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Uninsured skiers risk painful half-term break

Uninsured skiers risk painful half-term break (9-2-12)

A fifth of winter sports travellers will hit the slopes uninsured this half-term, says AA.

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Top 10 burglary insurance claim hotspots revealed

Top 10 burglary insurance claim hotspots revealed (6-2-12)

Leeds and London feature most often in the high-risk postcodes.

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Cost of raising a child increases to £218,000

Cost of raising a child increases to £218,000 (26-1-12)

Soaring cost of childcare, education and food hits parents, as overall cost of raising a child increases 3.3% in a year.

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New EU law could trigger rise in house repossessions

New EU law could trigger rise in house repossessions (25-1-12)

Brits in mortgage arrears could face eviction procedures after three months rather than six.

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Some Brits keep same bank account for life

Some Brits keep same bank account for life (19-1-12)

A quarter of Brits have held their current account for 26 years and 10% still have the account they opened as a child.

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Brits utterly dissatisfied with their credit card issuer

Brits utterly dissatisfied with their credit card issuer (18-1-12)

Consumer satisfaction with credit card issuers hits all time low.

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6m UK households have less than £250 in savings

6m UK households have less than £250 in savings (12-1-12)

28% of UK households could not survive until the weekend on savings, says first direct.

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Brits dread having their car stolen

Brits dread having their car stolen (6-1-12)

UK drivers live in fear of motor thieves even though car crime is falling.

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One million Brits rely on credit to pay for home

One million Brits rely on credit to pay for home (4-1-12)

Soaring cost of living drives people to take out payday loans to cover rent or mortgage, says Shelter.

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Consumers set to spend record £47bn this Christmas

Consumers set to spend record £47bn this Christmas (14-12-11)

But £6bn will be withdrawn from savings accounts and 10m Brits will be pushed into the red on cards and overdrafts.

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Barclays bank account holders hit with fees hike

Barclays bank account holders hit with fees hike (08-12-11)

Tripling fees for credit-impaired and financially vulnerable account holders could push them into banking hinterland, says watchdog.

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The rise of the “zombie” debtor

The rise of the “zombie” debtor (07-12-11)

The proliferation of payday loans has given rise to “zombie” debtors who will never pay the loans back.

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Courts “too soft” on uninsured drivers

Courts “too soft” on uninsured drivers (02-12-11)

Average fine meted out to uninsured drivers is £200 which will “outrage” honest motorists, says AA.

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Mixed signals on UK house prices

Mixed signals on UK house prices (30-11-11)

Nationwide says prices “resilient” while Land Registry reports 10th consecutive month of price falls.

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Families need £25,000 just to break even

Families need £25,000 just to break even (25-11-11)

Soaring costs mean the average household will struggle this Christmas.

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Winter weather damage to homes tops £600m

Winter weather damage to homes tops £600m (23-11-11)

Lack of winter preparation puts one in three homeowners at risk of huge winter repair bills and invalidated buildings insurance, says M&S Money.

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Britain’s future pensions face a bleak retirement

Britain’s future pensions face a bleak retirement (22-11-11)

As they struggle financially, 12% of over-55s feel they will “never be able to afford to retire”.

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Northern Rock sold to Virgin

Northern Rock sold to Virgin (17-11-11)

£747m sale sees state-owned bank returned to private sector - taxpayer loses £1.4bn.

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Brits hide £4.6bn from their partners in secret savings stashes

Brits hide £4.6bn from their partners in secret savings stashes (16-11-11)

Secret savers have hidden stash of £1,037 in cash and investments because they don’t trust - or are planning to leave - their partners.

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Cost of a third bedroom is £60,000 (£163,270 in London)

Cost of a third bedroom is £60,000 (£163,270 in London) (11-11-11)

The additional cost of housing a second child is £59,500, according to new research from HSBC.

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Scams cost UK consumers £7bn a year

Scams cost UK consumers £7bn a year (10-11-11)

Legislation is failing to keep pace with the digital revolution leaving online shoppers at the mercy of scammers, says parliamentary committee

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Half of Brits have never switched mortgage

Half of Brits have never switched mortgage (09-11-11)

Although many households are curbing spending, 58% fail to save by swapping to a cheaper mortgage deal.

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Younger Brits face bleak future of high debts and few assets

Younger Brits face bleak future of high debts and few assets (03-11-11)

Brits under 40 burdened by debt will struggle to get on property ladder and save for retirement, says CCCS report

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Mortgage holders get unexpected £2,600 annual “windfall”

Mortgage holders get unexpected £2,600 annual “windfall” (27-10-11)

Borrowers leaving fixed-rate deals for lenders’ SVR find they pay less to the tune of £4.6bn a year, says CML

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When the clocks go back, criminals come calling

When the clocks go back, criminals come calling (16-10-11)

Burglary increases 26% between Halloween and Bonfire Night, says Aviva

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UK households need to find an extra £46bn just to stay still

UK households need to find an extra £46bn just to stay still (20-10-11)

Rising inflation means Brits need to spend an extra £736 just to maintain the same living standards as last year.

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One in ten Brits has more gold than savings

One in ten Brits has more gold than savings (19-10-11)

Increasing numbers of Brits are hoarding gold rather than saving cash in the bank, says esure

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Economic gloom spurs Brits to save more

Economic gloom spurs Brits to save more (13-10-11)

Savings gather momentum as number of savers and size of monthly deposits increase, says Santander.

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Mortgage affordability at highest level since 2002

Mortgage affordability at highest level since 2002 (12-10-11)

Brits spending less on mortgage repayments and remortgaging to cheaper deals up by a third, according to CML.

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Brits are twice as committed to spending as they are to saving

Brits are twice as committed to spending as they are to saving (06-10-11)

Average person with credit cards will spend £152,000 repaying them over a 40-year period, says Standard Life

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Card fraud down as criminals turn to “simple” theft

Card fraud down as criminals turn to “simple” theft (05-10-11)

Sophisticated card technology means thwarted fraudsters are returning to lo-tech scams such as distraction and card theft

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Barclays is most complained-about bank

Barclays is most complained-about bank (29-09-11)

FSA received over 250,000 complaints about Barclays in first six months of 2011, with Lloyds TSB and Santander also shamed.

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Inflation has cost savers £2,500 over 10 years

Inflation has cost savers £2,500 over 10 years (28-09-11)

Cash-strapped Brits fail to factor in effect of inflation on savings.

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UK is a nation of show home-owners

UK is a nation of show home-owners (22-09-11)

House-proud Brits spend £58,550 improving their homes to emulate TV property programmes, says esure.

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Mortgage lending up, but millions miss out on low rates

Mortgage lending up, but millions miss out on low rates (21-09-11)

Mortgage lending is at a 25-month high, but millions are missing out on the cheapestrates by sticking with lenders’ SVR.

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Ryanair defies OFT and maintains card surcharges

Ryanair defies OFT and maintains card surcharges (15-09-11)

From October, the only way passengers can avoid £6 per journey surcharge it to take out Ryanair’s new pre-paid card.

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Latest inflation rise will cost Brits £40bn

Latest inflation rise will cost Brits £40bn (14-09-11)

Maintaining our standard of living will cost us £636.70 each a year, says MGM Advantage.

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House prices fall 1.2% in August, says Halifax

House prices fall 1.2% in August, says Halifax (08-09-11)

Mixed signals as house prices climb over the last three months but drop again in August.

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Consumers still paying card surcharges, says Which?

Consumers still paying card surcharges, says Which? (07-09-11)

Consumer watchdog says the government’s failure to act costs consumers £265,000 a day.

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New scheme to foil mortgage fraudsters launched

New scheme to foil mortgage fraudsters launched (01-09-11)

Lenders suspicious of mortgage applicants’ salary claims can now cross-reference details with taxman.

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Banks pay out £215m for PPI mis-selling

Banks pay out £215m for PPI mis-selling (31-08-11)

Banks shamed into paying up for PPI mis-selling have doled out £215m.

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“Back to school” spending set to reach £736m

“Back to school” spending set to reach £736m (25-08-11)

Parents will spend an average of £77 per child on basics but the contents of school bags will be worth £212.

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Brits bargain hunt in UK’s

Brits bargain hunt in UK’s "freeconomy" (24-08-11)

Brits save £51bn a year on discount codes, special offers and freebies.

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University debt headache for parents

University debt headache for parents (18-08-11)

Parents wildly underestimate the amount of debt their child will have after uni.

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Inflation up again - over-50s and savers feel the squeeze

Inflation up again - over-50s and savers feel the squeeze (16-08-11)

Although inflation is 4.4%, over 50s struggle with 20% inflation and savers see spending power eroded.

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Negative equity returns as Brits struggle to pay mortgage

Negative equity returns as Brits struggle to pay mortgage (11-08-11)

NMore than 800,000 homeowners in negative equity and 14% “struggling” to pay.

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Brits “Travelling uninsured could cost Brits a packet

Travelling uninsured could costs Brits a packet (10-08-11)

Average cost of medical claims by Brits falling ill abroad hits £1,333.41, but is £4,725 in USA, says Sainsbury’s Travel.

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Cowboy builders anger 2.5m homeowners

Cowboy builders anger 2.5m homeowners (04-08-11)

Shoddy tradesmen who are messy and cause delays anger homeowners, as many seek redress through the courts.

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Brits “vulnerable” to interest rate rise

Brits “vulnerable” to interest rate rise (03-08-11)

As household income falls, an interest rate rise could cost families an additional £3bn a year, says think tank.

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House prices stabilising, says Nationwide (29-07-11)

House prices are stabilising across the country, says Nationwide report.

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Saving slows as household bills increase

Saving slows as household bills increase (26-07-11)

Higher cost of living hits savers, says British Banking Association.

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Parents set to spend £8.6bn on their kids this summer (22-07-11)

The average cost of keeping kids entertained and in childcare over the summer holidays is £660 per child.

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The cheque bounces back

The cheque bounces back (14-07-11)

Condemned as an arcane means of payment and set to be phased out, cheques have bounced back.

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Mixed messages from the housing market

Mixed messages from the housing market (12-07-11)

Depending who you ask, mortgage lending is up, housing market “flat” but “prices will be subdued for years”.

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Pressure group asked BoE to raise interest rates

Pressure group asked BoE to raise interest rates (07-07-11)

Save Our Savers write to Bank of England imploring a rise in interest rates.

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Homeowners improve rather than move

Homeowners improve rather than move (06-07-11)

Increasing numbers of homeowners are deciding to improve rather than move home, according to new research from RICS.

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Graduates facing 11 years of debt seek “cheap” universities

Graduates facing 11 years of debt seek “cheap” universities (30-06-11)

Financial burdens for new graduates are increasing but a bit of forward planning could pay dividends.

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Brits could share in a bank sell-off bonanza (23-06-11)

The government’s stake in RBS and Lloyds TSB should be given to taxpayers who paid for the bail-out, says Nick Clegg.

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Lenders fail to pass on rate cuts to borrowers

Lenders fail to pass on rate cuts to borrowers (22-06-11)

Cuts to the Bank of England base rate were unmatched by 95% of mortgage providers, says Which? Money.

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88 is most burgled house number (16-06-11)

Rather than 13, the house number to avoid is 88, says AXA

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New free credit report service launched

New free credit report service launched (16-06-11)

Genuinely free credit report allows consumers to see which products they’ll be accepted for before they even apply.

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Take in a lodger for Wimbledon, Test Matches and 2012 Olympics (15-06-11)

Homeowners can earn £4,250 a year tax free by renting out a spare room to either full-time lodgers or temporary sports fans...

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Bank leaves rate unchanged but card companies hike APRs

Bank leaves rate unchanged but card companies hike APRs (10-06-11)

Despite base rate staying at an historic low for over two years, credit card companies have steadily increased APRs, says Defaqto....

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Rising rent prices tenants out (09-06-11)

People in debt spend 58% of their take home pay servicing their debts, new findings reveal....

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Brits work half the week just to pay their debts

Brits work half the week just to pay their debts (08-06-11)

People in debt spend 58% of their take home pay servicing their debts, new findings reveal...

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Crooked credit brokers and loan sharks slammed by Authorities (02-06-11)

OFT and Trading Standards clamp down on loan fee scams and wipe out debts owed to loan sharks...

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Festival goers should be on alert to thieves

Festival goers should be on alert to thieves (01-06-11)

Expensive items taken by festival revellers not covered by insurance, says Aviva...

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Mortgage lending and approvals drop in April (26-05-11)

Royal Wedding, Easter and multiple Bank Holidays “distracted house buyers”...

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Every penny earned before lunch is taken by the Taxman

Every penny earned before lunch is taken by the Taxman (25-05-11)

Thanks to National Insurance and VAT, a basic rate taxpayer actually pays 43% tax, says Fidelity...

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NS&I apologises for “misleading” interest rates on bonds (20-05-11)

A huge surge of interest has left potential investors angry that the seemingly high rate of interest isn’t as good as they were led to believe...

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First time buyers need bigger deposits

First time buyers need bigger deposits (20-05-11)

Bigger deposits and falling incomes are preventing first-time buyers getting on the ladder - but should we be bothered? asks CML...

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Banks deluged with PPI claims (19-05-11)

The High Court ruling that banks are responsible for PPI mis-selling has opened the floodgates to claims...

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Surprise inflation hike hurts savers

Surprise inflation hike hurts savers (18-05-11)

Only 1.1% of savings accounts on the market provide savers with a real rate of return...

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Inflation fears could force Bank to raise base rate (17-05-11)

Higher household energy bills and food costs pushing inflation up will mean higher interest rates and a blow to mortgage holders...

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NS&I launch new Index-linked savings bonds

NS&I launch new Index-linked savings bonds (17-05-11)

Paying 0.5% on top of the Retail Price Index, the new bond offers a good tax free return...

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Bank holds rate at 0.5% for 26th consecutive month (05-05-11)

The Monetary Policy Committee has voted to maintain rates at 0.5%, but borrowers and savers penalised, says experts...

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Mortgage lending up, house prices down

Mortgage lending up, house prices down (05-05-11)

Leading economists predict house prices will “fall for the next five years”...

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