Loans
Improve your credit score in five easy steps
Filed under: Credit Cards, Loans
If you are having trouble being approved for credit cards and other financial products, it's almost certainly because you have a poor credit score. Happily, however, there are plenty of easy ways to improve your chances of being accepted for credit cards, loans and mortgages. So we've come up with five top tips for upping your credit score.
Social lending - better for borrowers and savers
The concept of social lending is not especially new, yet it's not something many of us know much about. So if you've lost faith in the banks and their underhand ways then you need to sit up and pay attention. Online 'financial exchanges' like Zopa and Yes-Secure offer a real alternative for both borrowers and savers. What's more the rates of interest on these sites are consistently better than those offered by the banks.
Student loan rates jump to 4.4% - should you pay back now or not?
Filed under: Loans
For those who took out a loan after 1998, the interest rate is now 1.5%. And if you still have a loan taken out before 1998, your interest rate is now 4.4%. So should you be pulling out all the stops to pay your student loan back now?
James Bond's Aston Martin is still king of the road
Filed under: Loans, Travel, Entertainment
When it comes to flashy cars, Italian racers and German engineering aren't enough of a draw for British drivers: most of us dream of getting behind the wheel of a classic British sports car.In fact, the classic Aston Martin - as driven by the nation's favourite spy James Bond - races ahead of European makes such as Ferrari in the polls as the top choice for more than six million Brits.
5 Top Tips for Securing a Loan
Filed under: Loans
If you are looking to take out a personal loan you may be unaware of the different options available to you. To point you in the right direction when researching your personal loan options and to ensure you secure the best deal for your financial needs, follow these top five tips.Pay 1.9% on your loan or overdraft
Filed under: Credit Cards, Loans
Do you feel like you'll never be able to pay off your overdraft or loan in your lifetime? Whilst interest free deals allowing you to switch credit card balances from one piece of plastic to another are almost ten a penny, you hardly ever get the option to use a balance transfer to clear non-card debts and save on expensive loan or overdraft interest. Howwver, one new card lets you do it.
Bigger loans now cheaper than those under £5,000
Filed under: Financial Crisis, Loans, Budgeting & Planning
You could be better off taking out a personal loan over £5,000 even if you need to borrow less, as rates on bigger loans are now falling. Borrowing over £5,000 could cost nearly £500 less in interest over five years.In the wake of the credit crunch, small borrowers are being penalised (even though Bank of England interest rates are at a record low). So what can you do?
Compare car finance for cheaper deals
Filed under: Loans, Travel, Technology and Online
A specialist car finance comparison website FinanceAcar claims you can save as much as 50% on monthly payments for a new car by not choosing the hire purchase or loan finance deal offered by your local car dealer.FinanceAcar claims to fill a £11.5bn gap left by traditional comparison websites that only compare car finance prices based on car loans. It says more people would be better off leasing rather than trying to buy their own cars. It aims to "reinvent" the way we buy new cars.
Millions to get compensation for mis-sold PPI
Filed under: Loans, Budgeting & Planning
Millions of people can look forward to financial compensation after being mis-sold payment protection insurance (PPI).The Financial Services Authority has given banks until 1 December to adopt new rules for dealing with PPI complaints.
More new banks to sweep onto the high street
Filed under: Mortgages, Saving, Loans
The next couple of years promise to be interesting in the banking world, as a number of new start-ups are set to open branches on Britain's high streets. Metro Bank, which opened its first branch in Holborn, central London, last week, is just the first. We take a look at the new ventures and what they will offer customers.
