For many years we have seen consumers place great trust in the so called “Best Buy†tables in many of the financial magazines. While they do offer a summary of the best offers available at the time, many in the industry have great reservations. Do all companies have the same access to these lists? Maybe not….
Insiders in the industry claim that :-
While the idea of Child Trust Funds has been mentioned for a few years, and recently came into being, many people are still not aware of what their children are entitled to and how it works.
In summary, the Government have promised new born babies a minimum lump sum payment of £250, rising up to £500 for low income families. These funds will be held in a Child Trust Fund until the child reaches 18 year of age, at which point they can be withdrawn free of any tax charges.
While the Working Tax Credit system was a great idea in principle, in practice it has become the biggest “White Elephant†since the Millennium Dome. Having cost the tax payer £500 million in write-offs so far, it has been reported that there is a further £1.5 billion which has been earmarked as “not recoverableâ€, taking the total write offs to £2 billion!
There is no doubt that over the last couple of years energy wholesale prices have been very volatile - although they only seem to hit the news when prices rise. While the energy companies argue that they are reducing prices in line with fluctuating wholesale prices, a report today indicates that each and every household in the UK is over paying by on average £200 a year.
In a move which has angered many consumers and caused widespread
disbelief, HSBC have announced plans to create the country’s first walk in branch for “wealthly†customers.
The move is being piloted in the upwardly mobile area of Canford Cliffs,
near Poole in Dorset which boasts some of the most expensive properties in the UK. What is the basis of this new service?
At some point in our lives the majority of us will be involved in a car purchase, whether for ourselves, a partner or one of our children. The majority of UK car buyers will probably opt for the second hand market, which has historically offered more value than the new car market.
It is common knowledge that as soon as you take a new car from the garage forecourt it will probably have reduced in value by at least 10%, but is the second hand market any better?
