Personal Finance Information |
Personal Finance - Have Consumers Had a Belly Full of Personal Debt?
For months, we were trigger-swipe happy, putting our groceries, clothes, holidays and service charges on our credit cards. We wanted mortgages, we took out loans, we watched Property Ladder and What Not To Wear. Whether you were born middle class, had middle class aspirations, you became middle class through your spending. Debt united people around the UK, we sympathised with each other on what we couldn't afford - but it didn't matter, we still bought it. Soon everybody had a bottle of Jacob's Creek in their kitchen and olives and humous in the fridge. Yet, it would seem as if a debt conscience is setting in. This morning, The Guardian printed a story based on the fact that Nationwide had reported a 0.2% decrease in the average house price, whilst the Times reported on a statement from the Bank of England, showing that credit-card borrowing was at its slowest rate for more than four years, with mortgage lending also very static. According to the latest Department of Trade and Industry Survey, 5% of individuals reported finding their household's debt repayments a "heavy burden" and 4% of individuals are currently behind in payments for at least one credit commitment or domestic bill over the past three months. According to Credit Action, in December 2004, 1.2 million electricity and 1 million gas domestic customers were behind in repaying their debts to their supplier. Additionally 20% of people say that they often neglect checking their bank balance because "they are too scared to find out how much money they have", according to Lloyds TSB. Credit Action also reported that the number of people searching for help to manage their debts had almost doubled in May in 2005, compared to figures in May 2004 and a survey from Relate revealed that 44% of couples find money to be a contentious issue in their relationship and a quarter of people in debt are receiving treatment for stress, depression and anxiety from their GP. It doesn't have to be all doom and gloom however. If you're lucky enough to have no outstanding debt, you can keep you finances in shape by exploiting the services of sites such as moneynet, which provide financial product price comparison information and extensive consumer information guides. If you have any outstanding debts, you can seek advice from the Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS) or Citizens' Advice and financial comparison sites like lowermybills and moneynet also provide detailed research on debt consolidation loans and debt management. Resources: http://www.moneynet.co.uk/credit-card-guide/index.shtml http://www.creditaction.org.uk/debtstats.htm About Rachel Rachel writes for the personalfinanosaurus Cashzilla Rachel has been writing personal finance related articles for six months and has learnt so much about mortgages and life insurance, that nobody invites her out to dinner anymore. :(
MORE RESOURCES: Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 403, exiting |
RELATED ARTICLES
How to Choose Wisely a Credit Card So, you've made the decision to apply for a credit card. It's an important step for any consumer. Credit Card Debt - Watch Your Credit Report and Your Bill Most consumers are aware of the importance of their credit report. This document, offered to consumers and lenders by the three major credit bureaus, offers a fairly complete list of financial transactions and debts incurred by a consumer. Stretching Your Grocery Dollars Shopping for groceries is an inevitable fact of our ever busy lives. We may imagine that we are saving time by dashing in, roaming the aisles and throwing whatever looks good into the cart. Expenses A - What Are They And What Can We Do About Them It is crucial as an individual who is striving for financial freedom to be able to recognize the different type of expenses in our lives. It is a proven theory that it is easier to cut your expense than trying to earn more income. 10 Quick And Cheap Ways To Cut Your Heating Bill When you received an energy (heating) bill last winter, were you afraid to open it? Granted that we have a home with a lot of really big windows, but we saw energy bills last winter in the hundreds of dollars. Your bill probably wasn't that bad but I'm guessing that it was a lot higher than you would have liked. Save Money Off Your Home Utility Bills Many don't realize that our basic utility bills provide the perfect money saving opportunity for practically every household!Especially with today's energy crisis so prevalent throughout many of the states, you've probably heard this term - conservation.Guess what, conservation really means "using less". The Good and the Bad of Money Management Good money management needn't be difficult. In fact, there a number of easy steps recommended by most financial professionals to help manage your finances better. Check Fraud and Verification Before buying personal or business checks you should inform yourself of the best ways to protect yourself from check fraud. Since man has written checks check fraud has existed. More Money? My Cup Runneth Over...But Im Still Thirsty Most of us, especially those of us who have debtor's disease (if you have it you know what it is!), have commented or at least thought, "If I could just win the lottery, or sweepstakes, everything would be better." Unfortunately, even if that big dream did come true things probably would get worse instead of better. How to Choose the Right Bank for Your Online Business You should thoroughly consider your business needs when selecting a financial institution or bank for your small/home business. You may want to consider the following points:- The types of products and services that are offered. Im Broke, How Can I Afford... I'm still amazed every time someone comes to me complaining that they don't have any money to put into their business and that they're broke.I mean what have you been doing with your money man?!?Plain Truth: If you don't have any money you won't make it my friend? it's that simple. 5 Steps to Healthy Spending Habits Next to our physical health most of us are primarily concerned with our financial health, and with good reason. Although our intentions are usually great our follow-through and discipline generally isn't. One Income Source Is Not Enough! My personal opinion is that in today's new economy, it is wise to have multiple income streams. Reliance on one income source poses a risk to individuals, entrepreneurs, and even large corporations. Your Dry Cleaner's Double Standard Women are charged more for dry cleaning services. Don't fume, find a better way. Is There A Retirement Crisis? When people speak about the increasing age expectancies, they generally do so with positive connotation. This author agrees-there's nothing wrong with living longer, especially if we can sustain our quality of life at each period throughout our lifespan. Budgeting Before Buying With interest rates being at an all-time low, I can understand the urgency for people wanting to purchase a home. But I caution the first-time home buyer to learn how to budget their money before buying a new home. Retirement Income Needs---Less Than You Think? It is widely written that you need 75% of your presentincome to maintain your present life-style in retirement. Ifyou make 100 thousand now, figure 75 thousand inretirement. What's New in Checking - From Designs to Photos Just about everyone has a checking account. Checks present easy ways to make payments and they have simply become a way of life. Money Matters - Really! One of the biggest challenges facing black RELATIONSHIPS today are finances. Many people mistakenly feel that money does NOT matter. How to Save for A Down Payment Saving for a Down Payment is hard work, so it's a good idea to really want to own your own home by the time you begin your Savings Account. It's difficult to turn down a weekend in the Bahamas (or Downtown at the Clubs!) when you don't have a definite goal. |
home | site map | contact us |