Find a Low Cost Loan

In their Christmas poll, Fairinvestment.co.uk recently revealed that more than a quarter of people questioned are not anxious about money in the run up to Christmas, despite unemployment and living costs rising. Cutbacks and restrictions on finances are out of the question for several this Christmas.

The survey questioned how people intended to pay for Christmas and found that for 28 per cent of respondents, money will not be a concern despite the current economic situation. 14 per cent of those surveyed had already purchased everything in preparation for Christmas. That said, an equal proportion of respondents said that they had no idea how they were going to pay for Christmas. 12 percent of respondents will be using their savings to pay for Christmas and 10 per cent are cutting back to pay for the celebrations.

Some will be relying on credit to fund Christmas using credit cards, and two per cent said that they would be taking out a loan.

Commenting on the statistics, spokesperson for Fairinvestement.co.uk, Rachael Stiles said: “It is good to see that the festive period has not been spoilt by the credit crunch for most people. Christmas can be a drain on the finances but it seems that money is not an issue for more than a quarter of people.

“It can help to buy things through the year and spread the cost of Christmas, as it would seem the 14 per cent of people who have already bought everything must have done.

“Putting money into a savings account throughout the year is another sensible option which a number of people seem to have done this year.”

“Credit through cards and loans can be handy at Christmas, but it is important to shop around and compare a range of deals because rates and repayment periods vary from one lender to the next.

“And remember that everything you borrow you will have to pay back with interest so don’t go mad or January could be a very bleak month.”

Homeowners who have run up debts on credit cards or personal loans in the run up to Christmas could consider consolidating these with a secured loan in the new year. One of many options to consolidate debt, a secured loan can be repaid over a term to suit the borrower from 5 to 25 years. When repaying borrowing over a longer term, it should be remembered that this may increase overall interest charges.

Related posts:

1. Credit Crunch Aware Recent news from LV has revealed that 5.4 million children...
2. Unwanted gifts recycled in a bid to beat the credit crunch this Christmas In the midst of the credit crunch, many Brits would...
3. A Thrifty Christmas is on the Cards for Many Christmas is coming and the credit crunch is biting; a...

The Norwich Union recently reported key diary dates for the year ahead. The dates target homes and cars and are based on claims data from 1998 – 2007. Supposedly, January 2nd is the pits when it comes to household water leaks. Washing machines, baths and showers are typical offenders. Car accident claims also increase in the month of January, with an average increase of 25%.

Once spring starts to arrive, evenings become lighter and so garden thefts rise. Once the clocks go forward, thefts outside homes rise by over 25%. Thieves typically target bikes, lawnmowers, garden tools and children’s toys and the average claim totals around £850. May Day bank holiday brings its share of troubles with accidental damage in and around the house increasing. Children are the main culprits spilling drinks, slipping on toys and damaging computers.

During summer months, fire claims increase as the sunshine comes out and people get into the spirit of barbecuing. Bike owners are encouraged not to leave expensive cycles on the lawn as thefts increase during the light evenings.

As for dangers inside the home, the likelihood of water leaks increases over the summer months. Increased use of showers, baths and air conditioning units put pressure on leaky hot spots. Furthermore, plastic pipes are increasingly likely to break as the temperature rises.

Later on in the year, as the clocks go back, burglary rates by 5% in the week after the clocks go back compared to the week before. The worst day of the year for malicious damage to homes is Halloween. As for burglary, November 5th is the worst day of the year.

Home-owners who are considering carrying out home improvements to increase security in their home, such as fitting new windows and outer doors, and who are looking for the finances to do this, could consider taking out a secured loan. A secured loan could not only help pay for new windows and doors, but could also be used to improve security outside your actual house. For example securing sheds and fences may also be considered as part of a household security overhaul.

A secured loan could also be considered for home-owners wanting to take advantage of the good summer weather in order to carry out vital home improvements such as redoing plumbing and heating ready for the colder winter months. Secured loans can usually be repaid over a term to suit the borrower from 5 to 25 years, it is however important to remember that repaying borrowing over a longer term may increase overall interest charges.

Related posts:

1. Opportunistic thieves take advantage of summer weather. Homeowners have recently been urged by Nationwide Building Society to...
2. Homeowners’ gardens and houses suffer as Britain heats up As warm summer weather is just around the corner thirsty...
3. Home owner loans for garden revamp Proud homeowners are spending a huge amount of money on...

Recent research from Halifax has revealed that many of us anticipate our stockings be filled with money rather than traditional gifts this Christmas. In total, 35% of Britons are sending money as a present this year, and many children will also be receiving money which will be placed into a savings account rather than getting the latest toys and gadgets from high street stores.

Of those surveyed, 11 percent said that they will save all money they receive as gifts this Christmas. A further 31 per cent said that they will save some of it. 36 per cent of people would think about opening a children’s savings account as a present for a child and 31 per cent of those surveyed said that they or their relatives put money into children’s savings accounts for Christmas every year.

According to the Halifax, encouraging saving from an early age can be vitally important for future savings habits. The survey found that Grandparents are now less likely to put money into children’s savings accounts, compared to 16 -24 years olds. When it comes to the regions, those living in London are least likely to put money into an account for children.

Ken Stannard, head of Halifax savings, said: “Our research shows that a large number of people like to receive money at Christmas time. It is great to see that many people will be putting at least some of that money aside. By saving regularly and then adding a lump sum at Christmas and/or birthdays, savers can build a pot of money that can be put aside for a rainy day.

“It is even more encouraging that friends and families are opening and funding savings accounts for their children/grandchildren. By involving children in this process it can build healthy saving habits that will play an important part in their future.”

Those who have spent up over the festive season and find that they have several credit and store card bills as a consequence of Christmas spending, may wish to give their finances a review in the new year. Home-owners could consider a secured loan to consolidate debt. With a secured loan, borrowers will know the exact day and date repayments have to be made each month, lessening the necessity to juggle multiple repayments on existing credit card debts. One of many options to consolidate debts, secured loans may be repaid over a term to suit the borrower from 5 to 25 years. It should be remembered that repaying borrowing over a longer term may increase overall interest charges.

Related posts:

1. Unwanted gifts recycled in a bid to beat the credit crunch this Christmas In the midst of the credit crunch, many Brits would...
2. Halifax offer money advice to new students As the new academic year has begun, parents and students...
3. New families on a budget look to save money Co-operative insurance recently teamed up with The Children's Mutual to...

Halifax recently examined how consumers’ spending habits are changing for this Christmas in the midst of the credit crunch. Hard earned cash will be the main source of spending for 71 per cent of consumers, over a third will use a credit card, one in ten a store card and just 5 per cent will use a loan to cover Christmas spending.

21 per cent of those surveyed said that they have changed their festive shopping habits in order to combat the credit crunch. 75 per cent of men are most likely to take advantage of sales in the lead up to Christmas. Over a third of consumers stated their Christmas shopping started early this year and out of those who had changed their shopping habits, more than one in 5 saved earlier this year than they had done in the past. Over a third will be spending less this Christmas. Those shopping with credit cards, store cards or loans expect an average debt of £449 due to their Christmas spending. Rather than buy on impulse, 37% of shoppers hit the stores ready with a list of presents to buy and 83% of buyers said that they would stick to it.

In the build up to the festive season, research from the Halifax has shown that consumers are getting cleverer when it comes to financing Christmas. Over 20% of those surveyed stated that they would be using their savings to pay for gifts and 71% had opted to purchase with cash. 30% of those surveyed said that they would be spending less on gifts this Christmas.

The Halifax research has shown that there are geographic variations in Christmas spending. 86% of Scottish consumers are least likely to change their Christmas spending while 1 in 4 in Yorkshire and Humberside are changing their habits in 2008. 60% of those surveyed in the North prepared for Christmas by commencing shopping early this year and in the West Midlands, over half confessed that they left shopping until the last minute. Consumers living in the South East spent less on presents in 2008 and consumers living in the North anticipate spending the same as or in some cases more than they did last Christmas. Half of the families surveyed from the West Midlands said that they would be agreeing a spending limit with their friends and family.

Commenting on the research, Mike Regnier, Halifax head of banking said; “It’s encouraging to see that more consumers are becoming prudent with their finances this year by choosing to use their savings, monthly income and cash to pay for their Christmas purchases, rather than opting for costly store cards which could see them paying out more in the long run.

” Homeowners who have used credit cards, store cards or personal loans to fund Christmas, or who have generally run up a number of debts over 2008 could consider giving their finances a make over in 2009 by consolidating their debts with a secured loan. A secured loan will wrap multiple debts into one, and could lessen the need to juggle several monthly repayments. Homeowner loans can usually be repaid over a term to suit the borrower from 5 to 25 years; however it is important to remember that repaying borrowing over a longer term may increase overall interest charges.

Related posts:

1. Money Outweighs Traditional Gifts on many Wish Lists Recent research from Halifax has revealed that many of us...
2. Spend now pay later lifestyle Research conducted by market analysts Mintel in December 2005 suggests...
3. Britain - a nation of shopaholics Recent research from uSwitch reveals British women's spending habits. The...

Recent news from Abbey reports that disposable income has dropped 29 per cent compared to two years ago. The majority of Brits are regularly having to make sacrifices in the run up to payday and current accounts are empty on average 5 days before pay day. As Christmas draws closer, 29 million say that they will have to make sacrifices.

Based on their own research, Abbey found that Brits are now spending around 75 per cent of their monthly wage on essentials. Hardly a surprise, the main dent for the majority of us Brits is due to rent or mortgage payments with nearly a quarter going on this alone. Household bills and food is costing an average of 16 per cent each.

Around 29 million Brits will be making sacrifices over the next few months to help them get through this costly time of year. Initially, the most likely pleasure to go is socialising, with 43 per cent of us giving up going out when we’re running low on funds. New clothes and cosmetics are next to go with 17 per cent and 6 per cent of us giving these up. Some people are even happy to give up food at the end of the month rather than give up anything else.

Commenting on the survey, Steve Shore, Director of Banking at Abbey, said: “A staggeringly high number of people regularly fail to budget effectively each month and end up running out of cash before their next pay cheque. With disposable income down and Christmas almost upon us, planning your finances carefully has never been more important.”

When it comes to budgeting, those living in the North of England were found to be the worst as 67 per cent regularly run out of money in their current account before the end of the month. Best at budgeting are said to be those living in Scotland, just 48 per cent forgo purchases as the end of the month draws closer. The poorest planners were found to be youngsters. 81 per cent regularly run out of money in their current accounts before the month ends. The best budgeters are reported to be 55-64 year olds, just over half of which run out of money before the month ends.

Homeowners who have overspent on store cards and credit cards in the run up to Christmas could consider consolidating these in the new-year with a secured loan. One of many options to consolidate debt, a secured loan can be repaid over a term to suit the borrower, potentially reducing monthly outgoings. It should however be remembered that repaying borrowing over a longer term may increase overall interest charges.

Related posts:

1. Getting on the property ladder Latest news from Abbey reveals that first time buyers are...
2. Inflation falls yet property still attractive to investors House price inflation declined to 3.6 per cent from 4.3...
3. Money Outweighs Traditional Gifts on many Wish Lists Recent research from Halifax has revealed that many of us...

Recent research from Halifax Home Insurance has revealed that Christmas is the season to be clumsy with nearly one in ten experiencing accidents when hosting drinks parties around the festive period.

The survey has revealed that women are clumsier than men and most accidental damage claims occur on the 1st January, what’s more, 2 in 5 of us don’t know whether our insurance covers us for accidental damage. With Christmas just a couple of days away, lots of us will be entertaining family and friends with drinks parties at home, however one in ten Brits confessed that their most accident prone time is Christmas. In a nationwide survey of 2,000 Brits, it has been found that one in 10 frequently experience accidents during Christmas celebrations at home, the most frequent accidents being food and drink stains on fabrics and carpets followed by breakages at 55% and 27% respectively.

According to the research from Halifax Home Insurance, Brits can potentially cause thousands of pounds of damage during house parties and the expense can increase if several parties are being hosted. The average cost for an accidental damage claim last December (2007) was £525.40 and rose to £555.37 in January this year (2008).

Martyn Foulds, Halifax Home Insurance Senior Claims Manager said: “With a significant proportion of us finding that most accidents happen around Christmas, party preparation should include checking you have the appropriate home insurance for accidental damage. Christmas is always a time when people are spending money on socialising, going out for meals and buying presents for their loved ones. The last thing anyone wants to do is fork out more money than originally planned, especially in the current economic climate.”

Halifax Home Insurance provides hints and tips to keep things safe around the home during the party season. This includes storing valuable or fragile items away safely out of reach from party goers. Naked flames near curtains and flammable objects should be avoided. Risks of fire can be prevented by not overloading electrical sockets with fairy lights and expensive china can be saved by using plastic. Furniture and carpets may be protected from spillages with throws, rugs and table cloths.

Homeowners who feel their homes need a make over following the festive season could consider carrying out vital home improvements with a homeowner loan. A homeowner loan could be used to carry out an internal refresh including replacing an old kitchen with new, or fitting a new bathroom and tired rooms could be modernised with a simple redecoration. One of many options, a homeowner loan could also be considered to finance bigger home improvement projects such as extensions or adding a conservatory.

Related posts:

1. Brits lavish money on homes in the run-up to Christmas. With relatives and friends likely to pay a visit during...
2. Clearing post Christmas debt Recent news from MyCallcredit stated that January is payback time...
3. Decorating disasters surge with Bank Holiday DIY In preparation of thousands of Brits dedicating another Bank Holiday...

While doing a little preparatory work for upcoming e-mails, I stumbled across the note below. It was my intro “hiya” note from the top of the tip of 28 Dec 07… “2008 is likely to be the worst financial year in a long time. Sorry to be so gloomy in betwixt the festivities, but with [...]

The UK credit-card summit called by Peter Mandelson a few weeks ago had some rather paltry results. Now, as I’ll explain in a moment, the US has launched a similar new set of rules and perhaps we can learn something from them. Our own summit produced very weak guidelines. Either the government doesn’t [...]

According to research conducted by Family Investments, many children are likely to be disappointed this Christmas morning. On average, each child is expected to receive gifts worth £60, which is scarcely enough to cover the cost of some of the items on this year’s top ten Christmas toy list.

This figure marks a £55 reduction on last years spending, at £115. As the credit crunch continues to deteriorate, it would seem that parents are more interested in putting money towards longer term savings for their children. In fact, 71% favour this approach.

People living in Manchester are set to spend the most on Christmas gifts this year, with an average spend of £108 per child. In contract to this, the average spend of Londoners will be £60, which indicates that those living within this area are feeling the full force of the credit crunch.

The research also reveals that grandparents are set to spend an average of £50 plus this Christmas. Among those, Scottish grandparents are the most likely to spend in excess of £200. In terms of the nature of the gifts, over half of parents (54%) would prefer grandparents to purchase a small gift and contribute the rest to their child’s savings account instead.

Kate Baker, Head of savings and investments at Family Investments said: ‘Christmas is always an expensive time of year, and parents are planning to cut back on children’s presents this year, in order to help the strain and enable them to still keep their longer term savings topped up. In our experience saving for a child’s trust fund is still a priority with 36% of parents willing to suggest to Grandparents a donation towards their child’s savings, instead of presents this Christmas.’

Those that are finding their finances tight following the festive season may wish to consider taking out a secured loan from Nemo. In particular, where credit cards have been relied upon to fund gifts, a debt consolidation loan could tie up all those debts resulting in a one lower monthly payment. However, it must be remembered that consolidating debt may increase the amount paid back overall, and could extend the repayment period of the debt.

Related posts:

1. Schooling creates £129 billion bill for today’s parents The latest "Schools Sums" index from the Norwich Union has...
2. Parents raid kids’ piggy banks this January Clydesdale Bank recently reported that Scottish children received £190 million...
3. Money Outweighs Traditional Gifts on many Wish Lists Recent research from Halifax has revealed that many of us...

Hoorah. I’ve just hit my target of losing a stone, not a Money Diet but a real one. It all started when I saw myself on the beach in a friend’s wedding video, and my belly didn’t resemble my own self image. So I immediately said to the MSF “I’m on a diet”. [...]