Category Archives: Personal Finance

Personal Finance

Checking & Savings, Financial, Financial Information, Financial Services, Investment, IRA, Money, Personal Finance, Retirement

Prudential Reveals Saving Money Is Top Priority For Thrifty Retirees

Prudential has revealed the results of new research which shows the top priority for people intending to retire this year is saving money to ensure they have enough to live on in retirement. Nearly 6 out of 10 people (57 per cent) said saving will be a top priority.

The insurer’s Class of 2012 study, which looks at the finances and expectations of those planning to retire this year, also found that women are more likely than men to prioritise saving during retirement. 62 per cent of women will make this a priority compared with 52 per cent of men.

Although saving money is a key focus, those intending to retire this year are still determined to have a fun-filled retirement. More than a third (36 per cent) say that spending money on travelling the world will be a priority for them, while 43 per cent will make spending money on enjoying themselves a priority.

Giving to charity and spending money on fighting the ageing process are low priorities for this year’s retirees. Fewer than 1 in 20 (4 per cent) image-conscious pensioners say that spending money on anti-ageing treatments will be a priority in retirement, while only slightly more will prioritise giving money to charity (5 per cent).

Vince Smith-Hughes, retirement income expert at Prudential, said: “Today’s retirees are likely to spend longer in retirement than previous generations so it is encouraging to see that they understand the importance of saving money to ensure they can live comfortably. Saving shouldn’t be regarded as something that suddenly stops once you retire, and the current generation of retirees seems to be more aware of this than ever before.

“Saving as much money as possible, from as early an age as possible, is the best way to ensure you can afford a comfortable lifestyle in retirement. Consulting a financial adviser can also be an important step in helping retirees to make the most of their pension pots.

“It’s not only about saving though; many retirees in the Class of 2012 are determined to spend money on enjoying themselves and travelling the world, which seems a fair reward for all their hard work during their working lives.”

Via EPR Network
More Financial press releases

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

Payday Loans Specialist Strengthens Its Credentials As A Responsible Lender

WageDayAdvance, one of the UK’s leading online payday loans providers, has announced the appointment of a new risk analyst manager, as part of a move to reduce risk and promote responsible lending.

The company employs more than 150 people at its head office in Yorkshire, and helps people across the UK to find cost-effective borrowing solutions every day.

Abhishek Khurana, a specialist in risk analysis, will help the company to maintain and reinforce its reputation as a responsible lender. By drawing on his extensive experience in the financial analytic industry, Abhishek will work to improve WageDayAdvance’s ability to understand which customers can actually afford to borrow, and streamline the firm’s lending strategies. He will also help to make sure that successful applicants have agreements that fit their personal circumstances, allowing them to make affordable repayments on time.

Abhishek said: “I am delighted to join WageDayAdvance at this exciting time of their development. The company is now one of the leading payday lenders in the UK and is growing rapidly.

“I will be looking to build a high-performance analytics team that will work with each functional area within the business to build a set of standardised reports or dashboards, and analyse key information to provide usable insight into the business that can influence major management decisions.”

Abhishek is an MBA graduate from Leeds Business School and also holds a M.Sc. in Management Consultancy. He joined WageDayAdvance in March from The Lewis Group, where he was employed as a senior MI analyst. Abhishek has nine years’ experience working in analytics, collections and call centre environments.

Ross Chapman, Business Development Manager at WageDayAdvance, said: “We’re excited to have Abhishek as part of the team and know his experience is sure to prove invaluable in helping the company to further strengthen its responsible lending practices and ensure that we’re always providing a first class service for our customers.”

Via EPR Network
More Financial press releases

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

247 Payday UK Launches New Payday Loans Website with a Conscience

Payday loans website, 247 Payday UK launched at midnight on April 24th 2012. The message is clear that this new online lending facility wants to be ”a little bit different” in comparison to other payday lenders currently operating in the somewhat saturated payday loans market within the United Kingdom.

With a new website fresh out of the wraps, a dedicated marketing team and an ethical approach to lending, it is hoped that the future could be bright for 247 Payday UK.

Richard Painter, 247 Payday UK’s operations manager explained, ”from the outset we have wanted to be clear with our customers around issues such as payday loan repayment costs and implications of taking on this type of loan arrangement”. Although the website is in its infancy 247 Payday UK has focused on transparency, providing a payday loans guide that Richard added, ”will continue to be built upon and developed over time to ultimately create a hub of information for new and existing customers”.

Richard has over 5 years’ experience within the UK payday market and stated that he has seen a shift in recent times to a more competitive sector, but would like ”more transparency and openness between the lender and the customer”.

His involvement with various payday loans operations all over the UK has enabled Richard to see the positive and negative aspects of the industry. Richard is clearly excited at being part of the new team and explained, ”we have sourced some experienced payday loan specialists, with a blend of youth and experience, to hopefully create a winning formula in helping to promote our fresh and innovative payday site”.

With 247 Payday UK coming into an already tough financial sector, it may well be a bumpy road ahead for Richard and his team. It is however evident that they are not attempting to reinvent the wheel, but to be open and honest with their potential customers and this could ultimately be a winning formula.

Via EPR Network
More Financial press releases

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

Payday Loan Company Continues Partnership With Build Africa Charity

Online payday loans provider Payday Express is continuing to support the Build Africa charity as part of an ongoing partnership.

Payday Express currently sponsor the charity’s Village Savings and Loan Associations project, which is made up of self-managed groups of people whose members pool savings to help those in need. These groups receive no external capital and use what they have to provide members with a safe place to save their money, access to loans, and a place for them to contribute to a welfare fund.

Payday Express believes that the charity gives families the opportunity to save and invest their way out of poverty. The online payday loans company makes payments every two months, which will help to establish six Village Saving and Loan Association (VSLA) groups in a year.

Kristina Winch, administrator at Payday Express, said: “The donations we provide to Build Africa helps communities transform their futures.”

And success has already come as a result of this sponsorship, with money going towards helping Top Ten – a new savings and loan group set up by Build Africa in a poor rural village in Uganda. The Top Ten group has 30 active members, one of whom is Suzan.

Suzan saves 5,000 Ugandan shillings each week (equivalent to approximately £1.20) and borrowed from her group when she and one of her six children became ill. The money was used for medical help which she would otherwise not have been able to afford, and to rent an acre of land on which to grow maize.

Call centre manager at the payday loan company, Carl Mountain, said: “Payday Express staff donate to various charities month to month, but it’s great that in addition to this the company regularly sponsors such a great cause as Build Africa, to help communities in Africa save their way to a better life.”

Find out more about Build Africa’s Village Savings and Loans Associations here: http://www.build-africa.org/pages/village-savings-and-loans-associations.html

Find moneysaving and careful spending tips to help you keep control of your finances by joining Payday Express on Facebook.

Via EPR Network
More Financial press releases

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

Payday Express Launches ‘Be Fair’ Fair Trade Month For April

UK provider of no fax payday loans, Payday Express, has made April “Be Fair” month and is encouraging staff to think about and use Fairtrade products.

The move follows the success of Payday Express’s “Be Healthy” month, held during March.

The usual tea, coffee, sugar and hot chocolate provided for all employees at the payday loan company have been swapped for Fairtrade equivalents, and the company is aiming to continue the use of fair trade brands and products wherever possible in the future.

Payday Express also bought each of its staff a fair trade chocolate to celebrate Easter.

Sarah Carroll, operations manager at Payday Express, said: “We like to raise awareness of different causes at Payday Express and this month’s focus on fair trade is going down well. Staff are learning things they did not know about the types of fair trade products they could buy and the value they can add to the lives of producers.”

The staff notice board, situated in the kitchen, is adorned with posters and information about Fairtrade products, including food, beauty products and cotton. The board also displays information about what Fairtrade is all about and how it helps farmers to earn a fair price for the products they produce and export. Information about the cost of Fairtrade produce is also provided, along with a price comparison with non-Fairtrade products, which shows that there is often little or no difference between the two.

The online payday loans provider already holds a dress down day every Friday and collects £1 from all employees, with the money collected being donated to the chosen charity of the month – this month’s chosen charity is the Fairtrade Foundation.

Marketing administrator at Payday Express, Cigdem Husseyin, said: “The Fairtrade Foundation is a very worthy charity, helping farmers acquire a better deal for their produce, to consequently help give them and their communities a better life.”

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 An Extra £4bn Is Being Spent On Life Insurance By Uk Men

Confused.com has revealed that men across the UK are paying far more for their life insurance than women. Currently, men are paying an average of 26% more per policy, per year than women. The average British male will incur additional life insurance costs of £1,366 over their lifetime which equates to a shocking national figure of £4bn being paid. To make matters worse, Confused.com revealed that 1 in 4 men admit they never shop around for anything better.

The research also revealed that many people spend longer considering the purchase of a holiday or a car than choosing life insurance, with 54% of men saying a new car is a more important. The top reason for not having life insurance is because people don’t feel they need it (28%), and more than 1 in 4 of the UK are put off by the cost. Over 1 in 5 of people haven’t purchased life insurance because they don’t understand what it’s for.

Despite recent research showing that the majority of people (55%) feel worse off than in 2007 it appears that they’re not taking adequate measures to cut their costs. Over 1 in 4 policy holders confess to buying the first policy they come across, with men more likely to buy the first policy than women. It appears that people are reluctant to help themselves, as 40% of people don’t take advantage of price comparison websites when looking for life insurance quotes.

With the March 2011 European Court of Justice ruling taking effect from 21 December 2012, insurers will no longer be able to charge different prices for men and women when it comes to insurance. It is unlikely that men who already have a fixed policy will see any reduction in price.

So, making the effort to find a new or better value policy will become more important than ever as these changes begin to take place, but the research reveals that this might not come naturally to men, 65% of whom have never changed their life insurance provider.

Across all aspects of their lifestyle men generally don’t like shopping around, with an overwhelming 78% of those surveyed admitting to buying clothes without trying them on first, compared to only 25% of women. At Christmas men constantly fail to get the best bargain, with 39% of women shopping for presents from January onwards, compared to nearly 1 in 5 (19%) of men who leave it until the week before, resulting in inevitable overspending.

Matthew Lloyd, head of Life Insurance at Confused.com said: “Life insurance doesn’t seem worth the effort to many men, however they could be saving money by shopping around. Life insurance is about allowing your family to maintain their lifestyle if you were no longer around, and shopping with a price comparison site means you can compare prices from major providers in one place allowing you to find a good deal. The difference between men and women’s premiums means it’s even more important for men to make sure they’re getting the best deal possible.”

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 Vote Match Tool

Confused.com has partnered up with Unlock Democracy, the people behind Vote Match, to help the public make those difficult voting decisions.

The London Mayoral Election will be taking place on 3 May 2012 and Confused.com, the leading car insurance price comparison site, has made it easier to work out who to vote for through the Vote match tool: www.confused.com/london-mayor.

Vote Match is a free online application that was launched in 2010 and has been voted the Online Innovation of 2011. The application asks people questions regarding their opinions, interests, and certain life choices. The application then collates all the answers that are given and matches them to an election candidate which seems to most suit their opinions. In this case the candidates for the London Mayoralty Election.

Confused.com is providing people with an impartial, online destination that concerned Brits can visit to make up their minds on voting issues using an unbiased, award-winning interactive application.

Peter Facey, Director of Unlock Democracy, said: “Unlock Democracy are delighted that Confused.com is sponsoring Vote Match as our two brands seem like the perfect match.

“We recognise that often it is not obvious to people which political candidate best represents their views. Vote Match is a fun and easy way for people to compare the candidates and their policies on the issues that matter most to them.

“Unlock Democracy hope Vote Match will help the majority of London’s 6 million electorate for whom the main decision in this election is not who to vote for, but whether to vote at all. Thanks to our partnership, voters need not be confused come polling day.”

Mike Hoban, Marketing Director at Confused.com, said: “We are delighted to be working with Vote Match to make it easier for people to decide who they want to support in this important election. The new tool makes it easier for people to match their own opinions with that of the candidates. A more informed electorate can only benefit us all.”

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 Facebook App That Burgles Houses

Confused.com has launched a Facebook video app called ‘House of Horrors’ in order to raise awareness of the importance of home insurance, coinciding with the launch of Confused.com’s Nectar campaign, where customers can collect 1,000 Nectar points with every home, pet, van, bike and car insurance policy bought through Confused.com. Customers who buy life insurance will receive 3,000 Nectar points.

The app clearly shows why people need home insurance and customers can collect 1,000 Nectar points by simply buying this product through Confused.com.

The app, which was created by A Social Media Agency, forms part of the on-going digital content marketing strategy of Confused.com and reinforces the importance of having a home insurance policy in place to make sure your possessions are covered against theft.

Once plugged into the video app, Facebook users are presented with a video of a burglar breaking into a home which they quickly realise is in fact their house shown through a Google Maps image of their street that is displayed in the clip. This is made possible as users are required to enter their postcode at the beginning.

The video app takes information from users’ profiles, such as photos, and places this around the house in which the burglar appears to be, to make them feel as though it is their own.

In order to demonstrate the need for home insurance, the app includes eerie music and a threatening ‘burglar’ character that is seen to be handling photos of the app user around the house. A shot of the thief stealing a laptop that displays the users’ Facebook profile and one last shot of the character holding a photo frame containing an image of the user completes the video, with the message ‘cover your possessions at Confused.com’.

Speaking about the video app, Mike Hoban, Marketing Director at Confused.com, said:
“We’re looking to spark conversation with this video app and make people understand the importance of having home insurance. With the current challenging financial times, people may stop insuring their possessions just to save a few pounds, but this is false economy.”

Sharon Flaherty, Head of Content at Confused.com continued: “The integration of information from users’ profiles, especially their photos, is bound to make people feel uneasy as though their home really has been broken into. However, this is a situation which is very much a reality given that the British Crime Survey reported a 5% rise in burglary in the 12 months to September 2011.”

Laura Edwards, Account Manager at A Social Media Agency, added: “We wanted to make the experience of users having their home broken into as real as possible. Building Google Maps into the start to show their street was a big part of this, immediately putting you on edge.”

Known for their success at combining PR, social media and digital marketing, Confused.com continue to launch original ideas, such as their first video-only newsletter sent earlier this month and the recent Happy Birthday Video App. Social media has become a focus for the company in 2012, with exciting plans to focus on growing their audience in coming months.

The ‘House of Horrors’ app can be found at https://www.facebook.com/confused

Via EPR Network
More Financial press releases

Checking & Savings, Financial, Financial Information, Financial Services, Investment, IRA, Money, Personal Finance, Retirement

Prudential Study Reveals One In Six Will Retire With No Pension

Prudential’s Class of 2012 study has revealed that one in six people (16 per cent) planning to retire this year will depend on the State Pension to fund their retirement as they have no other pension.

The figures come from Prudential’s Class of 2012 research, which provides insights into the financial expectations of Britons planning to retire this year.

Women are more than twice as likely as men to have no pension; 20 per cent of women retiring in 2012 will depend on the State Pension compared with just 8 per cent of men.

The average person planning to retire this year will look to the State for 34 per cent of their income, with State Pension payments set to rise to £107.45 a week for single people from the 6th April 2012. Company pensions (35 per cent) are the second highest source of income and the remaining 30% comes from a mixture of savings, investments, personal pension savings, part time work and money from family members.

The Prudential research also shows that one quarter (26 per cent) of people retiring this year either overestimate by more than £500 a year what the State Pension pays, or simply do not know.

Vince Smith-Hughes, retirement income expert at Prudential, said: “While the State Pension is a safety net for pensioners in the UK, it should only ever be regarded as part of an overall retirement plan.

“For far too many people, the State Pension has become the default income option in retirement. Even those who have some private provision depend so heavily on the State that it makes up a third of their retirement income.

“Although State Pension levels will rise to £107.45 for single people per week on Friday, this will still only provide relatively low levels of income to people in retirement. It’s a weak safety net for those without any savings and the real income shock for many retirees will come when the gap between their current earnings and the State Pension becomes apparent.

“If people want to maintain their standard of living in retirement it is important that they start to save as much as possible as early as possible, and the vast majority should join company pension schemes where possible. Seeking early advice from a financial adviser should also be a prerequisite to helping people achieve the level of retirement income they want and need.”

Regionally, people retiring this year in the Midlands are the most likely in the UK to rely on the State Pension (40 per cent). This compares with a quarter (28 per cent) of those in Scotland, who claim that they will be the least reliant on the state for their retirement income.

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/Towers Watson Car Insurance Price Index Reveals Women Feeling The Pinch

The latest Confused.com/Towers Watson Car Insurance Price Index has revealed that, after several years of soaring price increases, car insurance prices have fallen. However, car insurance prices are still 61% higher than they were at the end of 2006.

Car insurance prices for women have fallen 3% year-on-year but in some UK regions women are experiencing hikes as high as 9.7%, showing a murky picture across the UK.

For men, the price of comprehensive car insurance has dropped by 1.8% year on year bringing an average policy to £869 at the end of March 2012.This compares with women who were paying £751 in the same period.

However, the Confused.com/Towers Watson Car Insurance Price index also shows that some women have seen more significant rises than men in the 12 month period. These changes are taking place in Leeds and Sheffield, Inner London, Manchester & Merseyside as well as the West Midlands and mostly amongst the 21-30 age group.

In the Leeds/Sheffield area, the Confused.com/Towers Watson car insurance price index shows that the cost of a comprehensive policy for women aged 21-25 increased by 3.4% YoY in Q1 2012, totalling £1,437. This compares with a 2% rise for men of the same age and postcode who in Q1 2012 paid £2,199 for a comprehensive policy.

Women aged 21-25 living in Inner London also took a hit in premiums, experiencing car insurance price rises of 3.9% YoY in Q1 2012, whereas 21-25 year old males living in the same postcode saw a lesser 3.4 per cent hike.

In the Manchester/ Merseyside region, women aged 21-25 were grappling with price hikes of 4.7% as the price of a comprehensive policy rose to £1,820. By contrast, their male counterparts saw a 3.6% rise.

Interestingly, and also in the Manchester/ Merseyside area, those women aged 66-70 were hit with a huge 9.7% rise in their insurance premium, compared with a 5.7% rise for men.

Despite being hit with regional hikes, women are still paying less than men for car insurance because the cost of claims is less for women compared to that of men. The Confused.com/Towers Watson car insurance price index shows that for the first quarter of 2012, female drivers aged 17-20 were paying £1,766 LESS than men of the same age. The average cost of a fully comprehensive car insurance policy in the first quarter of 2012 for a female aged 17-20 is £1,869 compared with males of the same age who pay £3,635.

As well as some women in some regions feeling the effects of car insurance price rises, increases above the rate of inflation (3.4%)* were seen in Oldham, Uxbridge, Bradford and East London. With a price increase of 7.1%, Oldham replaces Bradford as the postcode with the fastest rising prices over the last 12 months.

Gareth Kloet, Head of Car Insurance at Confused.com said: “Overall we’ve seen insurance prices come down marginally but, some women are seeing significant increases in their premium. The European Union gender equality law bans the use of gender as a factor in calculating the cost of an insurance policy and comes into effect on 21 December 2012. As a result, we expect women everywhere to see hikes to their car insurance costs.”

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 Men Pay More For Life Insurance

Confused.com has revealed that men across the UK are paying far more for their life insurance than women. Currently, men are paying an average of 26% more per policy, per year. To make matters worse, Confused.com reveals that a shocking 1 in 4 men never shop around for anything better.

Matthew Lloyd, Head of Life insurance at Confused.com, said: “Men complain that women take too long shopping, but men need to learn from women if they want to get the best deals – on life insurance, but also day to day items too.”

According to evolutionary psychology, men and women’s shopping behaviours are adapted from the traditional roles of men being hunters and women being gatherers. Men, the hunters, locate their item as quickly as possible, whereas women, the gatherers, spend time analysing the different items in order to get the best deal.

Men fail to get the best bargains especially at Christmas, with 39% of women shopping for presents from January onwards, compared to nearly 1 in 5 (19%) of men who leave it until the week before, inevitably overspending.

When clothes shopping, half of UK men (50%) take less than an hour to buy an outfit, whereas the majority of women (89%) actually take up to 5 hours. An overwhelming 78% of hunter men admit to buying clothes without trying them on first, compared to only 25% of women.

As a quarter of men (24%) default to their favourite shop, 48% of women shop around, before making their final (and best) purchase online or in a sale. This is because the single-minded hunter men don’t like going from shop to shop – 42% buy their groceries in one store, compared to nearly half (49%) of gatherer women who go to several shops, seeking out the best deal.

When it comes to shopping in the sales, men’s aversion to shopping means that they are already lagging behind women’s eye for a bargain, with 23% of men preferring to shop in the sales compared to 31% of women.

Whereas nearly 1 in 3 men don’t shop around for life insurance, there is one thing that they do shop around for: a car. Over 54% of men think that a car is the most important purchase to bargain hunt for, whereas the majority (32%) of women believe that it’s a holiday that matters most. This is because hunter men prefer bigger ‘catches’. Hundreds of years ago this would have been an antelope for dinner, these days it’s a car.

Matthew Lloyd, Head of Life Insurance at Confused.com continued: “Men are happy to spend the time shopping around for lifestyle purchases they perceive as important, such as a car or television, but comparing life insurance quotes doesn’t seem worth the effort for many. However, they could be saving money by doing so.”

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 Unveils New Promotion With The NSPCC

Expert price-comparison site, Confused.com, is donating £5 to the NSPCC for every credit card taken out through Confused.com in April 2012. Confused.com is throwing its support behind the charity this year as it celebrates the 25th anniversary of ChildLine, the free 24 hour confidential helpline for children and young people, which is a service provided by the NSPCC.

The promotion began on April 1st and will run until 30th April 2012.

Confused.com has been comparing leading credit cards since 2008 and currently displays 245 credits cards.

Confused.com offers the most competitive and market-leading cards from providers like Barclaycard Platinum which offers 0% interest on balances transfers for 22 months, Tesco which is interest free on purchases for 18 months & Capital One World that offers up to 5% cash back.

Confused.com also offers a ‘card matcher’ tool that helps customers identify their chance of getting a card before they apply, without leaving a footprint on their credit profile.

For every credit card taken out through Confused.com, the price comparison website will give £5 to the NSPCC.

The Confused.com promotion not only means that customers get competitive rates on credit cards, they also support a charity that can make a real difference to children, by fighting for their rights, providing support and making them safe.

ChildLine joined the NSPCC in 2006.ChildLine is the UK’s free, confidential helpline for children and young people in the UK. Trained volunteers are on hand to provide advice and support, by phone and online, 24 hours a day.

Svetlana Kirov, Head of Corporate Partnerships at the NSPCC said: “The NSPCC is delighted that Confused.com will be supporting us in celebrating ChildLine’s 25th anniversary. For 25 years, ChildLine has been a trusted friend that any child or young person in the UK can turn to when they need someone there for them. In the last 12 months alone, ChildLine counselled over 265,000 contacts from children who may have otherwise had no one to turn to for help. With your support, we can continue to provide this valuable service for future generations of children and young people.”

Nerys Lewis, Head of Credit Cards at Confused.com, said: “We are delighted to announce this new promotion with the NSPCC. By just donating £5 from every card taken out at Confused.com we are helping support the NSPCC’s vision, which is to end cruelty to children.

“For those customers in the market for a new credit card, by using our comparison site Confused.com, they are not only getting a good deal on their credit card but are also helping a charity who puts children at the heart of their cause.”

Via EPR Network
More Financial press releases

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

Payday Express Supports Staff Development

Payday Express continues to demonstrate its commitment to staff development with training programmes and mentoring schemes for those looking to build their careers within the company.

The latest to benefit from this commitment to training and development are Laura Kent, Louis Dixon and Lauren Harding – all of whom are or have been seconded to various teams within the business.

Laura Kent started at the payday loan company in May 2010 and spent her first 12 months as a customer support agent. During her time in this role Laura was given the opportunity to get involved in quality monitoring as well as group training for all new starters at the contact centre.

She was singled out as an employee with drive who wanted to progress her career at the no fax payday loans company. She was offered a secondment as a customer relations officer and is now working permanently in this role.

Laura said: “The company recognised my drive and determination and has supported my career path change as a result.

“It has helped me to develop and continue to progress and I really appreciate being encouraged to challenge myself.”

Two other contact centre employees, Louis Dixon and Lauren Harding, are currently on secondment within the training department. They have been on Train the Trainer courses and are getting involved with group training, inductions and quality management on a daily basis.

Payday Express also provides a trainee team leader course to agent-level employees who have leadership potential.

The focus on supporting staff in career development is paramount at Payday Express and new roles are always advertised internally to give employees the chance to progress or to embark on new careers within the company.

Richard Turner, Payday Express’s HR adviser, said: “We support and encourage staff development so that our employees can reach their potential and pursue their chosen career paths. It is always great to see individuals grow within the company.”

Via EPR Network
More Financial press releases

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

Payday Express Employee Raises Money For Harambee For Kenya

Gary Owens, a customer support agent at Payday Express, is travelling to Kenya to help the Harambee for Kenya charity.

Harambee for Kenya works with street children, giving them somewhere safe to sleep and to receive medical attention, if required. As well as providing them with a home, the charity also sends them to school, feeds them and shows them care.

Gary is travelling with the 23rd Bromley Scout Group to a safe house in Kenya, where they will help with maintenance work and spend time with the children, many of them orphaned. The group will also visit another one of the charity’s sites to spend time with children currently enrolled in a feeding programme.

The group will be flying out on March 31 and will return to the UK on April 14.

Gary said: “We are pleased to be a part of this project so that we can help Harambee for Kenya in whatever way they need, and help to provide a caring atmosphere for the orphaned children now living in the safe house.

“We believe this trip will teach English Scouts that there is more to life than what we have here in the UK. It will give them an understanding of the benefit of learning other cultures and helping people,” he added.

Payday Express employees pay £1 each Friday to wear casual clothes to work. They donate the money collected to a different charity each month with March’s donation going to Harambee for Kenya to pay for clothing, schooling and feeding the children on all three projects that Harambee for Kenya currently has.

The charity is also looking to build a new house in another district in a bid to help 40 more children in the short-term, and hundreds more in the future.

Sarah Carroll, operations manager at the payday loan company, said: “I am very proud of Gary and his scout group which is dedicating itself to such a fantastic cause.

“And I am pleased that Payday Express can help contribute by raising money for projects Harambee for Kenya are working on.”

Via EPR Network
More Financial press releases

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

Payday Loan Company Sets Up Wii Fit For Staff To Promote Be Healthy Message

Online payday loan company Payday Express has declared March as a ‘Be Healthy’ month, to encourage staff to make healthy lifestyle choices.

As part of this, the company – which provides no fax payday loans – has set up Wii Fit Plus in the kitchen area, to enable members of staff to take a few minutes of exercise before and after work, or during their lunch breaks. The company also hopes the move will show that exercise can be fun, and that it can easily be built into a busy daily routine.

The company has also put up a ‘Be Healthy’ themed noticeboard in the kitchen, which gives staff information on how to drink and eat healthily, including useful tips on how to reduce the intake of salt and sugar, and how to increase levels of calcium, for example. Staff can also take advantage of free green tea tasters while reading up on the health benefits of the drink.

A daily email is also being sent with the subject line of ‘Be Healthy – Tip of the Day’. Each email includes tips, such as: “Take the stairs up to the office rather than the lift for some daily exercise”, and information on local gym membership deals.

“I think the ‘Be Healthy’ month is brilliant as it inspires you to make healthy choices,” said Therese Rydberg, marketing executive at Payday Express.

“The tips that are given on the board and in the emails are interesting and make you realise that being healthy is easier than you might think,” she added.

Throughout March, the company has also arranged for weekly deliveries of fruit to be distributed to each team. Each Monday fruit bowls are filled with a variety of fruit, such as pears, apples, bananas, plums, and clementines.

Carl Mountain, contact centre manager at Payday Express, said: “It’s great to provide our employees with the impetus to be healthy.

“People certainly seem to be enjoying the fruit, which is encouraging them to get at least one of their fiveaday and, as the saying goes, healthy bodies develop healthy minds.”

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 Reveal Competition Giving Thousands Of Nectar Points Away

Confused.com, the expert price-comparison site, is to extend its 1,000 Nectar points promotion to include home, pet, bike, van and life insurance as well as continuing to offer the promotion on car insurance.

This promotion will run from 1st April until 30th June and follows on from Confused.com and Nectar’s first partnership unveiling in December.

Confused.com will continue to give customers 1,000 Nectar points for every car insurance product they buy through the website, but the 1,000 points giveaway will also be extended to every home, pet, bike and van insurance product.

Customers who buy any life insurance product through Confused.com will receive 3,000 Nectar points, giving a little helping hand in these difficult times.

All Nectar points will be awarded within the first 90 days of purchase*. The Nectar points will go straight onto the customer’s card, so they can boost their Nectar balance by simply buying insurance. The Confused.com promotion not only gives customers competitive rates on all insurance needs, but gives customers something back for their purchase.

The Nectar promotion will be supported by a TV advertisement and radio advert, running from the 1st April.

The television advert will be shown on ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, S4C, Sky Multimedia and many more in prime time slots. The radio advert can be heard on Absolute, Kiss, Real Radio, Heart, Talk Sport Magic and many other stations.

Will Shuckburgh, Nectar Client Services Director commented: “Our savvy collectors have loved getting points for saving money with Confused.com. Extending this to even more products, at a time when we are tightening our purses, will be really well received.”

Mike Hoban, Marketing Director at Confused.com, said: “After our initial launch with Nectar in December, we decided that we wanted to expand this promotion further by offering our customers the chance to get thousands of Nectar points by purchasing motor, home, life, bike and van insurance products, making it even easier for customers to get more for their money at Confused.com.

“As a company we understand how hard things are for many people and this promotion with Nectar is once again demonstrating Confused.com is the people’s choice for comparison sites and a company that cares for its customers.”

The Confused.com advert will be aired on 1st April. The new advert can be viewed at www.confused.com/cara from1st April 2012.

Via EPR Network
More Financial press releases

Checking & Savings, Financial, Financial Information, Financial Services, Investment, IRA, Money, Personal Finance, Retirement

Standard Life Reveals Less Than A Third Of UK Adults Know When The Tax Year Ends

Standard Life’s ‘Financial Efficiency’ research shows that a large number of people in the UK are at risk of missing the opportunity to capitalise on their ISA tax allowance and their pension contribution limits because they don’t know when the tax year ends. The research, which asked a poll of over 2000 people in the UK to say when they thought the end of the tax year was, found that only three in 10 Brits (31%) know the correct date.

The tax year end falls on April 5th, but the majority of the public (69%) either doesn’t know or thinks it’s a different date. Some said it was earlier in the year, with one in 12 (8% – more than 4.08 million people*) thinking the end of the tax year is April Fool’s day.

But more alarmingly, 7.27 million people** (15%) of respondents believe their tax deadline falls after April 5th. Even those who already actively save into ISAs can still get it wrong. Only 36% of ISA investors were able to correctly identify the tax year end date and a worrying one in six (17%), thought the tax year end was later than April 5th.

People in Northern Ireland seem to be the most clued up on the tax year-end deadline, with almost two in five (38%) identifying the correct date. While people in Wales were the least aware, with only one in four (25%) people able to correctly identify April 5th as the tax year end.

Standard Life’s Julie Russell commented: “Our research shows that few people know when the tax year ends. While more people believe it is before April 5th, each year than after, and that is perhaps less of a worry, it’s a real concern that so many ISA investors don’t know when the annual cut off point is for their investments.

“If you are saving into tax efficient savings or investments like ISAs or pensions, then you really do need to know when the tax year ends. The 5th of April should be front of mind. Otherwise you risk not making the most of these products and their valuable allowances.”

People can find out more about being financially efficient with investments like pensions and stocks and shares ISAs at www.yourfuturemoney.co.uk which also includes top tips and interactive tools.

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 Life Insurance As The Newest Way To Say I Love You

New findings from Confused.com have revealed that taking out life insurance or breakdown cover for a partner is deemed romantic by some couples. Bucking traditional gender stereotypes, it’s the men who most want to be protected with a gift of breakdown cover but many couple have not had ‘the chat’ and are unaware of where important financial documents are kept in their household.

Confused.com asked people in a relationship to tell them how they would feel if their partner took out a life insurance policy to protect them or purchased breakdown cover on their behalf.

More than half (53%) of people in a relationship tell us it would be ‘thoughtful’ if their partner took out life insurance to protect them: 56% of women versus 50% of men call life insurance a ‘thoughtful’ gift. 8% of people go as far as to call it ‘romantic’ if their partner takes out life insurance in their favour while 9% of men who drive compared to 6% of women think that breakdown cover for their car is a ‘romantic’ gift. 75% of women and 60% of men think breakdown cover is a ‘thoughtful’ gift.

Not everyone agrees, as 10% of people feel that life insurance is ‘morbid’, but a further 8% say it would be ‘well-overdue’ and that their partner should have got around to getting life insurance sooner. Couples tend to be independent when it comes to finances with 47% of men and 39% of women admitting they don’t know where their partner keeps their financial documents and only half of people in relationships saying that their partner knows where they keep details of their own finances.

Matt Lloyd from Confused.com’s Life Insurance team said: “It’s heartening that couples realise life insurance is there to protect your loved ones and that making provision in case you die is actually a very caring thing to do.

“Having private finances is up to individuals and keeping your information safe is important but it is advisable to have ‘that chat’ with your loved ones so that they know which bank or provider to call if the worst happens.”

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 Spare Keys Could Invalidate Home Insurance

Confused.com research reveals that 69 per cent of people could be putting their property at risk just by giving out spare keys.

Home insurance experts at Confused.com are warning the nation to wake up to the potential danger of giving out spare keys, advising that everyone be fully aware of how to keep their home safe and to look at the small print of their home insurance policy.

72 per cent of homeowners surveyed by Confused.com didn’t know that giving out spare keys could invalidate their home insurance and with almost seven in ten Brits having entrusted a set of spare keys to someone, this is a worrying figure.

In fact, 37 per cent of homeowners admitted to having keys to other people’s properties on their own keyring. Wales is the most trusted region with 50 per cent of people stating that they have other people’s house keys, compared to the North East and North West (31 per cent respectively).

Worryingly, the UK appears to be a forgetful and clumsy nation with 46 per cent of people admitting to losing their keys and 16 per cent of those homeowners losing their keys when drunk. Worst of all, 17 per cent of homeowners admitted to not having home insurance at all.

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) commented: “Clearly people should try to take care of their house keys and think carefully before giving spare keys out. Homeowners must be aware that if you make an insurance claim for theft from your home, and there are no signs of forced entry and you cannot account for your spare keys, your insurer may have reason to question the claim.”

Gareth Kloet, Head of Home Insurance at Confused.com, said: “Our advice is simple, if you move into a new home or have given out your house keys to someone you no longer trust or have lost or misplaced your keys resulting in a the risk of a security breach, change the locks.

“It’s worth remembering that many home insurers will not pay out unless forced entry is proven. Your home is typically the single largest investment that you’ll make and therefore we would encourage anyone without home insurance or adequate security to think carefully about protecting their investment more wisely.”

Via EPR Network
More Financial press releases

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

British Gas Sees Profits Fall But Many Homeowners Still Suffer

British Gas has announced that its profits for 2011 have fallen 30% compared to 2010, following what it has called a year of turbulence and challenge. Its parent company Centrica, however, has posted a slight increase in profits.

The flat overall results for Centrica will do little to quell the anger of homeowners across the country who are paying over the odds for their energy bills. And with energy prices expected to rise further in the coming months and years, fears are growing that vulnerable and financially excluded people will be faced with a choice between heating and eating.

Ofgem have announced intentions to make the energy market simpler and easier to navigate but in the short-term many will be left struggling to pay their bills for the rest of the winter and beyond. The value now lies in looking beyond the Big Six and households need to be proactive in seeking the best deals, which are increasingly being offered by smaller energy companies.

Danny Jatania, CEO of consumer champions Pockit believes that now is the time for UK households to take control of their spending.

He said, “Fortunately the weather was mild last year but still it didn’t stop energy customers feeling the pinch when it came to paying their bills, even though their consumption was lower overall. The reason many are suffering is because of the overly complex energy market. The news of SSE scrapping its confusing range of tariffs is encouraging but this approach must be adopted much more widely throughout the industry if customers are to be able to make savings on their bills.

“At pockit we are encouraging people to monitor their spending more effectively and the best way to take control of your energy usage is to find deals that offer the free installation of smart meters, which ensure that customers only pay for the energy they use.” The backlash against the Big Six has been sparked by estimates that 5.5million UK households are in fuel poverty and 3,000 winter deaths are caused by fuel poverty every year. The financially excluded are faced with a bewildering range of tariffs and the prospect of estimated bills charging them for energy that they have not used. With many people turning their backs on payment options that generate debt, such as credit cards, inaccurate estimated bills can have a devastating effect on the households of those who cannot afford to wait for compensation payments.

Danny continued, “Millions of consumers are paying more than is necessary for their energy. The aim is for the energy market to become more competitive, which will see prices being driven down and the emphasis being placed upon the customer. While Ofgem is trying to encourage a more competitive energy market, households can take the initiative by shopping around and rewarding energy companies that are innovating and providing fairer deals.”

Pockit uses its prepaid MasterCard® to help its users to pay for their goods whilst saving money with leading retailers. Customers who use their Pockit Prepaid MasterCard® to pay for goods can earn generous in-store cashback from retailers including Marks & Spencer, B&Q, New Look, Halfords, Toys R Us and Comet. They can also earn additional benefits from partner companies in energy (First:Utility), insurance (Aviva), travel (Travelpack) and broadband (TalkTalk).

The company was founded by Danny Jatania and his sons, a family with a rich business heritage and a keen interest in consumer savings. www.pockit.com.

Via EPR Network
More Financial press releases