Investing in property: an overview

 ‘Buy to let’ versus ‘property investment funds’
If you’ve been thinking about investing in property you may have considered entering the buy to let market. The house price boom of 2003 saw average prices rising by more than 20% in a single year, leading to annual returns of over 10% in some parts of the country, but in recent years, growth has slowed making the market a less attractive option. In the wake of this volatile market, many people are looking at how to invest in property investment funds. Read more...

Children savings accounts

Children savings accounts, aside from being a mechanism to make profit on your money, are also a good teaching technique. Children can understand the importance of saving by managing their own accounts. These accounts work very similar to those for adults. Interest rates vary from 2.5 percent to 5.5 percent. This variability makes the choice of account more complex. The level of control, the influence on taxes and the different savings and investment products available in the market, are important aspects to consider before making your final decision. Read more...

Rating the rates

Banks and building societies know that you are looking for rates that makes your money grow the most. That is why they set up marketing schemes to attract more savers. When applying and opening a savings account be aware of the existence of these methods. Remember that rates might not be what they seem to be. Read more...

Nationwide chief executive warns free cash machines could disappear in the next ten years

21.04.2006 The chief executive of Nationwide building society, one of the UK’s biggest lenders, has warned that withdrawing money from bank accounts using a cash machine could become much more costly.
To date, 42 per cent of cash machines are fee-charging. Philip Williamson, chief executive of Nationwide, expects this number to rise in 2006. Read more...

Changes in interest rates

15.08.2005 Over the last couple of months banks such as HSBC, NatWest, Lloyds TSB and Alliance & Leicester have cut their interest rates. The cuts have deeply affected savers with amounts over ₤500, who have seen their interest decrease as much as 0.35 points. Read more...