The AnswerBank Articles

A Broken Leg May Cost More Than You Think On Holiday

Although holidays are supposed to be relaxing times for us; sometimes the worst happens and one of our party sustains and injury. This is why it is vitally important to have good travel insurance before you set off. The medical and relocation bills can be exceedingly expensive. Now it seems that where you go can also m...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Metrosexual Types Underinsured

It used to be that only women carried around large quantities of ‘stuff’ in their handbags, nowadays however, increasing numbers of men are taking to the country’s streets with more gadgets than an electrical retailer. And what a lot of choice of gadgets there are out there. Starting with your simple...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Millions Planning Equity Relief To Avoid Inheritance Tax

Despite being persistently portrayed in the popular press as the generation that loves to 'Ski' and ‘Spend the Kids Inheritance’ two million retired people are finding other ways to avoid inheritance tax. One in five say they plan to avoid heavy death duties from eating into their property and savings by d...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

UK Throwing Away Billions On Tax

The UK is gifting the chancellor a collective £7.6 billion in tax revenue that they could be squirreling away in duty-free saving products, a company specialising in independent financial advice has claimed. Four fifths of adults are throwing away money that could be theirs to keep if they picked the right savin...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Store Cards Overcharging By 20%

Britons who choose to put spending onto store cards are routinely paying 20 per cent too much in interest, the Competition Commission has said. The finding is part of a major survey that the watchdog has carried out into the cards, concluding that by choosing store cards over low interest credit cards consumers are col...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

UK Embraces Online Banking Says Survey

With more and more of us becoming computer savvy we are doing more than check our email online. More than half of the UK (59 per cent) now regularly takes advantage of online banking, says new research. Almost two thirds of people in the UK now say that they use online banking "much more" than they did two y...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Employees In The Dark About Company Pension Changes

Many of us work for companies that have their own pension scheme. Usually both the employer and the employee contribute to the fund on a monthly basis. The alternative is that you have your own private pension. There is now, however, a new set of rules which will allow you to be a member of a company pension and also s...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Basic Bank Accounts Provide Financial Confidence

With many of us feeling the pinch and struggling to make ends meet it may be good news that we can now get a simpler bank account to help with our finances. The Basic Bank Account is easy to use and is designed for people who want to ensure that they cannot overdraw their account or who might not meet the banks' criter...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Home Insurance Costs UK Billions On Direct Debit

Those of us who have a car dread the yearly renewal of our insurance policy. It's endless checking and rechecking of details and working out which is right for us. However, it is worth doing as it could be saving us pounds every year. Unfortunately we spend all that time getting the right policy for the right price the...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Analysts Warn On Savings Accounts Cuts

Many of us are able to save regularly despite feeling the pinch in the credit crunch. However, it seems we are not always getting the best deal by not shopping around. Financial analysts have warned that savers should be prepared to regularly review their savings accounts when rates tumble across the board. Some will ...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Same-Sex Couples Affected By New Tax Rules

Before December 2005 same sex couples were categorised as individuals for benefit purposes. After this date, however, with the introduction of the Civil Partnership Act those living together as a couple would be seen as such for tax credits and benefits. Despite this being a victory for homophiles it could make them wo...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

UK Puts Pension's Faith In Celebrity Relics

With many of us now realising that perhaps we may not have enough to live on when we retire especially as the state pension may not be around in 10 or 20 years, we are finding other ways to invest our hard earned money. A growing number of people in the UK are considering funding their pensions with celebrity memorabi...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Credit Card Companies Make Millions From Balance Transfers

We have all done it, seen a better deal on credit card interest and transferred our balance to take advantage. Some offer zero % interest on the life of the transfer, some aren’t quite so generous. Credit card providers are running a profit margin of around £500 million every year on balance transfer credi...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Busting Credit Rating Myths

Credit blacklists, popularly believed to dictate your chance of securing loans and credit, are actually a myth claims a new report from a leading credit rating agency. Lenders do use credit rating information to decide whether an individual is liable to be a safe investment, however. The company also sought to punctu...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Guide To Using Your Credit Card Abroad

A UK credit card payment association has launched a free guide to using your plastic safely while on holiday. Consumers in the UK spends more than £20 billion on plastic overseas figures reveal, and the organisation warned that such spending is bound to attract crooks. "More and more each year our cards ran...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Market For Adverse Credit Mortgages Expands

With an increasing number of consumers in the UK experiencing difficulties with money the market for “non-conforming” mortgages is also on the rise. The number of mortgages tailored for people with credit rating problems has grown six times faster than the mainstream market in recent years say new figures. ...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Holiday Money Standoff For Thrifty Travellers

While most of us rely on credit cards on holiday some still place value in the traveller’s cheque. They are easy to buy and can be used in most places just like money. The big advantage is that if they are lost or stolen they are easily replaced as they have a unique serial number. Things may now be changing, how...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Victims Call For ID Theft Support

It can be a frightening experience to have your identity stolen, perhaps your credit card was scanned in an ATM machine or your bank details hacked off the internet. Not only have you lost money but it is a violent invasion of your privacy and many sufferers have long term problems trying to get their lives back on tra...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Borrowers Facing Record Fees For Finance.

With the vast majority of the consumers in the country owning more than one type of finance product there are millions of pounds in fees and charges paid every year to money hungry banks. The average UK consumer with just five standard financial products to their name faces well over £100 in penalty fees, with e...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010

British Women Miss Out On Pension Benefits

Six in ten women are not contributing to a pension fund, potentially losing out on pension tax relief, according to a report from a well known international bank. While the research shows that the level of understanding about pensions is on the rise, an alarming number of women mistakenly believe that they have to be w...16:36 Mon 24th May 2010