Personal finance
A married man with two children earning £26,000 will be approximately £23 per month worse off after April, according to figures extracted from the Government by the Labour Party. The reduction in the value of the married man's allowance to 20 per cent and the one percentage
Personal finance
The introduction of personal pensions was supposed to be a welcome reform of Margaret Thatcher's government, allowing individuals to take control of their retirement savings. However, it has led to a £2 billion scandal, with up to 400,000 people left worse off than if they had stayed
Personal finance
Insurers have given a tentative welcome to a new system of security marking for household products, but the Association of British Insurers (ABI) remains skeptical about its effectiveness. The system, devised by Douglas McCartney of Nationwide Property Register (NPR), involves tagging expensive household goods with barcodes that can be registered
Personal finance
The Sunday Times revealed that, despite its reputation as a "consumer champion," the ombudsman required by its terms of appointment to be impartial generally decides more cases in favour of the insurance company than the complainant. Last year, only 33% of cases were decided in favour of the
Personal finance
Insurance policies, pension funds, and savings accounts can be complex and confusing, especially when facing life's unexpected events. Several readers have reached out to Margaret Dibben, a financial expert, seeking guidance on reclaiming lost records, transferring pension values, and investing windfalls. Key Takeaways: * When claiming for lost records
Personal finance
Homeowners, Ron Williams and John Hopkins, from Swansea, had their claims for storm damage on their buildings policies rejected by Prudential and Eagle Star, respectively. The insurers cited the age of the houses as the likely cause of the breakage, which is not covered under the terms of the policies.
Personal finance
Prominent stock market leaders have recently made crucial chart breaks, sparking renewed optimism for investors. The Ordinary shares of Commercial Union, Amstrad, Fisons, Unilever, and BP have all cleared key resistance levels, paving the way for potential price rises. This momentum is expected to drive these companies' performances in
Personal finance
Homeowners are struggling to secure contents insurance due to increasing premium costs and discriminatory practices by insurers. A recent report by Which? highlights the "growing trend of `cherry picking' insuring the good risks and excluding the bad" (Which?, n.d.). Insurance companies, despite announcing record profits, are
Personal finance
Regulators have finally given in to years of pressure from consumer groups and announced that insurance salesmen must disclose their commissions to customers. From January 1 next year, financial advisers will have to reveal how much they stand to make from each policy they sell, providing a clear written statement
