Identity Fraud – Has Your Financial Profile Been Stolen?
Identity Fraud (or Identity Theft) is the fastest growing kind of fraud in the UK. It happens when someone gets hold of your personal details and uses them to obtain goods or services by pretending to be you.
Often, your details are used to obtain credit or other finance services, and this credit will most likely not be repaid. It can take months before you find out what’s happening, by which time untold damage may have been caused to your credit rating.
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The Mortgage Code
Update: As of 31st October 2004, the mortgage industry is directly regulated by the Financial Services Authority and the Mortgage Code has ceased to apply
The Mortgage Code is a set of standards and minimum levels of service that most mortgage lenders and brokers agree to provide. But what does that mean for you?
Annuity Inertia? Compare Annuities
Why comparing annuities can give you more money in retirement
Eight out of ten people don’t shop around for the best deal on their pension when they retire, yet everyone in this position is entitled to do so by exercising their open market option.
Although legislation introduced in 2003 obliges UK Insurers and Employer Pension Schemes to tell prospective retirees about this option, there is little evidence yet that many people are taking up their open market option.
Travel Insurance Explained
Travel can be an expensive business, and it might seem like paying for insurance is an extra cost that you can afford not to pay. This is true, but if something goes wrong with your travel arrangements, or you suffer misfortune while away, the costs can be high indeed. Travel insurance can go a long way to lowering these costs, and the amount you have to pay for decent cover can be very reasonable.
Your Credit File
Whenever you apply for credit, it’s almost certain that some form of credit check will be made before you’re approved. This usually involves consulting your credit file or credit record. But what exactly is this file?
Flexible and Offset Mortgages
Flexible and offset mortgages are a relative newcomer to the UK mortgage marketplace, but have proved to be very popular.
It is estimated that around 20% of borrowers now have some element of flexibility in their mortgage deal, from simple overpayment options to a full current account set up.
Guide to Choosing a Credit Card
Back in 1966, when the first credit card was launched in the UK, choosing a credit card was a very simple affair – you took what you could get.
The range of cards available slowly grew over the following years, until an explosion of card launches over the last decade resulted in credit cards being available in a bewildering variety of styles and brands, each with different benefits and drawbacks.
In this article, we hope to give some advice to help you choose the right card for you.
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Bad Credit Jargon
What do all the various terms related to bad credit actually mean? Our quick glossary defines the most common and important bits of jargon.
10 Key Mortgage Questions
The Department of Trade and Industry recommends that you ask 10 key questions before committing to a mortgage. We reprint them here, along with our explanations.
Credit Card Jargon
Like most areas of finance, the credit card sector is full of confusing jargon. It’s important though to understand what all these terms mean before you apply for a card.