Posts Tagged ‘New Year’


Consumers should take early action for a financially healthier New Year

Wednesday, October 19th, 2011

Every year there are huge numbers of people who make resolutions to resolve their financial problems, reduce their outgoings, and streamline their budgets. Already, there may be people who are planning to have improving finances as their main New Year’s resolution when 2012 comes around. However, for those that plan to stick to this resolution it could pay to take action now rather than wait for the New Year to actually come around.

By taking action early, those that want to improve their finances can start the New Year as they mean to go on rather than waiting until 2012 before taking any action at all to resolve their financial problems. One of the main ways in which consumers will be looking to improve their financial situations is simply through reducing their outgoings, which is easier said than done. However, there are a number of ways in which this can be done, and the earlier consumers take action the better.

One way to reduce financial outgoings is through debt consolidation, which involves consolidating all existing unsecured debts, such as credit cards, loans, and overdrafts, into one lower interest loan. This can help many people to reduce the amount that they are paying out on their debts each month and comes with the added benefit of making it easier to deal with finances due to having fewer creditors to deal with.

Another way in which people can streamline their finances is by switching various services to a cheaper plan or provider. This can include energy suppliesr, broadband and phone services, home insurance, vehicle insurance, and more. All of these little savings can add up to a tidy monthly sum, which can help to ease the strain on finances that little bit more.

Tags: credit, credit cards, creditors, healthier new year, Business Finance, New Year

Increase in demand for debt in January

Friday, February 18th, 2011

According to recent report there was an increase in demand for debt advice online during the month of January, as consumers continued to struggle with their finances. New research has shown that there was a surge in the number of people getting online to seek advice about their debt problems in the month of January, with many struggling with the financial hangover from Christmas and the New Year.

The Consumer Credit Counselling Service offers an online debt counselling tool, and officials from the charity said that there was a sharp rise in the number of people that were using the tool. In total 8591 people are said to have used this counselling tool, called CCCS Debt Remedy, in January of this year, which was twice the number that used it in the previous month and a higher number than any month of the previous year.

In total last year 65,825 people used this counselling tool to get help with their debt problems. The CCCS believes that based on the figure for January there will be a sharp increase in the number of borrowers looking to online debt assistance over the course of this year. In fact, the charity believes that there could be a dramatic rise in those seeking help with their debts given the soaring cost of living, the VAT hike, and uncertainty over job security.

Delroy Corinaldi, CCCS External Affairs Director, said: “The next year will be very difficult for many people and I am concerned that those struggling with debt will end up being charged for debt advice because they are unaware that free advice and support is available. I hope that the availability of this free service which can be used at any time online will help prevent people paying for debt advice unnecessarily.”

Tags: tool, debt advice, New Year, New Year's Day, month, cccs

OFT deals with rogue debt advisors

Monday, November 29th, 2010

The OFT is said to be cracking down on so called rogue debt advisors, and according to reports at least five of the companies that are said to be involved in this face having their operating licences revoked by the Office of Fair Trading. The OFT has been cracking down on companies that are said to be involved in misleading advertising, hidden costs, and offering poor advice to the many desperate consumers that are anxious to sort their financial problems out.

It is thought that the OFT is also set to crack down on firms that cold call consumers to try and get them to take out a debt management plan or similar financial service, and then sell their details on as leads to debt advice companies. The watchdog is said to be planning a blitz on such firms in the New Year, and plans to come down hard on firms that are seen to be rogue traders in the financial services industry. Debt advice companies that take leads from cold calling firms based abroad will also be at the receiving end of the OFT’s wrath if they are caught out.

According to reports there are eight hundred firms in the UK that have licences to offer debt advice, and earlier this year the OFT wrote to 129 of them to express concern over their working practices. In 50 percent of these cases the problems outlined by the OFT were said to be minor ones. However, in a small percentage of the cases the issues outlined were said to be extremely serious.

Some of the problems that have been highlighted include failure of companies to review customer files, employment of untrained advisors who cannot offer sound advice and information, and advising customers that a service is free when it is not.

Tags: industry, similar financial service, offer, watchdog, advice

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