09/03/2010 by bill.

You could save £300 off your energy bills if you switch to npower’s online tariff and pay by monthly Direct Debit.* In a few simple steps you can compare which npower product is most suitable for you. See how much you could save with npower online.

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09/03/2010 by bill.

Earn a market-leading rate of 5.00% AER (variable) on balances up to £2,500. After one year, 1.00% AER (variable) applies. Balances over £2,500 earn 0.10% AER (variable).Switch to the Alliance & Leicester Premier Direct current account now!

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04/03/2010 by bill.

According to the Halifax House Price Report, house prices fell by 1.5% in February, the first decline since June 2009 following seven consecutive monthly increases. Despite this fall, the average price is 8.0% above the trough reached in April 2009.

There has been a decline in the underlying rate of house price inflation – measured by a comparison of the latest three months with the previous quarter – over the last few months. An increase in the number of properties available for sale has helped to reduce slightly the imbalance between supply and demand. At the same time, the bad weather in the first two months of 2010, together with the return of the lowest stamp duty threshold to £125,000, are likely to have had an adverse impact on housing demand. The combination of these factors appears to have helped to curb the upward pressure on house prices.

The Halifax results support the view of Nationwide that last week reported a 1% fall in house prices in February.

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03/03/2010 by bill.

From the 1st March The Children’s Mutual is offering customers who set up a Child Trust Fund up to £40 of vouchers to be spent at Mothercare or the Early Learning Centre:

- £40 of vouchers if you also set up a Direct Debit for more than £30 a month when you apply
- £20 of vouchers if you also set up a Direct Debit for more than £10 and up to £30 a month when you apply

Vouchers can be spent in either Mothercare or Early Learning Centre stores.

Offer runs until 31st March 2010.

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03/03/2010 by bill.

We always recommend anyone thinking of opening a savings account to shop around for the best deals. Interest rates can change quickly in this highly competitive market even though it seems unlikely that the Bank of England will cut rates below the current record low of 0.5%. Interest rates may be variable at short notice or fixed for a specified period. However, we have identified the following Internet accounts as good deals available on-line on 3rd March 2010.

On-line Savings accounts

The AA - AA Internet Extra (Issue 1) Account 3.00% aer (rate includes 2.50% bonus payable for 12 months)
Halifax - Web Saver Extra 2.80% aer (1 withdrawal a year without loss of interest, further withdrawals with loss of 30 days interest)
Alliance and Leicester - Online Saver Issue 7 2.75% aer (rate includes a variable rate bonus payable for at least 12 months) Minimum deposit £1000

Cash ISAs

Alliance & Leicester Flexible ISA 3.50% aer For 12 months the rate will be 3.00% above the Bank of England base rate, but is guaranteed not to drop below 3.50% for 12 months.
Santander Flexible ISA 3.50% aer For 12 months the rate will be 3.00% above the Bank of England base rate, but is guaranteed not to drop below 3.50% for 12 months.
First Direct cash e-ISA 2.75% aer fixed until 31 August 2011
Standard Life Cash ISA 2.65% aer
Aldermore Cash ISA 2.65% 30 days notice for withdrawals
Barclays Golden ISA 2.58% aer
Intelligent Finance Cash ISA 2.50% aer
National Savings and Investments Direct ISA 2.50% aer

See moneyjungle.net for more on selecting the right savings account.

Please note that although we check rates regularly moneyjungle.net does not claim that the products listed above are the most appropriate for an individual investor and does not claim that the list is exhaustive. We exclude introductory offers that offer short term high interest rates that later fall or those that require the customer to open another account such as a current account. We always recommend thorough research, reading terms and conditions carefully and, where appropriate, consulting an independent financial advisor. See the moneyjungle.net independent advice page for further information.

Posted in Personal Finance, Savings, Investments | Print | 1 Comment »

02/03/2010 by bill.

Over the long term, investing in the stock market can offer you a great potential for return on your investment. But finding the right investment can be time-consuming. There are just so many different types out there.
With Legal & General’s range of investments simply choose the fund(s) that best suit your needs. You can invest in an ISA or a unit trust from as little as £500 lump sum or £50 a month. You should also remember that your investment is not guaranteed and the value may fall as well as rise.

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20/02/2010 by bill.

The information in your credit report is key to getting the loans you need – but it is only half the story.

You can view your credit report online now for free, and order your National Credit Score from CreditExpert, Experian’s online credit monitoring service. To find out more click here

Before deciding whether or not to lend money, many organisations take your report, plus additional information included on your application form, and generate a credit score. This score indicates the risk involved in granting you credit. Over the years, automated scoring has proved to be more accurate and consistent than subjective human judgement. It also allows lenders to make decisions more quickly.

Computer programs score your application by looking at how past customers with similar profiles repaid their credit. Every lender uses a slightly different formula that represents its own and industry experience and these may be adjusted according to the type of credit you are applying for. So every application could generate a different credit score.

Your credit score will also change over time, as the information in your credit report and on each credit application form is updated.

If you are thinking about applying for credit, it’s worth ordering your National Credit Score from CreditExpert. It is based on your Experian credit report and is an excellent guide to how lenders may assess the information held on your report.

Your score will be a number between 0 and 1,000. Generally, the higher your score, the easier you will find it to get loans and credit.

As a member of CreditExpert, you can order and view your National Credit Score online for the special price of £4.99 – click here for details. You will be able to view your credit score for 12 months in your Score Library.

If you are not scoring as well as you would like, you will find advice, hints and tips on the site that may help you to improve your score. You can order a new score at any time, to monitor your progress.

More about credit and debt from moneyjungle.net

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17/02/2010 by bill.

Healthinsurance.co.uk is a leading health insurance site, with access to great offers from the leading providers, including BUPA, AXA, NU/Aviva, PruHealth, HSA etc. We take the frustration and the expense out of the consumer purchasing process by searching the market on their behalf to provide a free, fast and without obligation personalised health insurance quote.

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17/02/2010 by bill.

Virgin Climate Change ISA – The ISA that saves more than just tax - aims to provide excellent returns by investing in specially selected companies who combine the potential for outstanding profit growth with a lighter environmental footprint. - invest up to £7,200 a year tax-efficiently through a Virgin ISA. - pay in lump sums from £100 (your first lump sum must be at least £500). Or you can set up regular monthly payments, from £50 upwards. - You can stop, start or change your payments at any time without penalty. - 24 hour online service lets you keep track of your investment, make payments online, and change payments and other details. - No notice periods – you can get at your money whenever you want. - We earn an annual management fee of 1.75%. There may also be a performance related fee, which we only earn if we outperform agreed benchmarks. - The Virgin Climate Change Fund is an actively managed fund and carries more risk than, for example, a Tracker Fund. Please remember stock market investments can go down as well as up and you may not get back all you invest. To maximise your chance of a good return you should be looking to invest for at least 5 years.

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16/02/2010 by bill.

American Express Single Trip, Annual Select and Annual Prestige policies have been awarded 2009 5 Star ratings by Defaqto, which means they have one of the broadest range of features and benefits and highest levels of cover available.

Defaqto are the UK’s leading independent financial services research company. The Star Rating reflects the quality of an insurance product. Each product is rated with 1 to 5 stars showing you the quality and the level of features and benefits offered by that product.

American Express Travel Insurance

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