Category Archives: Financial Services

Financial Services

Assets, Financial, Financial Information, Financial Management, Financial Services, Insurance, Insurance Services, Money

LV = Reveals One In Ten Homes Built On Brownfield Sites Have Problems

LV= has revealed that over the next decade around half a million homes will be built on redeveloped ex-industrial sites that could pose risks to homeowners and their homes.

A new report from home insurer LV= reveals that around 125 million square metres of redeveloped brownfield land, earmarked for the building of 500,000 homes, is potentially at risk of flooding or contamination, which could cost homeowners thousands of pounds to address.

Brownfield sites are defined as land which has potential for redevelopment after previously being occupied by another permanent building, such as a factory or industrial works. Redeveloping brownfield sites is a cornerstone of the current national housing policy, with 79% of all new builds being built on recycled land in recent years.

Yet according to the LV= research, over one in ten (11%) new homes built on brownfield land have suffered problems as a result of the land the property is built on, affecting a total of 74,000 homes in the last ten years. The most common problem is flooding, but there are also cases of contamination, poor drainage and sewage problems.

One of the drivers behind the current policy encouraging house builders to redevelop land is the creation of affordable homes for first-time buyers. The LV= research shows that few (17%) prospective buyers are actually specifically looking to buy new build housing, rather many feel that this is the only option available to them through local authority shared ownership schemes as many of these properties are new builds. Others say they are persuaded to buy new build homes because of incentives such as deposit cash back schemes from developers or free white goods.

Currently, over a third (34%) of prospective buyers are unaware of the problems associated with former industrial land and a quarter (24%) do not check the previous use of the land a house is built on. LV= is advising potential buyers to check the previous use of the land a house is built on before committing to a purchase, by speaking to neighbours, checking old maps or commissioning a full environmental report to ensure they do not experience problems once they’ve moved in.

Via EPR Network
More Financial press releases

Banks, Credit Cards, Financial, Financial Information, Financial Services, Financial Solutions, Insurance, Insurance Services, Loans, Money, Mortgage, Personal Finance

Confused.com Reveals Mothers’ Day Holiday Habits

Confused.com has revealed that many mums may get more than flower and chocolates this Mothers’ Day as more than half of Brits have taken their mum (or mother-in-law) on holiday with them.

The travel insurance provider and comparison site also revealed that the vast majority of Brits would do it again. However, almost one in ten sons admit this is because mum will pay for everything with another reason sons are keen to take mum on holiday being so that she can babysit the kids.

56% of people in the UK have either taken their mums or mother-in-laws or even both on holiday with them, with 85% of Brits who have done so saying they would either take one of both or their mothers/mother-in-laws on holiday again. In addition to this 53% of the people surveyed agreed that their mother (or mother-in-law) was great company on holiday with 50% agreeing that she deserves a treat.

45% of adults have never taken their mothers or mother-in-laws on holiday with them, but of those who have, only 14% would not repeat the experience. The top reason* for refusing take them on holiday again is ‘We like different things’ (33%), with ‘She’s so annoying’ being cited as the second most popular given reason (13.5%). Other reasons for not taking mum on holiday include 10%, who are embarrassed by her behaviour, 9% who think the she would cramp their style and 6% who suggest she flirts too much with the waiters on holiday.

More women than men have taken their mothers on holiday with them than men (women 39% versus men 24%), but some men have ulterior motives for doing so: 9% of adult men saying they take mum on holiday because she pays for everything, whereas only 4% of women admit money is their motivation or taking mum on hols. 11% of men compared to 6% of women take mum on holiday because of her babysitting services.

Londoners are most likely to take mum on holiday (38%), with Northern Ireland (17%) the least likely to do so, according to the survey by Confused.com.

Via EPR Network
More Financial press releases

Business, Commodities, Financial, Financial Information, Financial Services, Investment, Money, Trading

Business Monitor International Launches Special Report On MENA Crisis

Business Monitor International has revealed a special report recently launched on its website that looks at the key risks to global recovery and stability following the crisis in the Middle East and North Africa.

The report states that the wave of popular protests that have swept across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) since January 2011 constitutes the biggest shake-up to the region for at least a generation, and its impact will be felt for many years to come. The unrest also poses the biggest risk to the global economic recovery this year, not least because of its effects on the oil and gas industry with the price of oil continuing to increase.

Although rising inflation has fuelled discontent, the protests are being driven by more fundamental issues, such as a lack of democracy, high unemployment and poor opportunities for social advancement.

Business Monitor International deemed Algeria, Bahrain, Iran, and Yemen to be most at risk of further unrest, although the company emphasises that virtually no state will be completely immune to public protests.

Egypt will remain in a delicate transition to democracy, and if the people’s hopes are dashed, further protests could erupt. In Bahrain, the growing demands of the Shi’a majority could transform the polity, with major implications for Saudi Arabia, which fears unrest among its own Shi’a minority in the oil-rich Eastern Province.

Libya’s descent into civil war represents the most immediate risk to the region and Europe. The country’s oil supplies are of key significance to the EU, but southern European countries also fear a massive influx of refugees from the country. In addition, chaos and lawlessness in Libya could allow Islamist extremists to establish a greater presence in the country.

More broadly, the crisis in MENA has served notice to authoritarian regimes around the world that they are not immune from popular uprisings. Governments in Venezuela, Belarus, several African countries, Central Asia, North Korea, Myanmar, and even China will become ever more vigilant to the possibility of public unrest.

As far as global financial markets are concerned, the combination of supply-side risks to oil and massive political uncertainty in a strategically important region is bad news for risk trades. Business Monitor International’s global macro team has modelled a ‘worst-case scenario’ in which oil prices spike to US$200/bbl. The company’s special report also reveals that Asia’s economic growth is particularly vulnerable to high oil prices, because most countries in the region import more than 90% of their oil needs.

European economies are also likely to be hit by high oil prices the company reveals, and policymakers in the continent will also be wary of the security risks of Libya’s descent into chaos. However, one relative beneficiary is likely to be Russia. Although there are several Russian oil firms with stakes in the Libyan oil market, high oil prices are generally positive for the Russian economy, provided that any price surge does not tip the global economy back into recession.

Via EPR Network
More Financial press releases

Financial, Financial Information, Financial Management, Financial Services, Financial Software, Investment, Money

Vebnet and Standard Life Launch Box of Benefits

Vebnet and Standard Life announce the launch of their Box of Benefits (BOB). BOB is an off-the-shelf employee benefits solution designed specifically for UK-based SME companies.

This new proposition has been built using technology from Vebnet, a market-leading provider of technology and services for reward and benefit strategies, and is based on insight from employers looking for a packaged solution.

The business of selecting and managing benefits can take a lot of time, administration and money, however BOB makes it easier for employers to offer their employees great staff benefits packages including a pension, because it is simple to manage and affordable. This is achieved through a single online portal that helps with employee benefits management, the administration of the benefits and reporting requirements.

BOB can be personalised for every company and implemented quickly. Employees receive access to BOB’s user-friendly online technology, with the option to choose from a range of employee benefits, including childcare vouchers, money off bicycles, dental insurance, private medical insurance, pension and travel insurance.

Gerry O’Neill, managing director of corporate solutions said: “Most employers now realise the value of a good benefits package. But for some there is still the concern that it is going to be too costly, or that the administration will take up too much time. Box of Benefits can solve these problems through a boxed up solution that makes flex cost-effective.”

Via EPR Network
More Financial press releases

Credit Cards, Debts, Financial, Financial Management, Financial Services, Loans, Money, Personal Finance

Think Money Welcomes Fall In Repossessions

Financial solutions company Think Money has welcomed news that repossessions fell sharply in 2010, compared with a year earlier, commenting that it suggests the financial circumstances of homeowners may have improved despite difficult economic conditions.

But the company warned that there are still difficult times ahead for many homeowners, especially when interest rates rise.

The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) said there was a 24% drop in the number of repossessions in 2010, compared with 2009, down to 36,300. Meanwhile, the number of households with mortgage arrears amounting to more than 2.5% of the outstanding balance fell by 13%, down to 169,600.

An expert at Think Money commented:

“Any drop in repossessions and arrears is a good sign. Although the economy is still in a difficult position, it’s likely that a lot of homeowners have taken steps to improve their finances, whether that’s through keeping to a tight budget or entering into a debt solution such as a debt management plan before repossession becomes a possibility.

“Leniency from lenders may have also helped, but equally the troubles of the last couple of years will have prompted many homeowners to be more cautious with their money.

“However, it must be noted that there are a lot of people who are only coping with their mortgage repayments because of low interest rates. When interest rates rise – which could happen this year – we may well see many more homeowners in trouble.

“Anyone already struggling or worried about their ability to meet their payments when interest rates rise should not hesitate to get help from an expert. It’s not usually worth waiting for a change to happen – getting help early could greatly reduce the chances of facing repossession.”

Via EPR Network
More Financial press releases

Financial, Financial Services, Financial Software, Money, Security

Trade-in offered to all exposed RSA’s SecureID Customers

Each SecureID customer can switch their SecureID devices to IDentiWall while using their SecureID’s past investments as credit against the IDentiWall license fee.

Such trade-in is guaranteed to be financially compelling and technically superior.

The innovative trade-in plan makes sure that switching customers enjoy:

  • Better, newest security technology that protects its users against all latest attacks even if their computer is contaminated with malwares or even if their ID is exposed.
  • Wider security coverage, which includes not only two-factor authentication, but also combines transaction verification, anti-phishing, anti-farming, as well as breach attempt notification.
  • All platform coverage including Desktops, Tablets, Smartphone
  • VPN and SSL-VPN user authentication
  • E-Banking, m-Banking, e-Health, e-Government web application protection with special ‘application agnostic’ mode by which, not even one line of code needs to be changed.
  • Polite implementation including co-existence with SecureID for the transition period and built-in implementation risk elimination measures.
  • No physical devices to be distributed and yet out-of-the-box support for such token devices and smart-cards does exist.
  • Lowest TCO. This trade-in plan was designed to ensure cost savings for the whole duration of the IDentiWall usage.
  • Cloud or on-site implementation options are supported.

SecureID users, who learned about RSA’s failure to secure its own network, wonder if they can continue keeping their eggs in RSA’s basket, or as one user put it, “working with questioned security provider, is similar to consciously getting an HIV-tainted blood infusion”.

Via EPR Network
More Financial press releases

Accounting, Bankruptcy, Debts, Financial, Financial Information, Financial Law, Financial Services, Foreclosure, Money, Mortgage, Personal Finance, Taxes

Millions Of Americans Count On Their Tax Refunds Each Year To Pay Down Debts

Millions of Americans count on their tax refunds each year to pay down debts, get caught up on bills, or simply to make ends meet. With an estimated 1.5 million personal bankruptcies to be filed in 2011, bankruptcy lawyers around the country are being asked the same question: “What will happen to my tax refund if I declare bankruptcy?”

Income tax refunds are basically interest-free loans to the government, and are therefore considered assets of debtors who declare bankruptcy. The trustee assigned to your case may be able to seize your income tax refund, depending upon two main factors: first, what type of bankruptcy you file, and second, whether your refund is fully  exempted.

The two main types of personal bankruptcy cases are Chapter 7 and Chapter 13. In a Chapter 7 case, debtors are essentially allowed to walk away from their debts.

In a Chapter 13 case, debtors must repay their unsecured debts over 3 to 5 years.

Most Chapter 7 cases are considered “no asset” cases, and for those assets that the debtor does possess, there are federal and state exemption laws, which prevent the bankruptcy trustee from seizing and selling the debtor’s property.

Just like the debtor’s household goods, clothing and automobile, in most Chapter 7 cases the debtor’s tax refund can be fully exempted, which means the bankruptcy trustee cannot even consider seizing the refund. However it is very important to use the full and correct exemptions to protect the refund.

Chapter 13 cases can be a bit more complicated. If you have a confirmed Chapter 13 Plan that requires repayment of only a percentage of your debt, your trustee will likely seize your refund every year over the course of your bankruptcy, using the proceeds to increase the payout to unsecured creditors.  Income tax refunds in Chapter 13 are considered “property of the estate,” so your trustee will want to apply this money toward payment of your Plan.

In 100% repayment cases, however, the trustee has no interest in seizing your tax refund.  If your income is demonstrably sufficient to satisfy your confirmed Plan, the trustee will allow you to keep your tax refund.  You may want to adjust your withholdings before filing a Chapter 13 appropriate.

The bankruptcy trustee will in most cases require the debtor to file a tax return to determine whether the debtor’s refund can be seized and used to repay creditors. Unlike a home or car with equity, which must first be auctioned to produce distributable funds, tax refunds are a quick cash windfall to the creditors.

Via EPR Network
More Financial press releases

Banks, Bonds, Checking & Savings, Financial, Financial Services, ISAs, Mortgage, Personal Finance

Northern Rock Plc Launches New Savings Website

Northern Rock plc has launched a new interactive savings website to make it easier for customers to find a Northern Rock savings product from the competitive range available.

The new savings website follows the introduction of Northern Rock’s award-winning Mortgages website, which was launched in April 2010.

The new site offers helpful advice and practical information, as well as full details on Northern Rock’s savings products.

For those customers thinking about investing their savings, at-a-glance guides are available to help them choose which savings product, such as savings accounts or anISA; best suits their needs; whether they’re new to Northern Rock or an existing Northern Rock customer. For those customers who are not sure which savings product they wish to use there is an in depth learning section explaining what Northern Rock’s products are all about, and offering helpful advice and practical information. Customers will also be able to make use of a budget planner to help them plan their finances.

For those looking more closely into applying for a savings product, such as a Cash ISA, the new website contains information about Northern Rock’s entire suite of savings accounts and a selector tool to help narrow down and filter their selection as well as a range of tools which help customers cut through the jargon. Customers will also have the option of being able to use a product calculator for each of Northern Rock’s products to help work out their estimated return on investment.

Northern Rock has also made it easier for its existing customers to find their existing accounts and any supporting information they might need to manage them.

Customers can now select a suitable savings product, which they can save and come back to at a later date, or begin their application online. Or if they feel they need further information, customers can call the dedicated Northern Rock savings team at their UK based contact centre to find out more.

Andy Tate, customer and commercial director at Northern Rock said: “The new website is a fantastic tool, developed for our customers, with the aim of improving the whole process of evaluating and applying for a savings product.

Via EPR Network
More Financial press releases

Financial, Financial Information, Financial Management, Financial Services, Financial Software, Financial Solutions, Investment, Money, Profits, Stocks, Trading

Stockpair.com Launches Pair Options, the First Trading Product to Enable Direct Trading Based on the Relative Performance of Stocks

Stockpair ( www.stockpair.com ) has announced the launch of the first ever Pair Options trading platform. Pair Options are a new category of market-neutral online trading products that are based on the relative performance of stocks. Pair Options trading is based on picking the best performing stock within a given stock pair (such as Apple/Google, Vodafone/BT etc.) therefore limiting the exposure to general market direction. Stockpair has taken elements from the professional Pair Trading strategy and turned it into a compelling, intuitive and trader-friendly product.

“What’s extremely valuable is that since you trade on the relative performance of two stocks, you’re essentially using a market neutral instrument,” commented Yoel Mann, Stockpair’s VP of Marketing. “What really matters is how one stock has performed against another, and not necessarily how it performs in absolute terms, so even if the market goes down, there is no affect on profits.”

The platform services the global community of traders, professionals and beginners. Within the fairly conservative financial industry, stockpair’s launch is a rare occasion on which a completely new product is to be introduced to the market, not to mention a product that simplifies a proven trading technique and makes a new effective trading paradigm accessible to traders of all levels of experience.

Stockpair is built upon a patent-pending pricing engine and an innovative visual interface which offers a unique, interactive trading experience. The platform offers Pair Options on more than 70 stocks from exchanges around the world, based on real time market data. The system enables taking decisions and making trades within seconds, allowing traders to quickly capture market opportunities.

Via EPR Network
More Financial press releases

Assets, Financial, Financial Information, Financial Management, Financial Services, Insurance, Insurance Services, Money

LV= Asset Management named Best Small Bond Group at Lipper Awards 2011

LV= Asset Management, the fund management arm of mutual insurance, investment and retirement group LV=, has received recognition for the strong performance of its UK fixed interest team by winning the best small bond group category at the Lipper Fund Awards 2011.

LV= Asset Management qualified for this award by delivering strong risk-adjusted performance relative to its peer group across its range of bond funds over the three year period up to 31st December 2010. These funds include the LV= UK Corporate Bond fund, the LV= UK Fixed Interest fund and the LV= UK Index linked fund.

The award acknowledges LVAM’s industry leading fixed interest capability and highlights the team’s expertise across a range of different products.

Michael Wright, Head of Fixed Interest at LVAM commented: “We aim to deliver consistently good performance for our clients across the range of bond funds. We are extremely pleased to have won this award as it acknowledges our team approach to managing funds and recognises the superior returns we have achieved over the three years to 31st December 2010.

“The last few years have been an extraordinary time for money managers but the breadth of experience on the team has allowed us to draw on lessons from the past and make timely, well informed decision on behalf of our clients. Going forward we are confident that we can maintain this high level of performance by continuing to follow a pragmatic approach to stock selection.”

Ann Roughead, Managing Director at LVAM added: “LVAM has set out its stall as a low-cost active manager that does what it says on the tin – delivering attractive added value year in, year out. The LV= bond funds are great examples of what we are trying to achieve and this award will serve to reinforce our commitment to providing impressive and consistent returns for our investors.”

Via EPR Network
More Financial press releases

Assets, Financial, Financial Information, Financial Management, Financial Services, Insurance, Insurance Services, Money

LV = Reveals Drivers Lost £58.5 Million From ‘Unfair’ Parking Tickets

LV=, the car insurer, has revealed that drivers lost £58.5m last year by failing to appeal against parking tickets issued in ‘unfair’ circumstances.

In 2010, one in twenty (5%) motorists in the UK received a parking ticket where they had grounds to appeal. Despite this, only one in five (22%) drivers bother to contest a ticket once issued; but of those who do, nearly nine in ten (88%) claimants are successful.

When questioned, over half of UK drivers (53%) who do pay when issued with a ticket in unfair circumstances do so because they assume they will not win an appeal. Many drivers say they are confused about the procedure for appeals, with one in twelve (8%) not knowing how to initiate a claim.

The majority of ‘unfair’ parking fines are issued in areas where parking signage is unclear. Other reasons include misleading road markings, being issued with a fine while walking to a machine to buy a parking ticket and being fined when the car was broken down. A small but significant number of drivers report parking attendants actually fabricating evidence to support issuing the ticket (2%).

Most (49%) of tickets issued unfairly are given out on public roads but surprisingly one in ten (10%) are received in car parks of public buildings managed by local authorities, such as libraries, hospitals and GP surgeries. A similar number (9%) are given out in commercially operated car parks.

Via EPR Network
More Financial press releases

Banks, Business, Currency, Financial, Financial Information, Financial Management, Financial Services, Financial Software, Financial Solutions, Forex, Investment, Money, Profits, Trading

Saxo Bank Video Looks at Post-quake Japanese Investment Opportunities

Saxo Bank has released a new Equity Focus video featuring the company’s Equity Strategist Peter Garnry. The video looks at what the possible implications for investors interested in the Japanese stock market are in the short and long-term, with the total impact and cost of the massive earthquake in Japan, related tsunamis and nuclear crisis still unclear. The Bank of Japan has introduced a series of policy easing measures but there is still doubt that this will be enough to create market stability in the Japanese stock market.

Comparing Japan’s current situation to the state of the country’s market following the huge earthquake which occurred in the city of Kobe in 1995, Peter Garnry commented that the stock market remained steady in the days following that disaster but people underestimated its effects and within four months the market had fallen by 25%. When asked whether this was due to the Kobe earthquake hitting a large industrial area of Japan rather than the coastal areas devastated by the recent quake (although some car manufacturing and electronics plants were forced to stop production) Garnry replied that the effect on the market will only be known in the coming months. He also stated that the aftermath of the earthquake could be a great opportunity for many investors to be exposed to Japanese stocks and subsequently invest in them.

With the current disaster coming on top of an already exorbitant national debt status there are increased concerns that the Japanese economy could be pushed back into recession. Meanwhile, major Japanese exporters are being hurt by forced shutdowns due to power shortages, while the yen, at least for now, is supported by the Bank of Japan’s massive liquidity injection into the banking system. As it’s still early days there’s a chance that just a few months down the road the impact on Japan’s economy and currency might be somewhat different and this could result in some interesting investment opportunities in large Japanese export driven stocks.

About Saxo Bank:
Saxo Bank is an online trading and investment specialist, enabling clients to trade Forex, CFDs, Stocks, Futures, Options and other derivatives, as well as providing portfolio management via SaxoWebTrader and SaxoTrader, the leading online forex trading platforms. The three specialised and fully integrated trading platforms; the browser-based SaxoWebTrader, the downloadable SaxoTrader and the SaxoMobileTrader application are available in over 20 languages. The Saxo Bank website features a wealth of investment advice, trading products, market news and analysis, including forex videos.

Via EPR Network
More Financial press releases

Financial, Financial Information, Financial Services, Insurance, Insurance Services

Auto-motiveInsurance.net provides Free Online vehicle insurance quotes

Auto-motiveInsurance.net is a new insurance website. The new website is established to help millions of insurance consumers. At this hard time that many motorists are finding it so difficult to survive, many are losing their insurance policies due to increasing costs. So, people are looking for ways to tremendously reduce their insurance costs, but are struggling to find a solution.

Mr. Solomon, owner of Auto-motiveInsurance.net website had a goal to provide an answer to this chaos. Solomon is quoted as saying, “There are many people who are finding it so difficult to afford automotive insurance and are looking for ways to cut down on their insurance bills. Most insurance companies keep raising customers’ premiums every six months for no obvious reason. Moreover, calling multiple insurance companies to obtain a quote can be time consuming. We wanted to create a platform where prospective insurance buyers could find the best auto insurance quotes. I think our company mission, which is to save people money and time, fills a very real need of most customers. We provide free, no-obligation, online insurance quote tools that people can use to achieve this”.

As one customer said, “The greatest benefit that you would get from this website is that you would be able to get the vehicle insurance quotes free of cost. You just have to submit a form to get the free quotes from the company”.

The layout of the website is very simple. You can easily use the free quote form to get the best auto insurance price you deserve from virtually anywhere on this informative site. There is also a form you can use to get a quote from a specific insurance company. And there is an additional form that allows a shopper the ability to single out the best price from all of compared quotes from several insurance companies. It is up to the user to choose whichever one is appropriate for his need.

Via EPR Network
More Financial press releases

Banks, Credit Cards, Financial, Financial Information, Financial Services, Financial Solutions, Insurance, Insurance Services, Loans, Money, Mortgage, Personal Finance

Confused.com Launches New TV Advert

Confused.com has launched its latest advertisement featuring its animated logo Cara singing the classic hit ‘Chain Reaction’, originally penned by the Bee Gees and made famous by Diana Ross. The sixty second advert first aired on 15 February during coverage of the Brit Awards, this year hosted by James Corden.

Following the success of Cara’s first single, ‘Somebody to Love’, ‘Chain Reaction’ is once again voiced by West End star Louise Dearman. Animated and produced by Hornet, with musical arrangement from Spekulation entertainment, the advert will feature living logo Cara singing the catchy anthem before being joined by a backing group of animated singers and dancers.

The Chain Reaction song, originally recorded by Diana Ross, has been selected due to its popularity with music lovers worldwide and was a popular hit in 1985 on her album ‘Eaten Alive’. Confused.com, the UK’s leading car insurance price comparison site, has worked closely with its creative agencies on this advert to ensure it recaptures the energy of the Diana Ross original.

Mike Hoban, marketing director at Confused.com, said: “Confused.com was the first site to offer price comparison. Our latest advert reminds customers of Confused.com’s leadership position in a fun and entertaining way. With 20 million users, up two million since our first advert, Confused.com is once again demonstrating it is the people’s choice for comparison sites and we are really proud of this.”

In addition to the sixty second advert, a thirty second version is also being launched. The new advert can be viewed on Cara’s page on Confused.com and on Confused.com’s You Tube channel.

Via EPR Network
More Financial press releases

Financial, Financial Information, Financial Management, Financial Services, Financial Software, Investment, Money

Vebnet and Towers Watson Announce Partnership Throughout Latin America

Vebnet, a market-leading global technology provider of total rewards and flexible benefits solutions, and Towers Watson (NYSE, NASDAQ: TW), a leading global professional services company, have announced a formal partnership in Latin America.

The partnership combines Towers Watson’s expertise in benefits, investment and communication consulting with Vebnet’s market-leading technology to support organisations that need portal-based flexible employee benefit schemes. Vebnet and Towers Watson have a similar, successful partnership in Asia Pacific.

“The increasing diversity of today’s workforce makes flexibility an essential component of benefit provision and total rewards programs,” said Segundo Tascon, Latin America benefits director of Towers Watson.

“Together, Towers Watson and Vebnet will offer a fully integrated yet highly configurable solution to clients and their employees. Vebnet’s FIX&FLEX is an intuitive and highly configurable technology application that enables companies to provide education and information content through engaging communications and consistent messaging within a common employee brand.”

By combining Vebnet’s technology, bespoke communication programs delivered through multimedia channels and highly experienced consulting and implementation teams, Towers Watson can develop and deliver a differentiated employee benefit strategy and solution to leading companies. This solution can include communications plans, total rewards statements, flexible benefits and online pay slips to bring more choice, empowerment, flexibility and automation to the company’s benefit scheme. The technology can be deployed in multiple languages and currencies and be the application controlling multinational or global employee benefit scheme provision and administration.

This technology currently supports over 260 organizations, covering 400,000 employees. The technology is deployed in over 20 countries and in different languages including Chinese, Thai and Spanish.

Via EPR Network
More Financial press releases

Banks, Business, Currency, Financial, Financial Information, Financial Management, Financial Services, Financial Software, Financial Solutions, Forex, Investment, Money, Profits, Trading

TradingFloor.com Releases Video On European Growth

TradingFloor.com, the home of Saxo Bank’s trading commentary, financial research and analysis, has released a video discussing the current European growth.

The European growth situation is particularly in focus, with quite a bit of key macro data being published which is expected to confirm the ‘growth story’. In the video Mads Koefoed, macro strategist at Saxo Bank’s TradingFloor.com discusses the growth in Europe and in the U.S.

Mads first discusses Eurozone industrial production in addition to the Eurozone and some individual members’ GDP reports. The industrial production numbers of -0.1% were a little below consensus expectations but above TradingFloor.com’s expectations of -0.4%. Even though the numbers had declined, the manufacturing sector is still growing strongly in the Eurozone. The declining numbers are thought to be attributed to the very strong November numbers, which saw industrial production rising 1.4% month on month, so some give back is it to be expected in December’s numbers. The very poor weather in December will also have had some affect on production numbers. Mads expects the numbers to improve for January.

The overall GDP reports were also fairly good and what was expected. Countries like Spain performed better than expected with a result of 2% up. With Germany continuing to drive the Eurozone, Mads predicts a fairly robust growth in the Eurozone in the fourth quarter.

Furthermore, also in focus is a meeting of Europe’s Finance Ministers and any indications of increasing the debt stability of southern Eurozone members. While Mads does not foresee much news coming out of the event, he does foresee them discussing the Germany and France proposal to put in place a measure against debt increase to hopefully ensure a more harmonized corporate tax system in the Eurozone, despite other leaders not being completely behind this.

Via EPR Network
More Financial press releases

Banks, Bonds, Checking & Savings, Financial, Financial Services, ISAs, Mortgage, Personal Finance

Northern Rock Further Improves Its Award-Winning Mortgage Website

Northern Rock has further enhanced its mortgage website, less than six months after scooping a prestigious award for ‘best use of digital’, with the addition of a new video guide, to help home-buyers through the exciting but sometimes daunting journey of buying their first property.

Northern Rock’s mortgage website was launched in April 2010, and in September won the ‘best use of digital’ accolade at Communicate Magazine’s Digital Impact Awards 2010, held to celebrate excellence in digital stakeholder communications. The site was also named among the contenders for the Financial Services category of the British Interactive Media Association (BIMA)’s annual awards last year, and highly commended for best use of technology at the Mortgage Finance Gazette Awards.

A brand new, animated video guide has now been added to the website, to help steer customers step-by-step through the house-buying process. Using a simple 10-step format, each of the segments covers a different area of the house purchase journey, from setting an affordable budget at the outset, right through to exchange and completion.

The video guide adds a new dimension to the site which is already populated with useful advice and information for different mortgage customer groups. The site also includes a range of interactive tools such as a jargon buster, budget planner and overpayment calculator to help take the complexity out of selecting a mortgage and buying a home. The new guide should prove essential viewing for anyone facing the daunting prospect of looking for a first time buyer mortgage.

Via EPR Network
More Financial press releases

Financial, Financial Information, Financial Services, Insurance, Insurance Services

Consumers Can Now Research Specific Providers in the New Reviews Section of CarInsuranceRates.com

Car Insurance Rates has eliminated the need for visitors to go elsewhere to research individual auto insurers online. The site has added an entire section devoted to insurer reviews to help inform visitors’ coverage decisions.

CarInsuranceRates.com (CIRS) has revamped its site to include a section dedicated to reviews of specific providers. Visitors can find information on most major carriers, including Allstate, Farmer’s, AIG, Nationwide, and more. The reviews include information on the carrier’s history, financial standing, reputation, and customer satisfaction ratings.

“After our visitors review car insurance rates on potential policies through our free quote-request system, they typically want to conduct research on individual providers to see which insurer is best-suited for them. Rather than having to go to several different sites to investigate prospective carriers, shoppers can now look up all the pertinent information they need by simply navigating to our new insurer review pages,” explained CIRS spokesperson Nathan Ackerman.

At present, nine reviews are available to visitors, and CIRS hopes to expand the section in the future as additional providers join its referral network. To access the reviews, visitors have only to click the logo of the carrier in which they are interested. The reviews are user-friendly, concise, and informative.

“The new review section is also part of our ongoing effort to make Car Insurance Rates a one-stop-shopping site for auto insurance coverage. These reviews don’t just contain information a consumer would find on the insurer’s official site; they also offer valuable policyholder satisfaction and financial rating information that may otherwise be hard to find. Thanks to this new section, our visitors can now visit only one site rather than dozens in comparison shopping for policies,” Ackerman added.

Via EPR Network
More Financial press releases

Debts, Financial, Financial Services, Loans, Money, Personal Finance

Personal Cash Advance Emphasizes Secure Payday Loan Process

Online sites such as Personal Cash Advance offer a secure alternative in the cash advance industry. Company spokesperson Neil Cutting emphasizes the benefits of utilizing the growing Personal Cash Advance website.

“I am thoroughly convinced that it doesn’t get any safer than online cash advances, compared to the alternatives, Cutting said. “We take the time and effort to ensure that our customers receive a first-rate service all the way through.”

As good news about the economy continues to hit the daily press, Cutting foresees positive things in the future when it comes to personal loans. Additionally, most lenders affiliated with PCA will not require potential borrowers to complete a traditional credit check. Instead, the lenders will rely on other criteria, such as monthly income and employment status, to determine applicants’ eligibility.

“It’s one of life’s great ironies that the people who need to borrow money the most can’t get it because they’ve made a few mistakes with their credit in the past. Credit challenges can haunt a consumer for years and preclude applicants from qualifying for traditional bank or credit union loans. At PCA, we understand that a credit score isn’t everything, which is why we’ve broadened the options available to our visitors with imperfect credit,” explained Cutting.

Via EPR Network
More Financial press releases

Banks, Business, Currency, Financial, Financial Information, Financial Management, Financial Services, Financial Software, Financial Solutions, Forex, Investment, Money, Profits, Trading

TradingFloor.com Releases Video on the German Economy

TradingFloor.com, the home of Saxo Bank’s trading commentary, financial research and analysis, has released the video ‘Why the German economy continues to outperform in Eurozone’.

Despite a minor correction in industrial orders in December, the German economy continues to stand out from the rest of the Eurozone members in terms of growth. In the video Mads Koefoed, macro strategist at Saxo Bank’s Tradingfloor.com, discusses the performance of Europe’s largest economy versus the 16 other Eurozone members.

Mads Koefoed discusses two main reasons why he believes the Germany economy is continuing to outperform other countries in the Eurozone. Germany is turning part of its foreign exports away from other countries in the Eurozone and towards Asia. While Germany still continues to do a lot of trade within the Eurozone, by turning to Asia, where more solid growth is taking place, it is doing better than other Eurozone countries that have not moved some of their trade overseas.

Southern countries such as Spain, Portugal and Italy have also seen higher cuts on public spending than have happened in Germany, meaning Germany should recover much stronger.

Mads is optimistic that the economic growth of Germany will continue throughout 2011 and hopefully into 2012, because while Germany is cutting costs, it is not doing it as harshly as other countries.

Northern areas of the Eurozone such as the Netherlands and France are expected to catch up with Germany first, though it looks doubtful whether the southern countries will make real advance any time soon. Mads mentions that other countries outside of the Eurozone, such as the UK, should catch up fairly quickly as well. While the UK may see a weak first half due to the rise in VAT and the public spending cuts, the second half of 2011 should see a strong rebound.

The Eurozone economy video is available to view on the Saxo Bank TradingFloor website.

Via EPR Network
More Financial press releases