http://www.isnare.com/?s=author&a=Tom+Mead Finances Tom Mead Thu, 09 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=173932&ca=Finances The increase in interest rates, coupled with rising house prices and the decrease in the average consumer’s disposable income is “increasingly squeezing new buyers out of the market and making it more difficult for existing house owners to trade up,” said Howard Archer, Global Insight’s Chief UK and... Finances Tom Mead Thu, 09 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=173937&ca=Finances As interest rates increase, more and more people are looking to their credit cards to support them during times of financial difficulty. However, credit card consumers are discovering that debt breeds debt as they struggle to meet repayments. In the first half of this year, over 4 million repayments... Finances Tom Mead Thu, 09 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=173944&ca=Finances Despite a slight fall in High Street spending, consumers are battling against increasing interest rates, inflation, house prices, utility bills – which means that little or no funds are available to set aside for the future. Approximately 45% of consumers find themselves in this position, preferring... Finances Tom Mead Thu, 09 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=173950&ca=Finances House prices, the cost of borrowing, inflation and the cost of living are all predicted to rise over the next three years. However, some are finding that their wages do not reflect these changes and are entering a spiral of debt that eventually leads to an Individual Voluntary Agreement (IVA). Figur... Finances Tom Mead Thu, 09 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=173969&ca=Finances The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the rate-setting organisation for the Bank of England. Every three months it releases a report that tracks the progress of inflation and economic growth, with regard to the effects they will have on society in general. The latest results hint at troubled times... Finances Tom Mead Thu, 09 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=173973&ca=Finances On average, over 100,000 people a year are declared bankrupt, with nearly 25,000 of these declarations ending in household repossession. Mismanagement of personal finances is being blamed for these statistics, with a firm finger being pointed at British spending habits, especially where non-essentia... Finances Tom Mead Thu, 05 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=164820&ca=Finances Statistically, the figures for home repossession have risen by 45%, according to Government figures. There can be many reasons that lead to house repossession, such as: divorce, credit card debt, illness, secured or unsecured debts or separation. The process of repossession can legally begin when 2... Finances Tom Mead Thu, 05 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=164826&ca=Finances Currently, approximately three and a half million people in the UK are self-employed and it is predicted that that figure is set to rise over the next decade. While many of these enterprises are successful, it can often be problematic for the self-employed to buy a home, as mortgage companies can be... Finances Tom Mead Thu, 05 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=164828&ca=Finances You may not even be aware that you have a credit score, but if you’ve ever applied for a mortgage, a car loan or even had utilities, such as gas or electricity connected to your home, it’s likely that your credit score has been checked. A credit score is effectively a ‘risk-assessment’ carried out b... Finances Tom Mead Thu, 05 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.isnare.com/?aid=164830&ca=Finances Bad Credit is another way of describing a negative credit score. A credit score can be either good or bad and is used by lenders to determine whether you are likely to be able to keep up the payments on something like a mortgage. Your credit score is calculated using a mathematical formula and infor...