Many people miss out on a potential rebate or refund because they are reluctant to write a letter of complaint. For example, in the UK, there has been an investigation into the misselling of loan insurance (payment protection insurance). It has been estimated that the insurance schemes are so profitable that the banks keep upto [...]

What is Bridging Finance As the name implies a bridging loan is one made to ‘tide you over’ until a certain event is complete. It bridges one set of circumstances with another. It is most common when a property is being bought and another one sold and the completion dates are not the same. This [...]

Automated telling machine or ATM’s as we know them have been around for 40 years. Also known as Cash machines, Hole in the Wall machines, Cash Dispensers or Cash Points they do what it says on the tin by dispensing cash to those able to access the machine with a valid plastic card. Plastic cards [...]

If you have banked with your parents or not yet opened your own bank account here are some guidelines and tips to help you. The process for opening a bank account is very similar whichever bank you chose. Note we say you should chose a bank that will suit you! Choosing a Bank First ask [...]

The Romans, or at least their latin, gave us ‘uber fidei’ and ‘caveat emptor’. What has happened to utmost good faith and let the buyer beware? Utmost good faith requires both the buyer and seller in a transaction to act honestly toward each other and to not mislead or withhold critical information from one another. [...]

Recently, I was victim of identity theft. The good news is that two companies very.co.uk and Halifax both recognised the fraudulent application and so the identity thief was not able to use my details to open fake accounts. There is lots of good information at UK Fraud Service CIFAS After this incident, an extra password [...]

If recent past history is anything to go by, the UK is not a nation of savers. This year, the UK savings ratio fell close to 0% a post war record. Levels of consumer borrowing have reached record highs – in terms of both secured borrowing (mortgages) and unsecured borrowing (credit cards and personal loans. [...]

Effective financial planning can enable you to get on top of your finances and avoid stressful experiences of debt. To make the most effective use of any financial plan it is important to consider what steps will actually make a significant difference. These are some common sense ideas which will help to create a workable [...]

Complaining to your bank can be a daunting experience, but, when you have a lot of money at stake it is important that you complain in the right circumstances and in the right way to make sure the banks doesn’t take advantage of consumers. Situations where it is helpful to complain. Misselling of financial products. [...]