Category Archives: Financial Services

Financial Services

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Consumers Need To Exercise Better Online Privacy In A Bid To Protect Insurance Premiums

Policy holders could face price hikes on their insurance premiums or even have claims rejected as the rise and rise of social networking sees more people advertise their whereabouts and holiday plans on the internet.

Insurance provider Legal & General recently highlighted the need for consumers to think twice before broadcasting their vacation plans as thieves could easily scour social networking sites for potential targets and empty homes.

The continued expansion of Google’s Street View program also means burglars have increasingly thorough access to technology that could help them locate vulnerable properties.

QuoteBoffin echoed the call for consumers to exercise better online privacy:

“Social networking sites such as Facebook are a great way to let friends know what you’re up to but people have to remember that some pages can easily accessed by strangers.

“This means absolutely anybody could find out when and for how long you’re property will be vacant which is very dangerous.”

Policy holders are reminded not to give out personal information online, especially updates regarding their plans to leave the country or their home for long periods of time.

Twitter users were recently put in the spotlight after the website www.pleaserobme.com provided real-time updates of empty homes belonging to people using Foursquare to update their exact location.

The creators of pleaserobme.com were slammed for creating a tool for burglars despite claiming they were highlighting people’s willingness to broadcast sensitive information such as postcodes.

Although insurance providers have yet to absorb the risk from social networking into policy premiums, it is up to consumers to protect their possessions by implementing common sense.

QuoteBoffin.co.uk said: “The insurance industry is definitely concerned about the impact social networking could have on our possessions as well as our personal safety.

“Although insurance is there as a safety net during worst case scenario moments, consumers can do their bit to protect their premiums by refraining from broadcasting sensitive information in public forums that could then lead to a claim being made.”

Via EPR Network
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Prudential Reveals Recession Delaying Retirement For Nearly 3 Million UK Adults

Prudential research* shows that nearly 3 million UK adults aged over 45** have delayed their plans to retire because of the recession or a personal financial emergency, or because they want to keep working to build a bigger pension pot.

Prudential’s survey shows 9% – more than 1.6 million people – have put their retirement plans on hold because of financial emergencies and the effects of the recession while 7% (nearly 1.3 million people) are giving up retirement plans in favour of working in an effort to boost pensions so they can retire at a later date.

More than 710,000 people – 24% who have delayed plans to retire – fear they will now never be able to afford to retire completely because the economic slowdown or their financial emergency has had such a devastating effect on their retirement savings, Prudential’s nationwide Class of 2010 study shows.

The recession has also forced 17% to delay retirement for at least five years, while a further 51% believe they will have to wait between 12 months and five years before they can stop working.

Prudential believes these figures should be considered a warning to people who are still in a position to save for their retirement and urges people to save as much as they can for their retirement and to put money aside to fall back on in the event of a financial emergency.

Martyn Bogira, Defined Contribution Solutions Director, said: “It is imperative for people to realise what’s at stake before they come to retire.

Via EPR Network
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Checking & Savings, Credit Cards, Financial, Financial Management, Financial Services, Financial Solutions, Money, Personal Finance

Barclaycard Freedom, One Of The Broadest Rewards Schemes In The UK, Has Been Launched

Barclaycard Freedom, one of the broadest rewards schemes in the UK, has been launched, with over eight million Barclaycard cardholders now able to earn Reward Money for simply using their Barclaycard to buy goods and services in participating outlets. As well as the launch of the scheme, Barclaycard is delighted to announce that Shell has joined Barclaycard Freedom, with over 900 petrol stations across the UK now offering rewards.

Reward Money can be earned at around 30,000 retail outlets across the UK, including big name retailers and brands such as npower and Pizza Express, as well as many small and medium retailers who are able to be part of a rewards scheme for the first time.

Barclaycard cardholders will earn 1% in most participating outlets (0.5% at Shell) alongside other special promotions and discounts in store. Reward Money is recorded in pounds and pence, with no vouchers or coupons to save and no points to calculate. Barclaycard cardholders will be rewarded for simply using their card to make a purchase, with no need to register or receive a new card.

Barclaycard customers making a purchase in most participating retailers will see the value of their Reward Money appear on the card machine before they enter their PIN to pay. They will then be able to redeem some or all of their Reward Money on that transaction, or continue to save up for a future purchase.

Cardholders can search for participating retailers online at barclaycardfreedom.co.uk, or they can text ‘Freedom’ to 67777 to access a list of retailers and offers whilst on the move. Shops that are taking part in the rewards scheme will be clearly visible, with point of sale materials promoting the scheme in store. Cardholders can view their Reward Money account by logging onto mybarclaycard. This will display their current Reward Money balance, list transactions where Reward Money has been earned or redeemed, and display relevant offers.

Melanie Lane, General Manager, Shell UK Retail, said: “At Shell we want our customers to get the most out of every drop of fuel they buy and we believe Barclaycard Freedom will help them to do just that. It is simple and easy to use, which is important for busy people on the move, and we are looking forward to many more Barclaycard customers experiencing our quality fuels whilst earning Reward Money at Shell.”

Sarah Newman, Managing Director of Barclaycard Freedom said: “We are delighted to welcome Shell to Barclaycard Freedom. The range of retailers in Barclaycard Freedom means that our customers can earn Reward Money when they are shopping on the high street, filling up the car, going out for a meal or shopping online. The simplicity of Barclaycard Freedom means that customers earn Reward Money without the need to do anything extra – they simply use their Barclaycard to make a purchase. The beauty of the scheme lies in the fact that Reward Money can then be redeemed on purchases in most retailers and with around 30,000 retail outlets participating from today, the options to redeem are endless.”

Via EPR Network
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Report: Early Retirement Threatened Due To Costly Kids

The Children’s Mutual, a leading Child Trust Fund provider, has revealed that millions of parents in Britain are being forced to postpone their retirement to meet the rapidly rising financial burden of supporting their adult children.

Report: Early Retirement Threatened Due To Costly Kids

Research from the award winning Child Trust Fund provider has found 57% of parents of 18 to 30 year olds, say they have no choice but to retire later – with 43% expecting to work up to five years longer than they wanted because of the cost of their ‘adult’ children.

The news is worse for 9.3% of parents who believe they will now be forced to work over a decade longer with some abandoning the dream of retiring altogether.

Initially, 75% of parents planned to retire before they reached 65; now 40% have accepted the fact that they will not retire before the ‘official’ retirement age.

These stark figures show that 79% of parents claim their ability to save for their retirement has been impacted by the unplanned financial support being needed by their offspring – with a third of those (32%) suggesting it has been significant.

David White, Chief Executive at The Children’s Mutual said; “Worryingly, the number of parents getting caught in this middle age parent trap will almost certainly continue to rise – however parents of today’s youngsters can start to plan financially from the outset of having children and in so doing extricate themselves from this cycle.

“It’s clear that the concept of a retirement age will become increasingly fluid and for some it might even become totally irrelevant. It is imperative that we empower parents of today’s youngsters to ensure that their retirement dreams and the hopes for their offspring are not compromised. Investing in Child Trust Funds or other long term savings vehicle from the outset is one way to help ensure that the keel remains even.”

Child Trust Funds are designed to provide a tax efficient, long term savings vehicle for all eligible children. Each eligible newborn child (born on or after 1 September 2002) receives a £250 Child Trust Fund voucher (£500 for low income families) from the government when their parents register for Child Benefit. The government will make a second contribution of £250 (£500 for low income families) when the child reaches seven and is considering a third in the child’s teenage years. Parents, family and friends can all then add to this account up to a maximum value of £1,200 each year.

Via EPR Network
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Saxo Bank Launches Property Investment Products

Saxo Bank, the online trading and investment specialist, will now offer property investment products for both private clients and institutional investors through a new company, Saxo Properties.

Saxo Bank Launches Property Investment Products

The newly formed investment firm Saxo Properties, fully owned by Saxo Bank, will launch closed-ended funds for both high net worth clients and institutional investors. Two of the Danish real estate industry’s most well-known individuals, Jesper Damborg and Claus Klostermann, will respectively become CEO and managing director of investments at Saxo Properties.

“Initially, Saxo Properties will focus on handpicked Copenhagen residential, office and retail properties. The first fund will close within the next three months, but we intend to establish a number of funds with a significant ownership capital of at least DKK 250 million,” said Jesper Damborg.

Saxo Bank’s business model is often described as a facilitator model where the bank through its trading platforms offers liquidity, products and services to clients as obtained from other financial institutions. Saxo Properties will use the same model. Saxo Bank has hired Flemming Schandorff, the former COO of ISS, one of the world’s largest commercial providers of facility services, to a similar position at Saxo Properties to facilitate administration of the estates.

“First and foremost, Saxo Properties will prioritize achieving attractive market returns, but we will also focus on how to capitalize on tight cost control and good management, such as rebuilding, mixed lease and general maintenance,” said Jesper Damborg.

Saxo Bank’s CEOs and founders, Kim Fournais and Lars Seier Christensen, said in a joint statement: “Saxo Bank holds asset under management of DKK 40 billion, and our focus on asset management has proved a great success. Many clients have asked for property investment products and there is also a clear synergy between Saxo Asset Management and Saxo Properties, which we can now utilize. Many properties are traded at a low price especially in Copenhagen, so the timing is right to expand our asset management to include property investment products.”

Last year, Saxo Bank bought Sirius Asset Management, Capital Four and 51 percent of Global Evolution. The three companies now form Saxo Asset Management, which has management expertise for Danish bonds, Danish equities, corporate bonds and emerging market bonds.

Via EPR Network
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Prudential Has Further Developed Its Annuity Range This Spring With The Launch Of A Reinvigorated Flexible Lifetime Annuity

The launch comes at a time when falling corporate bond rates are putting downward pressure on conventional annuity rates and people in retirement are increasingly looking beyond traditional choices when considering their retirement income options.

Prudential Has Further Developed Its Annuity Range This Spring With The Launch Of A Reinvigorated Flexible Lifetime Annuity

The new Flexible Lifetime Annuity launches with a £35,000 minimum purchase price (after tax-free cash) – down f r o m £75,000 – and no maximum limit, making it more accessible to more customers.

The fund range is also improved and now comes complete with a range of 50 funds, 32 of which are new.

The increased number of funds will mean a wider investment choice for people who select the Flexible Lifetime Annuity in their retirement. It will include funds f r o m the leading investment houses including Artemis, AXA, BlackRock, Gartmore, and JP Morgan among others, while retaining the current range which includes funds f r o m Invesco, M&G, Newton and Prudential.

The rationale behind increasing the number of funds is to provide greater variety and flexibility within the four investment strategies offered by the Flexible Lifetime Annuity product.

Flexible Lifetime Annuity customers can choose f r o m one of four investment strategies – cautious, standard, adventurous and the self-managed investment strategy – which reflect the level of risk for each strategy, rather than the funds within the portfolio.

By increasing number of funds within the Flexible Lifetime Annuity customers will have an opportunity for greater exposure to a complete range of risk graded funds, each designed to suit both current and future appetite to risk, and with the built-in option to switch funds throughout the lifetime of their Flexible Lifetime Annuity.

Vince Smith-Hughes, Prudential’s head of business development for retirement income, said: “We are seeing a shift in the options that people are prepared to consider when selecting an annuity. Greater choice, flexibility and investment diversity are becoming increasingly important to our customer base as it becomes more sophisticated.

“A new lower minimum investment amount and a revamped fund range has increased the choice available to customers and is part of our strategy to offer the widest range of annuities in the UK.”

Via EPR Network
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Agricote And Saxo Banque France Partner

Saxo Banque France, the online investment and trading specialist, has announced an exclusive partnership with Agricote, the agricultural broker, allowing farmers to manage their selling prices and negotiate agricultural or commodity futures and CFDS online using the award winning SaxoTrader platform.

The partnership with Agricote reflects the evolution of the agricultural industry, and the reality that a new generation of farmers want to control their production and sales, using futures to hedge their output and manage risk. Using SaxoTrader, the partnership enables both producers and buyers to manage market volatility and trade agricultural futures and CFDs online 24 hours a day, with access to 23 stock exchanges.

Commenting on the partnership, Pierre de Perthuis, co-founding partner of Agricote, said: “Our partnership with Saxo Banque will enable farmers to move forward and manage their own production and sales. Farmers no longer want to suffer from the pressures imposed by a volatile market, and seeing farmers taking positions on an online future trading platform is an innovative step forward for the industry. We are very proud to support these pioneers. Farmers are now able to control their destiny”.

Pierre-Antoine Dusoulier, CEO of Saxo Banque France added: “We are pleased to partner with Agricote and acknowledge that the agricultural industry is changing and needs strong support. Agricote was looking for a trusted partner and we met its requirements: Saxo Banque is a perennial French Bank and we have a highly efficient online trading platform and services for fast deployment.”

Main characteristics of the partnership:
– Privileged access to International Futures Markets
– Ability to adopt and implement own marketing strategy
– An appropriate account with user profile
– Trading account access via PC, website or cell phone
– Personalized assistance by Agricote
– A free demo account for 20 days

Farmers will be able to access their online trading platform via a dedicated page on the Agricote website.

Via EPR Network
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2009 SABEW Award For Mutualfundreform.com

The blog, www.mutualfundreform.com, has won the top award from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers (SABEW) in the best small blog category. The winning award was made as part of the 15th annual Best in Business Journalism competition, recognizing top publications,Web sites and the best business news reporting during 2009.

The blog,  mutualfundreform.com, won the award primarily for its original 7,000-word investigative series into how little-understood mutual fund fees, revenue sharing deals, high commissions paid to wholesalers and different share classes all benefit mutual fund salespeople and executives more than individual shareholders.

2009 SABEW Award For Mutualfundreform.com

The series, written by the site’s creator, Chuck Epstein, shows how these payments create conflicts of interest between shareholders and investment professionals which make it difficult for individual investors to obtain objective financial advice.

Other issues covered on the blog deal with the failure of SEC regulators, and the need for financial professionals to adopt the same fiduciary standards used by institutional investors and pension fund executives.

The site maintains that the need for mutual fund reform is essential since the load mutual fund industry currently has practices in place which essentially work against their own shareholders.

The creator of www.mutualfundreform.com is Chuck Epstein. He has been a senior writer for two large mutual fund companies and also won first place awards from the Mutual Fund Education Association (MFEA) in 2006, 2007, 2008 for writing and editing the best adviser and/or shareholder newsletters in the large-fund class category.

He also has held senior-level marketing positions with the New York Futures Exchange, Chicago Mercantile Exchange, and written by-lined articles for over 50 financial publications.

Via EPR Network
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Research Revealed Nearly Half The UK’s Population Have No Life Insurance

Amongst those who currently have  life insurance policies, 53% had no idea how much they would receive if they were to make a claim. This suggests that they don’t know whether they have adequate cover in place. It is also highly likely they haven’t reviewed their cover recently and so could therefore be paying over the odds.

Research Revealed Nearly Half The UK's Population Have No Life Insurance

Richard Morea, Technical Manager at L&C said, “Consumers are clearly burying their heads in the sand and adopting an ‘it won’t happen to me’ stance.  We urge people with no cover to take action now to protect their family in the event of the unforeseen happening. Those with cover should understand exactly what it will provide in the event of a claim. If it is sufficient, they should review the cost. L&C’s online  1 minute life insurance check calculator will quickly show them if savings can be made. In addition they should review whether their cover is still adequate and if it’s not take expert advice’.

For a free life insurance review, speak to one of L&C’s expert advisers on 0800 073 1932.

Via EPR Network
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Attractive Range Of Exclusive Mortgage Deals By London and Country

Not only have the major lenders competed with one another to offer best buy mortgage deals but some of the smaller lenders have also been keen to flex their muscle in the market.

Attractive Range Of Exclusive Mortgage Deals By London and Country

This has resulted in London and Country having a number of attractive exclusive mortgages to offer customers.

These include a 2 year fixed rate up to 80% Loan To Value (LTV) from Market Harborough at 3.6% with a £1094 fee and free valuation and legal work for remortgages, and a 3.49% tracker from Furness, available up to 80% LTV with a low £199 fee and free valuation and legal work for remortgages.

David Hollingworth, Head of Communication at L&C said, ‘it is pleasing to see more competitive mortgages return to the market, particularly at higher LTVs. This means more people can get mortgage finance than previously and those looking for a mortgage at present can take advantage of some great value schemes’.

Via EPR Network
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A New Government-Run Service Is Set To Provide Impartial Financial Advice For Millions Of UK Citizen

A new Government-run service is set to provide impartial financial advice for millions of UK citizens looking for help with money matters.

A New Government-Run Service Is Set To Provide Impartial Financial Advice For Millions Of UK Citizen

The service – called Moneymadeclear – was launched by Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling and will provide free consumer advice from independent financial experts.

Moneymadeclear gives people the chance to pick up the phone, talk face-to-face or get information online with regard to money worries, financial planning and information on consumer rights.

The service also gives advice to consumers who think they may have been mis-sold a financial product and don’t know what action to take.

A service such as this is long overdue says life insurance comparison site QuoteBoffin.co.uk:

“Consumers have long deserved a service that is concise and impartial as Moneymadeclear, especially for people who have concerns over money but do not know who to turn to.

Moneymadeclear also supports the different ways in which people take in information as well as the resources consumers have available. For example, some people prefer to use the web to get information whilst others are more comfortable meeting an advisor face to face and so forth.”

The Government has trialled the service in the North East and North West since last April. The trial helped 500,000 people and is expected to assist a million people in the next year alone.

Chancellor Alistair Darling said:

“Moneymadeclear is free, impartial advice for all, whether you are unsure about the small print in a mortgage form; want advice opening a savings account for your children or grand-children or want some help dealing with repayments before they get out of hand.”

In a post recession economy the importance of financial support for concerned consumers will undoubtedly be welcomed by people looking to firm up their finances.

QuoteBoffin.co.uk went on to say “Although the UK has officially left the recession it’s going to take many years to see a full recovery. This means that continued job losses, mounting debt and high interest rates will put continued strain on consumers.

Via EPR Network
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LV=, Insurance, Pensions And Investments Group, Has Announced That It Is Opening New Offices In Huddersfield

This is in addition to LV=’s road rescue company, Britannia Rescue, which is already based in Huddersfield town centre, employing around 100 people. The new LV= offices will be in Folly Hall and are scheduled to open in July 2010. This will also become the new home to Britannia Rescue, which will be moving from its current offices in Station Buildings, where it has been based for over 20 years. Having celebrated its 25th year of operation in Huddersfield last year, Britannia Rescue has reached capacity at Station Buildings and needs to move to enable the business to expand further.

LV=, Insurance, Pensions And Investments Group, Has Announced That It Is Opening New Offices In Huddersfield

As well as the Britannia Rescue management team, LV= will open a new 24-hour call centre in Folly Hall to deal with both calls from LV= car insurance customers who have been involved in an accident, and Britannia Rescue breakdown calls. The 24-hour service will also be expanded to LV= home insurance customers during 2010 and the new office is set to become the company’s primary 24-hour call centre.

The new jobs there will be advertised later in the year and will include customer service advisor roles, team leader positions and management opportunities.

LV= is a leading mutual financial group with over 3.6 million members and customers. The company offers a wide range of financial products including insurance, pensions and investments.

The new LV= office at Folly Hall will have the capacity for around 175 people. It is located 10 minutes from the station in a Grade II listed building which has been renovated as part of the regeneration of Huddersfield’s Waterfront Quarter.

Simon Stevens, general manager of LV=’s Huddersfield operation, said: “We are delighted to be expanding in the town. Huddersfield has been a fantastic base for our Britannia Rescue business and with our positive experience here we are confident that Huddersfield will also be a great location for part of the LV= car insurance claimsoperation.

“We are committed to Huddersfield and to providing new jobs in the area. LV= is a fast-growing general insurer and when many other financial companies are making redundancies we are actually expanding. This means that not only is there the opportunity for local people to join us, but there are also great career prospects and the chance to move up in the company.”

Cllr Mehboob Khan, Leader of Kirklees Council, said: “It is excellent news that such a well known and respected company is investing in our area. We have a good relationship with LV= through their Britannia Rescue operation which has been based in the two for many years and we are delighted they have chosen to expand their operation in Huddersfield and create jobs for local people. Working with Kirklees businesses, from small traders to larger organisations, is one of the many ways in which the council continues to tackle the problems caused by the recession.”

Barry Sheerman, MP for Huddersfield, said: “The fact that LV= is expanding in Huddersfield is an excellent omen. Increasingly Huddersfield is being seen as an exceptional place to live and work, and in which to find talented and hardworking employees. The Folly Hall scheme adds to the innovative regeneration of our waterfront development and I hope that LV= and the town prosper together.”

Via EPR Network
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Barclaycard Freedom Scheme Customers To Receive Boost From npower

Barclaycard Freedom customers are being provided with the chance to boost their accounts by up to £160 of Reward Money in a year, thanks to npower’s new reward offer launch.

Barclaycard Freedom Scheme Customers To Receive Boost From npower

The reward, the first in the scheme to be paid regardless of the amount the customer spends on their card, is recorded in £s not points, and can be spent by customers immediately with tens of thousands of participating retailers across the UK.

Barclaycard Freedom, which launches in March, offers the concept of a rewards programme to many small and medium retailers for the first time. In addition to encompassing household names, including npower, over 30,000 retail outlets have been invited to be part of the scheme at launch. On average there will be 200 retailers within a five mile radius of where a Barclaycard cardholder lives and many more retailers are expected to join in the coming months.

Celebrating the partnership, npower is also doubling its sign-up incentive to £60* of Reward Money for Barclaycard Freedom customers transferring their gas and electricity to npower before May 17th 2010. Along with the £100 annual loyalty payment for both new and existing npower customers paying by monthly direct debit for both fuels, Barclaycard Freedom holders could earn enough in a year to buy a meal out for the entire family, special treat for someone or have a shopping spree online, simply by choosing npower as their gas and electricity supplier.

Giuseppe Di Vita, Managing Director of npower Retail Markets, commented: “Our customers have told us that they would like more freedom of choice in the way that they are rewarded for joining and staying with npower. Participating in the Barclaycard Freedom scheme enables us to give our customers the choice of up to 30,000 retailers to redeem their Reward Money. Our customers will benefit from a straightforward, simple and transparent way to get more value for their money.”

Via EPR Network
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VocaLink Scales Charity Heights

VocaLink, the specialist provider of transaction services to banks, has launched a scheme to help raise money for Bonita Norris in her attempt to become the youngest British female to reach the summit of Mount Everest, in order to raise money for Global Angels.

VocaLink Scales Charity Heights

VocaLink, as the official sponsor of the challenge, is trying to raise funds for Bonita and the Global Angels charity through its network of almost 50,000 Mobile Phone Top-Up (MPTU) ATMs across the UK.

To raise the money, VocaLink has managed to get together some of the major UK banks* who have agreed to donate 5p to Global Angels every time someone tops-up a mobile phone** during March and April using a VocaLink ATM.

Bonita will be climbing Mount Everest to raise money for Global Angels, an international foundation which champions the causes of children around the world to help provide sustainable solutions. Every pound received from public donations goes directly to projects working at grass-roots level to empower children and their communities.

Bonita will be looking to climb Mount Everest’s towering 8,848 meters during May 2010 when conditions are at their best. To complete her climb, Bonita will be putting herself at risk from the dangers of frostbite, hypothermia, snow-blindness, alongside the many other perils associated with extreme altitude climbing.

The MPTU service is available through ATMs bearing the green top-up logo which include Barclays, Bank Machine, Cardpoint, Cashzone, Clydesdale Bank, Cooperative Bank, Coventry Building Society, First Trust Bank, Halifax, Hanco, HSBC, Infocash, Lloyds TSB, Nationwide Building Society, Nat West, Note Machine, Royal Bank of Scotland, Sainsbury’s Finance and Yorkshire Bank.

In addition to the Mobile Phone Top-Up service, Bonita is also auctioning 3 flags which will feature the highest bidders name or personal message. Bonita will take the flags up Mount Everest on her record breaking journey. The first flag auction will run from the 8th to the 14th March, the second flag 15th-21st and the third flag 22nd -28th.

Via EPR Network
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Ditch The Cigarettes On No Smoking Day To Save A Bundle On Your Life Insurance Premium

On Wednesday the 10th of March 2010, hundreds of thousands of people up and down the UK will stub out their final cigarette as they kick the habit and give up smoking for good. Smoking currently claims around 106,000 lives in the UK each year due to a plethora of smoking related diseases such as cancer, heart disease and emphysema.

Ditch The Cigarettes On No Smoking Day To Save A Bundle On Your Life Insurance Premium

Treatment for illnesses caused or aggravated by smoking costs the NHS £5 billion annually.

Life insurance comparison website – Quoteboffin.co.uk – are calling for smokers to embrace No Smoking Day as the perfect time to ditch their addiction.

A QuoteBoffin spokesperson said, “For years smoking has been recognised as something that’s bad for us although it would appear it takes more than just health risks to encourage some people to stop.

Last year No Smoking Day was the catalyst for 1 in 10 people kicking the habit; that’s the equivalent of 900,000 people who will now enjoy improved health and increased life expectancy through one simple lifestyle change.”

Aside from the health benefits, quitting smoking could also save individuals a bundle on their life and health insurance premium.

On average, life insurance premiums for smokers can be more than three times higher than non-smoker premiums; boasting a saving of thousands of pounds for those who are
willing to quit.

QuoteBoffin.co.uk point out the kind of extra expenditures smokers unwittingly make: “The cost of smoking doesn’t just stop at the cigarettes. Smokers depreciate the value of their cars and homes with the smell of cigarette smoke and damage caused by falling ash. Home owners can also expect to pay more for their home insurance since cigarettes cause house fires.

Life insurance provider Aviva recently conducted some research into insurance premiums for smokers. They found that a 25-year-old male smoker will pay £1,800 more over the course of 30 years for £125,000 of cover than his non-smoking counterpart. With smoking causing a massive strain on an individual’s physical and financial well being, the real test comes down to will power; something the No Smoking Day charity are there to help with.”

More information and support for smokers looking to quit can be found at:
http://www.nosmokingday.org.uk/index.htm

Via EPR Network
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Barclaycard Rollercoaster Glides To Top Spot

Barclaycard’s rollercoaster campaign has topped the AdWatch list of current advertising campaigns, with 60% of adults questioned by Marketing Magazine recalling the advert.

Barclaycard Rollercoaster Glides To Top Spot

Launched on 22 January 2010, the advert tells the story of an adventurous and innovative commute to work – on a rollercoaster. Filmed in New York and Hollywood using the ‘Spidercam’, the process involved a real rollercoaster cart, 40ft of working track, and complex CGI to create a complete, realistic vision of a rollercoaster weaving in and out of the city’s skyscrapers.

This new advert follows on closely from the success of Barclaycard’s previous waterslide advert, which also used the Spidercam, which had not been used since Sam Raimi employed it to film sections of the Spiderman movies, in order to highlight the flexibility and ease of use which contactless payments provide for cardholders and retailers.

The TV advert, created by BBH and directed by Nicolai Fuglsig, is part of a wider campaign that will include online adverts and a social media campaign set to reach more than 10 million people using Facebook. Barclaycard also plans to launch a Rollercoaster download game later this year.

The contactless payment technology at the centre of the advert was pioneered by Barclaycard in the UK in 2007; now, over six million contactless enabled cards are in circulation in the UK, and over 20,000 retailers across the country now accept contactless payments.

Via EPR Network
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