And while this is a great way to save money and get a low cost holiday, people may not be aware that they may be also to make even further savings on the cost of their holiday – by finding cheap caravan and motor home insurance.
So says George McGonigal Director from CaravanQuoter.co.uk, the specialist caravan and motorhome insurance website. He explains: “While caravanning is a fun and much cheaper alternative to an overseas holiday, it doesn’t mean caravan or motorhome owners cannot save even more money by shopping around for their insurance.
“Many motorhome and caravan owners are not aware that there are specialist insurers who can provide a low cost insurance solution for those holidaying on a home-from-home basis. We have a wide range of specialist caravan insurance product providers for caravans, motorhomes, trailer tents and even static caravans which can often offer savings when compared to those who don’t specialise in the leisure insurance niche”.
Visitors to CaravanQuoter can not only get free caravan insurance quotes from a number of providers, but can also take advantage of the useful information available to UK caravan owners and motorhome enthusiasts, particularly relating to insurance.
Visit www.caravanquoter.co.uk for more information or a free caravan insurance quote.
Ends
* http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/3725425/Ten-top-travel-and-tourism-events-of-2008.html
** The National Caravan Council (NCC) 16.02.09
About CaravanQuoter.co.uk:
At CaravanQuoter.co.uk we are passionate about bringing you an ever widening choice of static and touring caravan insurance , trailer tent, motorhome insurance and park home insurance companies that quote for UK residents.
Address & Contact Person
Caravanquoter.co.uk
NISEM Limited
17 Cairndore Walk
Newtownards
County Down
BT23 8PE
UK
George McGonigal
0790 555 6173
mail@caravanquoter.co.uk
]]>
Devised by www.insurance4everyone.co.uk, this innovative concept means the brand commits funds from every single insurance product sold, including renewals, to helping your favourite charity. However unlike similar corporate commitments, they ask the customer to choose the cause, making it a unique offer.
James York Director of Marketing for insurance4everyone says: “We’re excited that our shoppers have an appealing way to get insurance cover whilst they shape our commitment to charity. In a competitive market we are pleased to stand out from the crowd, the ‘David’ battling ‘Goliath’, we deliver fantastic product value coupled with unrivalled brand responsibility.”
Their charity commitment arrives at a time when many corporations are reducing their investments to good causes and recession looms large for all. The brand believes the socially responsible insurance concept fills a void in a traditionally conservative market that often pushes shoppers to compare on price alone, when the picture can be much bigger.
Policy production and insurer selection is to be administered by experienced insurance innovator Berkeley Alexander.
General Manager for the administrator, Geoff Hall said: “Insurance is more automated now than ever and we see a danger in that. We want to engage with our shoppers and see this commitment, without compromising our competitive pricing and efficient service, as the first step of our socially responsible insurance plan.”
Lindsey Cape, Corporate Partnership Fundraiser for Sparks – The Children’s Medical Research Charity added: “This is an innovative and sustainable corporate commitment; it is a fantastic way to generate extra money for charities.”
About Insurance4everyone
Insurance4everyone offer great value home insurance and identity theft insurance with an ethical twist, buy online to get your home insurance online discount.
Address & Contact Person
The Wonderful Web LtdUnit 2A03, South Bank Technopark90 London Road LondonSE1 6LN Sian Thomas 020 7960 5100press@thewonderfulweb.co.uk ]]>
Some of the key Purposes of toolbar usages are as follows:
What is Internet Explorer Protected in VISTA?
Internet Explorer's Protected Mode is a new feature in Microsoft Vista Operating System, and is one of the pieces of User Account Control (UAC). Protected mode is designed to protect the computer by restricting the parts of the system that code running in the IE process can affect. If a malicious web page exploits a code-injection bug in IE or an IE plug-in, that code will not be able to do damage to the system.
Vista introduces a new attribute on securable objects called the mandatory integrity level. There are four levels:
• System: Used by OS components, should not be used by applications.
• High: Processes that are running elevated with full admin rights.
• Medium: Processes launched in the normal fashion.
• Low: Used by IE and Windows Mail to provide protected mode.
The information that Windows keeps about a process includes which integrity level it was launched with. This level can never change once the process is started, it can only be set at the time the process is created. A process's integrity level has three main effects:
To determine if our extension is running in a protected mode IE process, we use IEIsProtectedModeProcess which will return the BOOL Parameter whether protected or not.
How to develop a toolbar for and VISTA support?
Most of the plug-ins need Registry and/or File system access for reading and/or writing operations, these operations can be done without problem when Internet Explorer Protected mode is Disable.
When protected mode is enabled, an extension can only write to a few directories under the user's profile. There are special low-integrity directories under the TEMP, Temporary Internet Files, Cookies, and Favorites directories that are writable. Internet explorer also has some compatibility shims, which virtualizes other commonly-used directories. I haven't seen a full list of those "common directories Write operations to those directories will be redirected to a subdirectory of Temporary Internet Files. If an extension tries to write to a sensitive location, like the Windows directory, the operation will fail.
Developers need to use VISTA SDK for getting the File system Writable Location for downloading any files OR for doing any File system operations.
VISTA SDK can be downloaded at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=ff6467e6-5bba-4bf5-b562-9199be864d29&displaylang=en
How to Enable / Disable Internet explorer Protected Mode?
From control panel open your Windows Login User account settings from those settings…
Click on Turn User Account Control on or off
From that Screen make sure Use User Account Control (UAC) to help Protect your computer option is Un-Checked for Disabling Internet Explorer Protected mode (Once settings is changed you must need to Restart your PC).
Toolbar Development
Internet Explorer Toolbar Development
Custom IE Toolbar Development
Firefox Toolbar Development
Toolbar Development india
The G1 is only available on T-mobile, offering a mobile internet experience incorporating the famous Google applications such as Google maps, YouTube and Google mail.
The Android Market - the Google G1 offers access to an extensive network of unique Android applications. Users can benefit from new services and software built by creative developers to improve and personalise their lifestyle such as Google maps.
With the T-mobile G1’s Qwerty keyboard typing emails and text messages is a laptop-like experience and you can browse on the internet with the trackball. Communicate with ease through Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo Messenger or just normal email whilst web browsing at the same time.
The T-mobile G1 is available free at only £40 a month on a pay monthly contract at Mobiles.co.uk.
Mobiles.co.uk has been trading on the Internet since 1995, was the first mobile phone web site in the UK and won Online Retailer of the Year 2007 and Best Online Retailer 2007 and 2008 at the annual mobile phone industry awards. Mobiles.co.uk employs more than 30 staff based at its offices and warehouse in Watford, Hertfordshire and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Carphone Warehouse Group PLC.
Company Details
Mobiles.co.uk has been trading on the Internet since 1995 and was the first mobile phones web site in the UK making available the T-mobile G1.
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eMuscle (www.emuscle.com) is an online training website, which harnesses the wisdom of the crowd, and pioneers a new way for people to build better bodies. The online community, designed for anyone who is trying to improve their life, allows users to share diets, workouts, thoughts, opinions, videos, pictures and more; creating a unique training experience. By aggregating the knowledge and insights of its members, eMuscle.com can better help individual members, groups or teams reach their goals. This new and improved approach is integrated with innovative tracking tools, videos, and insights from experts that make training easier. It’s great for athletes, trainers and nutritionists because it provides the means to make additional money and a means to additionally self-promote.
Unlike many of the current muscle and bodybuilding sites that are available, eMuscle.com will provide a practical fitness and health website for the practical person. Contrary to what some sites may believe, a petite middle aged women is going to have a hard time relating to a young male bodybuilder. eMuscle.com encourages trainers, athletes, and the average person to express, interact, and learn about health fitness at their own pace and in their own interest categories. By allowing the average user to interact with others with the same common health and fitness interests, a unique one-of-a-kind social network will be created that anyone can be a part of.
Similar to the way Facebook.com and Myspace.com have revolutionized the way people from domestic and foreign networks can interact, eMuscle.com will provide very similar networks through high schools, colleges, teams, areas, and gyms. A social revolution was started with the development of online social networks; eMuscle.com has simply taken the ideas and successes of such websites and tailored the content to the health and fitness industry.
eMuscle.com, Interactive Online Health and Fitness Community, 586.992.3850
###
If you would like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Thomas Wick, please call Michael Knill at 586.992.3850 ext 118 or email Michael at michael.knill@emuscle.com
About Company
Emuscle offers free diet plans, workout routines, and fitness training programs. Emuscle lets you train together or at your own pace. Lose weight, build muscle or train together with Emuscle.
Address & Contact Person
Company Name: eMuscle
Contact: Michael Knill
6060 collection drive
Shelby Township
MI
48316
US
Phone: 586.992.3850 ext 118
Email: michael.knill@emuscle.com
]]>According to Sara-Ann Burgess, director at payment protection insurance specialist Burgesses, it is not since the early nineties that a faltering labor market has combined with a plummeting housing market to create an impossible situation for many borrowers.
“Since negotiating the problems of the early nineties, there have always been either good employment prospects or rising house prices to help borrowers deal with any problems they faced. Now both crutches been taken away a huge amount of ordinary people are going to struggle.”
Should redundancy force borrowers to sell up, falling house prices may leave them in a position of negative equity, giving them nowhere to turn. Equally those who have been used to withdrawing equity from their property and taking advantage of low interest rates are finding there is no more capital left to squeeze out of their property.
Burgess commented: “The latest figures from the FSA show that repossessions in quarter two of this year were up by 71% on the previous year. People simply have nowhere to go if they get into trouble now that house prices are falling and a growing number of people are being made redundant.”
Burgess urged borrowers to reassess their need for protection insurance in the light of the deteriorating environment.
“I think people now realize they are not as secure as they were in the past but are perhaps wary of what the protection market can offer them. Seeking out independent providers such as British Insurance will help them get low cost, high quality cover that puts a safety net in place for their family.”
In a changing environment, Burgess said it was important borrowers were also prepared to change their own approach to their finances and tailor it to best serve the long terms needs of both themselves and their families.
About Burgesses
Burgesses is a trusted and respected name in Payment Protection insurance (PPI) and has established its credentials over many years. The firm is headed up by Sara-Ann Burgess, who has made it her mission to push for fairness, value and efficiency in the Mortgage Payment Protection insurance market.
]]>The last year has seen mortgage volumes and values collapse in spectacular style and brokers can no longer expect business to walk through their door.
For those brokers that want to remain in the market in the long term and continue to provide a valuable and effective service to clients, Burgess says it will be necessary for many firms to re-evaluate the way they operate and the level of contact they have with clients.
“Many mortgage brokers had got used to business flooding through their door and in the face of such demand, keeping in contact with clients and offering them additional services was not the priority.”
However now the stream of new business is so weak, Burgess said those brokers that were able to mine their existing database of clients and help them adapt to the changing financial environment would be best placed to see out the downturn.
“Unemployment is on the rise and many borrowers who had not considered PPI necessary may well feel differently about putting protection in place. Brokers should be contacting all of the clients they have worked with in recent years and offering them a review of their situation and help with putting protection in place,” said Burgess.
Even for clients that have PPI in place, Burgess said it was likely that many could be paying less for their policy or could secure more flexible and effective cover by changing provider.
Independent Intermediaries like British Insurance have shown the huge difference in price between the cheapest and most expensive policies in the market, but still too many consumers are paying over the odds.
“There is a great opportunity,” claimed Burgess, “For brokers to get in touch with clients, reassess their protection needs and perhaps pick up some remortgage business as well.”
About Burgesses
Burgesses is a trusted and respected name in Payment Protection insurance (PPI) and has established its credentials over many years. The firm is headed up by Sara-Ann Burgess, who has made it her mission to push for fairness, value and efficiency in the Mortgage Payment Protection insurance market.
]]>LOOK NO FURTHER. TOTAL TOOLBAR IS HERE TO FREE YOU FROM ALL THESE HASSLES.
A product of Grey Matter India (GMI), a Mumbai based offshore software development firm best known for its expertise in developing Toolbars and Social Network Portals, TOTAL TOOLBAR provides a range of innovative utilities that makes it a must-have application for a wide variety of users.
Total-Toolbar is one of its kinds according to GMI’s CEO Chintan Shah. “Given the critical need for collaborating information and customizing the way one needs to manage it, such applications will find real-time acceptance amongst a wide gamut of users.” says Chintan. “Our decade long presence in the internet space has enabled us deliver tools and utilities targeted towards enriching the web experience for all netizens.”
TOTAL TOOLBAR boasts of advanced features like customizable skins, content grouping using Tabs, customizable buttons, seamless drag drop features, user-generated plugins, realtime alerts and developer centric SDK support. Based on a highly flexible architecture empowering both, the general users and the developer community, TOTAL TOOLBAR provides easy customization of this versatile application. Featuring imaginative dropdown menus, scrolling windows, animated buttons, search text boxes and radio controls, Total toolbar is compatible for all IE versions including the latest IE 7 and supports the latest VISTA OS as well.
You can access and simply download the tool bar at:
http://www.greymatterindia.com/TotalToolbar/TotalToolbar.zip
Demo includes plugins for you tube (latest videos), eBay (user centric product information) and yahoo jobs (job listing based on preferences and location).
About Company
GMI is India’s leading independent solution providers in system based software development, Toolbar, Toolbar Development and expertise in Browser Helper Objects development.
]]>
With Windows Mobile inside running the show, you know you are in safe hands. You can enjoy your favourite entertainment and work features efficiently on the move whilst turbo 3G provides all the speed you could possibly want and need.
The Xperia X1 also lets you interact via numerous intuitive ways. Touch, full wide-pitched QWERTY keyboard which is revealed upon sliding the screen upwards, 4-way key and optical joystick allowing you to switch seamlessly between standard features and office based applications.
Pretty much every connectivity option and feature is included in the Xperia X1: HSDPA for super fast browsing and downloading/uploading, Wi-Fi for a fast Internet connection in wireless hotspots, Push email whereby your emails are sent directly to your phone as soon as they arrive, GPS, Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP and finally a little extra incentive with RSS feeds which you can use to view up-to-the-minute news and other content from selected Web sites and blogs. Just subscribe to the feed and let it come to you.
The Xperia features a miniUSB port and a 3.5mm audio jack, a 3.2 Megapixel camera with autofocus and flash, dedicated menus and direct interaction with in-phone imaging and messaging features; video and a secondary video calling camera, support for MP3/AAC/MPEG4 player and expandable memory via a microSD (TransFlash) slot PLUS handwriting recognition capabilities which help the Xperia X1 to pack one serious punch.
“Touch screen devices are really taking off this year, so it’s good to see Sony Ericsson’s long line of Touchscreen Smartphone’s continue to push the limits of what you can do with your mobile phone. The combination of a full keyboard, Windows Mobile and Sony Ericsson’s unique Panel system is sure to make this the Smartphone to beat.” Ben Godber, marketing manager at Mobiles.co.uk.
The Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 is now currently available on pre-order at Mobiles.co.uk with an expected delivery date of 27th October.
Mobiles.co.uk has been trading on the Internet since 1995, was the first mobile phone web site in the UK and won Online Retailer of the Year 2007 and Best Online Retailer 2007 and 2008 at the annual mobile phone industry awards. Mobiles.co.uk employs more than forty staff based at its offices in Watford, Hertfordshire, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Carphone Warehouse Group PLC.
Mobiles.co.uk
6 Greenhill Cr, Watford Business Park, Watford
Hertfordshire, England
WD18 8RF
Ben Godber
01923 656651
Company Details
Mobiles.co.uk has been trading on the Internet since 1995 and was the first mobile phones web site in the UK offering the Sony Ericsson X1 for pre-order.
]]>
Areoff - which was founded by Director, Andrew Areoff in 1999 - specialises in effective website design and SEO services for insurance and financial clients, helping businesses get more visitors to their websites; achieve greater sales; and, make increased profit.
The Global Business Excellence Awards aim to identify and reward business excellence across all sectors, both private and public, celebrating those companies that are working smarter than their competitors to create a business edge.
Commenting on his Award Andrew said: “We strive to provide an excellent quality of work and first class service and are proud that our efforts have recognised with such a prestigious Award.
“At Areoff we are continuing to build on our achievement by working with insurance and financial clients with passion and expertise. We are always looking to employ our skills with professional firms within the insurance and financial industries, and help them be more effective online.”
Simon Burgess from British Insurance said that he was thrilled that Areoff had won the Award, adding that “it is testament to their expertise and dedication that our online sales increased by 40% within one month”.
For more information, please visit: www.areoff.com or call Andrew Areoff on: 01702 460046.
Areoff Limited is an award-winning website design and SEO company that has worked since 1999 to provide outstanding online solutions for our clients in the insurance and financial industries.
]]>
Dick Park house, Managing Director, Retail, at The Co-operative Bank said: “Until now, packaged accounts have been one-size-fits-all for customers. However, our new offering moves current accounts onto a new level by allowing consumers to tailor benefits to their lifestyle.
“Customers can also make significant financial savings from the comprehensive range of benefits that come with both the Privilege and Privilege Premier current accounts.”
Standard benefits on Privilege and Privilege Premier current accounts include comprehensive worldwide family travel insurance, mobile phone insurance and enhanced banking features. Motor breakdown cover with European assistance is also available on the Privilege Premier current account.
Linked savings accounts are automatically opened for customers that guarantee to track the Bank of England Base Rate. The Privilege Premier Savings account will stay 0.1 per cent below base rate, while the Privilege Savings account will pay credit interest of 0.3 per cent below base rate. Other banking features include interest and fee free overdrafts of £300 for Privilege Premier current account holders and £200 for Privilege account customers.
There is also 20 per cent discount on Home Insurance from The Co-operative Insurance, a free Legal Advice Helpline and a Smart save discount card that entitles customers to discounts on items such as holidays, leisure attractions and car hire.
The Privilege current account costs £8.50 per month, while Privilege Premier current account is available for £12 per month.
Commenting on the launch Andrew Hagger, leading online financial comparison site Moneynet.co.uk, said: “These new packaged accounts from The Co-operative Bank offer good value for money providing the associated benefits are utilised.
“Having the flexibility to choose an additional bolt-on benefits package relevant to their lifestyle will ensure customers can make the most of this innovative pick ‘n’ mix approach.”
Dick Parkhouse added: “Being a customer of The Co-operative Bank also means getting service of the highest quality. We are consistently ranked best on the high street for customer service in independent surveys such as which? Magazine and BBC Watchdog.”
The Co-operative Bank remains the only high street bank with a clear Ethical Policy that gives customers a say in how their money is used. It remains committed to its UK based call centres and offers 24 hour banking via online and telephone banking.
Anyone interested in opening a Privilege or Privilege Premier current account or getting a credit card should visit a Co-operative Bank branch, call 0800 247 365 or go online to: www.co-operativebank.co.uk/privilege, www.co-operativebank.co.uk/premier, www.smile.co.uk/smilemore.
About Company
The Co-operative Insurance provides car insurance, home insurance, life insurance and building insurance.
]]>
The first subject to be featured on the site will be The Co-operative Bank’s support for Microfinance*. The Co-operative Bank has created a special £25m fund in order to support the development of small businesses in new and developing countries as well as some of the world’s poorest countries. The Bank has already provided support in 25 countries worldwide including Nicaragua, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Ecuador, Kenya and Bosnia.
In May of 2008 The Co-operative Bank sent two members of staff to see at first hand the real impact microfinance has had on peoples’ lives by visiting some of the projects it had recently supported in Bosnia.
The visit was of particular significance to one member of staff Belma Gracankic (25), who is herself a Bosnian refugee having come to the UK in 1993 along with her family to escape the war in Sarajevo.
Belma, along with her colleague Sangeeta, recorded a video diary of the visit in which she talks to some of the people in Bosnia who as a result of the microfinance funding have managed to rebuild their lives following the war. Belma also, for the first time since leaving Bosnia, returns to the village (Derventa) where she grew up and talks openly about the hardship she and her family had to go through during the war and describes to what the lengths they had to go to in order to escape the war**.
The ‘goodwithmoney’ blog will host a series of video clips, archive footage, interviews and photographs both via the site, vimeo, flicker and you tube where over the coming weeks those logging on can follow their trip step by step and post their views/comments.
Belma Gracankic, Relationship Manager at the Co-operative Bank, commented, “I take great pride in working for a bank that take its ethical credentials so seriously. I was delighted to return to Bosnia and to see some of my fellow Bosnian’s rebuilding their lives through the help and support of The Co-operative Bank. It was also especially rewarding to re-visit the places I grew up and so see how they are being rebuilt and regenerated. I hope the blog will provide everyone visiting the site a real insight into what life is now like in Bosnia and how it has changed since the siege of Sarajevo.
Sara-Ann concludes: “Over the last week we’ve seen people in despair, wondering how to pay their bills, feed their children and keep a roof over their head when there are no wages coming in. Whilst the redundancy could not have been avoided, the financial hardship that will inevitably follow can.”
About Company
The Co-operative Insurance provides car insurance, home insurance, life insurance and building insurance.
]]>
Payment Protection Insurance provides a monthly income, to either pay bills or the mortgage, if the policyholder is unable to work due to accident, sickness or unemployment. Policies generally pay out for up to a year and some providers give back to day one benefits, health and employment support services and Legal Expenses cover.
Premiums are costed out per £100 of monthly cover, so purchasers looking for income protection work out their monthly outgoings and calculate how much they need from their policy to meet their financial commitments. Similarly, mortgage protection covers the monthly mortgage repayments and loan protection meets the monthly cost of any loan commitments.
Policies are now available to everyone as independent PPI provider, British Insurance, recently added products for people in shared ownership schemes and rented accommodation to its range.
Research also shows that 10% of respondents would buy PPI if they felt their job was under threat and people in the finance and business sectors are more likely to have policies, closely followed by those in construction and manufacturing.
Sara-Ann comments: “Don’t wait until your job is under threat to buy a policy – you may be excluded from making a claim if the insurer finds you were under the threat of redundancy at the time of purchase.
”Shop around as High Street providers do not always offer the best deals re; the cover they offer or prices they charge. Prices for unemployment cover with Independents start at £3.40 per £100 for Income and Loan Protection, and £1.60 per £100 for Mortgage.”
She concludes: “People need to be more aware of the benefits of PPI – those who are unaware of the financial protection it provides could be putting themselves and their families at risk. In this case, ignorance isn’t bliss.”
About Burgesses
Burgesses is a trusted and respected name in Payment Protection insurance (PPI) and has established its credentials over many years. The firm is headed up by Sara-Ann Burgess, who has made it her mission to push for fairness, value and efficiency in the Mortgage Payment Protection insurance market.
]]>
So says Sara-Ann Burgess managing director of protection insurance specialist Burgesses.
“Worldwide crisis in the credit markets and its knock on effect for banking and other financial services has brought it home to many people just how many people in the financial services industry have been treating their customers with contempt.
“Nowhere is this better exemplified that in the PPI market where poor performing products that generate massive commission fees have been pushed to unsuspecting customers.”
Investigations into the PPI market have been ongoing for some time. However, the FSA declared this week it is to escalate intervention following poor findings from its thematic review. It highlighted the sale of single premium PPI sold alongside unsecured personal loans as being of particular concern and advised stopping the practice all together.
Loan protection policies sold by high street providers are up to 12 times more expensive than other more keenly and appropriately priced covers in the market.
“We have been arguing for some time that this product is unsuitable in nearly every scenario and should be scrapped. It is unsurprising that the FSA has now come round to our way of thinking, it is just disappointing that it has taken so long and left customers open to further exploitation by unscrupulous lenders,” Burgess added.
The regulator is also to consider what action to take to deal with ongoing non-compliant sales practices and consider actions to identify and remedy non-compliant past sales, using a range of regulatory powers at its disposal.
Burgess said: “While stricter requirements in selling payment protection insurance would focus attention on the responsibilities that brokers hold to their clients, they must be introduced alongside a tighter line from the FSA over the frightening divergence in price that exists between the cheapest and most expensive products in the market.
“The FSA could regulate the products sold, take a much harder line on those found wanting, or stop credit providers selling only their own protection insurance. This would introduce greater competition and ensure a better deal for the customer.”
About Burgesses
Burgesses is a trusted and respected name in Payment Protection insurance (PPI) and has established its credentials over many years. The firm is headed up by Sara-Ann Burgess, who has made it her mission to push for fairness, value and efficiency in the Mortgage Payment Protection insurance market.
]]>The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has significantly revised its economic outlook and in its most recent forecast, released today (15.09.08), believes the UK is now entering a recession that will put hundreds of thousands of people out of work.
The CBI believes unemployment will rise over the course of the coming months, breaking the 2 million barrier in 2009. This is a very much bleaker outlook than the CBI gave earlier in the year when it said the UK would avoid recession and is a clear indication of just how bad things are likely to get.
Given the deteriorating economic situation, Sara-Ann Burgess, director at Burgesses, said it was up to each and every individual to take responsibility for their own financial situation and make sure it was sustainable in the changing environment.
While UK consumers have been quick to take on debt, not all had been so quick to make sure they could pay it back and in a faltering economy, such provisions will prove essential, according to Burgess.
She said: “Hundreds of thousands of people are going to lose their jobs over the coming months and this is going to make it very difficult for many of them to meet their financial commitments. Finding new jobs is not going to be as easy as it has been in recent years and for those that do not have savings to meet the mortgage or pay their monthly credit card bills, getting insurance in place now will help them avoid financial disaster if they are made redundant.”
Despite changes to the Income Support for Mortgage Interest benefit, which will come into force next year, the vast majority of consumers will receive no help with their mortgage should they be unable to pay due to redundancy.
Burgess said it was time for consumers to take responsibility for their own future financial health and urged them to see what the protection market had to offer.
“There is robust, low cost protection insurance available in the market despite some of the bad press the protection industry has received. Those who would be unable to pay their mortgage if they were made redundant should investigate their options. This economic storm is going to get worse before it gets better and consumers must protect themselves.”
About Burgesses
Burgesses is a trusted and respected name in Payment Protection insurance (PPI) and has established its credentials over many years. The firm is headed up by Sara-Ann Burgess, who has made it her mission to push for fairness, value and efficiency in the Mortgage Payment Protection insurance market.
]]>As the economic downturn gains momentum and credit crunch casualties continue to increase, it’s more important than ever for consumers to take out some form of income protection, so they can pay their monthly bills should they lose their jobs, warns Payment Protection Insurance sector lobbyist Sara-Ann Burgess from Burgesses.
She comments: “Only this week we’ve seen the collapse of the fourth largest investment bank, Lehman Brothers and witnessed on the news, employees packing up their belongings in boxes, facing an uncertain future. XL Airways employees were equally devastated to find they were out of a job last week and there’s a general nervousness about the stability of HBOS.
“Now is not the time to turn your back on income protection, it’s vital that during these difficult times, everyone has a financial safety net to help meet monthly commitments should something happen. Even if you have savings to fall back on, how long will these last given the current food, fuel and utility prices? Income protection provides a monthly replacement income for up to a year, paying those all important bills and giving much-needed financial breathing space to those who either need to find a new job or recover from an accident or sickness.”
The reputation of the PPI sector has been tarnished over the years - it’s currently under close scrutiny from the Competition Commission, following allegations of mis-selling, high pressure sales tactics, over-priced products and vast numbers of claims rejections, due to policies being sold to the wrong people.
Consumers have subsequently turned their back on providers. This, suggests Sara-Ann, is leaving millions of people exposed to financial hardship should they be made redundant, have an accident or become sick.
She continues: “Over-priced PPI products have been marketed by High Street banks and building societies for years and people now take the view they would rather save their money and take a chance. In this current climate, it’s a very risky strategy and one I do not recommend.
“However, there are many more-ethical independent income protection providers who offer good value products that are very comprehensive in their cover and not over-priced. Prices start at £1.90 per £100 of monthly income.”
Sara-Ann concludes: “Over the last week we’ve seen people in despair, wondering how to pay their bills, feed their children and keep a roof over their head when there are no wages coming in. Whilst the redundancy could not have been avoided, the financial hardship that will inevitably follow can.”
About Burgesses
Burgesses is a trusted and respected name in Payment Protection insurance (PPI) and has established its credentials over many years. The firm is headed up by Sara-Ann Burgess, who has made it her mission to push for fairness, value and efficiency in the Mortgage Payment Protection insurance market.
]]>It cautions that when the mortgage and general insurance industries came under statutory regulation, they immediately signed up to meet industry standards of professionalism and competence – that included offering access to the FSCS. Crucially, the FSCS has the power to compensate consumers in the event of the failure of any firm that is authorized. That guarantee does not apply to customers of firms domiciled outside the UK. That can have real consequences for intermediaries selling or advising on products from overseas providers that have no obligation to the Financial Services Authority (FSA) or the FSCS.
Sara-Ann Burgess managing director of Burgesses.com explained:
“Intermediaries choosing to sue these firms are denying their clients access to the compensation through the FSCS should something go wrong and they could end up footing the bill.
“Those advising or selling products provided by insurance firms that fall outside of the regulatory regime, and therefore not suing the key facts logo nor providing prescribed information, could also be deemed to fall foul of the FSA’s treating customers fairly guidelines.
“Intermediaries should do a little homework to make sure they don’t place themselves in a vulnerable position by using a non-UK regulated product provider.”
About Burgesses
Burgesses is a trusted and respected name in Payment Protection insurance (PPI), Credit Card PPI and has established its credentials over many years. The firm is headed up by Sara-Ann Burgess, who has made it her mission to push for fairness, value and efficiency in the Mortgage Payment Protection insurance market.
Address & Contact Person
Burgesses Limited
PO Box 6164
Braintree
Essex
CM77 7ZW
Sara-Ann Burgess
01371853027
]]>Which? reports today that almost 1.3million people buy credit card PPI in the belief it will improve their chances of being approved for credit and it appears providers positively encourage this view; three in ten consumers were told upon application that ‘PPI is a good idea’.
However, Sara-Ann echoes the sentiments of Which? and says this cover is unnecessary and rips off consumers: “I applaud this campaign from the consumer watchdog - people need warning about this product. Ninety five per cent of premiums are taken in commission by providers, very few claims are ever paid and it will not provide a financial safety net for those with mounting debts.”
She continues: “Credit card PPI only pays the outstanding minimum monthly balance leaving an outstanding debt which will still have to be paid once the 12 month payment period expires. Consumers are better off reducing their level of debt rather than spending their money on insurance that will not pay out when it’s needed. If the policy does pay out – and only 11% are ever successfully claimed – it will have little impact on the overall amount owed on the credit card.”
Credit card PPI is worth over £970 million a year to the PPI sector, making it the second biggest selling product. Sara-Ann concludes: “It’s no surprise to find credit card providers pushing this product, they make a tidy profit! If you’re adamant you want this type of cover, buy a policy from one of the independent providers. Prices start at around £6 - a twentieth of the costs charged by credit card companies. Alternatively, opt for income protection – it pays all the monthly bills, not just credit cards, should accident, sickness or unemployment occur.
“During these difficult economic times, it saddens me to find consumers are falling victim to unscrupulous profit-driven companies who although profess to caring about the financial well being of their customers, are keen to encourage them to push themselves further into debt. Don’t waste money on premiums; use it to line your pockets instead.”
About Burgesses
Burgesses is a trusted and respected name in Payment Protection insurance (PPI), Credit Card PPI and has established its credentials over many years. The firm is headed up by Sara-Ann Burgess, who has made it her mission to push for fairness, value and efficiency in the Mortgage Payment Protection insurance market.
Address & Contact Person
Burgesses Limited
PO Box 6164
Braintree
Essex
CM77 7ZW
Sara-Ann Burgess
01371853027
]]>Sara-Ann Burgess, Managing Director of payment protection insurance specialist Burgesses, said the CML had been ineffective at lobbying the Government to improve the level of benefit offered to those unable to pay their mortgage because of accident, sickness and unemployment. This does not compare favourably with the more easily accessible and immediate level of protection offered to tenants who are unable to pay their rent because of similar problems with accident, sickness or unemployment.
The disparity between the help available to borrowers in the private sector and tenants in the rental sector means there is a safeguard for landlords, which will in turn help them to meet their mortgage commitments.
However this safeguard is not in place for borrowers in the residential sector leaving mortgage lenders carrying the can should their customers be unable to afford repayments.
“The CML has been ineffectual at getting the Government to make any movement on this issue,” says Burgess. “Both residential mortgage borrowers and lenders will suffer because of the lack of help available from the Government and the CML’s inability to get the Government to change its stance may end up costing numerous members of the CML very dear indeed.”
The Local Housing Allowance was introduced nationally on 7 April 2008 and is a new way of working out Housing Benefit for private tenants. However while a lot of work has gone into protecting those who are struggling to pay their landlord, nothing has been done to change the rules surrounding the help afforded to borrowers in the residential market.
Currently, not everyone is eligible for help and those who are have to wait 9 months before the government will help with their mortgage. However, it will only pay the interest on a maximum of £100,000 and at a fixed rate of Bank Base Rate plus 1.58%. This is to change in April 2009 to 3 months and £175,000.
“This is an issue that the CML should have been pushing harder to resolve,” says Burgess. “Mortgage payment protection insurance has not created the safety net that the Government had hoped and the lack of state funded aid means residential mortgage lenders will have to pick up the cost of defaults because of accident, sickness and unemployment.”
About Burgesses
Burgesses is a trusted and respected name in Payment Protection insurance (PPI) and has established its credentials over many years. The firm is headed up by Sara-Ann Burgess, who has made it her mission to push for fairness, value and efficiency in the Mortgage Payment Protection insurance market.
Address & Contact Person
Burgesses Limited
PO Box 6164
Braintree
Essex
CM77 7ZW
Sara-Ann Burgess
01371853027
]]>New research conducted this week by Burgesses.com has revealed that these unsuspecting borrowers are tied into deals because mortgage lenders’ mortgage payment protection insurance (MPPI) policies are non-transferable between lenders.
Alarmingly, these policies – which are supposed to pay out in the event of accident, sickness or unemployment – have built-in clauses that will exclude medical conditions that exist or have occurred within 12 months of the start date.
Sara-Ann Burgess, spokeswoman for Burgesses.com says, “It’s a shocking and outrageous reality that anyone with a pre-existing condition is seriously prejudiced because lenders’ policies are non-transferable between mortgage providers. I believe the only reason for this is that the lenders want to tie their most vulnerable borrowers into financial arrangements that are often poor value for money.”
An alternative, and far more beneficial way of buying the cover, is to go through a specialist broker, because these do not prejudice policyholders who have developed a medical condition but may wish to change mortgage providers.
Burgess continues “Pre-existing condition exclusions are wholly unsatisfactory because you are effectively underwritten at the point of claim and having a new exclusion each time you change your mortgage exacerbates this further. The key is to make sure you buy a portable policy at the outset.”
About Burgesses
Burgesses is a trusted and respected name in Payment Protection insurance (PPI) and has established its credentials over many years. The firm is headed up by Sara-Ann Burgess, who has made it her mission to push for fairness, value and efficiency in the Mortgage Payment Protection insurance market.
Address & Contact Person
Burgesses Limited
PO Box 6164
Braintree
Essex
CM77 7ZW
Sara-Ann Burgess
01371853027
Commenting upon its research, Burgesses.com Managing Director, Sara-Ann Burgess says, “Loyal consumers are paying the price of apathy and are paying hundreds of thousands of pounds over the odds for cover which is available from independent providers for a significantly lower price.”
The cost of cover varies dramatically. Cheltenham & Gloucester charges £7.70 per £100 of cover, whereas the Alliance & Leicester rate is £5.45. However, independent providers such as Britishinsurance.com offers cover for only £3.95 plus three months’ free cover.
Sara-Ann Burgess continues, “Just because cover is more expensive doesn’t mean that it is better. In fact, it’s all obtained from the same source, the only difference in 99% of cases is how much commission goes into the lender’s pocket. The vast majority of the major lenders retain at least 70% of the premium in commission.”
The UK economy is growing at a sluggish 1.7%, the slowest growth for a decade. Accordingly, most mortgage borrowers must now assess their need for insurance. They must not however be victims of inertia and must shop around for a better deal.
The cost of Mortgage Payment Protection Insurance for the UK’s top ten providers is detailed below:
Cost per £100 of Full ASU cover
Cheltenham & Gloucester £7.70
Abbey National £6.04
Barclay’s £5.95
Woolwich £5.95
Halifax £5.95
Northern Rock £5.50
Alliance & Leicester £5.45
NatWest £5.12
Nationwide BS £4.94
Bradford & Bingley £4.90
Average Cost £5.75
This compares with the cost from Britishinsurance.com of only £3.95
About Burgesses
Burgesses is a trusted and respected name in Payment Protection insurance (PPI) and has established its credentials over many years. The firm is headed up by Sara-Ann Burgess, who has made it her mission to push for fairness, value and efficiency in the Mortgage Payment Protection insurance market.
]]>It offers premiums for a 25 year old at £1.60 or 27.63% of the average price charged by the top 10 lenders and is 20.13% less than the most expensive. The new policy is even 32.65% of the cost of the cheapest lender Bradford and Bingley. According to Andrew Hagger of Moneyfacts.co.uk “People need to be made aware that there are alternative providers of MPPI offering superior levels of cover but at a much reduced cost, which can result in thousands of pounds being saved over the term of a mortgage.”
This new product according to leading Financial Adviser Sean Horton of Enhanced Wealth Ltd is “great news for the consumer who by shopping around either directly or via a broker, can not only save a significant sum but purchase a policy that is designed to pay claims rather than to avoid them.”
Advantages include:
* Premiums from only 0.95 per £100 of monthly benefit
* Tax-free claims benefits are payable from day one – instead of being subject to the usual 60 day excess period
* Fully portable between lenders – enabling those with pre-existing medical conditions to change to a cheaper mortgage deal if they wish
* Unemployment only or disability only cover both or combined
Simon Burgess, Managing Director of British Insurance says, “Our research shows (see notes for Editors) that consumers insuring an average monthly mortgage payment of £600 could save on average £7,547 over the lifetime of a 25 year mortgage or £10,980 when compared to the most expensive lenders, even the cheapest lender’s policies results in consumers over-spending by £5,940.”
“This is because of the over inflated commissions (often in excess of 80%) that are taken by most mortgage lenders. In comparison we take a comparatively modest 20% allowing 80% to go into the fund to pay claims”.
About Company
British insurance are trusted market leaders in payment protection insurance and Mortgage Payment Protection.
Address & Contact Person
British Insurance
PO Box 6164
Braintree
Essex
CM77 7ZW
Simon Burgess
07718152635
]]>This new limited subscription service provides a range of monthly articles which can be used by insurance and mortgage brokers, and financial advisers to populate their websites with quality content which in turn will help generate more traffic.
Jason Hulott, director of Speedie Consultants, the finance and insurance content provider, says: “The new website service is a fantastic way for the small broker to level the playing field and be able to compete online. By leveraging a limited membership and an online delivery system we are able to reduce the individual cost to the broker.”
He adds: “We are excited about this new service as it means that we can now provide our content service to a larger number of companies who want to drive more business to their website. This service allows companies to add quality content however they like. It also provides them with enough content to build a blog or provide a newsletter for their clients.”
The membership - which is open to 50 clients only in order to keep the content exclusive - comes complete with several marketing and promotion guides.
For more information – and to pick up ten free samples of content to be used however you wish - visit www.thecontent.co.uk
About Company
British insurance are trusted market leaders in Payment Protection insurance have launched new website for Finance Content and Insurance Content writing.
Address & Contact Person
10 College Gardens
Westgate on Sea
Kent, United Kingdom
CT8 8EY
Jason Hulott
01843831088
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