December 2008 - Product Reviews

Debt Consolidation - Debt Management - The Safest Way To Become Debt Free

Debt management allows some borrowers to reel in their expenditure and income back to the right balance without resorting to further borrowing. As with all types of debt solutions there are pitfalls to be aware of and this one may not be right for everyone. If your debts have spiralled out of ... More

Debt Consolidation - Debt Management:-What Is the Purpose of Bankruptcy?

What Is the Purpose of Bankruptcy? When an individual or organisation is unable to pay their debts, they may legally declare bankruptcy. Most bankruptcies are initiated by the people who cannot pay their creditors but in some instances it is the creditors who claim bankruptcy for a debtor in ... More

Debt Consolidation - Debt management:-What Is Debt Consolidation?

What Is Debt Consolidation? Britain, as a nation, owes over £1 trillion in debt, so if juggling payments to more than one lender is becoming a tricky task, you are not alone. Most people pay at least the minimum amount required for each debt to each of their creditors, which in some cases may ... More

Unsecured Loans - Unsecured Personal Loans:-Will Lenders – Finance Houses – Stop Lending in 2009?

The global financial crisis – known colloquially as the "credit crunch" – has had a dramatic effect on the availability of mortgage loans and loans for the purchase of high value items, such as cars or holidays, in the United Kingdom over the past 18 months. Some of the largest lenders in the ... More

Debt Consolidation - Goverment Consolidation:-What Is An IVA And How Do I Apply?

What Is An IVA And How Do I Apply? Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVAs) are the government's preferred debt management tool as they enable debtors who cannot repay their debts to reach an agreement with their creditors. An IVA is a legally binding contract between you and your creditors ... More

Remortgage - Why Can't I Get A Mortgage/Remortgage?

Why Can't I Get A Mortgage? Introduction It is fair to say that the British housing market – and therefore the mortgage market, by definition – has taken a battering during 2008. Banks and other financial institutions do not have as much money as previously and, as a result, have reduced the... More

Debt Consolidation - Debt Consolidation:-Get Advice About Managing Debt Recovery Now

Get Advice About Managing Debt Recovery Now Recovering unpaid debt is one of the more challenging and frustrating activities to perform unless you have been trained and have the necessary systems to facilitate timely communication and follow up. There are two generally accepted approaches ... More

Debt Consolidation - Consolidation Loan:-Loan I Apply for Debt Consolidation?

Can I Apply for Debt Consolidation? Debt consolidation is about taking all your various loan arrangements and turning them into one single obligation with a lower monthly payment than all the previous loans individually. Over time, you may have taken loans for a variety of purposes such as ... More

Debt Consolidation - Consolidate:- What is Debt Management?

What is Debt Management? As time goes by, we all naturally fall into different credit and loan arrangements that seemed perfectly natural at the time we entered into them. Whether it was the mortgage for the house, the low interest loan for the car or the six month interest free period for the... More

Debt Consolidation - Debt Consolidation Loan:- Should I Consider Bankruptcy and What Are The Advantages

Should I Consider Bankruptcy and What Are The Advantages It is all too easy for debt to get out of control. Mostly this is due to an unforeseen change of circumstance such as a bereavement, separation or divorce or loss of job due to redundancy or ill health. Whatever the reason it usually ... More

Debt Consolidation - Have We Seen the Last of Retailers Going Bust?

The recent high-profile collapse of administration in Woolworths' and MFI has brought into sharp focus the extent of the economic downturn, which is affecting not only Britain, but also most of the developed world. If a company that has traded on British high streets for nearly 100 years, survived... More

Debt Consolidation - 2009 – Will It Continue into Recession?

Opinions differ as to the length and severity of recession. Cabinet minister, Tessa Jowell, recently said that it was expected to be "deeper than any that we have known", but the answer to this question is, unequivocally, "Yes, it will." The technical definition of recession is a decline in ... More

Debt Consolidation - Administration Orders – Why Large Companies Call Them In

The difference between an administration order and a winding-up order is an important one; an administration order is an interim measure, designed to restore the fortunes of a flagging company, while a winding-up order is designed to bring the life of such a company to an end. While it is true ... More

Vehicle Loans - Bargain Used Cars and Car Finance in the New Year

It is fair to say that the car market, as a whole, in the United Kingdom has been hugely depressed for the whole of 2008. The third quarter of 2008, from July, August and September, was particularly punitive for the used car market, with total used cars sales down by more than 7%. Used executive ... More

Homeowner Loans - What If I Go Into Negative Equity?

Negative equity occurs when the market value of a property falls below the value of mortgage and other loans secured on that property. Until the onset of the so-called "credit crunch" that started in the sub-prime mortgage market in the United States in the middle of 2007, house prices rose much ... More

My Credit Report - Has the downturn put your life on hold?

This time last year, you might have been planning a major change in your life. Maybe you wanted to start a family, move home or find a new job – but today, you’ve almost certainly decided not to go ahead, according to research from CreditExpert. The credit monitoring service discovered that 75 ... More

Debt Consolidation - House Prices – Will They Go Down To 2003 Prices?

The housing market in the United Kingdom has undergone two major "boom and bust" cycles, that is, periods of rapid house price increases followed by periods of falling prices, in the past two decades and the truthful, albeit unhelpful, answer to this question is that nobody really knows. Even the ... More

Debt Consolidation - What are the Difference Between IVA and Debt Management?

If you are experiencing serious debt problems, if your monthly outgoings regularly exceed your income, and you have "maxed out" all possible lines of credit on credit cards, personal loans, etc., it may well be that a debt management plan of one type or another could be beneficial to your ... More

Credit Cards - How Do I Transfer My Credit Card Balance?

In the aftermath of the so-called "credit crunch", with most of the developed world primed for what has been described as the "most painful" recession since the Great Depression of the 1930's, credit card balance transfers are a godsend for anyone dealing with high interest rate credit card debt. ... More

Gas and Electricity - Will Swapping Energy Provider Save Me Money This Winter?

Roughly, 16% of households in the United Kingdom, which is more than 4 million, spend at least 10% of their income on energy and are therefore living in "fuel poverty", according to the Government definition. Household income and the efficiency of domestic heating, insulation, etc., are obviously ... More

Unsecured Loans - Will the VAT Reduction Save Me Money?

As you are probably well aware by now, on 24th November 2008, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, announced that the standard rate of VAT ("Value Added Tax") would be reduced by 2.5%, to 15%, from 1st December 2008 until the end of 2009. VAT was previously charged at three different... More

Debt Consolidation - Why Could Debt Management Be Right For Me?

Debt and the management of debt is a real problem for many consumers in Britain. In the aftermath of the "credit crunch", many consumers are accumulating debt by paying for food, fuel, and other basic necessities with credit. This is typically with a credit card, or cards on a scale of, on ... More

Debt Consolidation - What's in Store for the financial New Year?

2008 will long be remembered for the worst financial crisis since World War II, not just in the United Kingdom, but also across the world. The so-called "credit crunch" is a term virtually unknown just over a year ago. It has effectively been responsible for wiping 15% off housing prices in the ... More

Homeowner Loans - Is a Secured Loan Better for a Homeowner?

A secured loan, as the name suggests, is "secured" against an asset. In other words, secured against something of value such as a property, motor vehicle, etc. that a lender can take possession of and sell to recover any outstanding amount if a borrower defaults on the loan. The provision of ... More

Payday Loans - Short Term Loans to Help Through the Christmas Period

A short term loan is, typically, one that is designed to provide a solution to temporary cash flow problems. It allows emergency or luxury purchases to be made at times when funds are not otherwise available. Unlike general or standard personal loans (typically for amounts of £1,000 or more and ... More

Unsecured Loans - How Can I Save Money and Still Enjoy Christmas?

Introduction Christmas, and the financial hangover it leaves until the New Year and beyond, is a worry in any year. This year, with the aftermath of the credit crunch, restricted borrowing, rising unemployment, and deflation in the housing market, many consumers are facing the festive season ... More

Unsecured Loans - How Can I Spread the Cost of Christmas in the New Year?

Introduction Christmas is inevitably a source of stress and anxiety for many consumers faced with the cost of Christmas gifts, entertaining, and even decorations, wrapping paper, and Christmas cards. All aimed at creating the "perfect" Christmas for their families and friends. The first thing ... More

New Mortgages - Rent, buy, swap or share – a very modern housing dilemma

We all need somewhere to call home but with the property market crumbling around our ears and the country entering recession, investing in bricks and mortar may seem more like a life sentence than the time-honoured way to get rich slowly. The news that 11,300 homes were repossessed in the third... More

Unsecured Loans - How would you cope if you lost your job?

Most of us will still be in work in 12 months’ time but, with predictions that three million people will be unemployed by the end of 2009, it’s sensible to ask yourself what you’d do if you were one of the unlucky ones. Advance planning could mean you’ll cope better if the worst happens and ... More

Unsecured Loans - Is your financial future in the stars?

Is your financial future in the stars? Astrologers believe the financial downturn was written in the stars – and they’re not alone. Research by the online credit monitoring service CreditExpert shows that nearly one in eight of us consult the stars before parting with our money. Meanwhile, a ... More

Unsecured Loans - Your financial year planner for 2009

The New Year isn’t just about giving up chocolate, alcohol and smoking – it’s also the time for some positive changes. In the current economic climate, top of your list should be learning to look after your finances. Plan properly and it won’t be as hard as you think. Here are some dates for ... More

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