Consumers make many excuses for the - often unhappy - state of their finances. The sub-prime mortgage market fiasco in the US has highlighted the importance of responsible lending, but has also drawn attention to the importance of consumer responsibility. Here in the UK where consumers enjoy a collective multi-billion pound relationship with credit, it’s [...]
According to British Psychologists, today is Blue Monday – the most depressing day of the year. Apparently the foul weather, lack of daylight and feelings of guilt over failed New Year’s resolutions accumulate suitably by mid-late January to have us all at our lowest emotional points. And then, as if your failure to have as [...]
Yesterday the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee voted to maintain interest rates at 5.5%, to the surprise of many economists who had been predicting a further drop following that made in December. Until the minutes of the meeting are published later in the month it remains to be seen how close the vote was, [...]
When we moved into our new flat in March last year, we dutifully set about doing all the things that one does when moving house - that invariably lead to mild feelings of self-hatred for deciding to move in the first place - such as getting phone and broadband sorted out. The flat already had [...]
Today is one of the busiest days of the year for people in the financial advice industry. The first Monday of the New Year is officially the day when people wake from their seasonal slumber and try to get their lives in order; invariably this includes seeking some form of advice regarding their finances in [...]
Like many homeowners, I have been watching the predictions regarding interest rates and economic change during 2008 with great interest, particularly the endless speculation over the future of the housing market. Many economists are predicting as many as four interest rate drops during 2008, which will relieve some of the pressure on banks’ access to [...]
The Bank of England has today reported a reduction on the availability of secured credit to households over the last three months, and expects the same to continue over the first quarter of 2008. What does this mean for consumers? In a nutshell: that secured lending is becoming harder to access due to more stringent [...]
It is a well known fact that January is the longest month in the calendar year. It may only contain 31 days, the same as half of the rest of the months in the year, but somehow January is definitely longer. The days are shorter, the darkness seemingly endless; the cold no longer seems festive [...]
I read with some astonishment this morning that an astounding 75% of borrowers do not believe that they are responsible for their own levels of over-indebtedness. Three quarters of consumers do not feel responsible for making their own decisions regarding their finances, and feel that instead, lenders are to blame. With repossessions on the rise [...]
We all do it. Despite your best intentions after last year, you didn’t start saving early, you didn’t start buying presents early, and before you know it, the Silly Season has rolled around again and there’s only one thing to do: Panic! Panicking usually results in sweaty, frightening scenes in Oxford Street at 9pm on [...]
