Archive for February, 2010

Pensioners face poor living standards: Belfast Telegraph

Crisis is an overused word — especially in the last couple of years in relation to the global recession.
 
But crisis is the best word to describe the financial situation facing most people who plan to retire in the next few years.
Several reports have just been published reviewing the current pensions environment — and each presents [...]

Questions of Cash: ‘First the flood, then the bill’: The Independent

 
Q. We had a flood in our housing association flat while away at Christmas. The tap had dripped, causing the sink to fill.  It turned out the overflow was blocked, so the excess water could not drain away. I am sure I had turned the tap off. The housing association’s plumber changed the washer, but [...]

Avoiding the debt scams: Belfast Telegraph

 
Cold calls from high pressure salesmen are a real nuisance. Personally I hate them so much that I registered with the Telephone Preference Service. But a recent spate of calls has reminded to update the register with my current address. (Anyone who wants to do the same can also register, at www.mpsonline.org.uk/tps/.)
 
So far this year [...]

Questions of Cash: ‘BG left me without heat’: The Independent

 
Q. I read the problem of the reader left without heating during the cold spell (Questions of Cash, 23 January). I have a warm air central heating system using a gas burner. It is maintained under contract by British Gas Homecare. An engineer called in December because I was worried about its reliability. Initially he [...]

Mortgage market gets complicated: Belfast Telegraph

 
The mortgage market is going through a major shake-up at present, which should encourage borrowers to review their existing loans. And people looking to buy for the first time may find additional and more competitive mortgage products are now on the market.
While this may sound like good news, there is also bad news. One of [...]

Questions of Cash: ‘I don’t want Lloyds to close my accounts!’: The Independent

 
Q. Lloyds wrote to me in November, stating it was closing all my accounts. I have been with Lloyds for 12 years, have a overdraft facility, always been in credit and always had £5000 to £17,000 in savings with them. I called the closure unit who said they were within their rights and did not [...]

PMS - Ministerial blame game: Co-operative News

Readers from outside Northern Ireland will probably find it impossible to understand just how significant the collapse of the Presbyterian Mutual Society is. But, and I hope you will accept my word on this, it is.
Part of the explanation is that religion and politics are pretty well indivisible in Northern Ireland. And, according to churchgoers, [...]