http://www.financealley.com en-us editorial@financealley.com Credit card usage has changed significantly since they were first introduced to the UK just over 40 years ago and now a new technological development is set to further alter the way people use their plastic. There are currently over 31.6million credit ... http://www.financealley.com/article_687653_19.html 17th November 2008 There was once a time that equipping an office with all the essentials meant purchasing a lot of different hardware and then trying to find a suitable space for it all. With the advances in technology it’s now possible to combine your essential day... http://www.financealley.com/article_576367_15.html 15th July 2008 The internet has perhaps had more influence on modern culture than anything else. It has shaped the way the entire world interacts and communicates with each other and it enables a far greater level of autonomy, as people no longer have to rely on â€... http://www.financealley.com/article_576216_19.html 15th July 2008 Much of modern life centres on the notion of ‘living for today’ and not worrying too much about what tomorrow may bring. And to an extent, this attitude is based on sound principals given that much of what the future holds is completely outwith o... http://www.financealley.com/article_575503_19.html 14th July 2008 Although they’ve had hard times for the past few years the tide is finally turning in favour of savers and investors, and rather perversely it’s due to the onset of the credit crunch. Many retired people reliant on monthly interest payments to fu... http://www.financealley.com/article_558233_19.html 19th June 2008 Although they’ve had hard times for the past few years the tide is finally turning in favour of savers and investors, and rather perversely it’s due to the onset of the credit crunch. Many retired people reliant on monthly interest payments to fu... http://www.financealley.com/article_558214_19.html 19th June 2008 For most people a mortgage is the biggest sum of money they will ever deal with in their life. With this in mind it’s important that the right mortgage product is chosen not just for the short term but also the long term too. Many mortgages have ti... http://www.financealley.com/article_558035_19.html 19th June 2008 Following the recent credit-crunch, caused by the 2007 American sub-prime mortgage crisis, banks have become increasingly wary of entering into mortgage deals with consumers. The number of approved mortgages in the UK dropped to an all-time low in ... http://www.financealley.com/article_557241_19.html 18th June 2008 While many businesses start life by doing everything for themselves, there comes a time when it isn’t the most cost effective way to carry on working. If you find you are starting to struggle to get everything done each day, then it might be time ... http://www.financealley.com/article_552668_15.html 09th June 2008 Whether you’re applying for a personal loan to fund a dream holiday or a new family car, switching credit cards to consolidate debts, to take advantage of a 0% introductory offer, or whether you’re a first-time buyer looking to mortgage your new ... http://www.financealley.com/article_548636_19.html 28th May 2008 If you have ever been stuck in a traffic jam (and who hasn’t?) you will know exactly how frustrating it can be. You’ll be sitting bumper-to-bumper with dozens of other cars and nothing to do except sit and wait for the queue to start moving. ... http://www.financealley.com/article_540959_19.html 20th May 2008 You are not alone if, like many UK consumers, you are anxious to consolidate your financial situation to fend off the anticipated hard times ahead. But, do you realise just how important your personal credit rating is when it comes to applying for mo... http://www.financealley.com/article_539903_19.html 20th May 2008 Only one year after being the target of an abortive take-over attempt by London insurer Revolution, Standard Life has stunned market analysts by announcing a 64% rise in its profits. In addition to the announced annual results it was the best perf... http://www.financealley.com/article_536118_19.html 13th May 2008 With-profits funds had suffered a decline in popularity over the last decade due to stock market uncertainty and doubts about the value of the product. However, now could be the ideal time for savvy investors to reconsider investing in them, accordi... http://www.financealley.com/article_535239_19.html 11th May 2008 According to newly unveiled research almost two-thirds of UK mortgage holders have no life cover, and half of those who do are inadequately insured to cover the outstanding balance of the home loan. These findings have prompted real concern at the... http://www.financealley.com/article_531348_19.html 08th May 2008 The ambitious Portuguese boss of the Abbey believes he will turn the former building society into a fully fledged commercial bank by 2012, and has no qualms about taking on the UK’s biggest banks to achieve his aim. Abbey’s chief executive Ant... http://www.financealley.com/article_531083_19.html 08th May 2008 It appears that it’s not all doom and gloom for the entire financial services industry as the global credit crunch continues to bite. Despite credit card applications being declined in record numbers and mortgage products suffering dramatic drops i... http://www.financealley.com/article_530329_19.html 07th May 2008 Mail on Sunday columnist Lauren Booth decided at the start of 2008 she could do without her credit cards, and in a symbolic gesture cut up all her plastic with the biggest pair of scissors she could find. However, her attempt to live in the moder... http://www.financealley.com/article_529577_19.html 06th May 2008 There are several ways to safeguard maximum financial security, regardless of where the economy goes. The first sure fire way to save money for the future is to reduce your expenses now. Revising your attitude towards spending and exercising caution ... http://www.financealley.com/article_526226_19.html 29th April 2008 For many people, private medical insurance has traditionally been seen as a luxury expense that only the wealthy can afford. However, the reality these days tells a different story; with NHS waiting lists becoming longer and longer for even the simpl... http://www.financealley.com/article_526147_19.html 29th April 2008 It might seem like a disaster at first, but discovering that your home requires some urgent renovation work needn't be upsetting. While it will undoubtedly involve a lot of hard work, look upon it as an opportunity to transform your home and add con... http://www.financealley.com/article_522902_19.html 25th April 2008 Comprehensive private medical insurance plans can be expensive; but if you are one of those people who are on a budget, there are other ways to protect yourself should the unexpected happen. For instance, some health insurance providers offer lowe... http://www.financealley.com/article_522777_19.html 25th April 2008 It seems that insurance can be bought for just about every conceivable device or potential eventuality. In the news, celebrities insure those body parts for which they are famous, while the latest games consoles, PCs and even watches are subject to ... http://www.financealley.com/article_522667_19.html 25th April 2008 Most people think that they will be lucky enough not to fall victim to an accident. But the truth is that accidents can and do happen to anybody at anytime - usually when least expected. For example, did you know that in the UK every year 2.7 millio... http://www.financealley.com/article_521569_18.html 24th April 2008 Rapidly escalating prices have contributed to a jump in the number of people seeking help from Citizen’s Advice, with a significant amount seeking specific advice on dealing with mortgage arrears. The number of homeowners seeking help is now est... http://www.financealley.com/article_520467_19.html 18th April 2008 You’ve worked hard in pursuit of your dream motor. You’ve done your research and test driven scores of cars and now all that remains is the formality of getting your application for used car credit approved. But, there’s a problem. The salesman... http://www.financealley.com/article_519353_19.html 17th April 2008 A new survey has revealed that British ex-pats enjoy more than just extra sun when they move to distant climes. The NatWest International Personal Banking (NatWest IPB) Expat Wealth Ranking Survey found that Brits moving abroad typically earn £67,00... http://www.financealley.com/article_518299_19.html 16th April 2008 Making a will isn’t on anyone’s top ten lists of enjoyable things to do at the weekend. But it’s a necessary task if we want to make sure the right things go to the right people when we die. Not everyone will have a complicated will – som... http://www.financealley.com/article_517739_19.html 16th April 2008 It seems strange to be thinking about retirement when the event itself is still decades away. But in actual fact the best time to start preparing for the years after your working life is over is now. The most important aspect to consider is your ... http://www.financealley.com/article_515618_19.html 11th April 2008 Men have a greater propensity to store away their cash in savings accounts than women, it has been revealed. Research conducted by Yorkshire Building Society shows that men are 50 per cent more likely than women to have a savings account with at leas... http://www.financealley.com/article_515353_19.html 10th April 2008 In Britain there is a 17% gap between men and women working fulltime and 38% when working part time. But current laws only provides for equal pay rights where the difference in pay is due to sexual discrimination. From April 06 to March 07 there... http://www.financealley.com/article_509742_18.html 06th April 2008 Cheap credit has been available for so many years in the UK that many people have now accepted it as the norm. However, recent events in the global economy could prompt the end of low-cost lending, and bring with it a culture shock for many. Trad... http://www.financealley.com/article_503923_19.html 02nd April 2008 Giving financial independence to a young child may at first seem like a maniacal idea, but according to the majority of Independent Financial Advisors the strategy usually pays off in the long-run. Allowing children to take control of their money not... http://www.financealley.com/article_488320_19.html 10th March 2008 The recent credit crunch and subsequent economic uncertainty has led many people to question the country's spending habits - and wonder if the time is about to come when borrowers start to pay. However, new statistics have revealed that Britons are a... http://www.financealley.com/article_486543_19.html 07th March 2008 British consumers are burying their heads in the sand by choosing not to sort out their finances in 2008 and instead choosing more seemingly exciting activities, according to a new study. Just under half will be scared to open their bills in the firs... http://www.financealley.com/article_484552_19.html 03rd March 2008 A couple of decades ago, French property was the top choice for people investing their money; old farmhouses, rustic mountain chalets and slick inner-city pads could be picked up for a reasonable price and the market was growing. As the prices rose, ... http://www.financealley.com/article_482728_33.html 27th February 2008 Business is booming in Dubai and many Britons are heading out there to work. But, anyone thinking of working there must familiarise themselves with the cultural etiquette before starting work there, if they are to avoid insulting Dubai nationals, or ... http://www.financealley.com/article_479875_15.html 23rd February 2008 Derision of public sector management practices is common in the private sector and the media, but last week, a survey by research firm Roffey Park, showed that public sector managers are beginning to chime in. The Management Agenda 2008 survey, com... http://www.financealley.com/article_468976_19.html 06th February 2008 UK life insurance companies are becoming so concerned at the amount of false claims that they have issued a reminder to would-be fraudsters of the existence of the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB), first launched in 2006. The life insurance industry i... http://www.financealley.com/article_468270_19.html 05th February 2008 The UK risks slipping into recession in the next two years, according to authors of the Deloitte Economic Review; and even if that gloomy forecast doesn’t transpire, the best we can hope for is the weakest economic growth in the last 15 years. T... http://www.financealley.com/article_466506_19.html 02nd February 2008 'Maxed Out: Hard Times, Easy Credit and the Era of Predatory Lenders' is a documentary and accompanying book released by American director and author James Scurlock and is a stark reminder of the ubiquity of credit cards. Released to critical acc... http://www.financealley.com/article_460152_19.html 24th January 2008 Kevin Smith’s 'Clerks', released in 1994 and now considered a modern-day classic, started off as an idea while Smith was an employee at the Quick Stop convenience store and RST Video in his native New Jersey. Inspired by Richard Linklater’s 'Sla... http://www.financealley.com/article_459973_19.html 24th January 2008 Using credit cards has become a part of everyday life in the 21st century. People no longer have to bring cash with them when they go shopping, regardless of what they’re buying. Some people do it for the convenience of not carrying cash; others ... http://www.financealley.com/article_459486_19.html 24th January 2008 A new study has revealed just how valuable the contents of a women's handbag are - which could have serious implications for many people's home contents insurance. According to Legal & General, the value of the contents of a woman's handbag could... http://www.financealley.com/article_459432_19.html 24th January 2008 The realisation that small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) can win business online means that a growing number of firms are turning to the internet to launch marketing campaigns, it has been claimed. According to E-consultancy, an online publis... http://www.financealley.com/article_252169_15.html 18th January 2008 Many in the UK life insurance industry believe that too many couples are opting for joint life assurance or insurance when they would be better off taking out two single-life policies. Indeed, independent company Lifesearch has gone so far as to sugg... http://www.financealley.com/article_252069_19.html 18th January 2008 Small business owners who despair that they will not be able to compete with their larger counterparts in the jobs market have been reassured that there are ways in which firms can differentiate themselves and appear more attractive to prospective em... http://www.financealley.com/article_252054_15.html 18th January 2008 Most Britons aspire to owning their own home, and those about to get on the first step of the property ladder need to ensure that they have all the relevant insurances against mishaps, not just those relating to the home but also to the homeowner. ... http://www.financealley.com/article_252018_19.html 18th January 2008 Entrepreneurship in the UK could be affected by the recent credit crunch, it has been claimed. According to Richard Litchfield, managing director of small business support service Eastside Consulting, a lack of credit and the high cost of borrowing m... http://www.financealley.com/article_251454_15.html 18th January 2008 Recent research by the Abbey has discovered that over 3million people will transfer credit card balances in the first three months of 2008, with men transferring the biggest balances. The average balance switched from interest-bearing credit cards... http://www.financealley.com/article_251432_19.html 18th January 2008