News Archive : 31st March, 2008
- Buckinghamshire 'UK's best place to live'
Buckinghamshire is the best place to live in the UK, a sure-to-be controversial new report has claimed.
(31
03
2008 04:45)
- Speeders warned over car insurance
Drivers with prior motoring convictions can expect significantly higher car costs, the Daily Mail reports.
(31
03
2008 04:45)
- Credit crunch 'leading to spending cuts'
The majority of British adults are planning to cut back on spending due to the credit crisis, new research suggests.
(31
03
2008 04:45)
- Learner drivers 'paying £1,300 per year'
Driving tests are leaving a massive dent in young people's finances, a new report from uSwitch suggests.
(31
03
2008 04:45)
- Boarding school fees 'increase sharply'
People who send their children to fee-paying boarding schools are facing above-inflation price rises, personal loans lender Halifax has claimed.
(31
03
2008 04:45)
- Banking code 'to help out debt strugglers'
Consumers are to be given better treatment in the new banking code, financial firms have pledged.
(31
03
2008 04:45)
- Cards 'used more often than cash'
Britons are increasingly preferring to pay by card - with both debit and credit cards beating out cash in transaction numbers in the UK.
(31
03
2008 04:45)
- Apple has 'biggest impact as a brand'
The biggest single brand impact on consumers worldwide is made by computer firm Apple, a new online poll shows.
(31
03
2008 04:45)
- Northern Rock promises to pay back loan
Northern Rock, which was nationalised by the government after almost collapsing last year, is to pay off its £24 billion state loan within two years.
(31
03
2008 04:45)
- Standard Life issues bonds advice
Cost-conscious investors should not pass up their bonds in order to save on tax, Standard Life has advised.
(31
03
2008 04:30)
- Post Office issues savings warning
Rising living costs in the UK are cutting into savings, the Post Office has claimed.
(31
03
2008 04:30)
- Mortgage firm withdraws fixed rate loan
In a further sign of the increasing nervousness of banking giants in the credit crunch, Alliance & Leicester has withdrawn its two-year fixed rate mortgage loan offer.
(31
03
2008 04:30)
- Watchdog: Water poverty to increase in future
Water poverty is set to become an increasing problem in the UK, the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) has claimed.
(31
03
2008 04:30)
- Pension credit target 'will not be met'
A government pension credits target has been scrapped by ministers, the BBC reports.
(31
03
2008 04:30)
- Phone charges case thrown out
A campaigning grandmother has suffered a setback in her legal battle with BT over phone charges.
(31
03
2008 04:30)
- 'Crunch-beating' stocks selected by experts
Fund managers have given their top tips for credit crunch-beating stocks, the Guardian reports.
(31
03
2008 04:30)
- Winter blues 'affect stock markets'
A surprising potential cause of the current volatility of the global stock markets has been mooted by a Canadian academic, the Guardian reports.
(31
03
2008 04:30)
- Broadband users 'not satisfied'
Over half of British broadband users are dissatisfied with their service, a new survey from a price comparison website has found.
(31
03
2008 04:30)
- Hometrack: House prices fall again
A leading house price index has reported its sixth monthly fall in a row.
(31
03
2008 04:30)
- Building societies suffer in 'mortgage famine'
Building societies are cutting back on their mortgage loans deals in the latest stage of the credit crisis, the Daily Mail reports.
(31
03
2008 04:30)
- Borrowers and savers 'both affected by crunch'
Savers can cash in on the financial crisis, a new study shows.
(31
03
2008 12:15)
- Economist comments on Northern Rock
Consumers lured back to nationalised bank Northern Rock have created a knock-on effect on rival banks, an economist has said.
(31
03
2008 12:15)
- BBA: Credit card spending is sluggish
Consumer credit card lending is currently "subdued" in the UK, the latest statistical release from the British Bankers' Association (BBA) has shown.
(31
03
2008 12:15)
- Auditors call for consumer help with bills
People hoping to pay off debt through saving on bills are being confused by complex tariffs, the National Audit Office (NAO) has found.
(31
03
2008 12:15)
- Tory minister attacks tax credits
The government's tax credits plan will not help to alleviate poverty and debt worries in the UK, a Conservative shadow minister has suggested.
(31
03
2008 11:00)
- ONS points out fewer successful marriages
Half of marriages in the UK will fail, a new study from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows.
(31
03
2008 11:00)
- House price fall predicted
House prices will fall significantly in months to come, a new poll from Reuters suggests.
(31
03
2008 11:00)
- Credit crunch 'hits home' as rates are raised
Britons are facing "sharply higher" home loans costs as high street lenders raise their rates, Reuters reports.
(31
03
2008 11:00)
- Fan ownership of football clubs 'to grow'
Owning a football club might seem a distant dream for hard-up consumers trying to pay off debt - but this might not be the case in future.
(31
03
2008 09:45)
- Islamic finance 'has ethical benefits'
Islamic finance will cross religious boundaries and appeal to a new generation of ethical consumers, an expert has claimed.
(31
03
2008 09:45)
- Hargreaves Lansdown: Assets squeezed by credit crisis
The effects of the credit crunch are so widespread that almost all assets will lose value as a result, an analyst at investments firm Hargreaves Lansdown has suggested.
(31
03
2008 09:45)
- Firstrung: House prices to fall by 20%
The housing market in the UK could collapse in the next two years and cause a negative equity nightmare for people looking to remortgage, property website Firstrung has suggested.
(31
03
2008 09:45)
- Online shopping advice offered
Cost-conscious internet shoppers must always check that they are buying from websites which comply with consumer protection laws, Shopsafe has said.
(31
03
2008 09:45)
- Home auction sector 'to continue'
Properties sold at auctions will always be a part of the overall housing market, real estate firm Savills has advised.
(31
03
2008 09:45)
- Advice given on car tax hike
Government-imposed increases to car tax will hit UK drivers in the pocket, EurotaxGlass's has pointed out.
(31
03
2008 09:45)
- CO2 taxes on cars 'spreading in Europe'
A new survey from the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) shows that 'carbon taxing' of cars is a growing trend on the continent.
(31
03
2008 09:45)
- Former Northern Rock boss 'cashes in'
The former boss of collapsed bank Northern Rock, was given a £750,000 pay-off when leaving the firm, the Observer reports.
(31
03
2008 09:45)
- Power firms 'should play their part in helping poor'
A new scheme from the government, doubling energy firms' environmental duty to consumers, will see UK power suppliers divert £3 billion of profits into helping customers save gas and electricity and cut bills.
(31
03
2008 09:45)
- Queen's party 'cancelled due to credit crunch'
The credit crunch has claimed an unlikely new victim: the Queen, who has reportedly changed plans for a lavish anniversary party.
(31
03
2008 09:45)
- New parking rules introduced
New laws affecting Britain's much-loathed parking attendants have come into force today.
(31
03
2008 09:45)
