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April 27th, 2009
This video is causing a sensation on the internet. Fact or fiction? You decide for yourself.
April 21st, 2009
If you have ever wondered where to find a job with security, excellent pay, lucrative expense accounts and plenty of time off, why not become an MP?
Whilst the country battles recession and rising unemployment, those fortunate enough to still have a job are either working longer hours for the same money or the same hours for less pay. Yet MPs, fresh from the ‘expenses’ scandal, have now revealed that they will only be sitting in the House of Commons for 143 days this year, seven days fewer than last year. The last day in the Commons, before the proposed 82 day mammoth break, will be July 21st.
Commons leader, Harriet Harman was last night under pressure to review the situation and cut the extended holiday by at least a week. MPs have already enjoyed a 24 day holiday over the Christmas period and a fortnight over Easter.
Shadow Commons leader Alan Duncan said MPs should work an extra week in July before disappearing on holiday. He said: “Gordon Brown’s Government is clearly running out of steam. Rather than ministers packing their bags early and heading off to the beach, MPs should be staying here to scrutinise this failing team.”
Last night Ms Harman defended the holiday decision saying that the dates were decided months ago, but TaxPayers Alliance boss Matthew Elliot fumed: “MPs have far too much holiday. Taxpayers who elect them and fund their salaries get nowhere near this amount of holiday.”
Another example of how the Palace of Westminster has become detached from the rest of the country.
April 21st, 2009
A gleaming red Ferrari is probably top of most males wish lists when it comes to dream cars, but for the majority that’s as close as they will ever get to owning one, unless they win the lottery that is! But even if your budget won’t quite stretch to buying your dream car, you can still experience the thrill of driving one with a race day at Thruxton Race Circuit. A race day in a Ferrari F430 Scuderia is currently £300 which includes full instructions and training, 4 practice laps in a Porsche Cayman and 4 laps in the Ferrari.
Other packages are available to suit all budgets. Prices start from £97. For further details visit the site: www.thruxtonracing.co.uk
April 21st, 2009
It’s fair to say that we all have a certain amount of sympathy for the homeless at the moment. After all, through no fault of their own, thousands of decent, hardworking families are losing their homes each month, victims of the recession and redundancy. They have paid their taxes, they deserve help, not to be housed in lavish mansions but to be provided with ’suitable’ accommodation until they get back on their feet again.
Squatters, however are a different thing altogether. These are not people who have necessarily fallen on hard times, they are, it seems groups of people who feel it is their right to take and abuse what doesn’t belong to them, in an almost arrogant like gesture of defiance to the rest of us. A group of squatters have ‘taken over’ a £4.5m private ‘island’ in Surrey and turned it into a dump. The former hotel and wedding venue went bust and squatters ‘moved in’ in February. Not content with taking over someone else’s property, they then proceeded to wreck the property, urinate in the corridors and turn a marquee area into a rave venue.
Now the council is ‘trying’ to evict them, no doubt at the taxpayers expense.
April 9th, 2009
1. Price comparison site vs FSA Intermediary?
Both. The easiest way to save money is to shop around. Getting a quote from a price comparison website is the quickest way to get a feel for what you should be paying but then speak to an FSA Authorised Intermediary. They will be able to give you the best advice and make sure the cover is what you need. And they will be just as competitive as online quotes.
Get a quote from an FSA Authorised Intermediary here!
2. Review your existing cover
If you already have cover, review it every few years to make sure it still fits your needs. As our lives change, so do our requirements for life insurance. Something you needed cover for 10 years ago might not be relevant anymore. Also, premiums have come down in recent years so even if you still need the same amount of cover, you may be able to get a more competitive quote. Again, speak to an FSA Authorised Intermediary for advice.
Get advice from an FSA Authorised Intermediary here!
3. Stop smoking
Easy to say when you are not a smoker, I know, but aside from the obvious benefits of quitting like better health and saving a fortune in cigarettes, giving up smoking can reduce your life insurance premiums significantly although you will usually need to be cigarette or tobacco free for at least 12 months.
4. Get healthy
Again, a bit obvious but if you are requested to take a medical by your insurance company, being in better shape and not overweight will have a huge affect on how much you pay.
5. Apply early
Although it’s rarely too late to take out life insurance, the younger you are the better. Premiums for an average 20 something male will be a fraction of a 40+ male, but remember health and smoking can play a massive part, so age alone isn’t the deciding factor.
Finally, remember the reason for taking out Life Insurance. It isn’t for you, it’s for your dependants, your family and loved ones so whatever you do, make sure they are adequately protected.
April 9th, 2009

The Bank of England have today announced, as widely predicted, that interest rates will remain at 0.5%, ending 6 months of consecutive interest rate cuts. April is now the first month since September 2008 that the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee has decided not to drop the Base Rate. But what does it mean for us?
It really is too early to say, but many believe that we are certainly at or nearing the bottom of the current ‘dip’. On the other hand, there are those who believe that further reductions in rates would actually harm the economy, rather than improve it. Whilst the initial interest rate cuts were welcomed by most, the latest cuts appear to have done little more than spread panic and fear amongst the financial markets. The Bank of England’s decision to leave interest rates on hold, is simply a message to say ‘we have now done our job, and things are now getting back on track’. Whether this is true remains to be seen but any move that even begins to restore the countries shattered confidence will be welcomed.
Mortgage holders and savers will see no change following the latest decision, unless individual lenders and banks decide to alter their rates, but on the whole, it will be a sigh of relief that we are entering a more ‘normal‘ phase following months of turbulence.
Again, opinion varies but we can certainly expect to see a period of stability, with economists agreeing that rates are unlikely to get any lower. The question is when, and it is a question of when and not if, will rates start to rise again?
“Looking further forward, we continue to anticipate rates remaining at 0.5% for an extended period of time - in our forecasts that means until early 2011,” said Malcolm Barr, an economist at JP Morgan.
“Rates are at the absolute bottom here,” David Page, economist at Investec Securities told MSN. “The next move is bound to be up and that could come in the first quarter of 2010,” he added.
There are signs that the economy might be improving again, with an increase in mortgage activity and house sales, certainly contributory factors in the Bank of England’s decision. And recent news that HSBC are allocating £1 billion to lend to homeowners and RBS/Natwest stating that they will make £10 billion available to small businesses are all signs of a growing confidence within the financial sectors.
April 9th, 2009
Worrying stastics have revealed that over half a million Brits have cancelled their life insurance cover altogether in an attempt to save money as the credit crunch bites
The report by Sainsbury’s Finance has revealed that an estimated 500,000+ Britons have cancelled their life insurance cover in the last 12 months and four percent of all life insurance holders have switched providers in the last year to obtain cheaper cover.
“Given the financial state we’re in it’s inevitable that people are going to be looking to make cut-backs, but it’s a real concern when those cut-backs leave them vulnerable to far greater expense down the line,” said Sainsbury’s home insurance manager Neil Laird.
However, life insurance premiums can vary greatly and in recent times premiums have actually fallen so it is always worth speaking with an Independent Financial Advisor to make sure that you are paying the correct premium for the cover you have.
For a free and impartial review of your life insurance cover CLICK HERE
April 9th, 2009
Imagine walking along the street, glancing down you see a cheque lying on the ground with an amount of $357,959.55 in big bold letters written on it. Surely, you would assume it was a fake, a joke or something similar and walk by, or would the curiosity take over and you bend down and ever so discretely pick it up.
As she walked from the post office, Talon Curtis from Los Angeles thought she had found a gimmicky sweepstake offer on the ground with the numbers $357,959.55 written across it, and like a good citizen she was just about to pick it up and bin it, when she noticed that it was actually a real cheque with a real signature.
What she did next was quite amazing. Read the full story here
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090408/ap_on_fe_st/odd_big_check
What would you do????
April 7th, 2009
No one knows what the future will hold and if you become unemployed or cannot work due to accident or illness, you may not be able to meet your financial commitments. Job security is now a thing of the past, with record numbers unemployed or facing the risk of unemployment, yet millions of people are potentially putting their homes at risk by ignoring the benefits of Mortgage Payment Protection Insurance (MPPI).
The mortgage on our homes is probably the biggest commitment most people will make in their lives but if you couldn’t make your mortgage or loan payments, could you rely on the “state” for help? Probably not! Over 70% of people will not qualify for Income Support and those who do will only receive a small percentage of their normal income.
Mortgage Payment Protection Insurance(MPPI) can cover the payments on your mortgage, your loans or even your rent if you become ill or unemployed. But what about the cost? Surprisingly affordable with premiums as low as £3.00 per month per £100 of mortgage payment. Whilst the average cost of a mortgage has dropped by more than 50% in recent months, the risk of facing unemployment, accident or illness hasn’t, so protecting your home has never been more important. To find out more and receive an instant online quote, click below
Mortgage Payment Protection Insurance - Peace of Mind for you, your family and your home.
April 6th, 2009
Lombard Direct are owned by Royal Bank of Scotland. Royal Bank of Scotland are owned by the British Taxpayer. The British government on behalf of the British Taxpayer has pumped countless millions into Royal Bank of Scotland in a bid to save the banking system and to get them to lend our money back to us. Sound confusing?
Ok, so let’s accept that on some level all of this makes sense, after all we need to get the economy moving and the ability to borrow or lend money is a fundamental part of this. So why have Lombard Direct (Royal Bank of Scotland) now decided that they are going to stop lending money, and exactly where has all our money gone?