 |
|
|
|
|
Michael Challiner Profile and Articles
|
Display by:
Title |
Popularity |
51). Pet Insurance – What's The Point?
A survey published by Mintel recently revealed that 1 in 3 pets need an unplanned visit to the vet every year. So the odds that you'll be making a claim on your pet insurance are higher than the chances of you claiming on your home & contents policy or your motor insurance.
The word “unplanned” is key here. We don't mean routine treat...
52). Life Insurance and Life Assurance are not the same!
The average man in the street assumes that Life Insurance and Life Assurance are names for the same form of insurance. How wrong they are! But don't hang your head in shame, many financial commentators get it wrong too! Life Insurance and Life Assurance perform different financial roles and are poles apart in cost - so it helps to surf for the corr...
53). Critical Illness Insurance Do you really need it? Or is it a waste of time?
GREAT NEWS! There's now a one in five chance of you winning the lottery before you retire.
Getting excited? Think it's just a matter of time before you win? Think again, it's not going to happen - but it got you thinking!
Now think of the same odds but this time about bad news. There is a 1 in 5 chance f...
54). Pet Insurance. Podgy Pets Need A Diet Plan
Is your pet overweight? Four out of every ten pets are obese says one of the UK 's largest pet insurers.
Owners are overfeeding their dogs and cats with massive portions and fatty foods as well lots of treats from the table. This had led to a huge increase in the number of pet insurance claims for health problems brought on by obesity...
55). Car Insurance How Can I Lower My Premiums?
During the last few years, the average car insurance premium has virtually been at a stand still. The reason is price competition. There are now over 100 car insurance companies fighting for your business and competition is fierce. There are always bargains to be found as companies cut their premiums to attract motorists in the hope you'll remain l...
56). Car Insurance Top Tips
The car insurance industry has got really competitive in the last few years, so prices haven't really changed much. There are now over 100 car insurers to choose from, so there are some very good deals out there for those who are prepared to shop around. 23% of motorists still choose to insure with the same company as the year before, but they coul...
57). Remortgaging – Is It Still Worthwhile?
Mortgage lenders have a derogatory name for people who switch mortgage lenders to follow lower rates – they call them “Rate Tarts”. The author has a much more apt description – Shrewd Shoppers! After all, who spends more for exactly the same product, in this case money, when you can get it cheaper elsewhere? After all a £ from one lender as effecti...
58). Regulations Tighten On Interest Only Mortgages
More than 25% of homeowners are paying for their homes with an interest-only mortgage say the Abbey. The reason is obvious – their monthly payments are much less. For example, a £125,000 interest only mortgage at an interest rate of 5% and repayable in 25 years time, costs £525 per month - but on a repayment basis the monthly cost rises by £210 to ...
59). Remortgaging – Is It Worth Being A Rate Tart?
Mortgage lenders call people who switch mortgage lenders to follow lower rates ‘Rate Tarts’ – as if that’s going to put them off! These are tarts with brains (not hearts) as we all know that the best way to get the cheapest deal is to shop around, and that’s what they’re doing!
The mortgage lenders are in heavy competition with each o...
60). Mortgage Protection Insurance – The Essentials
It's tempting to sit back and relax once you've moved into your new home – but hang on, have you made sure that you're insured against all the risks that could stop you from paying your mortgage? Many things could go wrong and make it impossible for you to work, and in this article we go through each risk, and assess how important it is that you ta...
61). Pet Insurance – is it a waste of money?
According to a report published by research group Mintel, one in three pets needs an unforeseen visit to the vet each year. This implies you're more likely to make a claim on your pet insurance than on your car insurance or even your home & contents policy.
The word “unforeseen” is key here. If you're looking for pet insurance to prov...
62). Mortgages. Higher Lending Charges Are Outrageous.
After you scraped together a modest deposit for your new home you may think you're home and dry. Think again. On top of there's the surveyors and solicitors to pay. Then the government want a slice. You've got to pay stamp duty at 1% of the property's price (if the house costs more than £250,000 the rate of stamp duty increases – see the informatio...
63). Personal Finance. Credit Agencies Refused Access To Information About Student Loans
These days, when you apply for a mortgage, loan or other form of credit, the lending industry will automatically scrutinise your personal credit history. In practice, you hardly need to tell them anything as within a fraction of a second, the lenders computers will lock into your credit file held by any one of the big three credit agencies; Experia...
64). Loans Are Lenders Cheating On APR’s?
A pound from one lender is as good as a pound from another. So when you're shopping for a loan, the key issue becomes the interest rate. Consequently, when you read press advertisements and visit web sites, the Annual Percentage Rate of interest (APR) highly influences which lenders or loan brokers you apply to. After all, the government introduced...
65). Travel Insurance – do I need insurance for a holiday in the UK?
Last week my wife and I booked a two centre holiday on the Scottish Isles. Seven days on Skye and then a ferry over to Steornabhagh for a further seven days on the Isle of Lewis. Wonderful scenery, plenty of walks and masses of peace and quiet.
You could have blown me over when my local travel agent assumed that I wanted travel insura...
66). Travel Insurance. Also Get A European Health Insurance Card.
Hands up all those who remember the old E111 medical forms you were supposed to have if you travelled in Europe? I can see all those blank faces!
Well, great news is that it doesn't matter any more. The E111 form was replaced at the beginning of January 2006 by a new European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).
This EHIC is vali...
67). Should Your Life Insurance Policy Be Written In Trust?
According to one of the largest UK life insurance companies, just 1% of life policies are written in trust. That is disgraceful and reflects poorly on the financial industry.
Let's explain.
If your life insurance policy is “Written in Trust” then, in the event of a claim, the insurance company pays out directly to the be...
68). Travel Insurance – few bargains for the over 65's
At last you've retired. It's now time to relax and experience a slower pace of life. Even enjoy spot of gardening. But not all of today's modern over 65's have heard the message! Retirement is taking a new twist.
Less of the slower pace of life and substitute jetting around the world! International travel for the retired is here and b...
69). Mortgages And Loans. Islamic Finance Avoids Interest.
Two million Muslims in the UK face an ethical dilemma if they want a mortgage or a loan. Conventional mortgages and loans all require the payment of interest and “riba” as interest is called under Islamic law, is forbidden by the Koran.
British financial institutions are increasingly catering for Muslims' specialist needs through a num...
70). Loan cover – watch out for Payment Protection Sharks
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has been investigating the way Payment Protection Insurance is being sold by loan providers which include some of the UK's biggest banks and building societies. And it's big business. Sales of PPI as it's called, earn lenders more than £1billion a year.
PPI is designed to protect borrowers by pay...
71). Tell The Insurers Everything When You Apply For Life And Critical Illness Insurance.
The failure to disclose information, especially medical information, is the most common reason why an insurer will reject a claim on a life or critical illness policy. To help underline some issues, we want to tell you a true story - but we've concealed the policyholders' name and a few other aspects to preserve anonymity.
Mrs A was f...
72). Mortgages. First-Time Buyers Let Down By The Governments Homebuy Scheme.
Late last year, accompanied by the usual razzmatazz, Gordon Brown announced the Governments new “Open Market Homebuy” mortgage scheme for first-time buyers.
Under the Homebuy scheme, first time buyers take out a mortgage for 75% of a home's value with no deposit and the Government and the mortgage lender will in practice buy the remai...
73). Medical Insurance – Sorry, you're not covered!
In the UK around 7 million people spend around £3 billion a year on medical insurance. One in seven policies are taken out by individuals with the balance being put in place by their employers. The problem is that Medical Insurance is complex and few policyholders take the time to really study the details of their cover. As a result, many misunders...
74). Mortgage Payment Protection Insurance The Do's And Don'ts
When you've taken out a mortgage you've make a long-term commitment to maintain the monthly repayments for the full duration of the mortgage. That's going to be over many years but you're making that commitment without the benefit of a crystal ball – no one knows how your circumstances are going to change, for good or bad. So that must represent a ...
75). What Do The Terms APR, AER And EAR Mean?
Mortgage lenders have a derogatory name for people who switch mortgage lenders to follow lower rates – they call them “Rate Tarts”. The author has a much more apt description – Shrewd Shoppers! After all, who spends more for exactly the same product, in this case money, when you can get it cheaper elsewhere? After all a £ from one lender as effecti...
76). Tell The Truth With Life And Critical Illness Insurance
Insurers treat the non-disclosure of information on an application form very seriously indeed, and it is the most common cause for the rejection of a life or critical illness insurance claim. This true story explains that the situation isn’t always black and white, and demonstrates the severity of the penalty. We have changed some details to protec...
77). Travel Insurance – Is It Necessary For A UK-Based Holiday?
Just over a month ago, my boyfriend and I decided to visit the beautiful city of Edinburgh for our 5 year anniversary. We live in Dorset, so we didn’t want to spend the whole time travelling. To make the trip easier on ourselves, we decided to fly there, and used a travel agent to organise the week long holiday. Imagine my surprise when I saw an ad...
78). Proposed Changes Could Result In Lower Car Insurance Premiums
At the moment, the legal system in Britain forces all personal injury claims to go through the courts and be judged on an individual basis. Many of these claims crawl through the courts at a leisurely pace, the result being expensive court costs. Even worse, for every 0„51 that is paid out in compensation, it has been estimated that the legal prof...
79). The Offset Mortgage – Why Is It Growing In Popularity?
The biggest innovation in the mortgage market in recent years, the offset mortgage, is now starting to take a significant share of the market. Now, only six years after they were introduced, the offset and the current account mortgage account for 10% of all borrowed mortgage capital.
According to one of the UK's largest mortgage lende...
80). Payment Protection Insurance – Is It Worthwhile?
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has been looking into the issue of Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) and the way that it is sold to people taking out loans in the UK. The list includes many of the UK's biggest banks and building societies, and it is single-handedly earning lenders over £1 billion a year.
The point of PPI is th...
81). Personal Finance. Student Loans Debts Do Not Go On Your Credit Record.
Every time you apply for credit, for example a credit card or a loan, the lender will request to see your credit history from a credit reference agency. The information they hold is so detailed that there's really no need for us to fill out that long application form, because within a fraction of a second they can see all they need to know from Exp...
82). Offset Mortgages. A dream for well off homeowners.
Offset mortgages represent one of the biggest mortgage innovations seen in recent years. Six years ago there was hardly an offset mortgage to be seen. Now they and the current account mortgage, to which they are closely related, account for £10 out of every £100 of new lending.
What's more, one of the UK 's large lenders b...
83). Memo to myself – I need Keyman Insurance
Last month I had to drive down to London. I don't like driving at the best of times but the rain, spray and heavy traffic on the M1 made conditions difficult. Radio 2 kept me company and the heater kept me warm. Then I hit that queue - six miles solid and I was soon an hour behind schedule.
They were still clearing up the accident whe...
84). Medical Insurance. NHS Consultants Go Private!
The funding crisis in the National Health Service is so dire that at least 4,000 frontline jobs might be axed say the Royal College of Nursing. “There's no doubt that there will be an impact on patients”, says their spokesperson. “This is not the sort of thing that is going to be resolved by cutting back on chocolate biscuits in the boardroom. The ...
Browse Pages: [1] 2
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
