Archive for July, 2008

British Gas Raise Prices

Thursday, July 31st, 2008

British Gas the U.K's largest energy supplier has raised energy prices by a whopping 35% on Gas and 9% on Electricity, the largest increase in the companies history which follows on from a 15% increase earlier in the year. The average home energy bill has risen by 410 Pounds so ...

Shop around to maximise your money

Wednesday, July 30th, 2008

There’s always something you have to spend money on isn’t there, so why not try to get the best value for that money? Your mortgage - Many of us have a variable rate mortgage and so haven't felt the benefit of Bank’s base rate interest reductions because our lenders haven’t passed ...

Pro’s and con’s of bankruptcy

Monday, July 28th, 2008

If times are really hard you may want to consider declaring yourself bankrupt. To be declared bankrupt you must be ‘insolvent’; this means that you must prove that you don’t have enough money coming in each month to pay your essential living expenses as well as your debts. You must ...

How to be ruthless with your budget

Friday, July 25th, 2008

For many of us, desperate times are calling for desperate measures and we may find ourselves having to be quite ruthless with our budget, so here are a few pointers of how you can cut some major costs. They won’t be nice and might hurt a bit, but if you’re ...

What is an IVA and how can it help me?

Thursday, July 24th, 2008

An IVA or Individual Voluntary Arrangement is one of the steps you can take if you’re not able to keep up the repayments on your various credit agreements. It’s not bankruptcy, rather it’s a form of debt management and is usually handled on your behalf by a debt management company ...

Getting a loan – do’s and do nots

Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008

Many of us are finding that we need to take out loans to shore up our finances just now. Most companies who lend to those with a good credit rating are offering more or less similar deals at the moment, but if your credit rating is poor, you’re likely to ...

Getting onto the property ladder

Monday, July 21st, 2008

During this time of ‘credit crunch’, many people are finding it increasingly difficult to get a first foot on the property ladder. With our money having to stretch further than it used to, combined with the general clamp down on borrowing, first time buyers are being hit hardest when it ...

Credit Crunch Causes Food to Shrink

Sunday, July 20th, 2008

Global food inflation has caused many food manufactures to reduce the amount of food contained in their food packages. The food companies are having difficulty negotiating prices with leading supermarkets and are therefore having to compromise by reducing the amount of food sold.   So far in the UK the only ...

Reducing your home energy usage and food bills

Sunday, July 20th, 2008

We’re all feeling the effects of the credit crunch and all the subsequent effects to our family finances. In addition to food prices spiralling ever upwards, electricity, gas and petrol prices – which are 19% higher than last year – can put a big dent in the family finances. Consequently, ...

Unemployment figures soar and inflation rises

Sunday, July 20th, 2008

It has recently been reported that the number of people claiming unemployment benefit has seen it’s biggest increase for more than fifteen years during the month of June. This is yet another indicator of the impending recession that threatens not just our economy but that of the global economy. The Office ...