cashquestions.com - Personal finance news written by expert financial journalists http://www.cashquestions.com Fri, 12 Mar 2010 11:25:13 +0000 en http://www.cashquestions.com/1822 Fri, 12 Mar 2010 11:08:18 +0000 http://www.cashquestions.com/1822 There were 49% fewer house purchase loans in January than in December, but only 15% fewer remortgage loans, according to data released today by the Council of Mortgage Lenders. This emphatically demonstrates the effect on the mortgage market of the end of the temporary stamp duty holiday in December, the CML says. http://www.cashquestions.com/1821 Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:51:28 +0000 http://www.cashquestions.com/1821 The Financial Services Authority says it is going to be more proactive in future, and not confine itself to responding to consumers’ complaints about the way they are treated.   That is the message today from FSA chief executive Hector Sants, who appears to be keen to introduce better protection for buyers of mortgages, pensions and investment products before he steps down in the summer – and before an incoming Conservative government gets around to ditching the FSA altogether. http://www.cashquestions.com/1820 Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:04:37 +0000 http://www.cashquestions.com/1820 House sales totalled 36,000 in January, 52% down on December, and then recovered only slightly (by 1.9%) to 40,000 in February – all of which suggests that the housing market in early 2010 was only in a slightly better state than at the depths of the economic downturn, according to a report by Acadametrics.   The usual reasons have been produced by the report’s authors for this volatile situation: the seasonal fall-off in house buying, compounded by the exceptionally long and severe winter, plus the end of the stamp duty holiday. http://www.cashquestions.com/1819 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:49:53 +0000 http://www.cashquestions.com/1819 A firm of solicitors that worked almost exclusively for Cartel Client Review, a company specialising in attempting to challenge the enforceability of debts, has been closed down by the Solicitors' Regulation Authority (SRA).   The SRA has closed the Manchester office of Consumer Credit Litigation Solicitors, saying that it was acting to protect clients of CCLS because of “suspected dishonesty”. http://www.cashquestions.com/1818 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:47:22 +0000 http://www.cashquestions.com/1818 Mortgage rates have been falling since last November, but in order to fund the cuts savings rates have been falling too, according to the latest research from Moneyfacts.   The largest rate reductions have been on fixed-rate bonds. One year bonds have seen their average rate drop by 0.65% in the last four months, while four and five year bonds have dropped by 0.60% and 0.55% respectively. http://www.cashquestions.com/1813 Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.cashquestions.com/1813 Perplexed by pensions? Confused by CGT? Stumped by self assessment? Billions of pounds of hard earned cash is wasted every year through unnecessary tax payments or failure to use tax breaks. But how do you ensure you are not paying more than you should? Help is at hand with IFA and tax experts Philip Pearson, P&P Invest, and Ian Hudson, Hudson Green & Associates, who will be joining us to answer all your tax questions. Submit your questions now and join us when we go live on 11 March.     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~     http://www.cashquestions.com/1817 Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:48:21 +0000 http://www.cashquestions.com/1817 The Barclays Golden ISA issue 2  is a variable rate savings account, paying 3.10% AER, including a 1% bonus for the first 12 months. It allows instant penalty-free access, but does not permit transfers in - so those looking for a better deal on their existing ISA balances will be disappointed to have been frozen out.   An even better rate is available on the Santander, which pays 3.5% on the same terms. http://www.cashquestions.com/1816 Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:49:09 +0000 http://www.cashquestions.com/1816 Richard Lambert, director general of the CBI, has called, in an open letter to Chancellor Alistair Darling, for a clear and credible plan to balance the nation’s books by 2015-16, two years earlier than currently planned.   The details are needed to boost confidence in public finances and allay concerns about Britain’s AAA debt rating, the employers’ organisation says. http://www.cashquestions.com/1815 Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:55:36 +0000 http://www.cashquestions.com/1815 The number of mortgages available has gone up by 6% over the past month, according to the financial information service Moneyfacts.   There were 1,798 mortgage deals requiring deposits of up to 40% on offer at the beginning of March - 68% more than a year ago. http://www.cashquestions.com/1814 Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:33:32 +0000 http://www.cashquestions.com/1814 The amount of money the population is saving has decreased this winter to its lowest level for more than two years, according to NS&I's Savings Survey.   On average, the British public is now setting aside 6.25% of monthly take-home income. This figure has fallen consistently since this time last year (6.48%), and is at its lowest level since summer 2007 (6.22%).