatty foods (no butter at all), along with miniscule ... http://www.financealley.com/article_703171_19.html 01st December 2008 Much has been written about critical illness (CI) products over the past couple of years. This has highlighted both negatives and positives about the complicated type of insurance cover. Research has shown there is a lack of trust in some of claim proc... http://www.financealley.com/article_703167_19.html 01st December 2008 Who is buying buy- to-let property? Apparently many of the purchases come from small investors, with 45% of landlords owning just one property. 75% of landlords own four or less properties When it comes to who rents these properties, it seems that mos... http://www.financealley.com/article_703165_19.html 01st December 2008 Rising interest rates may strike fear in the hearts of would-be first time buyers, but what about the buy-to-let enthusiasts? We have seen some significant changes in the way buy-to-let mortgages are being sold and there are some interesting and fresh pro... http://www.financealley.com/article_703159_19.html 01st December 2008 Pension term assurance is a product which pension companies have introduced as a result of the April 2006 budget. This tax perk was hardly noticed at first, but the full implications are that millions of people can now gain from big savings on life insura... http://www.financealley.com/article_703065_19.html 01st December 2008 When the London bombings occurred on July 7th in 2005, many people felt a sense of unease and concern about living in Great Britain’s capital. There were reports that people were too frightened to use the underground train network and then of course the... http://www.financealley.com/article_703062_19.html 01st December 2008 Life insurance is a requirement for anyone with a family, to ensure that when you are gone they are not left destitute and relying on government handouts. If however your job can be classed as ‘dangerous’ then life insurance is a must from the outse... http://www.financealley.com/article_703061_19.html 01st December 2008 One of the most tragic disasters that can happen to a family is the death of a parent. From an emotional point of view it is devastating, but if that person is the one the family depend upon for their financial well-being it can be a financial disaster to... http://www.financealley.com/article_703060_19.html 01st December 2008 It is too easy to view the Americans as a nation of the overweight, but ignore the fact that the citizens of the UK are heading in the same direction. We don’t seem to do too well in sport these days, but look set to be world beaters for weight gain fro... http://www.financealley.com/article_703059_19.html 01st December 2008 Very few people have sufficient assets to enable them to plough along through life, without making provision for their dependents to continue with their present standard of living when the principal earner is gone. However there are many who seem to have ... http://www.financealley.com/article_699781_19.html 01st December 2008 More and more people are jumping on the buy-to-let bandwagon. With experienced landlords adding to their property portfolios, increasing demand from tenants and attractive buy-to-let mortgage rates, this might be a good time to consider this type of inve... http://www.financealley.com/article_698711_19.html 30th November 2008 There’s a lot of talk about re-mortgaging at present. If you’re settled into your mortgage, you may think that it’s too much trouble and not for you, but it’s something that maybe you ought to consider. Unless your mortgage is minimal, there shoul... http://www.financealley.com/article_698707_19.html 30th November 2008 Property booms are a real shot in the arm for those already nearing the top of the housing ladder. They’ve seen their property prices rise higher than they’d have dared to hope. The cost of borrowing has been low and house values wonderfully high. Lif... http://www.financealley.com/article_698704_19.html 30th November 2008 Buying and selling your home isn’t always as easy as everyone thinks it should be. Just when offers have been made and accepted, tentative removal dates discussed and everything seems to be going along fine, quite often something goes wrong. This can le... http://www.financealley.com/article_698701_19.html 30th November 2008 Although it may seem difficult to believe, recent increases in interest rates and the resulting black clouds over would-be home buyers may show a silver lining for buy to let investors. Results of research carried out by a leading specialist in buy-to... http://www.financealley.com/article_698699_19.html 30th November 2008 The story of the endowment mortgage is now written into the history of house purchase in the UK – and engraved into the memories of those unfortunate buyers, whose hopes of easing the financial strain of buying a home came to nought. Having said that, t... http://www.financealley.com/article_694198_19.html 26th November 2008 Since 1970, the average house price in the UK has increased over 35 times. The cost of the average house in 1982 was just over £26,000 – twenty five years later this has risen to almost £185,000. Nowadays, mortgages come in all shapes and sizes and... http://www.financealley.com/article_693472_19.html 25th November 2008 It’s an old saying that there are two certainties in life – death and taxes – and there is definitely a ring of truth in this, but the real misfortune is when the two combine. You work hard all your life and manage to put aside a little money to pas... http://www.financealley.com/article_693423_19.html 25th November 2008 Most critical illness insurance policies automatically insure your children but with a lower level of benefits than the main policyholders cover. But don’t under-estimate this cover as it is invaluable, especially if your child becomes critically ill an... http://www.financealley.com/article_693288_19.html 24th November 2008 Critical insurance is a useful backup to have in the event of becoming ill. But twenty percent of all claims against it are turned down – which means that one in five of those who take out critical illness cover are not getting the insurance they pay fo... http://www.financealley.com/article_684238_19.html 10th November 2008 Consider your home – how would it look without your presence? Rather empty? The loss of one person can make such a difference. Now consider the family finances and how they would look without you. Rather empty? The loss of one source of income can make ... http://www.financealley.com/article_684145_19.html 10th November 2008 With the buy-to-let market gaining in popularity and many new investors coming into the market, here’s some important information for you. If you’re considering taking on the role of landlord, you’ll be pleased to hear of some long overdue chang... http://www.financealley.com/article_683996_19.html 10th November 2008 A mortgage, especially a first one, can be something of a burden. The need to raise the funds every month to pay the due instalment can loom very large in financial thinking. So why even consider re-mortgaging? There can be one or more of several reason... http://www.financealley.com/article_683195_19.html 05th November 2008 Rental incomes from residential properties are not keeping pace with rising property prices. Back in the good old days of 2001 many landlords were achieving rental income equal to 10 per cent of the purchase price of the property. This has fallen to aroun... http://www.financealley.com/article_683143_19.html 05th November 2008 Results of a recent survey reveal an amazing fact. Over 33% of UK parents are without life insurance. This is a frightening fact. It’s doubtful that this lack of insurance is the result of a conscious decision not to insure, but more of a “one day... http://www.financealley.com/article_683121_66.html 05th November 2008 Not everyone needs life insurance. If you don’t have any debts or maybe only minimal ones which would be covered by your disposable assets should you die, then you’re fine. Not everyone has dependants and as long as there would be enough funds to se... http://www.financealley.com/article_683081_66.html 05th November 2008 If you’re on the lookout for a mortgage, there’s a bewildering choice and the main element you’re going to need is advice. Luckily, there’s plenty of that too, but before you ask for it, you may like to familiarize yourself with some of the jargon... http://www.financealley.com/article_682925_19.html 05th November 2008 Are you looking for a mortgage? You may be pleasantly surprised to find out what’s on offer. Gone are the days when the only option was a 25 year loan at a standard variable interest rate. Today’s mortgage market is varied and inspirational and due t... http://www.financealley.com/article_680291_19.html 31st October 2008 PPI or Payment Protection Insurance is a product designed to guarantee loan repayment if the insured is unable to honour their repayment obligation due to sickness or unemployment. The basic idea seems sound, but the product has a history of mis-selling b... http://www.financealley.com/article_679180_19.html 30th October 2008 Author: Dot Piper Recent hiccups in UK borrowing costs have resulted in some widely diverse newspaper headlines. Two of these which have appeared in the past day or so certainly demonstrate this: “HOUSE PRICES SET TO FALL” said one “HOUSE PRICES ... http://www.financealley.com/article_679105_19.html 30th October 2008