Personal finance news

Saving while you staycation

The number of people who own a second home in Britain soared to a record level in 2009 and Cumbria is among the most popular locations.

Last updated 27 August 2010
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk

Households feel squeeze

The rising cost of living coupled with stagnating wages left more people reporting worsening finances in August.

Last updated 27 August 2010
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk

Boom in high-cost loans

The number of people taking out expensive payday loans quadrupled over the last four years.

Last updated 20 August 2010
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk

Hang on to your homes

Fewer people are expected to lose their homes this year after mortgage lenders reported a decline in repossessions in the second quarter.

Last updated 20 August 2010
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk

Become a landlord

The buy-to-let market has taken a battering in the last two years, but people will always need to rent homes.

Last updated 17 August 2010
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk

Add value – and more space – to your home

Renovating your home is a cost-effective way of raising its value, even in a struggling market.

Last updated 17 August 2010
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk

Playing the market

The mortgage market is notoriously complex with a bewildering array of products on the market. Follow our simple guide to find out what’s out there:

Last updated 17 August 2010
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk

Surveyors predict further house price falls

PROPERTY professionals saw house prices fall for the first time in a year during July and expect further declines as demand weakens.

Last updated 17 August 2010
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk

Unlock your home

A cocktail of plummeting pension values, rising living costs and soaring house prices have made equity release schemes more popular than ever.

Last updated 17 August 2010
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk

Selling your home

Selling a property is fraught with pitfalls. This is what the Office of Fair Trading suggests you should do:

Last updated 17 August 2010
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk

Bankruptcy figures fall for the first time in three years

The number of people being declared insolvent has fallen in England and Wales for the first time since 2007.

Last updated 13 August 2010
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk

Trojan banking scam nets thousands of victims

Thousands of people could have fallen victim to a so-called ‘trojan’ banking scam.

Last updated 13 August 2010
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk

Mixed response to Metro

The first high street bank to launch in the UK for more than 100 years opened its doors to customers this week, but its products received a lukewarm response from industry commentators.

Last updated 6 August 2010
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk

It’s not in your interest

The majority of banks are failing to inform customers about changes to the interest they are earning on their cash, a consumer group has said.

Last updated 6 August 2010
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk

Farmers priced out of countryside homes

Young farmers are being priced out of living in the countryside due to a shortage of affordable homes, a coalition of farming and housing has warned.

Last updated 30 July 2010
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk

House prices fall as properties flood on to market

New sellers dropped their asking prices for the first time this year during July as properties continued to flood on to the market.

Last updated 23 July 2010
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk

Emergency Budget a double-edged sword

More than two-thirds of Britons believe they will be worse off as a result of last week’s Budget, a survey has indicated.

Last updated 2 July 2010
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk

The return of £5 from cash machines

An ATM operator this week launched a network of free cash machines that only dispense £5 notes.

Last updated 2 July 2010
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk

Harmonising 40 years of law

The Equality Act 2010 comes into force in October. The act is set to harmonise more than 40 years of piecemeal discrimination legislation into 218 sections and 28 schedules.

Last updated 29 June 2010
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk

New to networking? It can really make a difference...

Looking for £1m of business? With one business recently winning a £1m order as a direct result of attending a Cumbria Chamber of Commerce networking event, the benefits of networking are clear.

Last updated 29 June 2010
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk