Finance Articles

Here?s the first mortgage term you should learn ? Standard Variable Rate, or SVR. This is the interest rate you will be paying on the total amount you are borrowing. It is usually expressed as a percentage, and is different from an APR (Annual Percentage Rate). An APR includes all costs associated with the loan, such as interest, fees, any compulsory insurances etc. While interest rates can vary quite widely across the board, all lenders will have a Standard Variable Rate....

On June 1 st 2007, the law concerning the buying and selling of houses changes. From that date onwards everyone who wants to sell a house has firstly to prepare a Home Information Pack (HIP). And if you don't? You're in the frame for a £200 fine! It's also probable that estate agents will also insist on you having the Pack ready by the time they put your home on the market. Certainly, buyers' solicitors won't do a thing until you provide the Pack. All in all, you don't hav...

Most Americans are struggling to afford health insurance. In just the past few years, the cost of buying health insurance for your family has skyrocketed. I was talking with an insurance agent recently, who told me it's not unusual at all for his clients to be paying $1,000 to $1,400 per month for their family to be covered. I don't know many people who can easily afford those kinds of monthly insurance payments. Most who are paying them are making major sacrifices in othe...

Financial traders in the City are expecting interest rates to rise by half a percent by the end of this year. These days the Bank of England prefers to make a series of small changes to interest rates rather than one large change, so watch out for the first 0.25% rise around August time Mortgage rates are already reacting with the rates for fixed rate mortgages rising. The best rates for two year fixes are now in the 4.15% to 4.48% range and for three year fixes, 4.49% to ...

In the first three months of 2002, just 9% of all new mortgages were taken as interest only - but by the last quarter of 2005, the figure had risen to 23%. And amongst first time buyers, the figures rose from 6% to 15%. (Source: Council of Mortgage Lenders.) The reason is obvious. It's down to family economics. With an interest only mortgage, the monthly repayments only repay the ongoing interest so your monthly repayment is low. Repayment of the capital borrowed is delaye...

Various home loan programs are intended especially for homebuyers with less than perfect credit. To find a good home loan with poor credit, it is essential to choose the right lender or broker. Many new homebuyers are unfamiliar with different types of mortgages. Therefore, many assume that a down payment is required, and bad credit makes it impossible to get approved. However, many lenders offer 100% mortgage financing on bad credit loans. How to Get Approved with Bad Cre...

Self certification mortgages and self certification remortgages are useful financing options for those individuals looking to buy a new home or obtain a new mortgage in the UK. Those individuals who will find a mortgage of this type most useful are those who are gainfully employed yet may have a difficult time showing where the money comes from and how much money they receive on an annual basis. Examples of individuals who may experience this problem include those who are sel...

Group health insurance rates have been increasing year after year and employers have been forced to make some drastic changes in their employee benefit programs. Many employers have changed their health insurance to high deductible plans. Dental Insurance has been discontinued by some companies as well as vision care. Disability programs have been trimmed down as well as group life insurance. This has created gaps in coverage and employees have had to look for alternatives fo...

Hands up all those who remember the old E111 medical forms you were supposed to have if you travelled in Europe? I can see all those blank faces! Well, great news is that it doesn't matter any more. The E111 form was replaced at the beginning of January 2006 by a new European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). This EHIC is valid for up to 5 years and entitles you to the same level of medical care in the country you're travelling in, as would be enjoyed by the residents of th...

Two million Muslims in the UK face an ethical dilemma if they want a mortgage or a loan. Conventional mortgages and loans all require the payment of interest and ?riba? as interest is called under Islamic law, is forbidden by the Koran. British financial institutions are increasingly catering for Muslims' specialist needs through a number of alternative arrangements that respects the teachings of the Koran. Here are just two of them: Ijara with diminishing Musharaka ? t...