Birmingham Post - Business News - Personal finance

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

Birmingham Post — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 05:49:00 GMT

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

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

Birmingham Post — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 16:12:00 GMT

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.

Tough new mortgage laws relaxed as part of overhaul

Birmingham Post — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 16:12:00 GMT

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

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

Birmingham Post — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 14:46:00 GMT

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.

Budget 2011: Help for first time buyers applauded

Birmingham Post — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 14:35:00 GMT

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.

Budget 2011: Personal tax thresholds set to rise

Birmingham Post — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 07:12:00 GMT

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.

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

Birmingham Post — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 23:45:00 GMT

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.

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

Birmingham Post — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 23:00:00 GMT

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.

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

Birmingham Post — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 21:00:00 GMT

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.

C&G tracker would charge mortgage interest of 8p

Birmingham Post — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

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.

Wesleyan scheme is mutually beneficial

Birmingham Post — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

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.

Investor fury at shock Standard Life fund revaluation

Birmingham Post — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

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

Stock Exchange seminar to be held in Birmingham

Birmingham Post — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 23:29:00 GMT

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.

Fund Platform offers flexibility for savings

Birmingham Post — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 22:00:00 GMT

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.

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

Birmingham Post — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

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.

Cash is king during hard times

Birmingham Post — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

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

Fund managers see US stock recovery in 2009

Birmingham Post — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 05:00:00 GMT

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.

Stamp collecting defying the downturn a values keep rising

Birmingham Post — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 03:00:00 GMT

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

Interest rate cuts have boosted demand for mortgage overpayments

Birmingham Post — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 01:00:00 GMT

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

A hundred years of pensions

Birmingham Post — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

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).