Personal finance news and reports

Nearly half of women aged over 40 and living with partner have no pension Nov 02 2011

Nearly half of women aged 40 and over who are living with a partner have no pension of their own, new research shows.Read

Number of fixed rate ISAs soared 10-fold in past decade Mar 24 2011

The number of fixed-rate ISAs available has soared 10-fold during the past decade as banks have become increasingly reliant on using savers’ money to fund their mortgage lending, new research indicates.Read

Tough new mortgage laws relaxed as part of overhaul Mar 24 2011

The City watchdog showed signs of easing the tough affordability criteria lenders must use as part of its overhaul of the mortgage market.Read

Budget 2011: Tax changes may mean a little extra in your pocket Mar 24 2011

Midland tax experts are poring over the fine print of the 2011 Budget, which introduces changes benefitting 25 million people and plans to merge income tax and national insurance.Read

Budget 2011: Help for first time buyers applauded Mar 24 2011

The Government’s plan for a shared equity scheme set to get 10,000 people onto the property ladder was roundly welcomed by the industry.Read

Budget 2011: Personal tax thresholds set to rise Mar 21 2011

Chancellor George Osborne is expected to take hundreds of thousands more low earners out of income tax by raising the threshold to around £8,000 in his Budget on Wednesday.Read

Trevor Law: All change for the finances of the over-65s Jan 27 2011

No one expects people to work into old age but the traditional concept that you retire at 65 is disappearing from the statute book in the near future.Read

How Madoff exploited human weakness before the global economy found him out Feb 05 2009

As if the financial world didn’t have enough problems, the recent uncovering of what is possibly the biggest fraud in corporate history by the hitherto highly-respected Bernard Madoff has driven another nail in the hedge fund coffin.Read

Midland financial expert accuses banking industry of 'going back to their old tricks' Feb 05 2009

A Midland financial expert has accused elements within the banking industry of “going back to their old tricks” by trying to sell dubious financial products to unsuspecting investors.Read

C&G tracker would charge mortgage interest of 8p Feb 03 2009

More than 1,000 homeowners could be left paying interest of just 8p a month on their mortgage if the Bank of England base rate is cut again this week, it has emerged.Read

Wesleyan scheme is mutually beneficial Jan 30 2009

Wesleyan Assurance Society is underlining the advantages of mutuality by offering 100 per cent protection on bank savings up to £250,000 and a £100 ‘cash back’ scheme.Read

Investor fury at shock Standard Life fund revaluation Jan 30 2009

A Midland financial adviser has condemned Standard Life for a shock fund revaluation which has outraged investors approaching retirement.Read

Stock Exchange seminar to be held in Birmingham Jan 29 2009

The London Stock Exchange is to host a free event in Birmingham to introduce investors in the Midlands to trading products which it says can help them balance risk and improve their investment returns in both stable and volatile markets.Read

Fund Platform offers flexibility for savings Jan 29 2009

With interest rates at record low levels and savers’ returns being decimated, many investors are now looking for alternative homes to improve their yield, particularly those seeking income.Read

Liberal Democrats claim pensioners miss out on hundreds of pounds of benefits. Jan 23 2009

The government assumes they are paid interest of up to seven per cent, which affects people who are claiming the Pension Credit, which is used to top up pensioners’ income to at least £124 a week.Read

Cash is king during hard times Jan 23 2009

When stock markets are going through periods of extreme volatility, it is often said that cash is king for investors.Read

Fund managers see US stock recovery in 2009 Jan 22 2009

The 44th President of the United States took office with so many cares on his shoulders that it seems almost greedy to ask Barack Obama to save embattled stock markets, especially Wall Street, in his early months in power.Read

Stamp collecting defying the downturn a values keep rising Jan 22 2009

Trade in collectable stamps is bucking the economic downturn, an auctioneer has said.Read

Interest rate cuts have boosted demand for mortgage overpayments Jan 22 2009

Interest rate cuts are cutting years off the life of a mortgage for those able to maintain their previous level of repayments.Read

A hundred years of pensions Jan 16 2009

First things first. Happy birthday to the state pension. One hundred years ago this month, the first pensioners went to the Post Office to collect a state pension of five shillings (25p) a week while a married man received seven shillings and six pence (38p).Read