November 2008 - Product Reviews

Credit Cards - Earn extra cash for Christmas by using your Credit Card!

Credit Cards serve lots of purposes, be it to help you out of a short term cash flow crisis or to save money, the convenience of credit cards is unrivalled. However more and more credit cards can now help you actually make money. You do this by taking advantage of a cashback credit card. Thus ... More

Unsecured Loans - What is APR?

What is APR? Introduction Most consumers, nowadays, are familiar with borrowing money, whether on a mortgage loan, personal loan, credit card, or some other form of credit agreement, and repaying that money, with interest, over a period of time. There are, however, numerous other components ... More

Unsecured Loans - Credit Reference Agencies Facts & Myths

Before accepting or declining any application for credit – whether it be a mortgage loan, personal loan, credit card, etc. – a lender makes an assessment of the risk involved, and part of this process involves reference to your credit history. In the United Kingdom, this is usually done via one of... More

Unsecured Loans - How Much Can I Borrow Unsecured?

Unsecured loans are typically available to anyone who does not own a home either outright or through a mortgage loan, or anyone who does not wish to pledge the equity in their home as security for a loan. Applicants may therefore include council or private tenants, young adults still living with ... More

Remortgage - Interest Only mortgage or remortgage the facts

With finances becoming more and more stretched, it seems the obvious answer to try and cut back on your biggest outgoing, which for most of us is our mortgage. But is this possible? Let JSTFinancial guide you through the pros and cons of a very turbulent mortgage market. The obvious choice is ... More

Shopping - Early Christmas sales to entice customer spending

Customers flocked back to the high street as major retailers slashed prices in a pre-Christmas bid to breathe life into the ailing market. Marks & Spencer held a 24 hour one of 20% sale, which left them inundated with customers. It was their biggest one of promotion for 4 years. Price cutting... More

Unsecured Loans - Budgeting at Christmas/spending

It was the 16th century English poet, Thomas Tusser, who coined the phrase "Christmas comes but once a year", but for many consumers struggling to survive the current economic downturn, once is certainly more than enough this year. Recent figures suggest that the average British household will ... More

Unsecured Loans - Counting the Cost of Christmas

Christmas can be one of the best times of the year, but it is easy to be caught up in the hype and succumb to the constant bombardment of pressure and expectation that typically surrounds the festive season in financial terms. Christmas is for giving to your family and friends, but your search for... More

Unsecured Loans - Tenant Loans: Are They Just For Tenants?

A tenant loan is essentially a loan designed for tenants living in accommodation rented privately or from a council, but this type of loan is typically not limited to tenants, per se. Housing association tenants, individuals living with their parents, lodging with family or friends, even if they ... More

Unsecured Loans - Are Unsecured and Personal Loans the Same?

An "unsecured" loan is a loan that requires no collateral, that is assets, typically in the form of equity in a property (its value over and above any amount owed on it) but also jewellery, securities, etc. to be pledged by a borrower as security on the value of the loan. This type of loan is ... More

Gas and Electricity - Are we in a 'energy crunch'?

A new report recently published; The Oil Crunch Securing the Uk’s energy future has predicted that we are going to experience a severe ecological crisis that will far outweigh the global credit crisis that we are currently experiencing. Confirming that the production of easily available oil will ... More

Credit Cards - What is the Credit Card Criteria now?

It’s no secret that the credit crunch has had a major impact on the availability of credit cards and associated products. Special offers often used to coax new customers into using the cards are now becoming rare. 0% interest free periods are now being reduced in almost 50% of applications, and a... More

Debt Consolidation - Will a Consolidation Loan Save Me Money?

The answer to this question depends on the characteristics, particularly the interest rate and the repayment term of the consolidation loan that you choose in the first place. It also depends on your own self-discipline in managing your personal finances in such a way as to allow a consolidation ... More

Bank Accounts - Iceland reaches agreement for foreign savers

Iceland confirmed on Sunday 16th November that it had finally reached a deal with several EU states on how to repay thousands of pounds back to those foreign savers with money in frozen Icelandic bank accounts. Iceland, a non EU member has been in conflict with both Britain and the Netherlands, ... More

Debt Consolidation - Can I Get A Consolidation Loan?

The average British household is in debt to the tune of nearly £10,000, excluding mortgage debts so it is easy to see why many consumers face the problem of juggling repayments on credit cards, personal loans, etc., if not on a daily, then certainly on a monthly basis. Furthermore, making the ... More

Debt Consolidation - What is Debt Management?

There is no one answer to this question because "debt management" can mean different things to different people depending on their level of debt and their precise financial circumstances. Essentially debt management is the process of reducing monthly repayments on credit cards, loans and other ... More

New Mortgages - Stamp duty threshold reduction and the impact upon my mortgage

The government’s decision to raise the stamp duty threshold to £175,000 has seen the number of homebuyers not paying stamp duty double in September. The temporary increase enabled 51% of homebuyers to avoid stamp duty in September compared with 22% in the same month last year, the Council of ... More

Debt Consolidation - Debt Management Companies | Consolidation Centres

Debt "avoidance" is obviously better than debt "management", but in modern society – where people are more inclined to live for the "here and now" rather than saving for the proverbial "rainy day" – such advice may be as effective as shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted. In fact, ... More

Bank Accounts - Can i get a bank account with poor credit

Can I get a bank account if I have poor credit? People with a poor credit history historically find it more difficult to open a bank account with many of the highstreet banks and lenders. With the credit crunch crisis continuing, the banks seem to be changing their criteria on an almost daily ... More

Debt Consolidation - Debt Management – Can I Save Money?

Prior to the "credit crunch" falling interest rates coupled with a buoyant housing market caused many borrowers to live beyond their means, borrowing excessively and leaving British banks dependent on wholesale credit markets to the tune of more than £600 billion. The credit crunch, which started ... More

Debt Consolidation - Consolidation | Debt Management – Can It Help?

The simple answer to this question is, "Yes it can". The secrets of effective debt management however, are to recognise that you are experiencing debt problems in the first place – if you are, you are not alone, with more than 5 million British consumers having missed credit card repayments, for... More

Reclaim Charges - Unfair credit agreement can i claim?

Frequently Asked Questions What Credit Agreements are eligible for ‘Audit’? Any Credit Agreement between £5,000.00 and £25,000.00 that is governed by the Consumer Credit Act of 1974. Including: ? Credit Cards and Store Cards ? Unsecured Personal Loans ? Secured Loans ? Consolidation... More

New Mortgages - New mortgages and equity loans

New mortgages and equity loans You may have heard of shared ownership and shared equity schemes, but never really understood what they are about. Shared equity schemes were introduced to help those that cannot afford to buy their own home outright. Through shared ownership you buy a share of ... More

Debt Consolidation - Consolidation Loans with Bad Credit

Debt consolidation is the process of amalgamating multiple debts – credit cards, loans, hire purchase agreements etc. – into a single debt. This involves taking out a further "consolidation" loan for the total amount of existing borrowing. Or perhaps a little more, depending on the terms and ... More

Unsecured Loans - Consolidation Loans with Bad Credit

Consolidation Loans with Bad Credit Introduction Debt consolidation is the process of amalgamating multiple debts – credit cards, loans, hire purchase agreements etc. – into a single debt. This involves taking out a further "consolidation" loan for the total amount of existing borrowing. Or ... More

Unsecured Loans - Christmas Loans with Bad Credit

Christmas is an expensive time in any ordinary year, but, this year, the effects of the credit crunch mean that an average British family will spend nearly £300 less than last year, according to a recent survey. The unwillingness of banks and other financial institutions to lend money to each ... More

Homeowner Loans - Homeowner Loans

Homeowner Loans Secured loans explained It’s easy to get confused by financial jargon. So what exactly are secured loans? It’s not easy trying to navigate the choppy waters of loans. But if you don’t understand the different kind of loans available and what that means for you, it could ... More

Debt Consolidation - Consolidation Loans

The total personal debt in the United Kingdom at the end of September stood at more than £1,000 billion – an increase of just over 5% in a 12-month – so if you are feeling the effects of the credit crunch, and juggling monthly repayments on credit cards, loans, etc., you are certainly not alone. ... More

Unsecured Loans - Christmas Loans

Christmas is a time for giving, but that very fact can also turn Christmas into a time of tremendous financial pressure for many consumers, as they attempt to lavish expensive gifts, and entertaining, on their family – especially children – and friends. It can be argued that focussing on ... More

Travel - Will my airline go bust?

Will my airline go bust? As the credit crunch continues to affect all aspects of our daily lives, it appears that ‘dozens’ of airlines will go bust over the next 12 months, the boss of British Airways has predicted. Outlining his reasons for the 4billion pound merger with Spanish airline Iberia,... More

Insurance - Mortgage Payment Protection insurance the facts

What Is Mortgage Payment Protection Insurance (MPPI)? Mortgage Payment Protection Insurance (MPPI) or accident, sickness and unemployment insurance (ASU), covers your monthly mortgage payments should your income stop due to accident, sickness or redundancy. The benefit is then normally paid for ... More

TV and Brandband - How to choose the best broadband

Broadband is an internet connection that is fast, permanent and much more efficient than older ‘dial up’ connections. Being able to ‘surf’ the internet, opens up a lot of options as a consumer. Using the internet you can access a whole range of services, such as paying bills online, shopping and... More

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