Money Saving News for May 2009
- Tourists 'should trade their currency in advance' - 22nd May, 2009
People travelling overseas have been advised to exchange their foreign currency in advance by Tesco Personal Finance.
According to the financial services provider, changing money in advance can mean customers get better rates than they would at the airport... - Alliance & Leicester basic bank accounts offer 'running out' - 22nd May, 2009
Basic bank account customers who switch their current accounts to Alliance & Leicester have just seven days to go if they want to take advantage of the bank's £100 cashback offer.
The offer, which is available to customers who open a new Premier Current Account of Premier 50 Current Account, pays £100 into the account within four months of it opening... - Tesco credit card offer welcomed by website - 21st May, 2009
Tesco's decision to extend the zero per cent interest period offered on its Clubcard Credit Card has been welcomed by a financial advice website in the UK.
According to uSwitch.com, the number of credit card companies offering special introductory offers has shrunk in the past year in general so Tesco's decision to make its offer more generous stands out... - Sterling hits high against the dollar - 21st May, 2009
The pound has hit a five-month high against the US dollar, according to the latest figures from HiFX, an internet foreign exchange provider.
HiFX said that the news, which may be welcomed by holidaymakers using credit cards abroad, is likely to be welcomed by sectors of the economy that rely heavily on imports... - Credit card company extends 0% purchase period - 21st May, 2009
Tesco has announced that it will be extending the zero per cent interest on purchases period offered on its Clubcard Credit Card, an announcement that may prove helpful to people using credit cards abroad.
New customers who apply for the balance transfer credit card online will now benefit from 12 months of zero per cent interest on new purchases, rather than the six months offered previously... - Lloyds TSB offers new mortgage - 21st May, 2009
A new fixed-rate mortgage aimed at first time buyers has been introduced by Lloyds TSB.
The new mortgage offers first time buyers a 95 per cent loan to value (LTV) mortgage at 4.39 per cent.
Lloyds can offer this rate - which it claims is almost £100 a month less than the industry's average - because the mortgage involves the bank taking a charge on first-time buyers' parents' savings... - Tesco offers money saving tips for travel - 21st May, 2009
A list of money saving tips has been published by Tesco Personal Finance, which is aimed at helping holidaymakers get the best cheap bargain deals on their vacations.
The supermarket financial services provider advised people going abroad to work out a budget beforehand and to stick to it as closely as possible... - Greater security measures 'make resourceful criminals' - 20th May, 2009
An improvement in vehicle security measures in recent years has meant that car thieves are increasingly altering their modus operandi, according to research by the AA.
A poll by the motor car insurance provider found that 76 per cent of car manufacturers have improved their in-car security measures recently and that 63 per cent now believe that older vehicles are more vulnerable to theft than newer models... - Motorists: Car crime is becoming more violent - 20th May, 2009
Drivers in the UK believe that car crime has become more violent in recent years, according to a poll conducted by auto insurance provider the AA.
The survey showed that 60 per cent of AA members believe car crime has become more violent in recent years.
Despite official statistics showing that vehicle theft and related crimes have fallen by 66 per cent since the mid 90s, there are still 1.5 million such incidents every year in the UK.
Edmund King, president of the AA, said: "Last year 15,700 cars were stolen after keys were taken in a burglary and 2,900 cars stolen after keys taken in muggings, pick pockets or car jacking."
Recent research by Norwich Union suggested that the number of domestic break-ins is set to increase during the recession, as poverty pushes more people to turn to crime... - Women saving less than men, says survey - 20th May, 2009
Women are putting less of their monthly income aside into savings accounts in the UK than men, according to a new survey.
The poll, conducted by Abbey, found that men manage to put an average of £155 into some form of savings account in the UK whereas the figure for women is £86 per month...