General Finance News

Did you know that lightning kills more people than tornados and hurricanes each year. It normally strikes about 270,000 times and kills an average of 76 people each year. A typical home insurance policy protects our homes from lightning damage. when you purchase comprehensive insurance with your auto policy, any damage to your vehicle is covered as well. Your health insurance will cover medical expenses in the event you or a family member were to be struck by lightning.

Lightening-related insurance claims filed by policyholders have dropped almost 11.5% since 2004. The average cost per claim however, has risen almost 70% over the past five years. Experts on insurance-related matters, blame increased claims cost on two things: Severe storms and a large increase in consumer electronics in homes.

High dollar electronics are now common place in the average houshold, which has a significant impact on insurance claims losses. Read more…

A report in the press today suggests that the vast majority of the UK population are paying a monthly fee for their banking services and indeed we are seeing the end of “free banking”. So is this really the case?

The truth is that free banking ended some time ago in UK as more and more fees have been introduced to cover everything from statements to overdrafts, from setup fees to additional service fees. The myth of “free banking” in the UK ended some time ago and when you also consider that your bank will be using your deposits as collateral against borrowings, the banks have always made money out of their customers, one way or another!

One issue which seems to have prompted the noticeable rise in banking fees over the last decade has been the “interference” of the regulators. Read more…

The UK government has today confirmed that the minimum wage will be increased on an annual basis and despite calls to freeze this year’s rise the government intends to push through with a potential increase to around six pound an hour. So is this the right move, bearing in mind the state of the UK economy?

We have two very distinct parties fighting different causes with businesses adamant that the minimum wage should be frozen for the foreseeable future in order to allow businesses to trade out of the recession and get back on their feet. However, on the other hand the low pay unit and the unions are also adamant that the minimum wage should rise to around six pound an hour, a move which they believe will help not only the low paid but the economy as a whole.

Indeed it is forecast that a 20p increase in the minimum wage would save the Treasury around 200 million year and generate an additional 400 million of extra revenue in the UK business arena. Read more…

A research report suggests as many as one third of Australian bank customers are not satisfied with the level of service they receive from the nations big lenders, whilst building societies and credit unions receive a much higher approval rate.

Only 71.7 per cent of customers said they were satisfied with the service they received from the banking majors including ANZ, Westpac, Commonwealth and National Australia Bank, according to Roy Morgan Research.

ANZ’s customer base enjoyed the most satisfaction amongst the Big Four, whilst NAB customers recorded the least, although the difference was small.

Earlier in the month, a study by market research firm Infochoice suggested Australians could save $6.1 billion a year in bank costs, simply by switching from the Big Four to smaller regional banks who offer cheaper services.

Building societies achieved the highest consumer satisfaction ratings (87.9 per cent) according to the Roy Morgan research. C

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By using fx trading secrets you can enter the forex market a step ahead then other beginners and be a success from the beginning. Basically you are skipping the learning steps as you have already been provided this information from the forex trading secrets. The forex market is based off of foreign currency pairs and is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It never stops so no matter where you are in the world or whatever time zone you are in you can trade in the forex market.

Instead of taking a few months to develop your own forex trading system use forex trading secrets to start with a successful forex trading system. Even experienced traders may not be using a good system, and this is the most important part of forex trading.

Though you may be having success you can find even more success by using these Fx trading secrets. The best thing to do from the start is to form a good trading system. Read more…

Current mortgage rates are mixed this week, 30-year conforming fixed mortgage rates are down and 30-year jumbo mortgage rates are higher this week over last.

Today’s conforming fixed 15-year mortgage interest rates are  down and 15 year jumbo home mortgage rates are  higher. 10-year Treasury yields are back above 3.50 percent as of Monday morning, contributing to the slight rise in jumbo rate mortgages and shorter term adjustable rate mortgages. Higher Treasury yields will mean higher mortgage interest rates this coming week.

Looking for mortgage interest rates, including jumbo mortgage rates? Use our bank mortgage rate tables to find the best mortgage rates. Best Mortgage Rates

Low mortgage rates are supporting the housing market. Last week the Na

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I’m pleased to announce that we’re expecting our third child. The baby is due in late April. And, of course, when the child is born, you can expect pictures.

This is the “news” I alluded to on Monday that was affecting my wife’s health – she’s had a big case of the first trimester “tiredness” which has made our home even more hectic lately.

Here are some personal finance articles of interest to keep you busy.

Even Good Debt Can Be Bad All debt can be bad. I don’t necessarily believe in the “good debt versus bad debt” dichotomy, which is basically the argument of this article. (@ moolanomy)

Be Your Own Part-Time Boss: The Pros & Cons This is one of the best guides I’ve read on starting your own small side business. My favorite point: start now and work out the kinks along the way. (@ man vs. debt)

Paradox Read more…

Australia’s major banking groups have raised interest rates on their fixed rate mortgages, a week ahead of a scheduled Reserve Bank of Australia meeting, the outcome of which is considered to be an almost certain further increase in the official cash rate.

Fixed rate mortgages tend to fluctuate depending on funding costs of the banks on wholesale markets, and are less dependent on official interest rate moves, since lenders typically finance fixed rate mortgages with similar termed funding.

On Monday, National Australia Bank says it will raise its one to five year fixed rate mortgages by between 20 to 50 basis points. N

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