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Savings & investments

Archives for December 2012

Transferring money from bank to bank to get 2x interest
Hi People, Someone on another post directed me towards another website forum where someone had advised to: "you should do the following daily Monday - Saturday: Transfer savings from Lloyds to Santander before 8.15pm then back again from Santander back to Lloyds between 8.15 and 10pm So the balance is with Lloyds…
Married couple - how best to save?
Hello, First post, so bear with me :) Hubby and I are saving as hard as possible to get a house deposit, after having to sell our last place (evil neighbour) and getting married in the meantime and using all savings to pay off debts. We are now debt-free but low on a house deposit yet! I've been reading about moving…
confused on cash ISAs...
hi all I thought i could open a new cash Isa each year and still continue to deposit in the other existing one - am i wrong? ttfn,R
Returns this year
As it's now the end of the year and the UK market has closed, how has everyone done with the returns on their investments? I know fund prices won't be finalised until later and the US market is still open but so far it is looking like 16% overall here. Not bad after a poor return of -9.5% for 2011 and a bit ahead of the…
What is the best saving account to open for our new baby girl
Hi guys. As the title says we have just had a new baby girl. we have had some money given from family for her and would also like to start saving a little for her ourselves and just wondered if anybody had any advice on what the best sort of account would be? are there any incentives with particular banks etc. thank you
Are interest rates going to go up anytime soon?
Are interest rates going to go up anytime soon? If they do go up, how much is realistically possible?
Best way to change USD to GBP
Hi Guys, In need of some advice a friend has money in America in USD and he would like to bring some to the UK as he plans to stay over here for 3 - 6 months while working. Now my question is what is the best way to do this, Should he wait till the the USD moves favourably Will it be cheaper to convert the USD into GBP in…
Saving and inheritance whilst living with benefit claimant.
Hi everyone, Id like to wish you all a very happy new year. My mother is claiming JSA and housing benefit. I currently live with her whilst i am studying at college. I work part time. I do not have to pay towards housing costs as my monthly wage is below £200. In order to apply for my dream job, i need to start saving for…
ISA for children advice please? And/or CTF, Savings etc
Quite a specific question but hopefully posting in the right area. If a child used the government CTF scheme - does that mean they can't have an ISA? Woman in bank seemed to telling me this?! Either way, what is the best place to save a small monthly amount until child is 18 - but we still have control over the account?…
MSE News: Financial advice shake-up: what will you pay?
"A landmark shake-up takes effect today which will lead to most having to pay an upfront fee for investment advice..." Read the full story: Financial advice shake-up: what will you pay?
Withdrawing from a full ISA
Is it possible to withdraw say 4k from a full ISA and return the 4k in about three days? Does this do anything to the ISA, interest etc? Many thanks
Trade bonds LSE
What is the most convenient way to buy retails bonds? I read there is an electronic order book for retails bonds charging a 90 pence fee, but I cannot see how/where to use it Thanks
CGT on sale of shares
Hi all If you have a capital gain of over the threshold on the sale of shares can this be transferred to your wife to get 2 x tax free allowances. If so, how is this done? Do you have to transfer the shares over so that she owns them before sale or can you do it post sale? Finally, I have shares on an online dealing…
What to do with my money?
I have a First direct offset mortgage of £66K. I have gradually been building up my savings with FD and now have around £66K offset. I have put £5640 into ISA's for me and my wife. I have £3600 X 2 in FD regular savers which are due to mature next months. So basically I have £7200 in cash and probably around £1000 per…
How to beat inflation?
I'm currently a student with money in a 3.05% ISA, the deal ends in Aug and the last time I can put money in will be 5th April! As 3.05 in currently above the rate of CPI I think (my maths is awful) my money is growing by 0.35% (3.05AER - CPI @ 2.7%) As savings rates are plumetting I'll assume I take an M&S one year fixed…
Quick ISA question
Hi all I opened a Santander ISA in August this year (last year if you're reading this after Tuesday) and will save the maximum by the end of April 2013. Question is, you can save £5640 per year. Is this per financial year or per year from when the ISA was opened? I'm unsure whether I will be able to continue saving into my…
Premium bonds and savings for children over 16
We recently sold our house and are not in a position to purchase again just yet. There is equity from the house sale that we are looking to invest in short-term savings via premium bonds and instant access savings accounts. We want to put aside some of the equity for our children (16 & 19) for uni/house deposit, etc when…
Excessive information required to open a savings account?
Hi all, I've just tried to open a savings account online with Santander. It's a basic instant access account - mimimum deposit of £1, no overdraft facility, no regular saving requirement. When I was going through the application form online, I came to a page where I had to enter my net monthly income, my job title and…
Am I allowed another ING Direct Account
Not sure what the dealio is with this. Opened an ING Direct savings account a couple of years back and enjoyed the high rate of interest for the first year. It has now gone back to the low (regular) interest rate. Is it possible to close this account and open a new one, transfer the funds around and into the new one to…
discounting treasury bills = printing money?
Apologies if this is the wrong place for a query like this. My holiday reading has been "When Money Dies" by Adam Fergusson, about the German hyperinflation. (Thought it might be relevant in an age of QE.) Turns out that the culprit was "discounting treasury bills"; but unfortunately the author doesn't explain what this…

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MSE News

Ofgem proposes new 'no standing charge' Price Cap – but Martin Lewis warns vulnerable customers need to be opted in or it won't work
Ofgem has today launched detailed proposals for a major shake up to its Energy Price Cap that dictates the price over 80% of homes in England, Scotland and Wales pay for their energy bills.
Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland to cut overdraft rates for millions but hike them for others – here's what's happening and full help
If you're a Lloyds, Halifax or Bank of Scotland current account holder, the interest rate you're charged for using your overdraft could change soon as part of a fees shake-up. The Lloyds Banking Group, which owns all three brands, says millions of its customers will pay less after the changes – but a "few" will pay more.
Warm Home Discount expansion confirmed with millions more eligible for the £150 top-up this winter – here's what we know
Around 2.7 million more low-income households, including 900,000 families with children, will become eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount this winter, as the Government has confirmed it will remove the existing 'hard to heat' eligibility criteria. The extension has only been confirmed for winter 2025/26, with further changes possible for future years.
Martin Lewis: At last a chance to fix Council Tax flaws impacting millions – debt collection, difficulty challenging your band, discounts and more
Major flaws in the Council Tax system in England could finally be fixed in future, as the Government has launched a wide-ranging consultation to review hideous debt collection practices, the difficulty of challenging your band, the overly complex and horribly-named Severe Mental Impairment discount and more. MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis, who has long campaigned on these issues, shares his response and analysis.
Energy complaints to be dealt with more quickly and Energy Ombudsman to get new powers under Government plans
If you have a complaint about your energy firm, it may be resolved more quickly in future, as the Government has announced a raft of proposals to strengthen consumer protections in the energy market. The planned changes include giving the Energy Ombudsman new powers to force firms to comply with its decisions – but it's still very early days. Here's what we know so far.
Warm Home Discount expansion confirmed with millions more eligible for the £150 top-up this winter – here's what we know
Around 2.7 million more households, including 900,000 families with children, will become eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount this winter, as the Government has confirmed it will remove the existing 'hard to heat' eligibility criteria. The extension has only been confirmed for winter 2025/26, with further changes possible for future years.
Base rate held at 4.25% – here's what it means and when it might be cut next
The Bank of England has held the base rate at 4.25%. Below we explain why, when it might be cut, plus what it means for your mortgage and savings.
Applied for South West Trains 'boundary fares' compensation? Act now to claim it
If you applied for compensation from South West Trains before the deadline in January 2025, you now need to provide your bank details to the claim administrator so it can be paid to you. Here's what you need to know.
Winter Fuel Payments to be reinstated for millions – Martin Lewis explains how it'll work, what it means and if it's an improvement
All State Pensioners in England and Wales will receive a Winter Fuel Payment this winter, though those who earn over £35,000 will see it clawed back through the tax system. It means nine million pensioners will get the £200 or £300 top-up. Here MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis shares his instant response and analysis, and we include answers to your key questions.

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