Archive for May, 2009

Questions of Cash: Keeping track of mortgage payments: The Independent

 
Q: We moved house in July last year. Nationwide redeemed our existing tracker mortgage against our wishes.
 
With difficulty, we had the sum outstanding at redemption ‘ported’ back onto the same tracker product. Because the original product was redeemed after five years and a new product issued for the remaining 19 and a bit years, we [...]

Is there a future for non-food retailing for co-ops?: Co-operative News

 
The co-operative movement is “moving away from non-food retailing”, according to the Plymouth and South West Co-operative Society. It is a conclusion difficult to shy away from.
 
Plymouth is one of the most recent to exit the department store market, having sold its non-food stores earlier this year. The buyer is Vergo, which specialises in running [...]

Questions of Cash: ‘Fidelity told me it was ok to keep shares’: The Independent

 
Q. I held Alliance & Leicester shares in a Fidelity Windfall ISA. Last September, I read an article in The Independent that “A&L investors have four weeks to sell” – warning A&L shareholders that if their shares were replaced by Banco Santander shares, they would be liable to Spanish income tax and have to fill [...]

MPs first draft of banking crisis history: Co-operative News

 
It is often said that journalists write the first draft of history. But, when it comes to the UK’s version of the global banking crisis, it is MPs who have produced one of the earliest and most relevant analyses. And our movement should be very grateful that its collective authors – the House of Commons [...]

Troubled times for buy-to-let: Primelocation

The buy-to-let market is being seriously damaged by the withdrawal of specialist mortgages, the latest figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders reveal. Yet for those who can access finance, the rewards from letting property remain strong.
For story go to http://www.primelocation.com/news/troubled-times-for-buy-to-let/

Preventing house price booms: Primelocation

Homebuyers may face limits on the size of their mortgages to prevent future house price booms, the Financial Services Authority has indicated.
For story go to http://www.primelocation.com/news/preventing-house-price-booms/

Recovery could be in sight: Primelocation

There are further signs of gradually improving health in the housing market, with higher levels of buyer inquiries recorded by chartered surveyors.
For story see http://www.primelocation.com/news/recovery-could-be-in-sight/

New Deal not working: Public Finance

 
Just 7% of participants in a Northern Ireland New Deal programme went on to sustained employment, a report from the NI Audit Office reveals.
 
The Preparation for Employment Programme was a work placement scheme that dealt with 60% of people on New Deal who were over 25 and long-term unemployed. The NIAO says more should [...]

Free care for Northern Ireland rejected: Public Finance

 
Northern Ireland health minister Michael McGimpsey has announced that free personal care is currently unaffordable, but remains a commitment. He blamed other ministers for rejecting his request in the last Budget round for additional funding to pay for free personal care.
 
The minister’s statement coincided with the completion of a review of care provision, which estimated [...]

Questions of Cash: Beware loss of rights with credit card cheques: The Independent

 
Q. My husband and I have an Abbey Mastercard. We received some 0 per cent credit card cheques last Christmas, but had not requested them. We ordered a kitchen from MFI, paying the deposit on the credit card and the remainder using one of the cheques.
 
After MFI went bust, Abbey said that it would [...]