Mortgages

I want to buy a home but have no idea where to start: What is the first step I need to take?

I want to buy a home but I'm a first-time buyer and have no idea where to start. What's the first step I need to take?

'I'm £400 out of pocket after waiting eight months for my deferred state pension'

Holding off state pension payments could mean getting much more when someone chooses to eventually retire.

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29% of women ‘say state pension will be their only income in retirement’

Women are also less likely to say they have checked their state pension age, according to Royal London.

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How can renters looking for a new home give themselves a head start right now?

As renters are being squeezed by strong competition and rising rents, We find out what they can do to help get ahead.

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Product of the Month

General | Local Interest | Motor Insurance | Landlords | Mortgages

Importance of unoccupied home insurance

Whatever the reason, it’s important to insure an empty property in case something goes wrong

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How to sell your home by giving it a good tidy

Every house has them - those messy rooms that cost you dearly when it comes time to sell. Here's what you can do about them.

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Study uncovers lack of knowledge of state pensions

The most common misconception among workers was about National Insurance contributions.

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Happy birthday Active Insurance!

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Surge in subsidence insurance payouts following last summer’s heatwave

General | Home Insurance | Protecting my family | Mortgages

Thousands of homeowners felt the impact of last summer’s record-breaking heatwave, the Association of British Insurers said.

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‘Dog ate my false teeth’ – thousands of canine-related claims made to insurer

The average cost to put dog-related claims right is £1,200, but in some cases claims can run into five figures, Aviva said.

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5 ways you can give your pension a bit more love

Like relationships, it’s important to nurture your pension. By Vicky Shaw.

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Nation’s favourite Christmas food announced - it's not turkey, mince pies or mulled wine

The best Christmas foods have been voted for by members of the UK public and the results are in.

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How to check the planning rules when doing a home extension

Experts explain the planning red flags to look out for, and how home buyers can do their research before committing to a purchase.

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Households urged to take steps to prevent frozen pipe damage this winter

Taking measures now can reduce the distress and expense caused by pipe problems this winter, the Association of British Insurers said.

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Nearly half of people ‘have not switched savings accounts in past five years’

Women are less likely to have switched their savings account than men, according to Hargreaves Lansdown.

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How to spot cost of living support scams this autumn – according to an expert

Fraudsters are expected to use upcoming cost-of-living payments as a new way to ‘hook’ victims. Vicky Shaw takes a look.

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A cautionary tale from one widow who wrongly assumed marriage would protect her financially

Alex Delaney become a widow at the age of 36 after she lost her husband Nic. When sorting out his affairs she found a private loan agreement for their flat. Alex ended up loosing her home

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Insurance customers could make savings by haggling and switching, says Which?

‘It’s still the case that the price quoted by your insurer is not necessarily the best you can get’

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What can households do to offset soaring energy costs?

Homeowners can take steps to cut back on energy use to lessen the impact of rocketing costs.

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Herd of COWS invade Yorkshire beach and take best tanning spots, leaving sunseekers to sit on rocks

A herd of ill-tempered cows invaded Gadding Dam beach in West Yorkshire on Saturday August 13 and stole all the best tanning spots - even taking a dip in the sea.

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What should you do if your mortgage application is refused?

<p>The cost of living crisis has seen many lenders factoring in the impact of rising household bills and subsequently tightening their criteria, making it harder for prospective buyers to borrow as much as they could’ve previously.</p>

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A giant step for hamkind: Hamster survives daring trip into the stratosphere on a flying balloon

It's one giant step for hamkind.

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Product of the Month

Importance of unoccupied home insurance

Whatever the reason, it’s important to insure an empty property in case something goes wrong

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Any mortgage rule changes ‘must deliver good outcomes for customers’

UK Finance said it will be important to consider any changes to ensure they deliver good outcomes for customers throughout the life of the mortgage.

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Solo first-time buyers need to raise double deposit of 10 years ago

The figure was based on a single buyer on the median wage being able to borrow a maximum of 4.5 times their salary to buy the average first-time buyer home, at £223,117.

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World's largest Jaffa Cake weighing 80kg is created by Great British Bake Off winner

What do you get if you mix 160 eggs, 8kg of dark chocolate and 15kg of orange jelly? The world's largest-ever Jaffa Cake, of course.

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5 home improvements that add value

Property is often a persons greatest asset and naturally they want to capitalise on that huge personal investment. Whether you're planning a massive home improvement overhaul or looking to spruce the place up on a budget, there are a few tricks of the trade...

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Britain's most affordable places to buy a home revealed

The list, revealed by Zoopla, looks at average local house prices compared to the combined income of an average two-earner household in the same location.

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Bargain or bust? How to curb Black Friday spending

Don’t be caught out – many deals may not be as generous as they appear

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Amazon to stop accepting UK Visa credit cards from January

The online retail giant said it has made the decision due to ‘the high fees Visa charges for processing credit card transactions’.

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'Don't wait for a rate rise to move to new savings deal', say experts

The Bank of England has given its clearest warning yet that rates will have to rise soon to keep a lid on soaring inflation following a surge in energy prices.

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Product of the Month

General | Local Interest | Motor Insurance | Landlords | Mortgages

Importance of unoccupied home insurance

Whatever the reason, it’s important to insure an empty property in case something goes wrong

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Best mortgage rates: Compare fixed rate and tracker rate mortgage deals

The trend of mortgage rates creeping up could be about to be reversed, as lenders launch new deals amid the country's housing mini-boom.

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Will green mortgages encourage landlords to improve energy efficiency?

General | Landlords | Mortgages

Landlords could get better mortgage deals if their properties are energy efficient, as lenders launch new green products to the market - but do they offer enough of a financial incentive?

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Is your Santander branch closing? Lender closing 111 UK banks

General | Local Interest | Mortgages | Investments | Financial Advice

The Spanish-owned lender said the 'majority' of branches being axed were under three miles from another Santander branch, with the furthest being five miles away.

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What are the worst features that could devalue your home?

General | Home Insurance | Landlords | Mortgages | Financial Advice

With many homeowners rushing to sell their properties and others looking to move thanks to the Stamp Duty holiday, homeowners have revealed the features they're looking for, and the one's they're keen to avoid.

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Top tips to save money when moving home

General | Mortgages | Investments | Financial Advice

It's no secret that selling your house and moving home can come at a cost — and there are a lot of little fees that can take you by surprise.

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Misery for first-time buyers as mortgage firms demand a FIFTH of price of new home for deposit

General | Landlords | Mortgages | Investments | Financial Advice

In the past week, not one high street bank has offered mortgages for those with a 10 per cent deposit and brokers have warned deals for those with a 15 per cent deposit are also disappearing.

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UK house prices hit new record high after 'surprising' post-lockdown spike

Average cost of home jumps 1.6 per cent to £241,604 in July as housing market picks up pace

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The seven coronavirus scams to look out for

In testing financial times it's easy to be enticed by fraudsters. Here's what to look out for...

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Victoria Wood's best jokes

The Prestwich comic would have turned 66 this week

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How to stop coronavirus killing off your pension

Experts warn there's now a 'double digits hole' in millions of savers' pension plans

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10 easy ways to add house value in a slow market

The only real way to add value to your home is to make it more attractive ready for the traditional spring buying season. Experts say 10 key changes should make quick-fire returns.

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How to avoid expensive home repairs this winter

Before the winter weather hits you need to be sure your home insurance will protect you

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Is it time to review your mortgage. We are offering free review with David Andrews.

General | Special Offers | Mortgages | Financial Advice

Mortgage rates may be cheap but Brexit uncertainty is back, and data indicates that it's having a big effect on the types of deal borrowers are going for.

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PPI deadline: How to check if you qualify for compensation (one last time)

General | Local Interest | Mortgages | Investments

It's the final PPI countdown. This really is your last chance to check you don't qualify for money back. No, really

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Product of the Month

General | Local Interest | Motor Insurance | Landlords | Mortgages

Importance of unoccupied home insurance

Whatever the reason, it’s important to insure an empty property in case something goes wrong

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Things to do in Manchester over the May bank holiday weekend

Yet another three-day weekend is upon us

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Phil Spencer's ten tips to boost the value of your property

Phil Spencer, who hosts popular TV shows such as Location, Location, Location, reveals some of his simple value-adding tips, such as naming your house and hanging mirrors.

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Eight questions every first-time buyer must ask when buying a flat

There are some key aspects of buying a flat that need to be addressed if you're going to avoid some of the common pitfalls of moving into your first home.

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Most and least affordable cities to by a home in Britain revealed

While there are some cities in the UK where a home will cost more than 12 times the average salary in the location, in others it would only cost just under 4.5 times wages there.

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Product of the Month

Life insurance is one of the pillars of personal finance, deserving of consideration by every household. I’d even go so far as to say it’s vital for most. Yet, despite its nearly universal applicability, there remains a great deal of confusion, and even skepticism, regarding life insurance.

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Why overpaying your mortgage is a better bet than savings: Rates set to stay super low in 2019

If you make one New Year's resolution let it be overpaying your mortgage. This simple step could save you thousands of pounds in interest and help you clear your debt years earlier than planned.

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And the winners of the Draw to Win £100 of M & S Vouchers

We would like to thank everyone that entered our prize draw. We now have the pleasure in revealing who won.

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Free Prize Draw to Win £100 of M & S Vouchers

We would like to keep your informed on information that is important and relevant to you however to do this we would like to you to update your preferences.

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When is Easter 2018, Good Friday and Easter Monday?

The Easter weekend celebrations bring a four-day break, but it can be confusing to know when the holiday falls.

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Amazon cleared after Alexa ad 'triggers cat food order'

An Echo Dot owner said an Amazon advert that triggered their device to order cat food was "socially irresponsible".

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Police Officer accused of taking the biscuits.

The constable faces a tribunal after allegedly taking a colleague's biscuit tin from a cupboard and showing a "lack of integrity".

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Google's self-driving car pulled over by cops for driving too slow

Police in Mountain View, Silicon Valley explained that an officer noticed traffic backing up behind a self-driving car going 24mph (39km/h) on a street with a 35mph (56km/h) speed limit.

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Motoring myths: what ‘black boxes’ reveal about our driving habits

Are 17-year-olds really the worst drivers? ‘Telematics’ boxes installed to cut insurance costs can show us how we drive

Billions of miles have been driven on Britain’s roads this decade in cars fitted with “telematics” boxes recording every detail of a driver’s behaviour – whether they are speeding on a 30mph urban road, how they are cornering on a country road, and how they are braking or accelerating on a motorway.

Installed in about 1m cars by insurance companies, they offer drivers – usually 17 to 25-year-olds – less costly insurance if they drive more carefully. But the telematics black boxes also reveal a wealth of data about how Britain drives - debunking a lot of modern myths, but confirming many others.

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Summary of Budget 2017: Key points at-a-glance

An at-a-glance summary of the key points of Philip Hammond's Autumn 2017 Budget.

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Insurers fear tax rise in 'raid on the responsible'

Association of British Insurers says chancellor should resist further increases to insurance premium tax, which has doubled since 2015

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Aviva comments on record number of self-employed workers missing out on pensions

UK: Aviva comments on record number of self-employed workers missing out on pensions

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25% of UK adults are relying on discounts to make retirement more affordable

General | Mortgages | Pensions | Investments | Financial Advice

25% of UK adults are relying on discounts to make retirement more affordable, but many over estimate what they will get

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