The AnswerBank Articles

British Women Miss Out On Pension Benefits

Six in ten women are not contributing to a pension fund, potentially losing out on pension tax relief, according to a report from a well known international bank. While the research shows that the level of understanding about pensions is on the rise, an alarming number of women mistakenly believe that they have to be w...15:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Students 'Conned' By Free Gifts From Banks

Every year thousands of fresh faced young people arrive at university with a sense of achievement, nerves and excitement. For many it is often the first time they have been away from home for more than a couple of weeks and it can be daunting to think you are now your own keeper. The years of preparation to get here ha...15:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Stay Safe On Holiday

Experts are urging British holidaymakers to stay safe abroad by making sure they have adequate travel insurance in place to protect against all eventualities. As the holiday season approaches, every year, many families will be jetting off to escape the British weather and enjoy the sun, but not all will have full trav...15:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Insurers Wait For Festive Getaway Claims

We all look forward to our holidays but we should be more prepared for problems according to new research. According to a luggage delivery firm, the festive season has the highest number of reported incidents of lost luggage per passenger. And this can be exacerbated by other unforeseen problems. For example, a fault...15:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Women With Expensive Handbags 'Vulnerable To Crime'

A designer label handbag – the dream of many women nowadays. They can cost as much as a hundred pounds but give the wearer a sense of status, even better if it is filled with expensive gadgets. However good it looks, though, the designer bag and expensive gadgets can be a draw to thieves and you may lose everythi...15:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Insurers Stretched After Bad Weather

Every winter Britain is usually faced with enough severe weather to keep insurers busy. Financial providers are always braced for a peak during the coldest time of year, although the numbers of calls some years far exceed expectations. Some months have seen homeowners subjected to everything from floods and strong win...15:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Houses 'A Target For SatNav Thieves'

With the rise of electronic navigation gadgets in our cars maps are dropping out of fashion. However, maybe we should not be so quick to ditch the paper copies as they do not contain sensitive information which is now being targeted by opportunistic thieves. The personal information stored in satellite navigation (Sat...15:36 Mon 24th May 2010

People Failing To Take Out 'Clothes Insurance'

Whenever we go on a clothes shopping spree, whether it is to stock up on seasonal clothes or simply a splurge, we rarely think about updating our home insurance afterwards. This could be a mistake according to recent research. While a quarter of Britons own clothes and accessories worth over £2,000, they are cho...15:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Get A Better Deal Than Your Bank For Home Insurance

Home insurance is not one of the most interesting things to think about; however, many of us are missing out because we cannot be bothered to check out better deals. As often getting a mortgage is conditional upon having some sort of insurance we often simply plump for the easy option and go with our lender. It seems t...15:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Britons Saving over £1 Billion By 'Bundling'

Isn’t language funny It was not so long along that a bundle just meant a pile of something; blankets, clothes, washing. Now the word has taken on a whole new meaning as it relates to the purchase of electronic goods and accessories together. In a bundle you usually get the main item say a DVD player, game conso...15:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Council Tax Report Backed

Calls for regular council tax revaluations made by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) are finding support among parties looking for greater transparency in the current council tax system. RICS recommends that council tax needs to be assessed and evaluated at regular intervals to ensure full transparen...15:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Operator Travel Insurance 'Not A Good Idea'

We all look forward to our time away whether it is a sun filled two week Mediterranean holiday or a weekend break in the UK. And, of course, there are a million and one things to do before we can go away; one of the most important of which is travel insurance. However, it seems we need to be more careful about where we...15:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Debt Prevalent Among The 'Friends' Generation

Debt is common amongst most age groups in the UK but it seems that some are more likely to have high debts than others. People aged around 30 carry the highest amount of debt, it has been claimed. The demographic - dubbed the Friends generation in Alliance & Leicester's research - has unsecured debts of over &poun...15:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Soft Commodity Costs 'Have Gone Up'

Most of us have noticed that the cost of our shopping has been steadily rising over the last few years. This is due to the price of so called ‘Soft Commodities’. These are everyday things such as wheat, sugar or even orange juice. According to recent research over the past few years the prices of these com...15:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Providers Still 'Fooling Borrowers With PPI'

Everyone who has ever applied for a loan or credit card in the last ten years will have been offered Payment Protection Insurance (PPI). Many of us are still not really sure what they are signing for and financial institutions still seem to be glossing over the benefits. The consumer group Which has stated that custo...15:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Couples 'Indebted In Holy Matrimony'

We all know that weddings are an expensive business not to mention a nice honeymoon in a hot foreign country. However, it seems that the spiralling costs are affecting more and more newlyweds. The happiest day in the lives of couples may also be the most expensive, it has been reported. The average wedding costs aroun...15:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Pensions Debt 'Risked By The Self-Employed'

Although most of us work for other people there is a large number of the population who work for themselves. There are many reasons for this, perhaps they find it more fulfilling doing what they love on their own terms or perhaps they have always wanted the freedom to work by themselves. Whatever the reason there is no...15:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Most Landlords 'Keep The Tenants' Deposits'

Whilst many of us own our own homes there is still a large proportion of the population who do not and are in rented accommodation. This has its benefits as well as it detriments. Tenants and landlords both have legal rights in agreements set up and should make sure they know what they are as it seems some property-own...15:36 Mon 24th May 2010

DIY Benefits 'Not In Kitchens And Bathrooms'

People looking to add to the value of their home may be interested to hear that a bathroom or kitchen renovation is not necessarily the best way to go about it, a finance company has claimed. In fact the top three modifications homeowners opt for - combined - would not increase the value of a home by as much as an esta...15:36 Mon 24th May 2010

Cost Of A Dad Calculated

Although sadly many households contain single parents with children, most in the UK, however, have the complete set of two – a Mother and a Father. Now, it seems, new research has found that having the father around can help with more than just looking after the kids. The price of having a father around the hous...15:36 Mon 24th May 2010