Summary: Talk Money Blog » Money Saving Advice
Mark Aucamp, the principal author of the Talk Money Blog, provides free expert financial advice on Saving Money to all visitors to this site
Insolvency Alternatives Insolvencyis fast becoming a catch word in
these tough economic times. There a growing number of individuals
and companies that have become financially insolvent. While
insolvency can eventually lead to bankruptcy—and in turn the loss
of your personal assets and any company you own—there are a few
measures you can take to repay your debt during this time period,
protect your personal assets, and get your finances back on
track. Liberate yourself from debt with one of these
insolvency management options: Insolvency Alternatives – Informal
Arrangements Informal arrangements are a viable option for
individuals who are facing short-term financial difficulties.
Perhaps you were laid off, used the money for an emergency, or have
fallen behind on payments due to illness. If you are likely to
regain financial stability soon and/or are able to make smaller
payments, you may be able to reach an agreement with your creditors
that allows you to temporarily delay or decrease the amount you
must pay each month. You may also be able to ask them to freeze
your interest during this time period. Be careful in
implementing this approach because informal arrangements are not
legally binding contracts. Your creditors may end the agreement
[...]
Date Published: May 30, 2012 - 3:16 am
Brief History of Banking and Saving Accounts The history of banking
and saving accounts in the UK can be traced back to Roman conquest
of Britain in AD 43. The effects of banking introduced by the
Romans can still be seen in Britain today and around the world.
Modern banking is said to have developed in importance when the
goldsmith bankers came to light after King Charles I apprehended
the gold deposits in the Tower of London during the English Civil
War. At the time this was considered to be a safe place for the
landed gentry and the aristocracy of the day to place their
valuables, gold and money for safe keeping. In the late 18th and
early 19th Century there were no facilities for poor people to save
their money as the banks were not interested in accepting small
deposits from thousands of investors as they were only interested
in large deposits from the rich. Saving Banks as they were known
offered saving accounts, they had evolved during the financial
decline and poverty of the 1800’s. The customers who used the
saving accounts offered by the saving banks were considered to be
some of the poorest people in [...]
Date Published: May 18, 2012 - 8:33 am
How To Compare Car Insurance Quotes Do you remember how awkward it
was to compare car insurance quotes for your car years ago when
your car insurance renewal notice arrived. You literally had to set
aside a full day for ringing round various insurers, or taking a
trip to your local insurance broker, to try to find cheapest car
insurance? Now, of course, most people shop online for car
insurance quotes. Some insurance companies do not feature on
comparison websites, so if you want to get a true overview of
online car insurance you should check their direct websites too
(some have special offers that are worth the extra time spent
investigating). But if you choose to compare car insurance quotes
using car insurance comparison sites, you will always find a better
deal? On the one hand, it could be that the increased use of
comparison sites has pushed the cost of car insurance up because of
course insurance companies have to pay a fee to feature on the
comparison site websites. That fee is more likely to end up
being passed onto the customer than affecting the company’s profit
and loss account. Compare Car Insurance Quotes And Find The [...]
Date Published: May 14, 2012 - 10:10 am
Amazing Tips For Paying Off Credit Card Debt If you have credit
card debt, there are a few different options for paying it off. If
your balance is spread over several cards, consider transferring
all your credit card debt onto one card. This can be your current
card with the lowest rate, or if you have a good credit rating you
could try and apply for a new card with 0% balance transfer rating,
or one that advertises a low APR for the life of the card. Ensure
that you apply for a large enough limit to cover your other cards,
and bear in mind sometimes you can get cashback offers so take
advantage of this and use it for an extra payment towards the
credit card debt. Credit Card Debt = Debt Consolidation Loan? In a
similar light, you could apply for a debt consolidation loan. Debt
consolidation loans often have lower interest rates than credit
cards but are fixed-period and therefore do not have the
flexibility of credit cards. Ensure that if you take out a loan for
consolidation purposes that you do not simply run up the debt on
the cards again, and be especially careful secured [...]
Date Published: Apr 18, 2012 - 3:49 am
Online Cash Advances If you have poor credit and you think that
means you cannot borrow money, then think again as online cash
advances allow you to do both. You might be like millions of others
in the Commonwealth. You have a less-than-perfect credit score, and
as such have been turned down for credit cards and possibly other
types of loans as well. Then when some emergency expenses hit –
legal fees, high utility costs, a sudden wedding (yikes!) – You are
left asking, how will you pay for this? How online cash advances
work It helps to understand how online cash advances work.
Essentially, they are payday loans. But that term is more often
associated with hole-in-the-wall stores in dicey neighbourhoods.
Payday loans are now online, a perfectly legitimate industry
with clear loan terms that explain, right there on your computer
screen, and how the loan works. It basically goes like this: Sign
on to the payday loans lender website. Complete the application
(takes about ten minutes). Get your loan confirmation instantly
(about 85% of applicants are successful at getting loans worth up
to £1500). Your money arrives in your bank account in one hour. Use
the money as [...]
Date Published: Apr 17, 2012 - 1:54 pm
Car Parts Online Save You Time And Money Today you can get car
parts online, I doubt if the legendary inventer Henry Ford the
founder of the Ford motor car company could ever of dreamed that
you could order a part for your Ford motor car online and have it
delivered to your home. A hundred and nine years on Henry Fords’
revolutionary motor car company has gone from strength to strength.
Henry Ford is also legendary because he understood pretty early
that it would be quite reasonable to pay a good salary to workers.
Once he substantiated this by a phrase: “Cars do not buy
cars”. Currently Ford motor cars are the largest automobile
manufacturer in the world. The assortment is very wide – from motor
cars to off-road vehicles. Discover The Best Priced Car Parts
Online Ford auto parts won’t be cheap if you order them from the
authorized dealers. You should consider buying your car parts
online. If you are a garage then you can often get a
better price than the general public. But the best way is to search
the Ford parts you need in the Internet. Prices in the global
network are quite low. In [...]
Date Published: Mar 28, 2012 - 9:21 am
UK Debt Statistics Suggests We Are In Love With Our Credit Cards UK
Debt Statistics show us as a nation of chronic debtors, in love
with a plastic culture that encourages spending beyond our means.
UK Debt Statistics from Credit Action reveal outstanding personal
debt stood at £1.456 trillion at the end of January 2012. This is
up from £1.452 trillion at the end of January 2011. Shockingly,
Credit Action reports “The average amount owed per UK adult
(including mortgages) was £29,634 in January. This was around 122%
of average earnings.” Living the high life has led many to become
unstuck, and they now languish in the financial doldrums with a
depleted credit score. Uk Debt statistics suggests a poor credit
rating can be a crippling financial burden, limiting a person’s
financial options and costing them money. A great many of the
financial services that we take for granted rely on our ability to
gain credit. Imagine how difficult life would be if you are unable
to sign a contract for a mobile phone or get access to the
Internet. All kinds of companies from mortgage lenders to car
dealers will not deal with those with poor credit ratings. Top
[...]
Date Published: Mar 28, 2012 - 3:08 am
Who Can Use A Short Term Loan Anyone can apply for a short term
loan as long as they are over the age of eighteen. A short term
loan is often referred to as payday loan or cash advance and they
are generally very easy to obtain from a loan provider. Today short
term loan providers are part of a rapidly growing finance industry
in the UK. The number of payday loans being used by the public has
increased significantly in the last few years. It is estimated that
the average payday loan is around £300 and the people borrowing the
money earn below £25,000 pa. Short Term Loan Is Secured By Your
Next Pay Packet A short term loan is secured by the borrower
against their next wage payment. The normal period of a short term
loan is up to 31days. As the term suggests they are a loans for a
short term period and should not for a long periods of time. The
reason for this is due to the high cost of borrowing the money
which is on average around 1737% per year although interest rates
of 4,214% are not unheard of. A Short Term Loan Is [...]
Date Published: Mar 20, 2012 - 9:20 am
Saving Money Today Saving money is not always easy as it’s
inevitable that most of us will fall on tough financial times
during our lives. Today unlike any other time in the last ninety
years we have our economy in the doldrums, unemployment on the rise
and our government introducing tough austerity programs. Everybody
seems to be making cutbacks in their personal finances in order to
survive and maintain their standard of living. Gone are the days
when people would brag as to how much they had paid for a pair of
jeans and the more expensive the better they felt. Today people are
more likely to tell you what a great bargain they found and how
much they had saved when buying a pair of jeans. What a contrast we
have seen in attitudes in the last 30 years. However, saving money
by cutting back isn’t all about eating beans on toast by yourself,
staring at a wall and dreaming of better days. If research is to be
believed then an annual income of around £48,000 ceases to make
people any happier. Saving money has the potential to put this
lesson into practice – and teach you how you [...]
Date Published: Mar 15, 2012 - 12:47 pm
Fixed Rate Mortgage used in a Recession Your fixed rate mortgage is
generally the last thing on most peoples minds. Difficult economic
times cause most consumers to feel uncertain about everything from
price inflation to security of employment. Many homebuyers may feel
reluctant to take on a variable rate mortgage since an increase in
interest rates could make the payments unaffordable. A better
option during times of austerity is a fixed rate mortgage.
Mortgages with fixed rates guarantee borrowers a set monthly
payment – this provides peace of mind. Should the inflation rate
increase dramatically, the price of food and utilities are likely
to increase, but a borrower with a fixed rate mortgage will see no
rise in his mortgage payments. In addition, those payments are
likely to become more affordable over time. This will happen
because the economy usually experiences at least a small amount of
annual inflation. As price levels rise, incomes also tend to
increase. With a fixed mortgage, the borrower will have more
disposable income than before. This effect is not usually seen with
an adjustable rate mortgage, because interest rates and inflation
rates often increase together. Higher payments resulting from
higher interest rates will eliminate [...]
Date Published: Mar 05, 2012 - 1:40 pm