Money

How to draw up a budget – And stick to it

Mar 13th, 2010 | By Les Sheppard | Category: Money

The key to managing your finances effectively and avoiding debt is to draw up a simple budget – and stick to it. This should not take more than about 20 minutes and you will be well on the way to getting a gold star for money management.



Tax changes for 2010/11 and how they affect you

Mar 9th, 2010 | By Les Sheppard | Category: Money

When the new tax year starts on April 6th, a few changes are coming with it that could have more of an impact on your finances than you might think.



Labour win will add £65 to mortgage

Mar 7th, 2010 | By Les Sheppard | Category: Money

A Citigroup economist has warned that a hung parliament or a Labour victory at the next election would add an average of £65 to individual mortgage costs.



Spicerhaart and Tesco launch online estate agent

Mar 6th, 2010 | By Les Sheppard | Category: Money

Spicerhaart has teamed up with Tesco to launch iSold.com, an online estate agency that offers to market a property for just £999. It describes itself as a “halfway house” between a traditional high street estate agent and an online service and will launch in Bristol before being rolled out across the country.



80% of under 30s need help to buy a home

Mar 3rd, 2010 | By Les Sheppard | Category: Money

The CML says that for those in the formerly typical first-time age bracket of 25-34, the likelihood of buying at the moment is around half its level of a decade ago.



Beware the tax crackdown

Feb 27th, 2010 | By Les Sheppard | Category: Money

The taxman is on the war path for tax dodgers and evaders. Not only that, he’s backdating the rules to catch schemes that worked in the past. Should you be worried?



Mind the LTV Rate Gap

Oct 8th, 2009 | By Les Sheppard | Category: Money

Average rates on best buy mortgage deals for borrowers with 40% deposits can be half the level charged for borrowers who need 90% loans, analysis from Evaluate Technologies shows.



Credit file myths explained

Oct 6th, 2009 | By Les Sheppard | Category: Money

Many people remain confused about what financial information is stored about us, and how this is used by lenders.



Postal strike to hit credit ratings?

Sep 29th, 2009 | By Les Sheppard | Category: Money

Industrial action by postal workers across much of the UK has led to delays of up to 10 days, with reports of huge backlogs at sorting offices.



Investment Property Financing Methods

Sep 7th, 2009 | By Les Sheppard | Category: Money

Investment property financing can take a number of different forms, depending on the specific circumstances of the investor and the deal itself.