People, who are planning to travel over the Christmas period this year, have been advised to make sure that travel insurance is at the top of their list. The expected one million holiday goers, who plan on visiting family and friends overseas, were told by the insurance provider, M&S Money to make sure that they are covered for all incidents that they could face while away.
Expert Author: Ruth Jacob | Category: Insurance Brits have been hit by a 26 per cent rise in the cost of living over the last two years as everyday bills creep up, according to insurance provider, Combined Insurance. The insurer’s cost of living tracker, which follows monthly spends on living costs, shows the cost of average monthly commitments has soared by 26 per cent since June 2006.
It has been reported that around seventeen per cent of British drivers will head abroad, with their cars in the next year, but many could be left with a car insurance headache, for keeping mum on their driving trips. Following a poll by Sainsbury's Car Insurance the firm's warning state, that motorists are failing to inform their insurer, before they set off could, lead to their fully comprehensive UK policy being diminished to a third party level of cover.
Despite new rules to protect the UK's 11 million store card holders, analysis from money website, Fool.co.uk reveals that stores are still ripping off customers, with some charging almost 50 per cent more interest on their store cards than credit cards. The Competition Commission brought in new regulations, in May 2007 to govern the administration, of store cards that charge annual percentage rates (APRs) of 25 per cent or more.
Football fans attracted by their team’s affinity credit card offerings this season should defend their financial position by checking out the alternative borrowing deals on the market before signing up, advises data comparison site Moneynet.co.uk. As the Premier League fixtures are announced for the 2008/2009 season, the clubs’ marketing departments will be limbering up to encourage fans to buy their products, but do their affinity credit cards represent deft financial footwork for borrowers - or an own goal?
The Association of British Insurers (ABI) is warning home owners, who live in areas that are at more risk of flooding, that their properties may not be covered by home insurance policies, unless the Government, intervene and create measures that will limit floods and thus their damaging affects. According to the ABI, there are 517,000 homes at significant risk of being flooded.
Cancer insurance policies, which are offered by Private medical insurance (PMI) providers have been criticised for their lack of clarity and inclusion of ambiguous terminology, that may result in people being excluded from treatment and unclear of their entitlements, according to a study by Mercer and Cancerbackup, the cancer charity.
A third of the UK population who are in or nearing retirement, owe a whopping GBP 207 billion in outstanding mortgage debt; averaging at GBP 37,316 per head reveals a new report from Key Retirement Solutions, the leading independent equity release specialist. The findings released from analysis based on 4,507 people aged 55 plus who released equity in their home with Key Retirement Solutions in 2007, show that there has been an 20 per cent rise year on year in the average amount of mortgage debt owed by those in, or nearing retirement.
According to broker, My Mortgage Direct, fewer mortgage borrowers are now signing up for life insurance policies in an effort to save cash, homeowners are ditching life cover. The credit crunch, which has yet to raise prices of life insurance, seems to be influencing borrowers seeking life cover as finances become stretched.
If you are one of the many British consumers, who are stuck deep in debt, you would probably know, that there are a number of options available, if it ever becomes unmanageable. Bankruptcy is, fortunately, only for the most intractable cases, while the relatively new - and heavily advertised - "Individual Voluntary Arrangement" (IVA) is a kind of half-way house that typically allows property owners to keep their homes.
BUPA International, the health insurance provider has conducted research that has found out the most frequently performed medical procedures, in many places around the world. From all over the world, the healthcare industry’s needs for specialist workers, from different countries, bear striking similarities with caesarean sections and CT scans, representing the most common procedures in most global regions, according to data from Bupa International.
This week marks the UK’s ‘National Bike Week,’ (16th - 22nd June), and as many people will be swapping four wheels for two, Halifax Home Insurance is advising cyclists to be on their guard for bike thieves looking for an easy ride. National Bike Week is the ideal time to ditch the car and go green, however, Halifax Home Insurance is warning cyclists to consider taking out security measures, before getting on their bikes.
As the summer holiday season upon is us, many holidaymakers are already counting the days until they pack their bags and head for the sun. Unfortunately holidays do not always go according to plan; in 2007 the top three claims received by Tesco Travel Insurance, were for baggage loss, which accounted for 40 per cent of the claims; medical treatment with 30 per cent and 20 per cent for cancellations.
Home insurance provider, Sainsbury’s home insurance has found that The slower housing market may be having a direct impact on the nation's plans to make the most of where they currently live as a fifth (21 per cent) of British homeowners plan to undertake major structural changes to their properties in the next 12 months.
Leading protection insurer, The Co-operative Insurance, has urged both men and women, to look at the range of life insurance plans available and protect themselves against a variety of life-altering events. The Insurance provider has quoted some useful tips, to help policy holders, when finding the right life insurance plan, who should take them out and the pitfalls that should be watched out for, these include.
People under the age of 50 and men in particular, are more likely to expose themselves to credit card fraud or identity theft, according to research by Saga credit card; the financial website, for older people. As most under 50, have multiple credit and debit cards, spotting fraudulent activity on their accounts is much harder. Also, with more young people living in shared accommodation and using shared letterboxes, their risk of falling victim to fraud is much higher.
One of the UK's biggest joint, buy-to-let mortgage providers, Bradford and Bingley, (B&B) has been in the news recently for numerous reasons, included the resignation of the company's chief executive, Stephen Crawshaw, down to ill health. This coincided with news of a takeover of the company, by a US private equity firm.
Despite several new and stylish features offered by credit card providers to tempt consumers, the most popular is still, zero per cent interest on balance transfers, according to comparison website, Fairinvestment.co.uk. Even though it is one of the most common features to be offered, 21 per cent of participants, listed zero per cent interest on balance transfers as the most important feature to come with a credit card.
Travel insurance provider, Total Insured Travel, have launched the first travel policy, which specifically covers terrorism and security. Cover includes additional travel, overnight accommodation, subsistence, alternative re-ticketing, and excess car parking charges as long as the delay is for more than 6 hours. The cost for this additional cover starts from as little as GBP 5.00.
Transact, a national debt advice organisation, has said that the credit squeeze is leaving many professional people and homeowners struggling to cope with their debts. The organisation, which represents over 1,200 debt advice centres, said its branches in some of the most wealthy regions of the UK are now being inundated by demands for help. Demand for advice was escalating across the country, however, the rise was most significant in middle-class areas, explained Transact.
