Archive for September, 2009
Warm relief this winter: Belfast Telegraph
As we slide towards winter, we need all the good news on energy costs we can get. So it is a relief that domestic prices for both gas and electricity are falling.
From October, NIE Energy is cutting electricity bills by 5%. This follows a 10.8% reduction in bills in January this year. Householders fortunate enough [...]
Question of Finance: ‘Should I trust a claims handler?’: Belfast Telegraph
Q. I have been approached by a claims handler, suggesting I use his firm to complain about the sale of an endowment policy that has not repaid my mortgage. Is this a good idea? JR.
A. There is nothing that a claims handler can do that you cannot do yourself, providing you take a bit of [...]
Questions of Cash: ‘What should I do with my worthless shares?’: The Independent
Q. Several years ago, I bought some shares in a company called Ninth Floor plc. This subsequently became Farsight plc. Shares in this company were suspended in 2006. Can you discover any information about this company and provide guidance to shareholders about what they should do in this situation? At what point does Farsight plc [...]
Big cuts in Northern Ireland public sector to come: Belfast Telegraph
Big cuts in public spending in Northern Ireland are on their way, finance minister Sammy Wilson has confirmed. Ministers will consider slimming down the public sector and outsourcing various activities, he said.
“One of the things we are going to have to look at is are there different ways of doing things: are there things [...]
NAMA’s Ulster assets are under £5bn: Belfast Telegraph
THE value of assets in Northern Ireland to be taken over by the Republic’s National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) is under £5bn: much less than the £20bn of assets feared by civil servants.
At last week’s meeting with Finance Minister Sammy Wilson, the Irish finance minister Brian Lenihan gave a commitment to work with his northern [...]
A Question of Money: Belfast Telegraph
Question. I have been made redundant. My savings are £140,000 and my mortgage is £115,000. Should I pay off my mortgage, or use my savings to live off while I look for another job?
It could take years. My monthly outgoings are £1,400 including £400 on the mortgage. My current income, including Jobseekers Allowance, is £540. [...]
Making the most of ISAs: Belfast Telegraph
ISAs are best because of their tax free status. For older savers, in particular, there are benefits in maximising the tax free allowance
With the savings limits for older investors about to rise, this is a good moment to consider whether you are getting the most out of your Individual Savings Account (ISA). And even whether [...]
Financial fraud: Belfast Telegraph
THIS year will go down as one of severe recession: it is also turning into one of the worst ever for fraud. The two things are closely connected.
As the recession bites harder, more people teeter over the edge into dishonesty. And organised crime gangs have become more determined to steal from honest people their credit [...]
A Question of Money: Belfast Telegraph
Question: My son is 24 and looking for work. For the past three years he has had a part time job, paying £70 a week. He pays no tax or national insurance. He is paying off a student loan of £8,000 at £35 per month. I am concerned at his lack of National Insurance contributions. [...]
Easy Rider: Public Finance
If there is such a thing as a ‘normal’ finance minister, then Sammy Wilson is definitely not it. Informal, politically incorrect and with an approachability that is decidedly unusual, Northern Ireland’s finance minister is not the model of a modern politician.
‘Sammy’, as he is almost universally known, is a man apart. Visitors to the chancellor [...]
