Business, Financial, Financial Services, Financial Solutions, Money

Event agency’s online site is just the ticket thanks to SecureTrading

Ticketline UK, a Cardiff based independent ticket agency and tour operator has chosen SecureTrading, the UK’s leading independent payment processor, to process its online payments, and provide its customers with first rate customer service especially during peaks in demand.

Ticketline UK’s website is designed by Imaginet which has over fifteen years’ experience in web design and development, specialising in the delivery of custom-built eCommerce websites and other digital services. By combining its expertise with SecureTrading’s online payments solutions, merchants are able to sell online quickly and securely, taking funds safely via a variety of methods including Visa credit and debit, MasterCard, American Express and Maestro cards.

Paula Dauncey, Sales and Marketing Manager at Imaginet, said: “We liked the fact that SecureTrading was UK based, they have very competitive rates we can offer our customers and an excellent website integration system – it is a ‘win win’ situation for us. SecureTrading has always stayed ahead of the game, developing a partner scheme, improving services and integration processes and being flexible to our changing needs. We need our partners to be responsive, technically advanced and supportive, and SecureTrading ticks all the boxes.”

Ticketline UK is well regarded in the event and ticketing industry providing packages for major events across the UK including Take That’s recent nationwide tour.

Tim Rich, Director at Ticketline UK, says: “We have been working with Imaginet for nearly five years on our website and their partnership with SecureTrading provided the smoothest, cost efficient route to a new sales channel. Their online dashboard, customer service and support has been excellent.”

Tim Allitt, Head of Sales & Marketing at SecureTrading, says, “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Imaginet on Ticketline UK’s website by ensuring they offer a safe and secure online payment process and hope to work with them on future projects.”

Via EPR Network
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Payday Express makes British Heart Foundation charity of the month

Payday loans company Payday Express has made British Heart Foundation its charity of the month for February – a choice inspired by St Valentine’s Day.

In addition to the company’s regular Friday dress down days –when staff are asked to donate £1 each for coming to work in casual clothing – Payday Express held an additional dress down day on St Valentine’s Day, specifically to raise money for the British Heart Foundation.

All staff were asked to wear red clothing and donate the usual £1 each. Those who chose not to wear red were asked to donate £2. For St Valentine’s Day, the office was adorned with red balloons and decorations. This and the workforce’s red outfits made the office look very romantic. In addition to red clothing and decorations, team leaders across the business organised themed incentives. High achieving team members were given the chance to play a version of the TV game show Red or Black, with the winner of the red card receiving a prize. These rewards included a meal for two at London restaurant Marco Pierre White.

Marketing assistant at Payday Express, Cigdem Husseyn, said: “Whether people had partners to celebrate Valentine’s Day with or not, they all had fun at work!”

Carl Mountain, contact centre manager at the cash advance loans company, said: “Payday Express staff are always great at getting into the spirit of occasions and Valentine’s Day was no exception.

“The team leaders did well to link their incentives into the theme, and we were all pleased to extend the theme to our chosen charity of the month, the British Heart Foundation.”

Via EPR Network
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Payday Express holds internal Trainee Team Leader Program for 2012

UK provider of payday loans online, Payday Express, has once again demonstrated its commitment to staff development with the hosting of the first Trainee Team Leader Programme for 2012.

Emma Furlong, group trainer at Payday Express, and the company’s operations manager Sarah Carroll, began the first programme for 2012 on February 10, with the aim of developing budding team leaders in different areas of the business. Six staff, from the company’s contact centre, collections, marketing and business development teams, will participate.

The programme involves weekly catch-up sessions in which participants receive coaching on management skills, as well as the chance to discuss exactly what the team leader role entails. They also get to share ideas and experiences and impart knowledge they have learned. They will work as acting team leaders while on the course in order to put their learning into action and will also get the chance to swap roles and run different teams as part of their on-the-job experience.

Operations manager, Sarah Carroll said: “Staff development is extremely important to us at Payday Express. This course gives high-achieving agents the chance to take the next step in their careers.

“Its success comes from giving them the chance to take what they learn in the training room each week and immediately practise it on the job. It’s also valuable for them to get the chance to discuss mistakes and difficulties with people in the same position as them,” she added.

Marketing executive, Therese Rydberg, said: “I am excited to get the opportunity to take part in this programme as it will help me to grow and take the next step in my career.”

The programme is designed to be suitable for employees from all departments within the payday loan company and is geared towards developing broad skills that can then be applied to their own jobs and teams.

To kick-start the programme, each participant is required to produce a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis on his/her own team, along with a personal development plan, which is then re-visited at the end of the course.

The programme also includes the following sections:
– Conducting monthly staff reviews
– Handling and steering conversations – this is a vital section in the programme and is revisited throughout, as it covers conversation and communication with peers, staff, management and customers
– Effective reporting
– Carrying out effective team incentives
– Interview techniques
– Coaching and development
– Absence management and operational overview
– Dealing with expressions of dissatisfaction
– Reporting upwards (to management)
– Process suggestions and implementation.

Via EPR Network
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Investment Firm Assetz Aims To Show Property Can Still Be The Key To Unlock A Wealthy Retirement

Smart investors can still build a good nest-egg for their retirement with help from expert advisers.

That’s what Assetz for Investors hopes to prove when it hosts a members’ day event on London on Saturday March 3.

Assetz for Investors will show you tips and tricks for spotting the most likely investments to achieve the best returns, based on the company’s bosses’ own extensive experience of property investment, and the knowledge gained over several decades as a result.

Stuart Law, founder and chief executive of Assetz, himself a successful and high-profile property investor, will be on hand to greet members, as well as give a keynote speech on the day.

The topics to be covered will be wide-ranging, from how to plan a property portfolio for retirement, through an overview of the current buy-to-let mortgage market, to how to use pension funds to buy investment property.

“We take a real ‘hands-on’, proactive approach to seeking out the best investment for our members, and in turn, they know that our commitment is to ensuring, as far as possible, the long-term success of their investment strategies,” said Stuart Law.

“Turbulent and changing markets demand a flexible yet measured approach to investment,” Mr Law added. “They also help distinguish the real winners from the also-rans.

“So we hope to prove to our investors at this members’ day event that there are many reasons to be confident that wise property investments are still not just possible, but that they are key to us helping our members achieve the financial independence they want.”

The event on Saturday March 3 takes place at The Mint Hotel, 30 John Islip Street, London, SW1P 4DD (nearest underground station Pimlico, Victoria Line).

Places must be booked in advance, and cost £30, including refreshments. Booking can be made online here, and the full day’s itinerary is available here.

If you can’t make it to our March 3 event, find out how easy it can be for you to put in place a solid foundation for your own future by investing in in-demand UK properties by contacting Assetz today, at www.assetz.co.uk, or by calling 0845 400 9000.

Via EPR Network
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Barclays Bankers May Lose £1bn Bonus To PPI Claims Says PPI Claims Company Simple Financial Solutions

Barclays bank is considering a move that will see the bonuses planned for its staff cut to pay the fines and compensation claims for PPI mis-selling, and may even institute a claw back of bonuses already paid, says PPI Claims Company Simple Financial Solutions.

In the wake of Sir John Vickers banking reform report, Barclays Chief Executive Bob Diamond has put forward the idea that some of the large fines for PPI mis-selling could be met by withholding the bonuses of its staff as a type of penance and using the money to meet its PPI mis-selling commitments instead.

In a meeting with the MPs of the Treasury Select Committee, Mr Diamond was taken to task by Committee Chair Andrew Tyrie about PPI mis-selling. In explaining that the staff responsible for the mis-selling had now gone, Mr Diamond added in reference to the PPI fines: “We are taking into account in our businesses that impact in our remuneration.”

Some believe his comments have come following the decision of Lloyds bank to claw back some of the bonus its chief executive, Eric Daniels, received because of the heavy financial toll of £3.2bn the PPI mis-selling scandal  is predicted to have on the lender.

However, Mr Diamond appeared to be losing patience with proceedings when later asked about bankers’ level of pay and remarked that it was ‘disappointing’ to be asked about it again. ‘I was looking forward to a discussion on the Independent Commission on Banking and its report and we’re right on to the same issues as last time, which I do find disappointing,’ he said.

A spokesperson for PPI Claims Company Simple Financial Solutions, said: “It seems that the bankers wish everyone would just shut up and forget about the PPI mis-selling scandal, as if it is water under the bridge, old history, best forgotten. Nobody has forgotten Mr Diamond’s comments earlier this year when he proclaimed the time for‘remorse and apology’ was over. The trouble is, it isn’t and it won’t be. Barclays has been identified as being one of the worst offenders for dragging its heels over settlingPPI claims and until the matter is fully concluded and Barclay’s customers are properly and fairly treated, Mr Diamond will hear a great deal more on the subject.”

“Cutting staff bonuses for poor performance is just the start of the steps Barclays should be taking to get its house in order. A bonus claw back from those senior manager who time and again failed at their jobs and caused this mess would be a good idea and might see Barclays earn a little lost respect back from customers.”

Via EPR Network
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Confused.com Launches New Partnership With Quotemehappy.com

Confused.com has launched a new partnership with Quotemehappy to offer insurance to careful drivers. Quotemehappy.com is an insurer that is specifically set up for careful drivers who want reliable, low-cost policies.

Confused.com’s comparison service makes it easy for customers to compare car insurance and with the new relationship with Quotemehappy.com, customers have even more choice.

Quotemehappy.com offers a comprehensive policy to careful drivers. The insurance brand keeps its costs as low as possible by operating online and premiums are also kept down as Quotemehappy.com is very clear about who it will and won’t insure. For example, it will not insure new drivers, those with older or more expensive cars or drivers who have had more than one at-fault claim in the last four years.

Marco Distefano, Managing Director of Quotemehappy.com, said: “Quotemehappy was created to give careful drivers a fair pricing and personal service when getting car insurance.

“At Quotemehappy.com we have negotiated some fantastic premiums with our specialist panel of insurers and see Confused.com as the ideal partner to ensure that this brand continues to reach the maximum number of potential customers as possible, whilst further enhancing Confused.com’s commitment to provide a specialist quote for every client, from every background with any specific needs.”

Gareth Kloet, Head of Car Insurance at Confused.com, continued: “At Confused.com we want to offer our customers the right cover at the right price by offering genuine value for money, a quality product and competitive prices for careful drivers. Adding Quotemehappy.com to the ever increasing number of insurers that we compare prices for is a great result.”

Via EPR Network
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Finding the Best Place to Sell Your Precious Gold Jewelry

If you are observant enough about financial markets, like most people who sell gold in Oakland Gardens, NY, you would probably be aware now that prices of gold have been skyrocketing the past few years. In 2003 alone, gold went for $400 per ounce. Most recently, it went above $1,400 per ounce. While the country and the rest of the world were reeling from the economic crisis, gold rose rapidly due to some factors. One of these factors is that gold is a secure haven, Investors in this precious gem ran after its tangible value in the wake of an uncertain economy that is based on fiat currency.

Aside from that, gold is also considered as hedge against staggering inflation. Gold proved to be a good choice while central banks all over the world engaged in practices aimed at kick-starting inflation. And there’s also the widespread fear of what would happen to countries with huge debt problems. Countries with existing debt before the crisis happened plus the new debt incurred during the crisis look to gold for hope.

The hope placed on gold is also felt by the individual consumer. Many people who have been hit really hard by the crisis are now thinking of selling their gold jewelry. After all, that’s $1,400 per ounce, isn’t it? Not really. If you plan to sell gold in Oakland Gardens, NY, the reality is that you may not get that amount per ounce.

Reality Check: What to Expect When You Sell Your Gold

It is important to determine the reasonable amount to expect from your gold. Get somebody to inspect your gold. An independent jewelry store can evaluate your gold’s worth. Have an estimate of how much pure gold content your jewelry has. Pure gold is 24K. You only have a partial gold if what you have is a 10K, 14K, or 18K. The rest of it is less valuable metals added in. Ask the jeweller how much he is willing to pay for your jewelry item. Don’t forget the exact weight of your jewelry’s gold. Then take your jewelry item to another independent jeweller to compare the different estimates.

Also visit a pawnshop before you decide to sell gold in Oakland Gardens, NY to know what prices are reasonable in your area. The basic rule would be not to get less than 70 percent of your gold’s market price. So that’s about $980 for every ounce of pure gold.

Via EPR Network
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Confused.com Reveals £203m Worth Of Car Damage Caused By Misleading Sat Navs

New research from Confused.com has revealed that Sat Navs have caused over £203m worth of damage to drivers on UK roads, through accidents caused by misleading directions. With the Department for Transport holding its first ever Sat Nav Summit in March, the issue of misleading Sat Navs has become an ever-increasing problem across the nation.

A staggering 83% of British drivers have admitted to being misled by their Sat Navs, resulting in over half the country (52%) screaming at their devices. 68% of the drivers end up with longer journeys and clock up unnecessary miles while 45% of British drivers have confessed to feeling angry and frustrated while behind the wheel, which in turn has led to 31% of British motorists red faced, spending between£100 – £500 on Sat Nav related car damage.

Whilst it’s mainly men who blame their car damage on their Sat Nav, women are more likely to admit that it leads them astray. Women also get more frustrated than men, with 57% of female drivers freely admitting that they scream at their Sat Navs, a shocking 12% higher than male drivers.

On a national scale, drivers in the East Midlands fared the worst with their Sat Nav relationship, with 57% shouting at their Sat Navs and 50% feeling frustrated behind the wheel. Northern Ireland has proved the most docile with only 31% getting angry at misleading Sat Nav directions. 80% of Scots claimed to be given misleading directions constantly by their Sat Navs leading to over half (51%) of Scottish drivers screaming at their devices. The research did however pinpoint the Welsh city of Aberystwyth as the worst for Sat Nav anger management with an alarming 75% admitting to regularly losing their temper.

With the amount of Sat Nav accidents occurring across the country, and the pending Sat Nav legislation, Confused.com is calling for British motorists to register their Sat Nav blackspots from around the UK on Confused.com.

Gareth Kloet, Head of Car Insurance at Confused.com, said: “As car insurance costs continue to rise, it’s never been more important to keep your motoring costs as low as possible. Our research has shown that the Sat Nav is not always the blessing it was once hailed to be and increasingly, motorists appear to be sighting the device as a source of frustration and danger. We hope that our Sat Nav blackspot map will not only help reduce risk, but we also hope that frustrated drivers get back behind the wheel a little happier.”

Via EPR Network
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Confused.com Reveals Young Male Drivers Pay Almost Double For Insurance Compared To Women

Confused.com/Towers Watson have revealed that the cost of car insurance for young men continues to go through the roof, with 17-20 year olds paying almost double what women drivers of the same age are paying.

Male drivers in the 17-20 year old age group are suffering as female drivers pay£1,771 less than the men UK-wide: it currently costs an average of £1,959 for women aged 17-20 to insure a car compared to £3,730 for men. These are the findings of the Confused.com/Towers Watson Car Insurance Price Index (Q4 2011), which is based on more than 4 million quotes.

Young people are feeling the impact most, with car insurance for young drivers seeing huge rises from the previous year. Regionally the picture is even more surprising: young men passing their driving tests in inner London can expect to be quoted an average of £5,523 to insure their car if they are aged 20yrs or younger which is more than 48% higher than the average for this group and 5.7% more than they paid in Q4 of 2010 meaning taking the time hunting around for the cheapest car insurance even more worthwhile. Their counterparts in Manchester and Merseyside fare even worse, with average costs of £5,724 facing them to insure their cars when they throw away the ‘L’ plates, a shocking rise of 10.6% year-on-year (Q4 2011 compared to Q4 2010). A 17-20 year old female in inner London can expect to pay £3,261 on average: a rise of 4.4% year-on-year, and they are paying an average of £3,307 in Manchester/Merseyside – a 9.9% rise year-on year. A high cost, but this is still more than £2,000 less than men of the same age.

When a driver adds another person to their comprehensive policy, average costs come down, so a 17-20 year old man pays £3,907 (UK average) as the only driver, but when they add on another driver the costs fall to an average of £3,345, a saving of more than £500. For 17-20 year-old women the UK average is £2,046 if they are the only driver and this falls to £1,819 for 17-20 year olds with another driver on their policy.

Comprehensive car insurance for women across all ages and regions fell marginally in quarter 4 of 2011 (-1.3%), but prices continued to rise for men, although by just 1% in quarter 4. Year-on-year, it was 61-65 year old men who saw the biggest jump in costs, with a 7.4% increase, bringing the average premium for men of that age group to £504. For women drivers it was the 26-30 year olds who saw the steepest jump in prices with 7.2% hikes, giving an average of £789.

Gareth Kloet, Head of Car Insurance for Confused.com commented: “From December, EU legislation will mean that insurers can’t use gender as a factor in setting prices. The differences highlighted in our report show that there is still a huge disparity between what men and women are being charged for their car insurance. Insurers clearly still have a long way to go to comply with the new legislation. It’s more important than ever to shop around and we’re committed to making it easier for people to save money on their car insurance.”

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BMAC Finance Releases Their List of the Top 5 Most Dependable Cars on the Road Today

BMAC Finance, known world-wide for financing quality vehicles for drivers with bad credit, also gives valuable advice in an ongoing blog. In their latest blog post, the customer service team gives their opinion for the top 5 most dependable car brands on the road today.

“Even with a new car, you can’t be 100 percent certain that you won’t have trouble as soon as you drive it off the lot”, said Jose Felix, Finance Manager for BMAC Financing. Felix also added, “With more people feeling the pinch of government cutbacks, finding the funds to afford auto finance is tougher than ever. So when making the purchase of a car, you need to make sure it will turn out to be a dependable vehicle that won’t cause you any unnecessary future expense”.

According to a recent survey by J. D. Power and Associates, the Ford – Lincoln brand drives in at the top of the list. This manufacturer has now been crowned the winner for four years in a row. The four remaining places in the top 5 rankings were won by Lexus, Jaguar, Porsche and Toyota .

However, many cars failed to make the grade and found themselves at the bottom of the list of dependency. Mini, Jeep, Land Rover, Dodge and Chrysler were named as the five least most dependable vehicle brands in the survey.

According to the blog post, “One of the main reasons vehicles are more dependable now is because manufacturers have began engineering vehicles and parts to last longer. Fuel, water pumps and engines are now developed to last well over 100,000 miles”. Some of the top brands in this survey have made vehicles that have been known to keep running after 200,000 miles or more.

BMAC Finance leads the way in auto loans for bad credit as well as car loans for bad credit. To read their blog for more great tips and to find out more about their services, please visit: http://www.bmacfinance.com/.

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Masterseek Estimated IPO Soars to 18-20 USD Per Share, Could Reach 35

With the success of business search engines and business profile sites, startups have become like rabbits out of a magician’s hat. How many of these companies have the database and programming acuity to really make an impact though? The answer is few and the reasons are varied from poor functionality to vague address names, bad marketing and a basic lack of interest from those who would post a profile. The truth is, as we’ve seen with the dominance of sites liked LinkedIn, it only takes a couple of good ones to corner the market and all others more or less fall by the wayside.

There is one site to keep your eyes on when it comes to giving LinkedIn some real competition, and some stock analysts are already starting to pay attention.

Masterseek.com is an extensively successful B2B search engine already, the largest online with over 100 million business profiles and growing much faster than any of the competition. Recently financial experts have valued it at 18-20 USD per share and this could easily reach 35 very soon according to most forecasts. This new evaluation is coming on the coattails of rumors that Masterseek.com will be joining the likes of LinkedIn, Xing, Google+ and Facebook with a professional profiles section added to their already massive database.

How much truth is there to the rumor? It’s been confirmed that they’ve already compiled a database of 150 million professional profiles. That puts them right on par with LinkedIn and ahead of LinkedIn in sheer numbers when you include international profiles. Recently in another interview Masterseek President Rasmus Refer would not comment on the timing of this release; “We are working on many new activities with the objective to become the largest global provider of business information, but cannot tell you more about our plans right now.” They may be playing their cards close to the vest for now, but it appears the new release of a professional profile site is immanent.

You’re probably asking, what would make this different than the dozens of other professional profile sites that tried to go up against LinkedIn and failed miserably? There is a lot that sets Masterseek apart, even when compared to big time LinkedIn competitors like Google+. Here are just a few of the reasons Masterseek’s professional profile section will give LinkedIn a run for its money:

Masterseek already has a larger database than LinkedIn. LinkedIn is estimated to have around 125M profiles where Masterseek has 150M. A deeper look at these numbers shows that LinkedIn still has more U.S. profiles, but as we’ll show you that is likely to change fairly quickly after release. Add to that the growing number of business professionals actively seeking expertise from around the globe and being majority U.S. based is not necessarily a good thing anymore.

Masterseek uses an entirely different platform. Anyone familiar with their business listings already knows it is probably the most functional platform on the internet. It is easier to use, offers more customization and gives individuals and businesses full control over their own profile.

Masterseek has search capabilities far superior to any B2B search engine, and when compared apples to apples to the search functionality of the most popular consumer-based search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing, even these juggernauts could learn a thing or two about relevant, fast and customized search results.

It’s free. While the big ones always are, it’s one of the sure signs of a professional profile site’s impending failure that they believe people will actually pay to be listed or that companies will pay for the information contained therein. Masterseek keeps their service free, which online is almost always the smart financial choice in the long run.

Perhaps most important of all, Masterseek is not going to be strictly a professional profiles website. Google+ attempted in its release to bridge the chasm between email, social network and professional business profile. It appears the gap is too great. After all, how many want to mix their business profile with pictures they send family and friends or their personal email? The same is true for Facebook’s professional profiles. Many a job has been lost because an employer found out what employees were up to on their social network. People don’t like to mix business and personal. LinkedIn on the other hand has had more success concentrating on one thing and one thing only, professional profiles. Masterseek by contrast is attempting a far more symbiotic relationship; a massive business search engine combined with professional profiles. Presumably this will be in large part employees and decision makers within those businesses already listed, contractors seeking work, freelancers and more. It will be a virtual hub of business activity. This just makes more sense. The more pressing question is why on earth has it not been attempted prior to this?

Via EPR Network
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Payday Express Hold Graduate Recruitment Day To Grow Analytics Department

UK provider of cash advance loans, Payday Express, has held its first graduate recruitment day to attract young analytical talent to its rapidly expanding company.

The payday loan company invited 15 university graduates to attend the day and to undergo an intensive assessment process, consisting of a group task, presentation, interview and case study discussion. The objective of the recruitment day was to find promising analysts to join Payday Express’s analytics team, to help support and shape important business decisions.

After the gruelling process, one candidate was successful and has been offered the position.

Tim Trailer, managing director of risk and analytics, said: “It’s important to put a lot of effort into making sure we recruit the right talent, as the risk and analytics team plays a crucial role in giving management the information it needs to make business decisions, and in ensuring our processes are optimised.”

Analytics has been identified as a key focus area for the payday loans lender in 2012, with the aim of optimising operations and business strategy based on in-depth reporting and analysis.

The business plans to hold regular recruitment days, to offer high-achieving graduates entry level positions within the analytics team.

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Leading Payday Loan Company Implements New And Improved Induction Plan

Payday Express, a UK provider of payday loans online, has announced the implementation of a new and improved staff induction plan.

The move was made to ensure that staff training and development remains high on the agenda for Payday Express, a business that prides itself on understanding the value of ensuring all staff are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to effectively and efficiently carry out their roles.

Richard Turner, HR adviser at Payday Express, said: “Payday Express is passionate about learning and development and makes every effort to ensure that this starts from the moment a new recruit joins the organisation.”

The induction, which marks the start of a training programme, involves being introduced to the company, its mission statement and its principles, before being given extensive training on anti-money laundering, data protection, customer service, learning styles and other key skills and knowledge areas.

After a revamp of the process by operations manager Sarah Carroll and group trainer Emma Furlong, the induction is now much more interactive and people-focussed – a change that has been introduced to ensure all new starters feel part of the team straight away. While the old induction programme involved open discussions, the new one takes interaction to a new level by incorporating group break-out tasks and quizzes designed to ensure that information has been taken in and understood.

The process also involves interaction between experienced team leaders and new starters, after which each group of new employees must deliver a presentation on what they understand about the different roles and teams within the company to be.

Sarah Carroll of Payday Express said: “Getting the new starters to engage with tenured staff is very effective as it means they’re not passively absorbing information and instead are actively participating in their own learning.

“So far this has proved to be a successful addition to our induction programme,” she added.

Group trainer at the payday loan company, Emma Furlong, said: “The induction is beneficial as it provides a great platform for new starters to integrate into the company, and gives them knowledge and insight into company values and functions to foster the right mindset for their role and future career.”

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Exciting office expansion planned for Payday Express

Provider of payday loans online, Payday Express, has announced plans to expand its current office space, in line with plans to grow the business with the arrival of 17 new starters in February.

The payday loan company moved to its current location from smaller premises in April 2011, choosing offices that had the potential for expansion in 2012. With all teams within the business now at full capacity – due to significant and rapid business growth – work has begun on preparing the additional office space for the relocation of the collections department by the middle of this month (February).

The relocation of this department will mean not only that it has room for further expansion, but also that the contact centre and business development teams have room to grow into previously shared office space.

Another team set to expand in 2012 is the analytics team, which recently held a graduate recruitment day and has plans to hold future events to find even more talented individuals.

Operations manager at Payday Express, Sarah Carroll, said: “Increasing office space is a positive sign that the company is growing, and that more opportunities will open up for new staff to join us and for existing staff to continue developing their careers.”

Payday Express has also announced that there is scope to take on more space in the building they currently occupy, which will enable further expansion later on in the year.

Marcus Tibbals, contact centre team leader, said: “It’s very exciting to work for such a fast paced and high growth business.”

The company, which offers payday loan applications online, plans to hold regular recruitment days as soon as the new office space is ready.

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De Vere Group cuts costs and enhances customer service with online payment solution from SecureTrading

De Vere Group, operator of hotels, conference & training venues, golf clubs, luxury lodges and many other facilities across the UK, has implemented a solution from SecureTrading, the UK’s leading independent payment processor, to enable fast and secure online card payment services across its booking engines and websites.

Since the implementation, customers can now complete bookings faster and easier than before, enhancing the overall customer experience. De Vere Group staff no longer have to manually download bookings, take the payments or encrypt the credit card numbers, as this process is now automated via the SecureTrading solution – a benefit that has drastically reduced administration costs. Another plus is that customer payments also reach De Vere Group’s bank accounts quicker.

Joanne Stanford, Group IT Director at De Vere Group, comments: “We were looking to introduce an online payments system and wanted a partner that could work well with our web agency in terms of build as well as providing full PCI compliance and 3-D Secure validation. Having worked with SecureTrading on other projects for three years and recognised its customer-centric approach, we quickly realised it was the perfect partner. SecureTrading has provided an excellent level of service throughout the process, from the initial account set-up to the launch, and the support team is among the best I have ever worked with”.

De Vere Group’s partnership with SecureTrading first started three years ago with the launch of ‘Instant Meetings’, an online booking tool with which De Vere Group customers can arrange day meetings. The relationship was extended via the creation of De Vere Club – the fastest growing golf membership in the UK – which enables members to sign-up and manage their account online, including initial payments. Now, the online payments solution for bedroom bookings offers further capabilities and serves to further enhance the relationship.

Tim Allitt, Head of Sales and Marketing at SecureTrading, comments: “De Vere Group is continuously improving and expanding its online booking processes, and with online bookings for events, Golf Tee-Times, dining and lodges all due for launch shortly, SecureTrading will guarantee successful operations by providing payment solutions that enable fast and secure payment at all times”.

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

As The Credit Card Industry Suffers Revenue Losses, Consumers In Need Of a New Line of Credit Option

Overall, the credit card industry earned almost 6% less revenue in 2011 than during the previous year, in large part due to a decrease in the use of credit cards by shoppers and, as a result, less revolving credit that can be subjected to interest charges and fees. While come consumers have made a conscious effort to wean themselves off of spending on credit cards in an attempt to get a handle on their personal debt, others were forced into a credit card-free lifestyle during and after the Great Recession when many card issuers terminated the accounts of risky borrowers. Recent years have seen many lenders competing fiercely amongst themselves in order to pursue only the most creditworthy individuals.

Now with the nation’s economic situation slowly but steadily improving, credit card issuers are feeling more comfortable about relaxing their underwriting standards. This, combined with their acute need to acquire new cardholders in order to shore up some of their revenue losses of late, means that many lenders will looking beyond those with good and excellent credit scores in 2012. This opens up a whole slew of opportunities for people with less-than-perfect credit histories as they can reasonably expect lenders to increase their offering of credit cards for fair credit.

Consumers should beware of rising interest rates on borrowing as credit card issuers flounder to recoup some of their loss of earnings. In fact, experts have reported that going in to the New Year, the average interest rate on consumer credit cards is 15.14%, higher than the 14.75% APR that was the national average just six months ago. One option for consumers to find temporary reprieve from high interest rates is to look into 0 balance transfer credit cards which, when used wisely, can be an invaluable tool when it comes to handling debt.

Credit card companies are going to have to come up with some hard and fast ways to up their revenue over the coming year, whether they resort to raising interest rates, laying off employees, making more unsecured credit cards for bad credit available, some combination of the above or employing another technique altogether.

Via EPR Network
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Debts, Financial, Financial Services, Loans, Money, Personal Finance

Payday Express sets up contact centre support team to improve customer service

Payday Express, UK provider of cash advance loans, has restructured its workforce with the aim of dedicating further resources to customer care and support services.

This week, the payday loan company set up a new contact centre support department to take on administration duties previously performed by the customer services team, with a view to freeing up valuable time for advisers to be on hand to answer customer calls with increased efficiency.

Administrator positions within the newly formed team were offered internally and five experienced contact centre agents moved into the new department, with one external recruit completing the new team. Experienced contact centre team leader, Alison Eller, moved across to become a support team leader.

“I’m looking forward to heading up the support team. They are people with very strong administration skills, who will help make the various contact centre functions more efficient,” said Alison.

The contact centre support team will be focusing on answering customer emails as quickly as possible, as well as carrying out all administration functions within the contact centre department. Agents in the contact centre can now focus on their core competencies and offer the best possible service in response to information and queries on payday loans.

“Payday Express is continually focused on having the right people in the right roles to optimise the service offered to our customers,” said contact centre manager Carl Mountain.

“Setting up a new administration department enables employees whose strengths lie in this area to specialise in this, and for us to bring in new talent, while also building up the contact centre teams with employees that have strong customer service skills,” he added.

The latest re-organisation of the business follows the decision made in October 2011 to create a business development department to improve the customer journey through the applications process.

Via EPR Network
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Business, Financial, Financial Services, Financial Solutions, Money

UC Group moves online security to a new level with acquisition of information security specialists, Cognosec GmbH

UC Group has acquired Cognosec GmbH in a bid to extend its global information security services for the online business community. UC Group and Cognosec GmbH will jointly focus on assisting businesses to trade more securely, by providing integrated security, risk management and payment services, in response to the growing number and sophistication of cybercrimes.

Cognosec GmbH will become part of UC Group’s payment business, reporting to the SecureTrading Group. SecureTrading and Cognosec GmbH together will help merchants to secure the whole payment processing value chain – data, devices and networks – as cybercrime threats become more complex and harder to manage using existing safeguards. Critically, the two companies will also help online retailers and operators to meet their PCI DSS obligations as compliance becomes increasingly complex and expensive.

UC Group is a trusted advisor to US, UK, Asia Pacific and EU lawmakers and regulators and has extensively led the call for improved consumer and business protection to identify and minimise the growing risks to online businesses. In Europe alone, cyber-attacks are growing by 60 per cent a year, while 85 per cent of credit card record thefts are stolen by means of organised crime. The US currently accounts for 47 per cent of the global credit and debit card fraud, while generating only 27 per cent of the global total volume of purchases and cash, according to a recent Nilson Report.

The Cognosec GmbH acquisition enables UC Group to combat payment processing value chain and information security risks through the assessment and application of appropriate security for businesses in any part of the globe.

Oliver Eckel, CEO at Cognosec GmbH, says, “There are strong mutual benefits to both UC Group and Cognosec GmbH; through our specialisms in assurance, governance, enterprise risk and information security management, coupled with UC Group’s understanding of the online market and selected exclusive worldwide partnerships, we will be able to further extend our global reach. As more and more business goes online, the volume and type of threats to security are growing; we have the skills and track record to ensure that key business assets are safeguarded, whilst ensuring that businesses can trade uninterrupted. And with the advent of mobile business, our clients will be looking for even greater support, which we are better placed to offer as part of UC Group.”

Kobus Paulsen, CEO of UC Group, says, “UC Group leads the way in improving the quality and efficiency of internet business for online product and service providers. Recently UC Group has spearheaded the drive to regulate online gaming in Spain and the US to apply appropriate controls and safeguards for improved consumer protection. The acquisition of Cognosec GmbH strengthens our core proposition: to offer our clients safe and secure e-solutions for global trading.”

Via EPR Network
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Assets, Financial, Financial Information, Financial Services, Investment, Money

Still safe as houses

Leading property investment company reveals why investors should remain confident about putting their money into property.

Grim predictions for the UK economy in 2012 have left many people wondering where to turn to get the best possible return on their money.

But according to Greater Manchester-based property and investment specialists Assetz plc, high demand for rental property across the country’s major cities shows that there are still exciting opportunities to secure strong returns from property investment for buy-to-let.

Assetz CEO Stuart Law says that leading banks’ continuing tightening of their mortgage lending criteria for first-time buyers, and an unwillingness by homeowners to sell in a fragile market, point to a solid outlook for buy-to-let investors who can get the right financing package in place to take advantage of the right houses for sale UK.

“The shortage of apartments in cities such as Manchester and Liverpool is resulting in significant competition between tenants, and driving up rental values,” Law said.

“Banks refuse to fund much-needed development which is worsening the undersupply situation, and with no measurable levels of new-build properties completing in the foreseeable future, tenants are going to find themselves increasingly squeezed out of core areas.”

That view is echoed by Matthew Smith from Manchester estate agent Thornley Groves, who said: “There is an overwhelming demand for rental properties in Manchester city centre, which has driven rents up by as much as 20 per cent over the last year.”

He added that, last autumn, as many as 20 tenants had been chasing every available property in the city. “This has resulted in competition becoming extremely fierce,” he said, “with tenants often reserving properties without viewing to avoid missing out.”

Student investment properties always make solid investments in major cities, Stuart Law added, and because so few other properties are currently being built, those which become available are expected to remain in high demand for many years to come.

Find out how easy it can be for you to put in place a solid foundation for your own future by investing in in-demand UK properties by contacting Assetz today, at www.assetz.co.uk, or by calling 0845 400 9000.

Via EPR Network
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Assets, Business, Commodities, Financial, Financial Information, Financial Services, Investment, Money, Trading

Lefroy Hudson Forms Team for Institutional Client Services and Sales

Lefroy Hudson today announced the formation of a team dedicated to institutional client services and sales. Lefroy Hudson has recruited this team for the initial part of the expansion: Michael Huff, most recently the Executive Director and Analyst in charge of the Research sector of Lefroy Hudson; Violet Yao Chia, currently the Executive Director of Sales at Lefroy Hudson; Colin Johnston who was most recently a Management Director with one of Singapore most successful advisory; and Karl Erikson who joined Lefroy Hudson 16 months ago to consolidate the company’s presence in the market landscape. He is responsible for rounding out the team as well.

“Michael Huff has established himself as one of the market’s top analysts, and Lefroy Hudson is committed to affording him an environment to oversee his sector independently, objectively, and without conflict,” said Robert Milberg, Lefroy Hudson’s co-founder and CEO. “Violet and Colin have extensive experience of markets from both ends of the spectrum, and bring to us a degree of excitement, the proposition of them joining Lferoy Hudson to apply their skill sets and trade acumen to generate doable, feasible ideas, identify movers and shakers and provide top-notch service to their customers. Michael is already integrated in Lefroy Hudson’s culture of peerless customer service, and dedication to excellence.”

Via EPR Network
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