The UK will enter recession in the first half of the year as households continue to cut back, says the National Institute of Economic and Social Research.
A member of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee criticises banks for not lending enough to businesses and asks if they are "risk-averse jerks".
Hot Topic - Offers - Newsletter - Glossary - Life Insurance Guide - Critical Illness Guide - Key Facts about Omega - 10 Calculators
HOT TOPIC
If you're worried about what's happening to the value of the money you have in deposit accounts or invested in stocks & shares . . . READ our article about possible routes to 'safer' investing. Click on this link Offers
** Free - New Parent Life Cover from Aviva **
If you've just had a baby this offer is certainly worthwhile. Both parents can apply for £10,000 of free life cover for the first 12 months of the baby's life. Your application needs to be made before the baby is 6 months old. 52% of UK adults have no life insurance cover at all, yet the costs of raising a child average over £3,500 just in the first year.* APPLY NOW - just fill in the quote enquiry form – we'll do the rest. * Source: American Express survey.
** Free - full 'Wash & Brush-up' financial review **
When do you last overhaul your financial arrangements or check on whether what you have still offers real value for money? Click on this email link office@omega-consulting.net - tell us briefly what your situation is; let us know of any particular or immediate concerns. We'll make 'phone or email contact to get the further detail we'll need. We will prepare a full analysis with recommendations, including perhaps, advice to do nothing at all - if that's in your best interests!
** Free - full 'With Profits' value for money review**
Many traditional Pension, Savings and Pension policies only had one 'choice' of fund for your money - the 'With Profits' fund. Since 2001 most of these have produced abysmal returns, including in some cases no return at all. The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is concerned and, in the spirit of their 'Treating Customers Fairly' initiative, wants to see customers getting professional advice about their options. If you've held any Investment, Savings or Pension policy for more that 10 years, the chances are that your money is in a 'With Profits' fund. If you'd like a review click on this email link:office@omega-consulting.net - tell us your situation. We have software systems that will help to make a proper evaluation of the likely future for your policies.
Newsletter
In this issue of our topical newsletter you'll find short articles on:
If you've ever found yourself stumped by words used in the Financial Services business, here's an answer. We're not saying that our alphabetical list contains every word, phrase or title - but it probably has most of what any of us need to know! Click Financial Glossaryfor over 260 definitions.
Life Insurance Guide
In simple terms this guide goes through the basics of protection your Mortgage, your family, your Estate or your business. Go to A Short Guide to Life Insurance.
Critical Illness Guide
Tells you how the plans work and, more importantly perhaps, what illnesses are covered:
This is in the format laid down by the Financial Services Authority (FSA); It tells you in some detail where we stand in the Financial Services market, what services we offer and how we charge for them.
Listed in alphabetical order - so not necessarily in order of importance
1. APR - Rates of Return
The only way to make a 'like-for-like' comparison between the returns of difference investment, saving or borrowing products is to calculate an Annualised Percentage Rate (APR). Not easy to do with mental arithmetic – or a calculator! Our APR Calculator will do the job for you easily. If you don't get an answer it's probably because you need a Microsoft 'Add in'. Open the calculator, go to Tools on the menu bar, then Add-ins. Tick the box 'Analysis toolpack' and say OK. Close the calculator then re-open to start the add-in.
2. Attitude to Investment Risk & Reward
This is a simple 7 question 'test' to help you discover how you feel about taking risk with money you invest and how much risk you're prepared to accept to gain the chance of improving your investment returns. You can then go on to look at some 'model' portfolio's that show how your money might be allocated based on your attitudes. Click on Risk-Reward
3. Effect of Inflation
We all know about the corrosive effect inflation can have on our money. Even at a modest inflation rate of 2½% a year the spending power of your money halves in 27 years. So for any sensible saving plan you need to know two things: what would today's money value be worth in the future?; how much more would you need to have in the future to match today's spending power? The effect of inflation calculator will give you both answers.
4. Equity Release
Although this a very complex area and really shouldn't be undertaken lightly or without proper advice, many people we speak to just want to know roughly what they might be able to raise either as a lifetime mortgage or through a home reversion scheme. The question that usually follows is : "How much income could that lump sum be turned into. The Equity Release calculator gives outline answers to both questions
5. Lump Sum Investment Returns
This is a simple one. How much will you expect to get back if you invest £xxxx over y years? Go to the Lump Sum Investment returns calculator to find out
6. Mortgage Repayments
This will tell you what the cost of a Capital Repayment Mortgage will be in monthly payments over the term of the loan to ensure that it's fully repaid at the end. Go to Mortgage Repayments.
7. Overpaying your Mortgage
Suppose you find there's surplus income in your budget. Would it be a good idea to regularly overpay your mortgage? How much sooner would you be clear of it? Try out your own figures on the Overpay Mortgage calculator.
8. Regular Savings
This calculator will tell you what lump sum you will create by saving a set amount every month, for a specified period of years and at your own estimated percentage rate of return. Go to Regular Savings Calculator.
9. Repaying Debt
When you take out a loan, you know how long it's for – but with a credit card it could go on for ever. Most people now know that paying the minimum each month off a credit card means that it will be long, long time before you are debt free. But what's the effect on a loan or credit card balance if you pay more. How long it'll take to repay obviously depends on how much you pay every month. Use our Loan-Credit Card Repayment calculator to see the effect of making different levels of payment.
10. Target Savings
You know how much money you need to accumulate, and you know when you're going to need it – so once you can estimate what rate of return you'll get on your savings, you can find out how much you need to save each month to meet your target sum – Target Savings Calculator.
