| |
| |
|
Personal Finance Information |
|
|
|
Personal Finance - Why You Should Compare, not Despair
Sorting out your personal finances can be a tricky and exasperating time. Whether you are looking to obtain money through a loan, protect your finances with life insurance, medical, travel or car insurance, save some money through an individual savings account (ISA), apply for a credit card or a mortgage, change a telephone or fuel utility supplier, or simply decide what the best current account is for your needs, the choices are seemingly endless as well as being extremely complicated. They can also be potentially serious if you get it wrong. With so many options, and so many companies trying to get you to use their product, it is difficult to know where to turn. The first method of working out your own finances is to review your needs and compare the products on offer to meet those needs. You could, if desired, visit the banks one by one, burning calories and shoe leather by doing so. Alternatively you may have heard of the World Wide Web, it's like a sort of big and commercial version of Narnia and you don't have to go through your wardrobe to get there. And no freaky men with goats legs ? ? not without a login and password anyway. So, we present the concept of financial product comparison sites, which have been around in the UK since 1997, when small company called moneynet decided to break up the monopoly in the personal finance market. Over the past eight years, there has been an explosion in the number of UK sites seeking to provide information to enable consumers to make informed decisions on their personal finances. These sites provide free consumer financial product comparison services for credit cards, insurance, investments, savings accounts, mortgages, loans, as well as gas and electricity bill suppliers. Additional consumer information services are also often provided such as financial guides, financial newsletters and personal finance calculators. Moneynet, in particular, has a tool which allows registered users to manage all of their accounts online - securely, including credit cards, savings accounts and current accounts. You can also obtain financial advice from an independent financial advisor, but this is an expensive way of doing what could be done for free with a little effort. If you do your own homework, then you can use your time with an advisor more effectively by asking informed questions. You'll have a better understanding of what you're being sold if you've done a little bit of homework first. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Resources: http://paler.com/uk_financial_comparison_sites.html http://www.moneynet.co.uk/ About Rachel Rachel writes for the personalfinanosaurus Cashzilla Rachel has been writing personal finance related articles for six months and has learnt so much about mortgages and life insurance, that nobody invites her out to dinner anymore. :(
MORE RESOURCES:
AME Info, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, personal finance briefs - Trading Markets (press release)
Personal-Finance - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Why You Should Seek Professional Help With Asset Management Everyone needs to maintain their lives. What I mean by that is that we all need to take certain measures to make sure that we have a home, transportation, food, entertainment etc. Budgeting Your Way to Financial Freedom Financial freedom cannot be achieved without budgeting. Budgeting involves tracking your sources of income and more importantly tracking your expenses. Top 10+ Ways to Jumpstart your New Year's Finances! Of course, these don't have to be done in any particular order! Just pick one or two that particularly apply to your situation. * Create your 2005 filing system. College Expenses: Seven Ways to Save on an Education Many people graduate from college owing thousands of dollars in student loans. It isn't uncommon for students to graduate owing $30,000 to $40,000. Check Fraud and Verification Before buying personal or business checks you should inform yourself of the best ways to protect yourself from check fraud. Since man has written checks check fraud has existed. Car Donations and Used Car Donations Car donations and used car donations are the way many people choose to recycle their older model cars without having the headache of repairing, advertising, showing, and hopefully then selling them. Being able to get rid of an older car and at the same time gaining the benefits of charitable giving and a tax deduction are all part of the allure of used car donations. Strategies for Success Holy Shenanigans! More STUFF?Loosing one's business due to lack of personal control is a sad thing. I've watched many people do just exactly that. Bank On It: Places to Hide and Invest Money Today I passed a thermometer at a bank that read 110 degrees, but I am not telling you that to show you how hot it was. I am telling you that because this bank really needs to fix their thermometer. Make or Break Your Retirement! The Prudential has dubbed those who refuse to leave home as "kippers" or "kids in parents' pockets eroding retirement savings". Recent research concludes 6. More Money? My Cup Runneth Over...But Im Still Thirsty Most of us, especially those of us who have debtor's disease (if you have it you know what it is!), have commented or at least thought, "If I could just win the lottery, or sweepstakes, everything would be better." Unfortunately, even if that big dream did come true things probably would get worse instead of better. Budgets And Eating - Can They Co-Exist? Whatever your reason for having a tight budget, the truth is that going to the grocery store without a plan is a BIG budget breaker. And sadly all that cash ends up vanishing into our stomachs and then. Financial Fitness - Are You Exercising the Right Muscles to become Financially Fit? Are your financial muscles well toned and healthy or flabby and weak? Do you want to change your relationship with money so you can have control over your financial future or do you want to continue to complain that you don't have enough? Exercise these 10 muscles to achieve Financial Fitness.1. Basic Bank Accounts Failing the Basic Needs of Consumers The lists of bank and savings accounts that are available to most people are bewildering. A quick look at a comparison site like Moneynet or Moneyfacts will reveal thousands of different products. Knowing Me, Knowing You: Why ID Protection Plans Are Flawed For Fraud ID theft is a major consumer concern, though there is apparently much confusion about proactive protection initiatives and apparently safe and unsafe spending behaviour. For example, many consumers remain reluctant about shopping online, but they may still give out personal details over the phone in a cold call, or they may have redundant or dormant accounts and financial products which are susceptible to fraud. Budget Planning - Its Elementary My Dear Watson Does it feel like you have to be Sherlock Holmes to solve the mystery behind balancing your personal budget? Are you living a mysterious thriller where your realization of "financial independence and security" is a vicious repeating cycle of debt? Don't be afraid?.. The Wonderful World Of Address Labels Ever wonder where address labels come from? Avery® is perhaps one of the most well-known manufacturers of address labels. Rightly so in some respects. Succession Planning Have you ever thought about what you are going to leave your children when you pass from this earth? Wouldn't it be a great feeling to be able to give them a really good head start in life - without actually spoiling them?It really doesn't matter how old you are, it's something that you need to be thinking about and planning for now. In the process of planning your inheritance and blessing your children, you are really making YOUR life better and more financially secure because you'll enjoy these benefits before you pass them on. UK Graduates Looking Short-Term At Their Long-Term Financial Responsibilities With almost two thirds of university entrants from England and Wales who applied for maintenance grants for this year being unsuccessful, and the average graduate owing £13,501 when they leave, according to Barclays, combined with a survey by High Fliers Research showing that only 21% of students were confident of managing to enter a graduate-level job this year, it is not surprising that there is a feeling of gloom hanging over many UK university entrants.According to a survey of students from 30 institutions; 63% believed there are not enough graduate jobs for everyone leaving university this year, with a fifth stating that they felt that there were only limited jobs available. Debt Management - Watch Out for Bank Fees! During the last twenty years, banks have offered a number of improvements in the area of being customer-friendly. The old 9 AM - 2 PM "banker's hours" are gone, replaced by a schedule that makes it easy for most people to visit when the bank is open. Students Investing in Their Future Need to Manage Their Finances Today With the A-level results coming out, the long wait for UK school leavers hoping to go to university will soon be over. All the hard work that has been put into achieving the grades required will now pay off and the fun and freedom that is student life can begin.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |