Clinton Cards gone into admin

Clinton Cards, who have a store in the Rochdale Exchange Shopping Centre, has been placed into administration.
Founded in 1968, it is the UK's biggest card retailer, operating 628 Clinton shops and 139 Birthdays stores and employing more than 8,000 staff.

In March, Clinton reported a loss of £3.7m for the six months to the end of January and said the outlook for 2012 was worse than previously thought.

On Wednesday, it said like-for-like sales, which strip out the impact of sales from shops opened or closed in the past year, fell 3.5% in the past 14 weeks compared with a year earlier.

The company said Barclays Bank and Royal Bank of Scotland had sold its loan facilities to American Greetings.

It said that although it had not breached any covenants or repayment obligations, it had been given certain temporary waivers for "technical breaches" by the banks.

Clinton said it had originally believed that American Greetings would extend these waivers.

"However, having secured control of the debt, American Greetings immediately informed the board that it intended to enforce the loan against the company," the retailer said in a statement earlier on Wednesday.

"The board has concluded that because it is unable to repay the loan, it has no option but to concur with American Greetings' proposal to place the company and its subsidiaries into administration." bad credit loans

Clinton has been restructuring its business to try and turn around its fortunes, including closing a number of Clinton and Birthdays-branded UK stores. unsecured loans

Austerity

During the financial crisis, the message from Brussels has been that struggling euro zone countries must cut their budget deficits and carry out structural reforms to increase competitiveness.

However, with unemployment at record highs and some peripheral countries already deep in recession, Europe must turn its attention to ways to stimulate economic growth to lessen the blow of austerity measures, Olli Rehn, Europe's commissioner for economic and monetary affairs, said.
"Fiscal consolidation, while necessary (needs to be) done in a growth-friendly and differentiated way, in order to strike a balance between necessary fiscal consolidation and concerns for growth," he said in a speech at the Free University of Brussels.
Speaking on the eve of elections in France and Greece that could undermine Europe's hardline stance on budget discipline, he said, "Vulnerable member states under close market scrutiny need to convince both the market forces and policy-makers over their capacity to tackle fiscal challenges and thus create confidence."
Economists have suggested that tough deficit reduction policies could be eased to help Spain and Italy avoid a recessionary spiral, although bond markets have reacted badly, punishing Spain after it raised its 2012 deficit target.
Europe is now formulating a strategy to stimulate growth and intends to launch it at an EU leaders' summit in late June. UNsecured loans

Italy and Belgium's leaders fell in behind European Central Bank President Mario Draghi's calls for a "growth compact" last week to stand alongside the bloc's fiscal compact for budget discipline.
One strategy is to increase the capital of the European Investment Bank, the EU's long-term lender, to allow it to make bigger investments in infrastructure projects and related areas across the European Union's 27 member countries. bad credit loans

"With the European Investment bank, the EU has a powerful institution to support growth and employment," said Rehn.
However, while the Commission may be eager to promote growth policies, Europe's paymaster Germany is reluctant to let countries backslide on austerity targets.
German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble told a conference in Spain this week that Europe's focus on austerity should continue, even if talks over the coming weeks at a European Union level examine ways to stimulate growth.

Financing a sailing holiday

While it’s true that if you want to sail a J-class super yacht in the Med for the week you’ll certainly pay for it, sailing holidays don’t have to cost the earth. There are sailing holiday options open to all budgets and here we take a look at the options and help you find a trip that you can afford.

The price of a sailing holiday is dependant on three main factors – the destination you choose, the size of the boat you hire, and the number of skippers and crewmembers skills you need aboard with you.

The destination and time of year that you book can make a huge difference to your sailing trip costs. The Med or the Caribbean in the height of summer is understandably going to be more expensive than at other times of year. If your travel schedule is flexible, try to book outwith the peak summer months.

Areas that are in high demand will cost you more too. So if you want to make savings, think outside the box when it comes to picking your destination. unsecured loans Recent years have seen a growing number of affordable package deals to Turkeys for example, where you pay for your flights, week’s sailing and accommodation in one lump sum.

As a general rule, the smaller the vessel you choose, the less you will pay. A great way to enjoy a more luxurious boat is to team up with friends or relatives for a joint holiday. This way the costs of hire can be split between more people, making it more affordable for all.

Costs will rise if you need the services of a skipper and crewmembers. If you have no previous sailing experience, then this is essential. However, if you do have sailing experience, at least to RYA day-skipper level and have a minimum of one other person willing and able to act as competent crew, then you could ‘bareboat’ a yacht instead. So long as you have proven sailing experience, you can agree to charter a boat without crew, and this can be a good deal cheaper.

If you are a regular sailor, then it could pay you to get into the habit of saving regularly throughout the year, rather than having to make one large payment each year that could stretch your finances. Choose a savings account that pays as high a rate of interest as possible. Comparison bad credit loans sites can be useful here, making it easier to compare rates. Searching online has further advantages in that larger banks such as Santander tend to offer their best rates on the online savings accounts too.

Buying in bulk Strategies

Day traders employ certain techniques to increase their profits. Two of the most important are leverage and selling short. We've discussed leverage several times throughout the article, but it's worth mentioning again. If you'll recall, leverage is the process of borrowing money to make more money.

Let's say a particular trade results in a 10 percent return. If you have $50,000 in your account, then your return will be $5,000. But if you borrow another $50,000 and add it to your account, then your return doubles -- you make $10,000. Leverage enables you to increase the dollars returned to you without increasing the performance of the trade.

Where do day traders find this money? They generally borrow it from their brokerage firms, using a special account known as a margin account. The margin account is different from a trader's cash account and requires an initial investment of at least $2,000. Once the margin account is opened, a trader can borrow up to 50 percent of the purchase price of a stock. This is also known as buying on margin. unsecured loans

Another borrowing strategy is selling short. A day trader who sells short borrows a security and then sells it in the hopes of repaying the loan by buying back cheaper shares later on. In this case, the trader looks for a security that is going down in price (as opposed to the more common practice of buying low and selling high). Once he identifies such a security, the trader: bad credit loans

1. Places an order to sell the stock
2. Tells the broker he does not own the shares, but instead wants to borrow them
3. Sits back as the brokerage firm borrows the shares, loans them to his account and executes the sell order
4. Waits until the security goes down in price, then buys the shares in the market
5. Returns shares to the broker to pay back the loan
6. Keeps the difference as profit

Both leverage and selling short carry certain risks, and both can result in a day trader losing his assets and being asked to pay back those he borrowed. One of the biggest dangers is the margin call. A margin call may be issued when the value of a trader's margin account falls below a preset limit known as the maintenance margin. To satisfy the margin call, a trader must deposit more money into his account. If he can't do that, the broker will start selling the trader's securities until the maintenance margin is once again attained. Under most margin agreements, a firm can sell a trader's securities without waiting for him to meet the margin call. He may not even be able to control which securities are sold.

To reduce the risks associated with trading on margin, day traders use stop-losses. A stop loss order is an order to sell a security at the market price as soon as it hits a predetermined level. The advantage of a stop order is that a trader doesn't have to obsess over a stock's performance, knowing he has a measure of protection. The disadvantage is that the stop price could be triggered by a short-term fluctuation in a stock's price. Still, a stop order is an important tool for day traders, as is a "mental" stop-loss: a maximum amount that a trader is willing to lose in a day.

How can I avoid paying tax on my redundancy?

How to pay less income tax on a redundancy payment

I’m shortly to be made redundant. I understand that any monies due to me over £30,000 (not including Lieu of notice which tax and NI will be taken off at source) I will be liable to pay tax on and this may push some of my redundancy into the 40p tax bracket. Apart from putting it into a pension, is there anyway I can avoid paying this tax, such as spending on home improvements?

My response:


That’s a good question.

For clarity let me briefly explain the £30,000 limit for other readers. Generally speaking the first £30,000 of redundancy pay is not taxable providing certain criteria laid down by the taxman are met (i.e. that it is not part of a retirement package). unsecured loans

After that anything in excess of this limit is taxed at your marginal income tax rate. So if you pay 40% tax then unfortunately your lump sum amount over £30,000 will get hammered by the tax man (he’ll tax 40% of it). For the record you won’t pay National Insurance on any part of your redundancy payment.

So what can you do to avoid tax on your redundancy payment?


First things first:

• Read HMRC’s redundancy factsheet.
• Next speak to your employer and check that they have ensured that your redundancy fits the tax man’s criteria to ensure that you don’t pay tax on the first £30,000.
• Usually as part of any redundancy procedure an employer will offer some HR services such as a careers adviser etc. Ask to speak to the company’s tax accountant as they should be able to help you with any tax queries.

But in the meantime I’ve set out a few pointers that may help:

Pensions


As you state in your question, the number one way to avoid tax on a redundancy payment is to have some of it paid into a pension. That way you could reclaim the income tax and the gross amount could be used to fund your retirement. But the major downside of this is that your money is locked up in a pension until you are age 55.

Under current rules you could then only take 25% of the pension fund as a tax free lump sum while the rest would have to provide you with a retirement income. There are odd exceptions to this rule such as the ‘pension triviality’ scenario. However, pension rules are changing which will give people greater access to their pension fund. If you want to explore the pension route further then take financial advice as the legislation/proposals are a bit of a minefield.

Obviously there are limits to how much you can pay into a pension in any event, although you could technically pay into one on behalf of a spouse or child and claim a limited amount of tax relief.

Tax incentivised investments


There are tax incentivised investments such as VCTs which give you income tax relief at outset. But I would strongly suggest that these would not be appropriate for a redundancy payment you need to live on. They tend to be very high risk and you are in danger of losing the initial capital invested. You should never enter an investment just to save tax. I only mention tax incentivised investments for completeness of my answer. Always seek financial advice before doing anything.

Income tax mitigation


Another way to look at the problem is to not concentrate on the redundancy payment itself but look at reducing your income tax bill elsewhere. That way less of your redundancy payment will fall into the 40% tax bracket. You could do this by deferring any unneeded income until the next tax year or by moving any income producing assets such as savings into a spouse’s name. Read my post Money tip #81 – Utilise your family’s annual tax allowances and slash your tax bill for more information. Unfortunately, we are at the end of the tax year and as an employee paid under PAYE your options for reducing your income tax bill may be limited unless you…..

Delay your redundancy 


Is there anyway you can delay the termination date of your employment until after 6^th April 2011? If you were able to then you will not be a 40% income tax payer as you won’t have had any earnings. You would then have time (namely the rest of the tax year) to manage your future income in order to pay as little tax on your redundancy payment as possible.

Get your redundancy after you leave


If you are paid your redundancy after you have left employment then legally your employer can only deduct 20% tax from the taxable part of your redundancy lump sum. The balance of any tax due on this part (a further 20% in your case) will be payable on 31^st January 2012 if you are made redundant in this tax year. You will have to pay this via self assessment. Obviously if you were bad credit loans made redundant after April 2011 then the balance of any tax you owe will not be payable until 31^stJanuary 2013. But whatever happens the tax man will want his money so make sure you have a means of paying him. But ultimately this delayed payment route doesn’t save you tax it just spreads out the payment of it.

financing a business

According to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, “finance is critical for starting, maintaining, and growing small and medium businesses”. Based on this premise, it is important to look for a reliable source of funds to ensure you will be able to allocate enough cash for the different aspects of the operation.

Here are a few of them:

Bank loans – This is the ideal source of business finance, whether you have a new enterprise or you have recently acquired one. Applying for a business credit may take some time because you need to present proposals, feasibility analyses, and others. But you will realise that it is well worth the effort because the money you borrow will be put to good use.

Investors – You can attract outside investors in exchange for a share in the business and its profit. However, this is only feasible if the existing firm has a good record that can entice other entrepreneurs.
Savings – This is the safest way to acquire cash to finance a commercial venture. After all, you do not have to worry about allocating funds every month or year for the repayment of any debt. unsecured loans
To make sure that the money you borrow from lending firms becomes an investment, it would be more practical to buy an existing and established enterprise. This way, you do not have to come up with a new concept and you can just wait for the money to start rolling. bad credit loans

The Merchant Of Venice

 Antonio, a wealthy merchant and a generous man, has a friend, Bassanio, likeable but reckless, and now penniless. Bassanio loves a beautiful lady, Portia, who lives at a distance. He wishes to woo and win her, but lacks travel money, and proposes to borrow from Antonio.

Unfortunately, all of Antonio's money is invested in merchandise now on ships at sea. When the ships return in two months with the profits from the voyage, then Antonio will have an abundance of money, but in the meantime he cannot help Bassanio, who does not feel that he can afford to wait two months. Antonio therefore proposes to go to Shylock the Jew and borrow the money from him.

[It should be explained that the common view among Christians in Shakespeare's time was that it was immoral to charge interest on a loan. Jews are allowed by the Law of Moses to charge interest when lending to Gentiles (see Deuteronomy 23:19f), and in many countries found that this was almost the only way of making a living that was open to them.]

Shylock says (I paraphrase): Why should I lend you money? You are no friend of mine. I know that you do not like Jews. You spat at me yesterday.

Antonio replies: I am not asking for a favor. This is strictly a business proposition. Three thousand ducats for three months, at your usual rate of interest.

Shylock says: Forget the interest. Instead, agree that if you fail to repay me in full by the deadline, I am entitled to one pound of your flesh, said pound to be selected by me. Why? Call it a whim. Take it or leave it!

Antonio takes the loan, and soon Bassanio is off to Belmont, the country estate of his lady. She loves him, and readily agrees to marry him. Her maid Nerissa likewise agrees to marry his servant Gratiano. Each woman gives her suitor a ring as a token of her love.

Meanwhile, back in Venice, Shylock's daughter Jessica, his only living relative (her mother is dead), falls in love with a Christian youth called Lorenzo, and he with her. She becomes a Christian, and the two of them elope together, with Antonio's assistance. Shylock is furious, and when he hears that Antonio's ships have been wrecked and that Antonio is bankrupt, he determines to exact vengeance.

Antonio sends a letter to Bassanio at Belmont, telling him what has happened. Portia gives her new husband money and sends him back to Venice in haste to rescue his friend, telling him to spare no expense. Bassanio dashes off, and Portia determines on further action. She and her maid Nerissa disguise themselves as men, and travel to Venice to take a direct hand in the proceedings.

In Venice, the court assembles, with the Duke of Venice on the bench. Shylock presents his claim. Portia and Nerissa enter, disguised as a learned Doctor of Laws and his clerk, and offer their services on behalf of Antonio.

Portia says: Here is the money, three times the money, ten times the money. Take it and tell me to tear up the contract.

Shylock says: The deadline is past. I am entitled to one pound of flesh. I want what the contract entitles me to, neither more nor less nor other.

Bassanio says: What is the problem? No one here (with the one obvious exception) wants to see Antonio hurt. So, let us just throw Shylock out of court, and all go home and forget the whole thing.
Portia says: Impossible. You cannot simply ignore the law when its strict application is to your disadvantage. That is the same as having no law at all.

Shylock says: Well spoken. You are a wise and upright judge.
Portia says: It is for you to be merciful.

Shylock says: I do not find anything in the contract obliging me to be merciful.
Portia says: Mercy is not something you show because a contract requires it. It is an act of generosity, done when you do not have to do it. (Shakespeare's words follow:)

  "The quality of mercy is not strained.
   It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
   upon the place beneath. It is twice blessed.
   It blesseth him who gives, and him who takes...
   It is an attribute to God Himself;
   and earthly power doth then show likest God's
   when mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,
   though justice be thy plea, consider this,
   that, in the course of justice, none of us
   should see salvation. We do pray for mercy;
   and that same prayer doth teach us all to render
   the deeds of mercy." (IV,i,184-202)

Shylock says: You are wasting your time. I want what my contract entitles me to. Portia says: Very well. Your contract entitles you to one pound of flesh, but not to a single drop of blood. So start cutting, but if you shed any blood, your life is forfeit. There is more. You have conspired against the life of a citizen. Your wealth is forfeit to Antonio and to the state, and your life lies at the mercy of the Duke.
The Duke and Antonio agree to spare Antonio's life, and to let him keep half his goods, with the other half going to Jessica and her new husband, on condition that Shylock put his daughter back into his will, and that he become a Christian. The Duke agrees, and Shylock is led off to be baptized.

Bassanio is profuse in his thanks to the "Doctor of Laws," and promises to pay whatever he is asked.
Portia asks for the ring that Bassanio is wearing. Bassanio is dismayed, but trapped. Nerissa similarly acquires Gratiano's ring. They depart.

The scene shifts to Belmont, where Lorenzo and Jessica have sought refuge. We see them in the garden, where Lorenzo says (Shakespeare's words here):

    "How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank!
     Here will we sit and let the sounds of music
     creep in our ears. Soft stillness and the night
     become the touches of sweet harmony.
     Sit, Jessica. Look how the floor of heaven
     is thick inlaid with patines of bright gold.
     There's not the smallest orb which thou beholdest
     but in his motion like an angel sings,
     still choiring to the young-eyed cherubim.
     Such harmony is in immortal souls,
     but while this muddy vesture of decay
     doth grossly close it in, we cannot hear it." (V,i,54-65)

Soon Portia and Nerissa join them, having rushed back from Venice ahead of their husbands. The husbands duly arrive, and their wives first give them a hard time for losing the rings, and then produce the rings and reveal their part in saving Antonio's life. Bassanio and Portia embrace. Gratiano and Nerissa embrace. Lorenzo and Jessica embrace. Antonio smiles and nods. Everyone is happy. The End.

 
Now, how are we to interpret this play? If we are going to direct a production of it, how do we approach it?
One way is to treat it straightforwardly as an anti-Jewish play. There is precedent for this. We know that some early productions had Shylock as a red-haired hunchback, which is the way that Judas Iscariot usually appeared on stage. Villain plots to kill hero, villain is foiled. Happy ending. Where is the problem? The problem is that Shakespeare does not treat Shylock as simply evil for evil's sake. He makes him human. He has good reason to resent Antonio. He says:

    "You call me misbeliever, cutthroat dog,
     and spit upon my Jewish gabardine,
     and all for use of that which is mine own." (I,iii,112ff)

    "I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes?
     Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions,
     senses, affections, passions?
     fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons,
     subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means,
     warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer,
         as a Christian is?
     If you prick us, do we not bleed?
     If you tickle us, do we not laugh?
     If you poison us, do we not die?
     and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?" (III,i,50ff)

Another wrong is suddenly added to the list. His daughter is all he has in the world, and she is talked into running off. He hears a report that, while traveling through a distant city, she has spied a monkey that she fancied, and used a ring to purchase it. His comment: "That ring--I had it of Leah (his wife) when I was a bachelor. I would not have given it for a wilderness of monkeys!" To him, the ring stands for the bonds of affection and loyalty that ought to unite a family. It stands for what he has received from the past. But thanks to Antonio and his friends, his only daughter (like Esau trading his birthright for a mess of pottage--Genesis 25:29-34) has learned to despise her heritage and to throw it away for a trifle. And he is cut to the heart. These scenes simply do not fit comfortably into an anti-Jewish play. It might be well to omit them. But the need to ignore part of your data to save your theory is always a danger sign.

Approach Number Two is to treat this as an anti-Christian play. Shylock is despised and persecuted for being a money-lender. But the Christians are happy to have him around when they need to borrow money. It is when the time comes to repay that they complain. When the law appears to be on the side of the Jew, Portia is eloquent in speaking of the beauties of Mercy, but when the shoe is on the other foot, it is cold mercy indeed that she and the other Christians have to offer Shylock. The play is full of passing references to the hypocrisy of Christians. Bassanio says in court, that he would gladly sacrifice his own life to save Antonio's. So? He has a dagger in his belt, and he is only a few feet away from Shylock. He has only to draw his blade, stab Shylock, and hang for murder. Again, as Shylock points out, the Christians of Venice have slaves. If they are so enamored of mercy, why do they not free their slaves? Again, we may contrast Portia's courtesy to her unsuccessful suitors with her ridicule of them behind their backs. And so on. Yes, it would be a pleasure to do this as an anti-Christian play. unsecured loans

But with this interpretation, the whole final scene at Belmont is a problem. It is full of moonlight and roses, and lovers reunited. Everything about it moves us to rejoice with the newly-wedded. If we are full of indignation at the cruel way that the Christians treated Shylock in the preceding scene, how do we react to the final scene? Do we simply wipe our memories clean and rejoice in the happiness of the oppressors? Or are we supposed to boo at them throughout the garden scene, and take the whole thing as ironical? Once again, the scene simply does not fit. Perhaps we should cut it altogether....

But there is a Third Approach. Throughout the play, but particularly in the trial scene, we are told that the issue is one of Justice and Mercy.

Shylock, the Jew, is the spokesman for Justice. He will have what is his by right, under the law, under the terms of the contract that Antonio freely negotiated with him, under the terms of the natural right of a wronged man to seek a just retribution for his wrongs. Portia, the Christian, is the spokesman for Mercy, freely given, not because of the worthiness of the receiver, but because of the generosity of the giver.
Now, every educated Christian in Shakespeare's day knew that Justice and Mercy are both attributes of God, and every educated Christian had been taught to associate the Old Testament with Justice and the New with Mercy. The word of God to His people through Moses was: "Keep my laws and you will live. Break them and you will die." (See Deuteronomy 30:15-20) The problem was that no one kept the Law perfectly. (See Psalm 19:12) But the word of God in Christ is: "Be of good cheer--your sins are forgiven." (See M 9:2 = P 2:5 = L 5:20) The epistles of Paul are full of passages that contrast Law and Grace, and that associate Law with the Synagogue and Grace with the Church.

But Justice and Mercy are not simply contrasted--they are reconciled. In the poem Piers Plowman, written in the late 1300's, the issue of God's pardoning the sinner while still satisfying the demands of Justice is argued out (Passus B XVIII) by four characters known as the four Daughters of God: Mercy and Peace on the one side, and Truth and Righteousness on the other. They get their names from Psalm 85:10. "Mercy and truth will meet; peace and righteousness will kiss." The same four characters appear in The Castle of Perseverance, a play written in the early 1400's. In the play, Man has died, and his soul is on trial. Righteousness and Truth demand his damnation as the only just verdict. Mercy and Peace plead the Incarnation, and Man is accordingly saved.

Thus, an audience in Shakespeare's day would be familiar with the idea that Justice and Mercy are both good things, both attributes of God, and that the apparent conflict between them finds its resolution in the Incarnation, in the perfect obedience of the Son which satisfies the demands of Justice, in the blood of Christ which cleanses us from sin. They would be open to the idea that Shylock's insistence on Justice is a commitment to a good thing, and is to be honored as far as it goes, but that it is defective in that it fails to take one thing into account--the blood of Christ. And they would be familiar with the presentation of these ideas in the form of a trial, with prosecution and defense. And in the end, Justice is not simply put out of court. It is reconciled with Mercy. Shylock is to be baptized. The Law itself is to be made Christian. Thus, the final scene in the garden at Belmont is simply the triumphant conclusion of the trial scene. Here we see Jessica and Lorenzo, Jew and Christian, united in love and marriage, and talking about music, Shakespeare's customary symbol of harmony.

Some readers may object that they do not see any reconciliation in the Trial Scene. Shylock is not brought into harmony with the Christians. He is simply converted at sword-point. Back of this objection, in most cases, is the notion that any religion is acceptable to God if sincerely held. The Elizabethans did not, for the most part, think in those terms. They interpreted quite straightforwardly the words of Christ: "No one comes to the Father except through Me." (J 14:5) Some theologians of the period may argue for an implicit acceptance of the Gospel, but the popular view is that Shylock baptized has some sort of chance of salvation, while Shylock unbaptized has none at all. We may be uncomfortable at the idea of Shylock's distress at being forced to give up his unfamiliar way of life, but what an Elizabethan playgoer would see is that Shylock has endeavored to take away Antonio's earthly life, and that Antonio has responded by doing all in his power to bestow on Shylock life and joy unending. bad credit loans

At this point the reader may be restless and want to ask: "Are you saying that the characters in the play are not to be thought of as real persons at all, but only as symbols, as stand-ins for various theological concepts? Ought Antonio helpy the audience out by wearing a placard reading, Mankind, while Shylock is labelled Justice, and Portia Mercy, and the Duke God? If so, then what is on Nerissa's placard, or on Bassanio's, or Jessica's, or Lorenzo's?"

Rest assured that I am not arguing for the play as an allegory in that sense. It is not that Justice and Mercy are acting out their functions on stage unded the aliases of Shylock and Portia, but that Shylock and Portia, considered as actual humans, by being what they are, exemplify the themes of Justice and Mercy and their respective claims.

Jet Ski Insurance

Jet skis are the perfect watercraft to get out on in the sun and surf while enjoying the fun of zipping around on the water. However, these are also items which need to be properly and fully insured. They are expensive items and you want to make sure that yours is properly covered each and every time you take it into the water. In addition, jet ski insurance will also cover your craft when it is on dry land, such as during the off season when it is too cold to go in the water.

Why You Need Insurance


There are a few reasons why you need insurance. First, jet skiers can get into accidents just like any other motorized vehicle. When you have insurance coverage, you will know that your jet ski can be repaired should it be involved in an accident. Another reason to obtain insurance for your jet is so it will be protected in the event of theft or fire. Should either of these occurrences become an issue, your insurance policy will cover your machine and provide a replacement for your motorized watercraft. Lastly, if you have to repair your jet ski and don't have insurance coverage in place you may find yourself lacking the money to do so. When you have insurance in place you can easily repair your watercraft when need be. bad credit loans

How Much Will it Cost?


If you are pondering how much jet ski coverage will cost, fear not, as the prices are quite reasonable. The cost of the policy premiums will vary from insurance provider to insurance provider and depend on the exact type of coverage which you obtain. For many, a policy insurance may only cost a couple hundred dollars each year which is a great deal, especially when you break it down into monthly payments. In order to get the best deal on this type of insurance policy, shop around, review your options and then choose the one policy which offers the most coverage for the least amount of money. unsecured loans

credit card cash back

What is cashback and how does it work?

Cashback is really quite simple. For each purchase you make using your credit card, the card issuer will pay you a small percentage back as a 'reward'. To make money from a cashback credit card you must pay it off in full every month, otherwise you will get charged interest. One month's interest could be more than one year's cashback! If you won't pay off your card in full every month, then consider a Purchases Card instead.

How much cashback will I make?

You can typically make between £50 and £200 per year, but more is possible. It depends on two factors: how much money you spend on your credit card and what percentage cashback your credit card offers. For example an annual spend of £10,000 on a 1% cashback card will earn you £100.

Choosing your cashback card

The main feature you should look for is a high percentage cashback rate. That may sound very simple, but it is complicated by the fact that some card issuers provide a flat rate for cashback, whereas others offer different levels of cashback depending on how much you spend on your card during the year. Others have great introductory offers where they pay up to 5% cashback during the first few months.
This means that if you want to maximise your cashback returns then you need to understand your spending patterns i.e. how much you are likely to spend on you credit card in the course of the year and whether you have any major expenses coming up soon that would make a card with a good introductory cashback rate beneficial.
If you track your spending using a computer then look back to see how much money you have spent on credit cards historically. If you don't track your spending, have a look back through a few months worth of credit card statements.
Don't forget that with a cashback card you will be trying to maximise how much of your expenditure you will put through the card, so add a percentage increase on to your historical spending figure. [N.B. This is not advocating spending more money to earn cashback, merely putting a greater amount of your existing expenditure through a cashback card !] . To check out all the latest cashback card deals, take a look at our cashback cards table.

Other things to consider

Credit limit

You should try to find a card with a credit limit that will comfortably take your peak monthly spend. For example if your normal monthly budget is £1000 but you might have a car repair bill (£500) and pay for a holiday (£1500) in the same month then you will need a credit limit of at least £3000.

How widely is the card accepted?

Another consideration is how widely accepted your chosen credit card is. This is not a problem if you have a Visa or Mastercard credit card, but it is a consideration if your primary cashback card is an American Express card . Most major stores, hotels, garages, airlines and travel companies accept American Express, but small shops usually do not. If AMEX is you preferred cashback card, have a Visa or Mastercard cashback card as a backup. unsecured loans

Maximise your cashback

First of all, ensure that you understand your spending profile and choose a good cashback card. Secondly, be imaginative! It might surprise you how many things you can pay for with a credit card. Most people would expect to be able to use a credit card for buying food at the supermarket or buying clothes and CDs etc, but did you know that some local authorities will let you pay your council tax by credit card? Your utility suppliers will probably let you pay by credit card, although many offer a discount for paying by direct debit so that may be better than cashback. You can pay for your house insurance and car insurance by credit card. bad credit loans

When out for dinner, pay by credit card. Some will put a meal with friends on their cashback credit card and have their friends give them cash for their share. This means that cashback is earned on the total value of all meals, not just your own. Of course, friendship is more important than a few pounds of cashback, so don't jeopardise any friendships by doing this. As stated before, it would be a false economy to spend more money than you need solely to maximise your cashback.

Company car tax bands

One of the most important moves towards encouraging greener motoring has been changes to the company car tax regulations.

These were altered back in 2002, to base tax rates around a car’s CO2 emissions. This meant drivers of cars emitting less CO2 paid less ‘Benefit In Kind’ (BIK) tax.

Essentially, a car’s CO2 emissions place it in a band, which gives the percentage BIK tax a driver will pay. The base rate is 10%, for petrol cars producing less than 99g/km of CO2. This lower threshold has been reduced significantly, from 120g/km in 2011-2012.

Company car tax rises by 1% in 5g/km increments, to a maximum of 35% for cars producing 220g/km and above.

Changes in the 2012 budget included an announcement that tax will soon be levied on a higher proportion of a company car's list price, with a 1% rise in 2014/15 and a 2% rise the year after. These increases don't affect cars emitting less than 75g/km, although that basically means every car that isn't electric or part-electric (see below).

Company car tax for diesels

At present, the government imposes a further 3% penalty on diesel-engined cars (up to a maximum 35% liability overall) because diesels emit relatively high levels of small particulates, which are damaging at a local, rather than a global, level. The current base BIK rate for diesel cars is 13%. unsecured loans
However, this 3% supplement will be scrapped from 2016, in recognition of the fact that diesels are getting cleaner and more efficient,
Over the years, the limits for each band have been lowered, giving manufacturers an incentive to produce lower-carbon cars. This has had a profound effect on the cars fleets choose, with diesels now dominating the large car sector.

No tax on electric cars

There is no company car tax on electric cars, meaning big savings for anyone who drives an electric company car or van. Instead of the current minimum 10% benefit in kind (BIK) tax, they pay nothing.
The £5,000 Government subsidy on new electric cars remains until 2015 bad credit loans

Temporary car Insurance

Most auto insurance policies run annually for twelve months. You have the option each year to renew your current policy and it pretty much is as simple as that. There are however certain kinds of situations that may warrant the purchase of what is called temporary auto insurance. Temporary auto insurance is a type of auto insurance policy that does not run for the full twelve months that a standard auto insurance policy typically goes for.

Temporary Auto Insurance Explained

A temporary auto insurance policy can run anywhere from one to eleven months, and is often times much more expensive than a standard policy. Auto insurance companies raise the cost on these sorts of policies because of their inconsistency and relative higher risk. Most people that end up buying a temporary policy are virtually forced into paying these higher rates because of the circumstances that require them to buy such a policy. If you have to get a temporary policy just to stay legal, only keep it for as long as you absolutely need it. Once your situation has changed, you should drop the temporary policy, and switch over to a standard twelve-month policy.

Circumstances and Situations

Temporary auto insurance policies are typically purchased when a policy-holder is experiencing some kind of unique situation that is making it essential to drive a car. One of the most common situations is when a person has to drive a car that is not their own for a certain amount of time. This could be a friend’s, a relative’s, or spouse’s vehicle, and the temporary policy itself can make sure that if you are ever in a wreck you won’t have to end up paying for the car that was damaged. unsecured loans

Another common scenario that warrants the purchase of temporary auto insurance is when the driver does not know what kind of coverage or policy they want to purchase. This happens frequently when someone is first buying a vehicle. Most dealerships won’t allow you to leave the lot without some kind of insurance, and if you do not yet know whether you want to purchase a standard policy, a temporary policy may be the way to go. This will give you enough time to decide what kind of standard policy you really need, and as long as you don’t keep the temporary policy too long, it will probably end up saving you money in the long-term.

If your standard policy ever runs out, and you forget to renew it, or can’t for some reason, a temporary policy may be the thing that can come to the rescue. This could work out well for you if you know you will not be driving for a certain amount of time during the year, and you don’t want to spend the extra money to keep your car on the road. Just be aware that although a temporary policy does sound nice and convenient, buying one isn’t as simple as just renewing your old policy, and it will typically take a bit of research and comparison to find the right plan.

In Conclusion

Ultimately, temporary auto insurance is designed for people who are experiencing unique situations and still need to drive a vehicle. It is not designed for the long-term, and over time you will end up spending more. It is really designed to fill the gap if you ever need insurance for only a short period of time and to ultimately prevent the alternative of driving without insurance. For this reason you shouldn’t feel uncomfortable about buying a temporary insurance policy, but at the same time you shouldn’t become too comfortable owning one either.

The same thing goes for temporary policy as does with a standard policy when it comes to trying to save money. Compare and contrast what different companies offer, and make sure you get at least three to four quotes before you go ahead with any one policy. Do your homework, and in the end a temporary auto insurance policy can work for you. bad credit loans

Worldwide unemployment rate rising

The International Labour Organisation warned Monday that austerity measures are hurting job markets worldwide and predicted global unemployment of 202 million people in 2012, up six million from last year.
The ILO's World of Work Report 2012 said fiscal austerity and labour market reforms had had "devastating consequences" for employment while mostly failing to cut deficits, and warned that governments risked fueling unrest unless they combined tighter spending with job creation.

"The austerity and regulation strategy was expected to lead to more growth, which is not happening," Raymond Torres, director of the ILO's Institute for International Labour Studies, told journalists in Geneva.
"The strategy of austerity actually has been counterproductive from the point of view of its very objective of supporting confidence and supporting the reduction of budget deficits." unsecured loans
The report said some 50 million jobs had disappeared since the 2008 financial crisis.

It predicted a global unemployment rate of 6.1 percent in 2012 – 202 million people, up three percent from the provisional estimate of 196 million for 2011.
It forecast a rise to 6.2 percent in 2013 as another five million people become unemployed.

"It is unlikely that the world economy will grow at a sufficient pace over the next couple of years to both close the existing jobs deficit and provide employment for the over 80 million people expected to enter the labour market," the report said.

It warned that trends were especially worrying in Europe, where nearly two-thirds of countries had seen unemployment go up since 2010.

It said labour market recovery had also stalled in major economies such as Japan and the United States.
A growing and better-educated workforce was meanwhile struggling to find enough good jobs in places such as China, while workers still faced acute job shortfalls in the Arab world and Africa, it added.
Torres, the report's lead author, came down hard on Europe, accusing it of "ill-conceived fiscal austerity".
"For example in Spain, the deficit was reduced from a little bad credit loans over nine percent of gross domestic product in 2010 to 8.5 percent of GDP in 2011, a very small reduction after a drastic austerity programme," he said.
"The narrow focus of many eurozone countries on fiscal austerity is deepening the jobs crisis and could even lead to another recession in Europe."

He meanwhile singled out Latin America for praise, saying the region had seen an employment recovery and, in some cases, rising job quality.

The report found the risk of social unrest had gone down on average in Latin America as job prospects improved. But worldwide, the risk of unrest had increased in most countries, it said.

"This is not surprising given that good jobs remain scarce and income inequality is rising," Torres said.
"There is a growing sense that those most affected by the crisis are not receiving adequate policy attention."
The ILO blamed austerity policies for reducing small business' access to loans, and urged governments to restore credit to small firms, strengthen labour market safety nets and adopt measures to help young workers and other vulnerable groups.

halifax share dealing

Halifax Share Dealing is developing a mobile phone application that will allow investors to trade UK and international OEICS, unit trusts and equities on the move.

The news is an about-turn from the Lloyds Banking Group division that had previously ruled out doing just that because of concerns it had about hardware availability.

Speaking exclusively, Rick Girling, head of business development and marketing at Halifax Share Dealing, said the software is likely to be offered to customers of and sister brands and affinity partners, including Bank of Scotland, iWeb and iii.co.uk. bad credit loans

He explained, ‘It is in the early stages.  As a bank we have worked on a proof of concept.  Our aim is to provide a generic mobile application that will allow customers to trade real time on a range of handsets.

‘It is something that we have looked at previously but the handsets were not available [to support the software]. We would expect to have that available this year.’

Girling said that the dealing models for international equities, UK equities and funds are different but it is unlikely, although not final, that there will be a charge for the service.

He said, ‘All the charging has to be determined but it is unlikely. We may buy a bit of advice and consultancy, but we would like to develop and own it ourselves.’unsecured loans

UK car tax bands

In those smoggy old days when the environment wasn’t such an issue, drivers coughed up a flat-rate car tax, regardless of a vehicle’s emissions. But things began to change with the 1999 Budget, which announced a lower rate for cars with engines up to 1100 cc, as they, in general, had less of an impact on climate change. And since 1 March 2001, vehicle excise duty (VED) has been set on a sliding scale according to CO2 emissions, with the lower a car’s emissions, the lower the tax payable. unsecured loans

In fact, because personal car travel produces some 13% of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions, the government is so keen to get us driving green that it’s currently possible to pay zero road tax if you opt for a car that sits in the lowest CO2 emissions band. Something to consider if you’re trying to drive down the cost of motoring.

But what exactly is the lowest band, and how much do you have to pay if your car sits in one of the other dozen car tax groups? Read on for the answers...

Car Tax Bands & Annual Cost*

Car tax bands

Band	CO2 emissions (g/km)	Cost from May 2009	Cost from May 2009 (alternative fuel car)	Cost from April 2010	Cost from April 2010 (alternative fuel car)	First year cost from April 2010	First year cost from April 2010 (alternative fuel car)
A	Up to 100	£0	£0	£0	£0	£0	£0
B	101-110	£35	£15	£20	£10	£0	£0
C	111-120	£35	£15	£30	£20	£0	£0
D	121-130	£120	£100	£90	£80	£0	£0
E	131-140	£125	£100	£110	£100	£110	£100
F	141-150	£125	£105	£125	£115	£125	£115
G	151-165	£150	£130	£155	£145	£155	£145
H	166-175	£175	£155	£180	£170	£250	£240
I	176-185	£175	£155	£200	£190	£300	£290
J	186-200	£215	£200	£235	£225	£425	£415
K	201-225	£215	£200	£245	£235	£550	£540
L	226-255	£405	£390	£425	£415	£750	£740
M	Over 255	£405	£390	£435	£425	£950	£940

Alternative Fuel Cars

If you think of conventional fuel cars as being petrol or diesel driven, alternative fuel cars are those powered by such means as electricity, gas, bio-fuel or hybrid engines. You could get a further discount if your car runs on alternative fuel (columns 4 & 6), though this benefit will disappear in 2011, when rates fall into line with the standard car tax rate.

2010 Changes

From April 2010, car tax costs for most bands will change, plus a new first year rate will be introduced – the so-called ‘showroom tax’ (columns 7 & 8). This is levied on brand new cars bought from April 2010, and lasts for the first year that the car is on the road. The showroom tax means significant increases for cars parked within Bands H-M – the more polluting cars – before reverting to the standard rate.
For example, a petrol or diesel Band M car that is bought new in May 2010 will cost £950 to tax for the first year, and then revert to £435 a year from May 2011.
The showroom tax also means savings for cars in Band B-D, which will have zero VED as an incentive for drivers to go green at the point of purchase.

Tax for Older Cars

If your car was registered prior to 01/03/01, ignore all of the above (though thanks for reading this far!) – instead you’ll pay car tax based on engine size.

Tax for older cars

Engine size	12 months cost from May 2009	12 months cost from April 2010
Engine Size	12 Months Cost	12 Months Cost
Less than 1550 cc	£125	£125
1550 cc and over	£190	£205

Ways to Pay Car Tax

You can pay vehicle excise duty online, by phone, at a Post Office, or by post. Online is your quickest and easiest option, and you’ll need the reference number from your V11 reminder or registration certificate (V5C) and a valid card with which to pay. You can also pay by phoning 0300 123 4321, in person at Post Office branches that issue tax discs, or by post to the address shown on the V11 (you should automatically receive this a few weeks before renewal). bad credit loans

Top rich list

Overall, 13 of the region’s 20 wealthiest people have seen fortunes increase in the past year, with the total wealth of those listed rising 4pc from £8.45bn to £8.85bn. unsecured loans

Newmarket-based Kirsten Rausing has kept hold of the top spot, with a fortune worth £3.9bn. Her wealth, which comes from the Tetra Laval packaging empire which she shares with her younger London-based brother Jorn, 52, makes her the 15th richest person in the UK and the nation’s third wealthiest woman.
In second place is the Earl of Iveagh and the Guinness family, who own the Elveden estate and are estimated to have a fortune totalling £850m.

The highest-ranked Norfolk entry in the list is Robert Carter and family, whose construction business has helped them to amass a fortune of £134m – up £27m from last year’s figure – placing them 13th in East Anglia and joint-560th in the UK.

Philip Beresford, who compiles the Sunday Times Rich List, said the reason East Anglia’s wealthiest people were recession-proof was largely based on the nature of their wealth.

He said: “Their wealth is in the services and products like gas and energy or land and they have come through the fire of the recession fine. They have niche businesses in niche markets.”

He added part of their success was often due to the global nature of their business interests – a geographical diversity of interests protecting them from the fluctuations of domestic markets. Others joined the ranks of the super-rich by selling the businesses they had grown, pocketing huge sums of money in the process.
The list, produced annually by the newspaper, is based on identifiable wealth such as land, property and assets and excludes bank accounts. bad credit loans


Name (source of wealth) – national rank – 2012 value (2011 value)
1. Kirsten Rausing (inheritance, investment) – 15 – £3,900m (£3,900m)
2. The Earl of Iveagh and the Guinness family (brewing, property) – =87 – £850m (£850m)
3. Marcus Evans (business services) 135 £625m (£625m)
4. Mike Lynch (software) 184= £480m (£396m)
5. David and Richard Thompson (food, horseracing) – 195 – £460m (£460m)
6. Douw Steyn and family (insurance) – =212 – £420m (£360m)
7. Edward Atkin and family (babycare products) – 305 – £255m (£235m)
8. Gregory Darling (marine services) – =367 – £205m (£130m)
9. Colin Hill (property) =370= £200m (£200m)
10. David Allen (caravan parks) – =451 – £165m (£165m)
11. Paul Day and family (transport, warehousing) – =458 – £163m (£148m)
12. Sir Philip Naylor - Leyland (land, art) – =495 – £152m (£120m)
13. Robert Carter and family (construction) – =560 – £134m (£107m)
14. Richard Higham (oil, gas services) – =564 – £132m (£83m)
15. Lord Archer (novels) – =569 – £130m (£120m)
16. Hermann Hauser (computers) – =569 – £130m (£117m)
17. Brian DeZille and family (clothing) – =624 – £120m (£120m)
18. John and Guy Shropshire (food, farming) – =624 – £120m (£110m)
19. Jonathan Milner (biotechnology) – =682 – £110m (£105m)
20. Bill Gredley and family (property, horseracing) – =718 – £105m (£105m).

do I have to pay more tax on making extra money?

We are all for encouraging you to go out there and make as much extra money as you can through any means possible (well…almost!).  But on the whole, with extra income comes extra tax implications and it can be really tricky to work out for yourself whether or not you should be paying tax on your money-making schemes. 
This guide is designed to give you an idea of when tax will start applying to any extra money that you make. However, it can’t cover every individual circumstance. If you’re in any doubt, get personal advice from your local tax office. It’s always better to do this as soon as you think you need advice, rather than risk a load of worry and a hefty bill and/or fine later.

The basics

• Everyone can earn a certain amount per year tax-free, but if you exceed this amount, you need to let the tax office (HMRC) know.
• You need to register any new business within three months with HMRC, or you may be fined.
• If in any doubt, consult your local tax office – they will be able to advise you fully.

Allowances

The first step is to work out whether your earnings (from any regular work combined with extra money-making) exceed your personal income allowance.  For the 2011-12 tax year, everyone has the right to make up to £7,475 of income without paying taxes (£9,940 for people between 65-74 and £10,090 for those 75 and over).  So, if your only income is from eBaying, babysitting or something similar, and all the money you make doesn’t add up to more than this allowance, you do not need to pay tax.
However, this allowance is already taken into account if you work part-time or full-time and you are paying tax using the PAYE scheme (when money is automatically deducted from your pay packet). So, unless your salary is under £7,475 a year, this means that you have already used up your personal allowance and therefore you should be paying tax on any extra money you make on top of your salary.
Personal allowances can vary depending on age, marital status and whether you have any disabilities so be sure to check out exactly which allowances you are entitled.
It is important to remember that income from a pension is also taxable. So, if you are a pensioner, you must take into account your annual pension and whether or not it exceeds your personal allowance.  If it does, you should be paying tax on all other earnings. However, if the total of your pension and your extra earnings is less than your allowance, you are tax free.

Using eBay

All that seems very clear and simple, but then it gets a bit trickier.  For those who use eBay, or other listings sites, to make extra money it can be difficult to distinguish between using the site to earn an income and using it merely to get rid of some junk.  As Jane Moore from the Institute of Chartered Accountants puts it: “Cash in the attic is not taxable, but the Revenue will know the difference between a clear-out and a small business.”
So if you are selling on unwanted items every now and then, in theory you are liable to be taxed on any profits, but usually small earnings will be ignored.
However, if you start to buy products to then sell on, or you are regularly selling large amounts of your possessions the rules change.  Again, if your profits using listing sites or classified adverts, plus any other income/salary, do not exceed the £7,475 personal allowance in one year, you do not have to pay tax.  But, if you make profits that exceed your personal allowance, or are an income on top of any salary or any other money-making, you should be declaring them as they are taxable.
Regularly buying items to sell on at a profit on eBay or other sites is in effect a small business, and so it is very important to keep a tab on profits and maintain clear records, including receipts of all your expenses which can be put against your profits for taxable purposes.  This way, HM Revenue and Customs will be able to accurately calculate how much tax you owe and you won’t end up paying too much. But if you do find yourself going from selling a few things here and there to developing a small business, then you must let the Revenue know within three months. Otherwise you are liable for a £100 fine.
If you’re making a tidy sum which exceeds your personal allowance, but you don’t think it qualifies as a small business, you still need to declare your profits as a new source of income within six months of the end of the financial year.  This gives the Revenue time to send you a return, which you will have to complete in order to be taxed the correct amount.  For details of how to declare a small business or new sources of income, check out the HMRC website.

Selling your skills

In the same way as selling your wares can gradually become a small business, so can maximising the money you can make from your personal skills.  For example, if you are a keen gardener and occasionally offer to help out friends and neighbours with their landscape design for a small fee, then any earnings are, in theory, taxable although usually these are ignored on the basis that they fall within your personal allowance.  However, when you start helping people on a regular basis whilst amassing a good profit, your hobby has really developed into a small business and any profits that exceed your personal allowance are taxable.  As before, when a hobby becomes a business, you must declare it to the taxman within three months.

Capital Gains

Capital Gains Tax is only going to be relevant for you if you are selling any belongings that have increased in value whilst in your ownership, such as a piece of art or an antique. The first thing to know is that capital gains tax does not apply to personal items worth less than £6,000, so if you’re selling it for less then it’s not taxable. Secondly, there is a separate annual personal allowance for CGT which is currently £10,600. This means that if you sell items like jewellery or shares that are worth over £6,000, you are allowed to make up to £10,600 in profits (i.e. the difference between the price you paid for the item when you bought it and the price it was bought for from you), before CGT applies to you.  Items to watch out for are second homes (CGT does not apply to principal dwellings i.e. your own home), expensive artworks, fine jewellery, stocks & shares and land. It doesn’t matter where or how you sell items that are taxable under Capital Gains – whether it’s eBay or Christie’s you should pay it.

Renting

The exception to the personal allowance rule is renting.  Renting space, your house or your drive is always taxable, regardless of personal allowance.  Saying this, a rental relief exemption does exist allowing you to make up to £4,250 annually from renting a room in the house in which you live.  However, if you want to rent your whole house, you have to pay tax on your profits and the same goes for renting your driveway.  Often arrangements for renting a room or a driveway are made on a cash-in-hand basis. However, technically, you still should be declaring these earnings and paying tax on them.  Don’t be fooled, HMRC is aware of big public events such as Wimbledon, so if you live next door to the All England Club and happen to deposit a large amount of cash shortly after the tournament, they’ll be on to you.

Small extra earners

For those who do not earn a salary and have been making a bit of extra cash on the side by using cashback sites and doing a spot of mystery shopping here and there, you are probably not exceeding your personal allowance and so you do not need to pay tax.  However, some of the larger companies that organise mystery shopping and online surveys will automatically take your tax and national insurance contributions out of your pay for you.  This is great if you already earn a salary, as it means you don’t have to worry about your tax return, but if you aren’t exceeding your personal allowance, it’s money that you don’t need to pay.  Fret not, you can get this money back in a jiffy by filling out this R40 form and sending it in, or by writing a letter to the Revenue informing them of what has happened (although this will probably take longer to process). unsecured loans

Extra earnings and PAYE

If you usually pay your taxes using the PAYE system and would prefer not to think about all this extra tax stuff that is indeed mightily complicated, there is something you can do to make it all go away.  By changing your PAYE code with the Revenue, your extra earnings can be taken into account when you are taxed on your salary and so you will not have to pay anything extra or fill out a return.  In order to change your PAYE code, you have to work out how much extra you are earning and then contact the Revenue who will help you sort it out.  Although it sounds great, this solution is really only effective for the minority of cases for two reasons:

• Firstly, your extra earnings can’t add up to more than £2,500, after which you really have to fill out a separate tax return.
• Secondly, your extra earnings need to be quite stable so that you can pinpoint exactly how much you expect to earn in one tax year.  If you are renting a property at a set rate per month/annum, this is pretty easy. However, if you are earning bits of cash here and there it becomes much more difficult to predict and you’ll end up either over or underpaying, which just leads to more form filling.  Using your PAYE code to cover extra earnings also means that you pay your tax sooner, as it comes out monthly, whereas your extra earnings could be sporadic leaving you in the red some months. bad credit loans

Someone has left a car on my land, what should I do?

If a car is on private land then normally it is the landowner's responsibility to remove it. However, you cannot have it moved straight away. The safest way is to put a notice on the car stating that if the car is still there in 14 days time then you will have it removed. If there are number plates on the vehicle, send a recorded delivery letter to the registered keeper giving the same information (and keep the proof of postage and a copy of the letter). A Form V888 from the DVLA will get you registered details so long as your request is considered legitimate.

Once you have given reasonable notice that the car will be towed unsecured loans away you will prevent the owner from subsequently claiming theft or damage to the vehicle. If you sell the car to, perhaps, a scrap dealer, you can keep the costs of removal, but any surplus should go to the proven owner if s/he ever turns up.
The police can move cars on land in open air in limited circumstances. The power is discretionary and they are unlikely to remove a rusty old car which has been rotting on the land for several years.

If the car looks stolen (i.e. it has damage to the locks) then contact the bad credit loans police who will make further enquiries.

Prepaid card scams

Most of the immigrants fall victims to these prepaid phone card scams. Prepaid phone cards allow you to pay in advance for the minutes you use while calling people. This is got by an upfront payment, making it easy for you to call anywhere anytime, with or without cash in your pocket. The appeal of prepaid phone cards is, they offer more minutes for less charges and substantial discounts on call charges. Another thing is, they can be used on public phones without the need to keep using coins, one after the other. unsecured loans

What is the scam about?

Many of the immigrants or newcomers or tourists to the United States know about the exact functioning of these prepaid phone cards. They do not know the true from the fake. Result: They become victims to prepaid phone cards that promise high returns for less money, in other words, prepaid phone card scams!

But, they are not scams in actuality. If you read the fine print in the cards, you can notice the original number of minutes or reduction in call charges. The fine print data will prove the cards to be legal and you cannot raise a finger against any scam company. It is said that such fake or scam companies offer prepaid calling cards that deliver only 60% of the minutes promised. The money churned out of such scams is about $1 million per day.

How to avoid the scam?

Best advice is to read all the fine print before buying. Next best advice bad credit loans would be to use cards issued by reputable companies or establishedoviders.

Redundancy Pay

What is Statutory Redundancy Pay?

If you live in the UK, have been with the same employer for at least two years then you are entitled to statutory redundancy pay. Redundancy payments are not liable for tax and are based on an employee's length of service. No redundancy payment will be forthcoming if a person who has been made redundant from one job, is then offered a similar position with equivalent salary in the same company.

Why Does Redundancy Occur?

There are several reasons why an employer may have to make one or more of their employees redundant. If the employer goes out of business and is unable unsecured loans to meet their responsibilities then this situation would result in the redundancy of the entire workforce. Sometimes a company will have more than one branch to their business. If the branch where you are working is closed because it is not attracting enough business then people working at that branch will be made redundant. There are occasions when the existing number of staff is too high for the job at hand and this is a situation that can result in redundancy for one or more employees.

How Are Redundancy Payments Calculated?

There is no hard and fast rule regarding redundancy payments, other than the fact that the employee should have had two years or more continuous employment with the same company. When they are calculating redundancy payments, most companies work on the basis of one weeks pay for every year worked, with most taking the maximum as twenty weeks. The maximum amount of that weeks pay in redundancy terms was capped in 2007 at £310 per week. However, under the terms of the Employment Act there are people who are not entitled to a redundancy payment when their job comes to an end against their wishes.

Members of the bad credit loans armed forces, members of the House of Lords and the House of Commons staff do not qualify for redundancy payments. If you work in someone's home as their domestic servant then you are not entitled to any redundancy payment if your job ends. If you are a servant of the crown or you hold public office then you will be excluded from obtaining any redundancy payments

remortgage a house

Question: I can't seem to remortgage to move house for love nor money, having tried two lenders – with a third midway through application. It's very surprising as I've £48,000 in equity and £12,000 savings to put into the next property which should give me a healthy loan-to-value of roughly 75 per cent. The only downside that I can think of is a £2,000 overdraft that I don't often climb out of – and three unauthorised overdraft penalties in 12 months. But that's the only debt I have and I earn £30,000 a year. What am I doing wrong?

Julianne Fretton, Gateshead.


Answer: Would you lend money to somebody perpetually in debt who – from time to time – sneakily pinched more than agreed from a bank account? Probably not, unsecured loans I suspect, and it's likely that it's for the same reason that lenders are pulling down the shutters on your application.

"Exceeding your overdraft and incurring unauthorised penalties could ring warning bells for the lender when they ask to see your bank statements," says Melanie Bien at broker Private Finance.

Your overdraft probably isn't the only issue, adds David Hollingworth at broker London & Country. In today's mortgage climate of chary lenders, tight credit and wavering house prices, banks and building societies will look to your overall affordability instead of calculating how much to lend based on a multiple of your income. "From details you've given us, the roughly £200,000 remortgage you're aiming for at 3 per cent over 25 years would cost you £948 a month – roughly half your disposable income."

Those kinds of figures will make lenders wince, even with your £60,000 deposit – effectively you're asking for six times your salary. There's also your credit score: the two recent rejections will be flagged up by credit-rating agencies, warns Bien, "and make lenders wary of future bad credit loans applications". It's worth checking your credit report at Experian, Equifax or Callcredit. Double-check there are no mistakes or fraudulent behaviour marked on it, since these could be damaging your applications; if so, ask them to lodge a "dispute notice" while you sort it out.

Although the outlook might look bleak, you do have two options. First, stop applying directly to lenders – use a mortgage broker instead, who will try to place you with banks and building societies most likely to take you on. Second, a dose of better money-management could work wonders.

Western Union Fraud

The Western Union Money Transfer® service is a great way to send money to people you know and trust. If you need to send money to someone you don’t know well, you may be putting yourself at risk for fraud.

Western Union urges you to protect yourself from fraud by considering the following:

Never send money to a stranger using a money transfer service.
Beware of deals or opportunities that seem too good to be true.
Don’t use money transfer services to pay for things like online auction purchases.
Never send money to pay for taxes or fees on foreign lottery winnings.
Never send a money transfer, in the name of a friend or relative, with the intention of changing the name to someone you have not met personally.
Never send a money transfer, in the name of a friend or relative, in order to delay payment of the transaction to someone you have not met personally.
If you think you've been a victim of fraud, contact Western Union 
  
Sending Your Money Into the Void
Sending funds through the banking system
When you send funds from your bank account to your cousin's bank account in Histown, a paper trail is established.  If your cousin calls you on Tuesday to find out where the money is that you sent last Thursday, your bank can track the path of the money through the banking system to see what went wrong.  A record of transfer is generated each and every time the amount moves from one bank's ledger to the next. 
Sending funds through Western Union
That's not the case at all when you use Western Union.  The only record kept by Western Union is of your funds being transferred from one of their accounts to another.  For instance, if you are in Los Angeles and you send funds to somebody in London, all that Western Union can tell you is that the funds were picked up in London, and at which office. 
Western Union takes your money and gives you a receipt.  Your funds are then placed in the Los Angeles central Western Union account along with all the other monies they have received during the day from all over Los Angeles. unsecured loans Each transfer request is logged electronically such that your specific amount is then sent off to the central Western Union account in London.
Once the funds are in a central account, the actual money can be picked up at any office covered by that account.  Just because you were told to send money to such-and-such a fellow at such-and-such a Western Union office does not mean he'll actually pick it up there.  He can pick it up at an office clear across the city.
Western Union can verify that the fellow who picked up the money carried the specified identification.  They might even be bad credit loans able to tell you what he looked like.  This doesn't really do you much good.  His identification can be phoney as the day is long.  All you know when you sent the funds is what you were told.  Once your scammer walks out of that office, there is absolutely nothing to bring him back, unlike your cousin in Histown who has an open bank account.  There is no way to trace him.  He's gone.  And in the case of a scam, so is your money.    

Ukash Scam

Ukash enables you to pay online with cash. You don’t have to have a debit or credit card, or provide any personal details to use Ukash. Simply get Ukash at any of the thousands of outlets and then use the 19 digit Ukash code to pay safely online.

Ukash is a safe, easy and convenient payment method. However, just as many other payment methods have been troubled by scamming groups, Ukash has also been targeted, so take care. Scams come in different forms, but the more careful you are with the use of your Ukash codes, the less likely you are to fall prey to scams.

Contents

• Metropolitan Police Scam
• Other Virus Scams
• The Strathclyde Police Ukash Virus
• The Bundespolizei Ukash Virus
• The New Scotland Yard Ukash Virus
• Security Precautions
• About Ukash

Metropolitan Police Scam

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A recent scam involved scammers trying to obtain payments from random computer users by posing as the Metropolitan or other international police forces. A malware message is received claiming that the user’s computer has been locked and a payment is required in order to unlock it. This payment can be made to the scammers using Ukash codes or other specified methods of payment.

This virus is particularly annoying as your computer will not access anything. Do not, however, be tempted to make payment as this is a scam, you will lose your money, and even if you do make the payment the problem will not necessarily be fixed.

There are a number of sites where you can get instructions on how to remove the virus from your system and they are free of charge. They give you step by step instructions on how to clean your computer without having to make any payment to the scammers. We also recommend that you contact your local police and report the crime.

Other Virus Scams

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Scams appear to be getting more sophisticated in their efforts by creating different versions of the Metropolitan Police scam for different countries and languages including English, German, Dutch and Spanish. The list of imitated police forces includes law enforcement agencies in Germany, Switzerland, UK, Spain and Holland. The scam method is much the same, with a message being displayed that illegal activity has been detected and the OS has been locked for infringement of the laws of the country. The scammer then demands payment by Ukash, or an equivalent method, or the computer’s hard disk will be erased.

The Strathclyde Police Ukash Virus

The Strathclyde Police Ukash virus is a variant of this scam that displays a fake popup message requiring victims to pay to unlock their computer. The scammer requires that the payment be made using Ukash. The scam appears to have been sent by the Strathclyde Police Service. You should, not fall for this scam and you should take immediate steps to remove this virus from your computer. Simply seek advice from your anti-virus supplier.

The Bundespolizei Ukash Virus

The Bundespolizei Ukash scam is another malware infection that delivers annoying messages while disabling certain computer functions. As in the previous cases, do not be tempted to pay for removal of the malware, as you will lose your money, this will only benefit the scammers. You should seek advice from your anti-virus supplier.

The New Scotland Yard Ukash Virus

New Scotland Yard Ukash Virus is another scam of the same type where, you are requested to make payment using Ukash in order to clean your computer of all undesirable threats. Here too, the scammers have become more sophisticated and display screen messages that really do look like Scotland Yard official material. Seek advice from your anti-virus supplier.

Security Precautions

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Because the voucher is like cash money, you have to protect it like you would cash and keep it safe. If someone takes your voucher, it doesn’t have your name printed on it like a debit or credit card does, so there isn’t proof that it’s yours.

Scammers and malware authors are constantly developing old scams for making money. Ukash is a safe way to make payments, but nevertheless, you should always take care.

Look after your Ukash as you would the cash in your wallet and make sure that your computer is always protected with antivirus software and that its settings are always up-to-date. Prevention is better than cure - a little care and foresight will help you avoid scams like these, so be aware and rest assured that you can use your Ukash online safely.

Many more security tips can be found in the Ukash Scam Blog.

About Ukash

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Retailers with online purchase capabilities have been missing out on reaching a major segment of consumers: cash spenders. While some consumers hesitate to use their credit or debit cards online, others prefer not to shop online at all. The economic climate has also contributed to the reduced number of credit card users online. For these reasons, cash spenders are becoming a bigger portion of consumers than they have been in the past.

These consumers can enjoy online purchasing through a United Kingdom-based company called Ukash. A subsidiary of Smart Voucher, Ukash has been around since 2005 helping use their cash to pay online. If you have an amount of cash money you want to spend online but have no idea how to do it, go into one of the 420,000 or more outlets in which you can purchase a Ukash voucher. When you purchase your voucher, you will be given a unique 19-digit code that will allow you to purchase items online up to the amount for which you have purchased the voucher.

You can also use Ukash to buy a prepaid virtual MasterCard or physical UkashOut MasterCard. The Ukash NEO is a virtual card for online or paying over the phone. The UkashOut MasterCard is a physical reloadable card which comes with a PIN so you can use them in shops and make withdrawals at ATMs.

Ukash is beneficial to retailers who accept it for many reasons. Because it’s guaranteed, bad credit loans there are no charge backs, meaning the money is always there. With a credit card, sometimes the charge comes back because the money is either not in the account or the charge is over the customer’s limit. Ukash is also regulated by the Financial Services Authority.