Finance Choices

Compare Finance at Free Quotes

2008-06-26T16:09:00.002Z

FreeQuotes.co.uk was re-launched today with the aim of providing an easy to use platform for comparing loans, credit cards, insurance and mortgages.

The site has partnered with leading finance comparison website BeatThatQuote to provide you with hundreds of options when comparing each financial product and service. The design looks really nice and the interface is a breeze to use.

Have a look and see what you think.

http://www.FreeQuotes.co.uk

Pay Day UK Loans

2007-07-27T18:30:00.000Z

Payday UK gives you access to your money when you need it most. Unexpected expenses can occur at any time during the month and don't always fit around your payday.

Whether it's car repairs, family expenses or just about any of those one-off or unexpected costs, we can help with a quick, easy loan, repayable on your payday.

Payday UK can provide you with a loan between £80 and £750 today.

Payday loans are available to everyone over 18, working in the United Kingdom, with a current bank account that has a Switch, Solo, Visa Electron or Visa Delta card.

Natwest Home Insurance

2007-07-03T14:20:00.000Z

Natwest home insurance is offered by RBS Group Insurance Services, and while premiums are reasonable the site itself is extremely hard to navigate. Once you find the forms, however, they're easy enough to complete and existing travel or car policyholders get a 10% discount.

Home insurance

Buildings insurance

Contents insurance

Accidental damage insurance

Legal protection

Discounts for existing policyholders

Natwest home insurance does what you'd expect from a high street bank's site: it makes the appropriate part of the Web site exceptionally hard to find, but when you finally get to the right bit the quotation process is painless and premiums are reasonable.

After some simple form-filling Natwest home insurance quoted £276.15 for £13,000 of contents insurance for our urban couple, and our suburban family would pay £252 for £98,500 of buildings and £19,700 of contents insurance. It's worth a look if you have other insurance policies – car or travel - with Natwest, but other insurers offered the same cover for considerably less cash.

Norwich Union Home Insurance

2007-07-03T14:18:00.000Z

With Norwich Union Home Insurance you get flexible cover at an affordable price. They currently offer a 15% online discount and right now if you buy buildings cover online you can get contents insurance half price!* Benefits include:

Norwich Union cover any TVs, PCs and stereo equipment for accidental damage as standard (contents)

They will replace your locks if your keys are stolen to protect you against burglary (contents)

Your belongings are replaced on a "New for Old" basis with brand new items** (contents)

£2 million cover if you are held liable for any injuries which occur on your property (buildings)

Alternative accommodation provided if you are forced to leave your home due to a claim (buildings)

NatWest Mortgage

2007-06-28T13:01:00.000Z

The NatWest One account combines your mortgage and current account (and, only if you wish, any savings) into one place. This enables your money to work much harder reducing your overall mortgage balance.

The Natwest Flexible Mortgage provides you with flexibility and choice on how you repay your mortgage in line with your lifestyle & offers:

Flexibility so you can pay more than your monthly payment

Option to take a payment holiday up to 6 months

Borrow at the same interest rate as your Natwest Mortgage without having to take
out a new loan

You determine how the mortgage is repaid

Guaranteed interest rate

No early repayment charges

Your Personal Loan

2007-06-28T12:56:00.000Z

Who are Your Personal Loan?

Your personal loan.co.uk is provided by The Co-operative Bank. With their fixed rate unsecured personal loan you can borrow any amount, from £5,000 to £25,000 with repayments spread over 1 to 7 years. With one of the UK’s leading rates, your loan can be used for any purpose.

Five Reasons to Choose Them

1. One of the lowest rates in the UK
2. Save up to £1,100 on your personal loan
3. Quick and easy to apply
4. Fast decision
5. Express service availableτ

Summary

One low rate from £5,000 to £25,000. You can choose to spread your unsecured loan repayments over 1 year and up to 7 years. Quick and easy to apply and fast decision. Express delivery available. Homeowners only.

Health-On-Line

2006-12-29T13:17:00.000Z

Health on line - Health insurance company

Health-on-Line is an exciting, innovative Private Medical Insurance provider based in Bournemouth with a refreshing approach to health insurance.

Their products are underwritten by Great Lakes Reinsurance (UK) PLC, a member of the Munich Re Group, one of the largest re-insurers in the world.

Health-on-Line is competitive across the age ranges, for health insurance, and they have a very extensive range of private and NHS facilities throughout the UK. Their menu based polices allow our clients to tailor their health insurance policies to suit their needs and budget says Shona Hilton of Essential Healthcare Ltd.

Future Finance

2006-11-09T15:20:00.000Z

About Future Finance

Future Finance is a trading style of The M&E Network Ltd. The M&E Network Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

The M&E Network Ltd is entered on the FSA register (www.fsa.gov.uk/register) under reference 150643 Network House, Lister Hill, Leeds LS18 5AZ Tel: 0113 2591717 Fax: 0113 2586959 Registered in England 2277754

Our aim is to assist you in making the right choices dependant upon your own individual circumstances.

What Future Finance Offer

1. Pension Transfers

Do you worry about your frozen pension scheme and don't know whether the scheme is the best for you in retirement?

Their pension transfer specialist can advise you, detailing your options based on your individual circumstances.

2. Equity Release

Equity Release products are Lifetime Mortgages. To understand the features and risks, ask for a Personalised illustration.

3. Annuities

For most of us deciding how to invest our pension fund to provide an income in retirement is one of the biggest financial decisions we make.

Capital One Classic

2006-10-10T08:56:00.000Z

Capital One Classic Card

The Capital One classic credit card is geared to helping people with a poor credit history strengthen and rebuild their credit rating, even if you may have been refused credit in the past.

The Capital One classic credit card offers a great way to help improve your credit score, by allowing you the chance to get the credit you need to rebuild your credit rating.

If you have a poor credit history and want to improve your credit rating, the best thing you can do is to get on top of managing your finances and start rebuilding or strengthening your credit rating by using your credit wisely and always making sure you make at least the minimum payment each month, though it is advised to repay more than this if you can.

The Capital One classic credit card offers a credit limit between £200 and £2,500, and if you stay within your credit limit and make your payments on time, Capital One will increase your initial credit limit after 4 months. With an instant decision on your application, you won't even have to wait around for notification by e-mail, phone or snail mail!

The Capital One classic credit card offers the same worldwide recognition as any other Visa credit card. Plus, there is no annual fee to pay and you can even manage your account online.

Summary

Capital One have a credit card entitled Classic Classic Card, with no annual fee. To be eligible to apply for this card customers must be 18 years of age or over with a limit of between £250 and £2500, ideal for students. Instant withdrawals are possible from cash machines, however 34.9%APR variable is chargeable for purchases made on the credit card. This rate is considerably higher than 10.9%. Again cash advances are charged at 1.5% with repayments of 5% of the total outstanding balance. Internet fraud protector is also included in the package.

Apply now

Wallets full of unused credit cards

2006-08-21T09:30:00.000Z

Millions of Britons are carrying credit cards around with them that they never use.

But while the average Briton is carrying 2.1 credit cards with them every day, one person in four has one card in their wallet that they have not used in the last year, while one person in nine has two unused cards and one person in ten has three, figures from Morgan Stanley show.

The least likely card to be left languishing at the back of wallets is a cash-back card. Just one unused card in seventeen is a cash-back credit card.

By contrast, cards handed out by major banks and balance transfer cards with their interest-free period expired make up the majority of unused cards.

"There has been much speculation about the increasing use of plastic in the UK but our report shows that British cardholders are perhaps more savvy than they have been given credit for," said Patrick Muir, marketing director for the Morgan Stanley Credit Card

"Millions of cardholders are taking advantage of loyalty schemes for their everyday spending, with these cards least likely to be lying idle in wallets."

However, there is a danger to dormant cards. While it makes sense to have a back-up card for emergencies, these are the cards that present the greatest identity fraud risk.

This is because when people do not use cards, cut them up, or leave them in a draw the account remains open. Identity fraudsters who obtain personal information about the account holder can contact the credit card provider and get the account's address changed.

After this new/replacement cards - along with bills - are sent to a different address and the fraudster can access the account for months racking up thousands of pounds of debt. They can even get the pin-reissued to the new address.

And as the account is dormant the real cardholder is not used to receiving statements, meaning they do not even notice this happening.

ICICI Savings Account

2006-08-03T13:29:00.000Z

ICICI UK Bank is the UK subsidiary of India's second-largest bank. It has been open for business in the UK since November 2003 and offers a full range of banking products.

The one that caught the attention of Bruce and I is the online HiSave savings account. It launched paying a whopping 5.4%, which was reduced to 5.15% in November 2005.

Sonjoy Chatterjee, managing director and chief executive officer of ICICI UK Bank told me the main reason why it is not compliant is because customers are not able to change their card Pin to a four-digit number of their own choosing. He explained that the bank's operating system was being upgraded to enable customers to do this and he hoped it would be ready in the first half of this year.

But there are several other aspects of the bank that I am still not entirely comfortable with. For instance, Mr Chatterjee told us that the average length of time it takes for a transfer to arrive from the saver's current account to their HiSave account is eight working days.

This is compared to three days with most online accounts, meaning that savers lose around a week of interest every time they do a transfer. We could find no mention of the time period in the terms and conditions for the account although Mr Chatterjee assured us that customers were aware of this.

He told us they had addressed several aspects of the bank's customer service that we raised with him several months ago. Readers complained their emails were going unanswered, phones in the customer service department were ringing out and it was impossible to get problems sorted out.

He said it was now standard for account holders to have a reply to emails within one day. He also said extra customer service staff had been employed, although he would not be drawn on how many. He also would not say how many British savers had opened a HiSave account or whether the bank planned to further the reduce the rate. It guarantees to stay 0.25% above the base rate until December 2007.

Importantly, ICICI is covered by the FSA compensation scheme which means that the bulk of your savings up to £32,000 are protected.

Susan Hannums, savings manager at AWD Chase de Vere told me that they were watching closely monitoring the bank's activities, but were not recommending it.

'We haven't used them yet and there's nothing particularly wrong with them but we're just sitting back and waiting for the dust to settle a bit,' she said.

'I understand their customer service is appalling and it was taking people weeks just to get their account set up. But they are covered by the FSA compensation scheme, which is the main thing.'

Finance Choices verdict: The bottom line is that your money is protected by the FSA and the rate is good. But we're reluctant to recommend an institution that does not meet minimum customer service standards and that routinely takes eight working days for funds to be transferred. We've heard so many mixed stories about ICICI that we urge caution. We agree with Susan Hannums. Stick with what you know until their UK record is better established.

Find our more about the ICICI Savings Account now.

Halifax Isa Investor

2006-06-13T14:33:00.000Z

This stocks and shares ISA allows you to invest in the UK FTSE 100 Index Tracking Fund. The fund aims to help the value of your money grow by aiming to match as closely as possible the performance of the FTSE 100 Index, which is made up of the largest 100 UK companies.

As a stockmarket based investment the value of your investment and any income it provides can go up or down and is not guaranteed. You may get back less than you originally invested.

Why choose an ISA Investor - UK FTSE 100 Index Tracking Fund?

No initial or exit charges and a yearly management charge of 1%

Choice of investing up to £7,000 in a Maxi ISA or £4,000 in a stocks and shares Mini ISA each tax year.

Invest a lump sum of at least £500 or a regular monthly payment of at least £50

Fund invests in shares of the top 100 companies listed on the London Stock Exchange

View plan information and manage your plan online.

You should look to invest for at least 5 years and we recommend that you have other savings to meet your short term needs

Apply now

SupaLoans Secured Loans

2006-05-19T08:49:00.000Z

About SupaLoans

Supaloans.co.uk was launched in 2005 and is privately owned. They have partnered with Greenhill Finance, a leading finance broker, to introduce providers who have schemes to cater for all circumstances. Any UK resident over the age of 18 is welcome to use this service including individuals who have experienced arrears or general financial difficulties. They believe they can supply their customers with the best possible service they can get anywhere.

SupaLoans

SupaLoans provides UK customers with low rate loans to meet a variety of its clients needs. As a privately owned organisation this UK loan company can compare for you; secured bad debt loans, secured homeowners loans, secured home improvement loans, home equity loans, fast and secured loans, low cost secured loans, personal loans secured holiday loans, debt consolidation and credit repair loans - every kind of financial loan that you require at a average rate of 10.9% but which can often be as low as 7.4%. Providing honest and efficient services loans with SupaLoans are approved quickly and easily with low rates and no hidden costs - truly some of the best low rate loans on the market.

SupaLoans also provides a weekly loan newsletter where you can obtain helpful information such as personal finance news, loan APR's and credit card interest rates. This site caters to all UK residents of legal age including individuals who have experienced bad credit or financial difficulties in general which makes these services stand out above the rest. Whether a secured low rate loan for a holiday, home improvements, a holiday home, a brand new car or to clear existing debt they offer some of the best comparison secured homeowner loans with some of the best secured loan APR's on the market today.

Summary

Supaloans offer secured loans and homeowner loans from 7.9pc APR. Supaloans also cater for bad debt loans, car loans, holiday loans, and can repair your credit. If extra money is required today, users can visit their website for a quick decision. The company only offers loans to homeowners.

Credit Plus Car Loan

2006-05-18T09:04:00.000Z

Credit Plus Car Loans

Credit Plus is a flexible concept which can provide the financing needed to purchase your next car, even if you have had previous bad credit issues for whatever reason.

Credit Plus is a free service which allows you to choose the type of vehicle you want to buy as well as offering expert advice on vehicle selection and a providing a choice of finance methods and delivery options.

With over 15 years experience in providing finance solutions to commercial organisations and private individuals, Credit Plus provides car and van finance for any make and model of vehicle up to 3.5 ton.

Credit Plus can not only offer you the most competitive assured car finance deal, you can also search our database of over 32,000 live vehicles to find your vehicle of choice:

Summary

Credit Plus UK specialist vehicle finance company providing approved and guaranteed car finance, cheap car credit loan to individuals for hire purchase, purchase car credit, purchase personal contract and purchase motor insurance. Besides offering commercial vehicles purchase and motor insurance, Credit Plus ensures cheap sports cars lease by organising finance and supplying the vehicles as well as cheap purchase of cars through self employed secured car finance and car credit loans on personal contract basis.

Credit Plus Car Loan

Sainsbury's Life Insurance

2006-05-08T14:23:00.000Z

Customers who purchase a Sainsbury's Bank Life Insurance policy before March 26th 2006 will be given a five per cent discount.

This price reduction will apply for the duration of the policy purchased.

The bank claims that it offers one of the cheapest life insurance premiums on the market and was voted the most competitive term assurance provider of 2005 by Moneyfacts.

Research from the financial website suggests that, for the profile of a healthy 35-year-old woman, Sainsbury's offers the lowest monthly premium of £5, followed by Standard Life at £6, Scottish Widows at £6.55 and Abbey at £6.61.

The bank claims that the introduction of this new discount makes its life insurance premiums "even more competitive".

Its statement also stresses that the cost of Sainsbury's Bank Life Insurance is dependent upon the level of cover selected, the length for which that cover applies and individual circumstances.

Summary

If the worst was to happen, you'd want to make sure your loved ones were taken care of if you weren't around. Sainsbury's offer life cover from as little as £5 a month.

Choose either single or joint cover over a term of up to 40 years, and choose the amount of cover that meets your needs.

The policy will pay out a cash lump sum upon death, or diagnosis of a terminal illness.

Choose from 3 life cover options: to protect your family, protect your home and family, or just your home.

Bank of England to put interest rates on ice

2006-05-04T06:44:00.000Z

The Bank of England is set to freeze interest rates for another month when it announces its decision tomorrow, experts predict.

For the last eight months the Bank's interest rate setting Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has left base rate unchanged at 4.5 per cent, and there are few signs that it will change its ways after Thursday's meeting.

Just one of the 120 economists polled by the Reuters, Bloomberg, and AFX news agencies predicted any result other than a hold - with Nationwide saying that there is a 90 per cent chance that interest rates would stay on hold tomorrow.

"Latest data has made unchanged interest rates even more of a nailed-on certainty this Thursday. Indeed, it is currently odds-on that the Monetary Policy Committee will sit on its hands for many more months to come," said Howard Archer, chief economist at the Global Insight consultancy.

The Bank of England raises and lowers the cost of borrowing in the UK, which affects millions of mortgage-holders and savers, in an attempt to keep inflation at the government's target of two per cent.

Since it last trimmed rates in August last year, no more than one member of the nine-strong MPC has voted for rates to change, with economist Stephen Nickell consistently calling for a 0.25 per cent cut.

However, this month is Mr Nickell's last as an MPC member after 72 months as part of the Bank's policy unit.

And with the lone dissenting voice set to leave, economists believe interest rates are set to stay at their current level of 4.5 per cent for months to come.

"Interest rates may stay unchanged through to the second half of 2007," said Global Insight's Mr Archer.

To take advantage of current interest rate stability by switching to a new mortgage, check out Finance Choices' mortgage comparison tables.

£1,000,000,000,000 - The UK's mortgage debt

2006-05-01T10:00:00.000Z

Early next month the total amount of money Britons owe on their homes will pass the £1 trillion (i.e. £1,000 billion) mark.

That is according to figures published today by the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML), which points out that while a staggering amount, the figure is less worrying than it might at first seem.

While the amount of money Britons owe in mortgages has risen, the value of unmortgaged property has risen far faster. This means that UK home-owners are currently sitting on £3.6 trillion worth of unmortgaged property wealth.

"The £1 trillion threshold is clearly a landmark but it does not have any particular significance for policy-makers or others," said CML director general Michael Coogan.

"Although it is a milestone, it will perhaps soon be forgotten as home-ownership and mortgage lending continue to grow further.

"Over time, owner-occupation has the potential to create wealth and independence for people, and we will continue to work for the expansion of sustainable home-ownership."

The CML points out that housing equity is the largest component of the total wealth that is held by UK residents.

This increase has been fuelled by mortgage lending, with the number of people owning their own home in the UK increasing from 60 per cent of the population 20 years ago to 70 per cent now.

And the growth is not set to stop there, with 80 per cent of Britons wanting to own their own home and the government setting a goal of another million home owners by 2010.

The CML reports that even with this expansion, signs that home ownership has reached its "natural limit" are thin on the ground, meaning the amount of mortgage debt ? and housing wealth ? is set to keep climbing.

Click here to find the best mortgages with the Finance Choices mortgage guide

Sort your financial future by age 26

2006-04-21T07:31:00.000Z

If you are over 26 but have not put in place basic plans to ensure financial security later in life, then start to worry.

That is the message from financial advisers who warn that those who fail to address their financial futures early in life could face a lifetime of struggling to catch up.

Financial advisers believe that the three pillars of financial planning ? saving for retirement, getting on the housing ladder and saving for the future ? should all begin well before a person reaches 30.

According to research by Prudential, they think that people should start a pension at age 22, buy their first house at 25, and start to save at 26.

However, the reality is somewhat different. The average age to marry, which is often a trigger to sort out finances, is 29 for women and 31 for men, while the average age of a first-time buyer is 34.

But if reading this causes you to break out into a cold sweat, you will find solace in the words from Prudential's UK executive director Roger Ramsden, who says it is never too late to start planning for your financial future.

"Planning early is key to a secure financial future, but it is never too late to start. For those of us who do seem past-it, we can still do an awful lot to improve our financial position; whether that is pay more into our pension, save more, or reduce our debts," he said.

"At the bright young age of 26, many youngsters are not yet fully aware of the benefits that starting a pension and savings scheme can bring.

"For one thing, few are aware of the significant tax breaks of a pension. It is only later that they look back and wish they had acted earlier to maximise their finances."

Those under the age of 26 should take heed of the experience of their elders, 42 per cent of whom wished they had reviewed their finances earlier in life. The 25 to 34-year-old age group felt this more than any other group.

Financial adviser Andrea Rozario said the ease of access to credit cards and loans, along with sophisticated advertising techniques, had caused saving to go out of fashion.

She said: "I agree with the advisers surveyed by Prudential in that the earlier you start planning, the better. And while it may not be possible for everyone to have started a pension, bought a house and started saving by the age of 26 ? it should certainly be on their radar."

Interest-only mortgage take-up doubles

2006-04-21T07:11:00.000Z

The number of interest-only mortgages being taken out has doubled over the last four years, as more and more Britons try to get on the property ladder.

This rise in interest-only mortgages has coincided with a rise in average house prices of 41 per cent over the same period.

Figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders reveal that in 2002 the percentage of first-time buyer mortgages that were interest-only was 11 per cent, a number which rose to 21 per cent in 2005.

Meanwhile, the average house price rose from £95,356 in 2002 to £160,319 in 2006, according to Nationwide figures.

Interest-only mortgages are often more attractive to the first-time buyer because the monthly repayments are lower than repayment mortgages. This is because the mortgage-holder only pays the interest on the loan.

However, the draw-back is that when it comes to selling the property, all the money borrowed has to be given back, and if the price of the house has fallen since the loan was taken out, this can cause big problems for the mortgagee.

The surge in the number of interest-only mortgages being taken out is a cause of concern for price comparison site moneysupermarket.com, which says it is important for consumer to consider all their options before plumping for the interest-only deal.

It advises that consumers doing so should make sure they can afford to invest in savings elsewhere, in case of a downturn in the housing market.

Louise Cuming, head of mortgages at moneysupermarket.com, said: "I would whole-heartedly urge consumers to think carefully before taking out an interest-only mortgage - even if they are attracted by the lower monthly payments.

"People should only consider this type of mortgage if they are sure they will be disciplined enough to save money elsewhere - as well as setting aside any additional lump sums of cash, like bonuses ? and not touch it."

Research shows that the longer one stays on an interest-only mortgage, the larger the monthly payments will be when switching to a repayment mortgage.

For example, according to moneysupermarket.com, a £150,575 mortgage over 25 years paying interest-only for the first five years with a term tracker of 4.99 per cent will require monthly payments of £627.80.

Switching to repayment after the five years means monthly payments increase to £995.53. Had the mortgage been based on repayment from the start, monthly payments would have been £881.70 - £113.83 less.

Over the course of 25 years, this saving would add up to around £12,000.

Ms Cuming added: "If a homebuyer can afford to repay their mortgage from the off, then I would urge them to consider this option seriously."

For the latest mortgages visit our mortgage guide

Sainsburys Home Insurance

2006-04-20T14:18:00.000Z

Sainsburys Home Insurance

Sainsburys home insurance promises significant savings on home insurance and includes free emergency and legal cover for the first 12 months. Contents cover is unlimited but our test customers found premiums were slightly higher than other insurers.

Home insurance

Buildings insurance

Contents insurance

Accidental damage insurance

5% discount for online ordering

Free Nectar points

Free emergency and legal cover

Sainsburys home insurance promises to save an average of £100 on your premium, and there's a 5% discount for online ordering together with free Nectar points if you buy the policy.

The application form is clear and very quick to complete, but the premiums are unlikely to have you dancing naked in the street with joy: our urban couple would pay £303.49 for unlimited contents (with a £7,500 high risk items limit) while our suburban family would pay £255.48 for buildings and contents cover. However, if you also want home emergency and legal expenses cover then Sainsburys home insurance is worth a look: both are free for the first 12 months of your policy.

Summary

With Sainsbury's home insurance you could beneftit from a no claims discount of up to 30%, plus a special 10% discount for buying your insurance online.

Independent research conducted by Consumer Intelligence in 2004 showed that Sainsbury's are up to 33% cheaper than other leading home insurance companies.

Buildings and contents cover is comprehensive, with new-for-old replacement for contents and free legal expenses for your first year.

Sainsburys Car Insurance

2006-04-19T16:18:00.000Z

Sainsburys Car Insurance

If you're shopping around for a cheaper car insurance quote, Sainsbury's Bank might be worth a try. They offer a range of cover options from Third Party Only up to Comprehensive; features of their service include personal accident cover, medical expenses in the event of an accident, windscreen damage, breakdown recovery and repairs, and optional legal cover.

Sainsbury's Bank car insurance is provided through Esure Services Limited. Sainsburys Car Insurance are prepared to offer 5% if you buy your car insurance online and another 5% if you pay using your Sainsbury's credit card. Sainsburys Car Insurance also runs a number of draws for customers who purchase car insurance from Sainsburys Car Insurance

If you want to get a quote online from Sainsbury's there's a facility to enable you to do so through the site, and it's also possible to pay for cover online and get insured immediately. There are downloadable policy documents as well as summary pages on the site outlining the basics of their insurance policies. Check the Frequently Asked Questions section if you have any queries about what's on offer, or alternatively send them an email or call their customer services helpline.

Summary

Complete peace of mind costs less than you think with Sainsbury's Car insurance. Sainsbury's offers:

5% discount if you buy online car insurance

additional 5% discount if you pay using your Sainsbury's Bank credit card

new - prize draw when you get a quote for Sainsbury's car insurance or online car insurance, we'll enter you into a prize draw to win a year's free shopping at Sainsbury's supermarkets to the value of £5,000

Get a quote today from Sainsbury's car insurance

Zurich Car Insurance

2006-04-18T15:17:00.000Z

Zurich Car Insurance

Zurich provide their products through car insurance brokers and direct to the customer, and pride themselves in offering a truly comprehensive service with the same range made available through their British subsidiary Eagle Star.

The company should offer an insurance quote for your car provided you are resident in and the vehicle is kept in Great Britain (excluding Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands). The insured must be the owner, main driver and registered keeper of the vehicle. And importantly, there must be no more than 2 cars in the family, if car drivers under the age of 25 years are required. All drivers must be between 17 and 79 years old at the beginning of the car insurance policy, hold a full UK driving licence and be permanently resident in the UK.

The total number of fault accidents or claims (including theft) for each driver must not exceed 3 in the last 3 years and the total number of convictions*, fixed penalties or disqualifications (including pending) must not exceed 2 in the last 5 years. Drivers must not have been disqualified from driving or have a conviction with the prefix AC, BA, DD, DR, IN or UT within the past 5 years and must not have had a previous proposal refused, had terms imposed*, cover cancelled or a insurance policy not renewed.

The car must be a standard UK model and must not be modified from the manufacturer?s standard UK specification*.

They will offer comprehensive insurance in two forms and third party fire and theft only cover online, with fully comprehensive car insurance only available on vehicles valued in excess of £5000.

Fully comprehensive can be obtained through either their Basic Comprehensive or Car Solutions insurance cover options the main difference is the number of benefis normally considered as optional extras included as standard.

Business use by yourself and spouse is an available option, including commercial traveling.

Additional named car drivers can be added to the insurance policy. They must also be between 17 and 79 years at the beginning of the policy with additional excesses applicable for each claim dependant on the age of the driver* and their driving experience*.

Car no claims discount can be carried forward from your previous UK insurance company provided you ceased that policy within the last 2 years*. Company Car no claims discount* equal to the number of years since last claim or accident can also be considered.

You can elect to take no claims discount protection allowing you two claims in any consecutive five year period without affecting your discount.

Insurance claims are dealt with by telephone. A 24 hour claims helpline provides advice and links to their nationwide network of car repairers. Legal assistance is wide-ranging. Please see their site for details.

A courtesy car* will be made available, under the Car Solutions comprehensive insurance option only in the UK temporarily after an accident. Cover is extended* to include a car your motor trader gives you (a small hatchback) while your vehicle is in a garage being repaired, by an approved car repairer, following an accident, fire or theft.

You have free cover traveling abroad* under the Car Solutions comprehensive insurance option only for up to 60 days in any one trip, throughout the E.U. and certain other states. The level of insurance cover will be that purchased under your policy for UK use, you should always check before traveling. After 60 consecutive days, unless the period has been extended* by prior arrangement, car insurance cover is restricted to only the minimum required by law in the E.U. member countries and in certain other.

Medical Expenses* are covered under the Car Solutions comprehensive insurance option only, up to £200 for treatment of each person who is injured in an accident in your car. For the main driver only Zurich will also pay £30 a day for up to 30 days if you have to stay in hospital for more than a day. Personal Accident Benefits* cover you or a member of your family who permanently lives with you and is aged between 16 and 79, as a result of an accident while traveling by car, £10,000 for death, permanent total loss of sight in an eye or use of an arm or leg.

Breakdown cover* in the UK is included as standard under the Car Solutions comprehensive insurance option only.

Please note, conditions will apply for all of the insurance products for cars mentioned above, please contact the insurer concerned for more information.

* Specific conditions apply, not detailed here, please see the company's literature for full details.

Summary

Zurich offer three different car insurance products in the market place, these consist of two comprehensive insurance policies and a third party fire and theft policy. There is the option to pay monthly and if no claims have been made in the last 5 years, up to 65% no claims discount is offered. All polices provide uninsured loss recovery and legal expenses, emergency medical costs, manslaughter defence costs, legal liability to third parties and driving other cars on a third party basis only subject to conditions. Optional features which are available to all policies include protecting your no claims discount and UK or European breakdown insurance.

Car Solutions is Zurich?s premier comprehensive policy and offers additional features on top of the standard comprehensive package. These include cover for replacement locks following loss or theft of keys. If the car is left unattended cover is provided for the loss or theft of wheelchair or pushchair or concealed personal belongings. Personal accident, Hospital benefits and medical expenses are also included up to set limits. Another feature which is applicable to new car owners is Zurich?s promise to replace your car with a new car during the first year of registration if car repairs exceed 60% of the manufacturer?s list price including VAT. For those car owners who take their car abroad, loss or damage to luggage trailers up to a set limit is included and there is the freedom to drive in European Union and associated countries for up to 60 days for any one trip. A free courtesy car is also provided on the understanding that you use Zurich?s recommended repairer and if the car is deemed a total loss there is 4 days free use. If you break down over 1 mile away from the home free breakdown assistance and recovery is also available.

Please note, conditions and policy limits will apply for all of the insurance products for cars mentioned above, please contact the insurer concerned for more information.

Zurich Car Insurance

Zurich Home Insurance

2006-04-13T14:17:00.000Z

Zurich Home Insurance

Zurich Home Insurance delivers the usual comprehensive suite of UK home insurance policies. There is also an excellent 5% discount for buying online.

Save money with a Zurich home insurance policy. Independent research, conducted in the first quarter of 2005, shows that you could save up to 26% when you switch to Zurich's Buildings and Contents Insurance!

Please note there may also be various exclusions: if you live in a flat or maisonette, work in a club, work in an amusement arcade or are a student then Zurich will possibly not give you a quote. Zurich home insurance covers the following categories:

Buildings insurance

Contents insurance

Accidental damage insurance

Immediate 24-hour access to approved network of trades people

Easy to arrange cover for all your household contents

Automatic cover for home office equipment used for business purposes.

Instant home quote, immediate cover

Zurich Home Insurance Policy

Delivering the very best UK home contents and buildings insurance. Zurich can normally match or beat your current home insurance premiums.

Are you and your family looking for a greater degree of home cover and additional peace of mind? For a modest increase on your premium Zurich can provide the following 'extra cover' options:

Storm damage to your garden

Accidental damage to your building

Contents cover worth up to £40,000

Unlimited cover for food and drink in your fridge and/or freezer resulting from a breakdown of the appliance or a power cut

Replacement locks cover for lost or stolen keys.

Family legal expenses up to £50,000

Summary

Zurich home Insurance, Whether you choose buildings insurance, contents insurance, or both, you can be sure of one thing. If the unexpected happens we won?t create an unnecessary fuss.

Zurich Home Insurance

uCan Car Credit

2006-04-12T08:51:00.000Z

Who are uCan Car Credit?

uCan Car Credit is the UK?s fresh new face of car finance. They provide people who are struggling to get car finance or car credit with a quality car at a price they can afford. That?s because they only look at their ability to make repayments in the future, not their problems of the past.

What you get with uCan Car Credit

7 day Exchange Promise - if you're not 100% satisfied then they'll exchange it for another one

7 days free insurance, allowing you to drive away the same day

The technicians who prepare their cars are all trained to AA Standards and follow strict internal procedures to make sure that all work carried out meets and exceeds Industry Standards

All vehicles go through a 120 point Pre-Delivery Inspection where all aspects of the vehicle are checked

Any faulty items are replaced. What's more, every car is given a HPI Vehicle History Check to ensure there is no outstanding finance or record of Insurance Write-off

For your complete peace of mind, they supply every car they sell with 3 months Parts and Labour Guarantee

To find out more simply visit the uCan Car Credit website

Costs keep family sizes small

2006-04-10T09:00:00.000Z

The cost of bringing up children means the average British family now has just 1.3 kids, new research reveals.

Figures from Skipton Building Society show the number of children in the average UK family is now almost half the traditional 2.4 figure.

And money is at the root cause of this decline, with almost nine out of ten people (89 per cent) saying they are under pressure due to rising costs.

This has led one person in five (20 per cent) to not have children at all, with 30 per cent of men opting to not have children and 16 per cent of women making the same decision.

"The fact that a fifth of the UK's adults are choosing to remain childless sends a strong message about modern life and the pressures it brings - particularly financially," said Jennifer Holloway, head of media relations at Skipton Building Society.

"There are a lot of factors contributing to this, including consumer debt, pension shortfalls and rising house prices - all of which has led many people to choose to enjoy the lifestyle they have instead of adding more pressure with the cost of bringing up a child.

"What's particularly unfortunate though is the number of people who wish to have a family but are being forced to delay doing so for purely monetary reasons. There's no easy solution, but if would-be parents can plan well and make the most of the money they have, the patter of tiny footsteps could come sooner rather than later."

Overall, almost two people in five (37 per cent) choose not to have children as they do not want to compromise their lifestyle, with one in seven (15 per cent) put off by the cost of raising a child.

Additionally more than one person in five people with children (21 per cent) cannot afford to have more.

Two in five of 25 to 34-year-olds (39 per cent) have held back or are still putting off parenthood because of the state of their bank balance, with 24 per cent waiting more than five years.