Making The Most Of The January Sales - At Your Bank

Keeping on top of your finances can often mean some clever juggling of your monthly incomings and outgoings, so taking advantage of the deals on offer can make a difference. Online comparison sites such as moneysupermarket.com can give you a clear idea of the best financial products and services available to you. At this time of year you might be able to benefit from the January sales.

It may sound strange, but when it comes to the post-Christmas sales, it isn't just the retail stores that like to offer their customers some good deals on products. Now many of the big banks and building societies are getting in on the act too. Over the last few years, the banks have offered great deals or low rates on credit cards, current accounts and savings rates throughout January, making it a good time to take a close look at your finances.

The Best Deals?

Although the excitement of the sales can encourage people into rushing into a deal because it looks unbeatable on the surface, when it comes to choosing a financial product it is worth delving a little deeper into the fine print to see whether it is really as good as it sounds.

For example, the latest deal may offer low rates on your credit-card balance and sound very tempting, but when you look closer you might find that the low rate only lasts for a short period of time or it may only apply to a small amount of debt. This might be useful if you're looking to pay off a slight overspend at Christmas but if you have a larger amount to repay you might not save that much.

Be Prepared!

As with any financial product or service, do some research before you make a commitment. Make sure the deal is right for you. January sales offers should be treated like any other financial product. Take the time do your homework, pinpoint exactly what you want from the deal, whether that's lower interest payments or the waiving of administration fees on a balance transfer. Using a comparison site can give you a clearer idea of the products on the market and how they could benefit you.

At times like this, being attracted by one particular deal should inspire you to check out all the other deals available. The banks and building societies are competing fiercely with each other for your money, so the first offer you see will probably not be the best one.

It may help to get some impartial advice on your options are and take a fresh look at your monthly budget. Seeing clearly where your cash goes each month will help you to take control of your money and make sound financial decisions.

This was written by Sam, a financial expert based in the UK

Soho House Stake Sold to US Business Magnate

One of the USA’s most publicity-shy business icons has found himself in the spotlight this week after purchasing one of London’s most prolific property chains. California-born billionaire Ron Burkle has just bought a controlling stake in Soho House, a luxurious private members’ club reserved for the cream of the creative crop. The deal gives the 58-year-old business magnate 60% ownership of Soho House.

About Soho House

The luxurious Soho House was first established by UK entrepreneur Nick Jones in 1995. The highly exclusive club is open to select members of the creative industries such as film, fashion and media. Gaining membership to Soho House is notoriously difficult, and regarded as quite an honour even among the most elite creative professionals. The number of Soho House members worldwide totals 26 000, with an impressive 11 000 still on the waiting list! Nick Jones opened the original Soho House on London’s Greek Street, and over the years the Soho House Group has grown to include several members’ clubs at prestigious international addresses including Berlin, New Year and West Hollywood. There are also a number of luxurious Soho House hotels, restaurants, spas and even cinemas in the UK and US.

Members of the Soho House club currently include A-listers like Jude Law, Jack Nicholson and Ethan Hawke.

About Ron Burkle

Like Soho House, Ron Burkle started small and went from strength to strength over the years. He started out working as a bagger in the grocery store owned by his father, and went on to make his fortune as an investor in supermarket and grocery chains. The Soho House deal, at an estimated $383, would doubtless have been an easy purchase for Mr Burkle, who is currently ranked at number 107 on The Forbes 400 with an estimated net worth of $3.2 billion.

What’s Next for Soho House?

Ron Burkle is now the chairman of the Soho House Group, while Nick Jones retains his role as chief executive. Word has it that Ron Burke will be working with Mr Jones and fellow stakeholder Richard Caring to expand the Soho House franchise on a wider international scale. We could soon see the establishment of a Soho House club in Toronto and Mumbai, followed by Chicago, Barcelona and even Istanbul. This is good news for aspiring club members around the world, not to mention the jet-setting A-listers who will be thrilled to find a Soho House property at nearly any international destination.

Nicky Warner is a keen writer with a special interest in business leaders from any international office to rent. Nicky also has a keen interest in the latest property market developments and follows serviced offices London closely.

3 Tips For Using Payday Loans Wisely

Since payday loans are so easy to obtain, their potential danger is often overlooked. The biggest mistake people make with these loans is rolling over the balance when it is due. This pattern may lead to hopeless debt. However, there are actually some situations where payday loans make sense. It is imperative to use the funds wisely while keeping track of the total cost of the loan. The following tips provide some practical advice for using the funds responsibly.

Factor In Fees And Interest

To do this, find out the interest rate and how often it compounds. Payday loans lasting less than one month usually have a flat fee for interest. Some states allow payday loan repayment terms exceeding one or two months, so it is important to know how often interest compounds in these situations. Financing fees are charged for most loans, so they are assessed twice if the borrower decides to do a rollover at the end of the term. Miscalculating fees and interest could result insufficient funds for paying other important bills.

Weigh Monthly Income And Expenses

Never resort to using a payday loan unless there is no other option. Look at all monthly expenses, and find areas where it is possible to make cuts. For example, consider cutting back an entertainment budget, funds for eating outside of the home or any other items that are not vital. It is also a good idea to attempt to work out payment plans for several expenses. Landlords, utility companies and phone service providers may all be willing to accept partial payments until the middle of the month. If this is the case, accept their generosity instead of applying for a payday loan.

Avoid Becoming Dependent On Payday Funds

These loans can be just as dangerous as credit for some people. Payday loan companies are happy to offer rollovers for an extra fee. Since the loan process is so quick and easy, borrowers may eventually take out enough loans to get into serious debt. When this happens, the payday lenders have every right to collect the money. This habit may ruin credit, relationships and many other aspects of life. Unfortunately, most lenders are more concerned about making money than helping people, so they are not a good source to look to for guidance in getting out of debt. Keep in mind that these loans should never be used to pay off credit card debt, collections or other long-term debts.

By submitting a few tidbits of personal information, almost anyone with a job can have payday loan funds transferred electronically to their bank account. In most cases, the funds are in the bank within 24 hours of applying. This is why payday loans are a great temporary solution for true emergencies. The keys to using them wisely are working with only reputable lenders, using common sense in spending, repaying the funds on time and avoiding subsequent loans.

Author Thomas Hathaway is a financial consultant and suggests there are times when payday advance may come in handy while waiting for your regular paycheck date.

4 Tips for Saving on Everything!!

We all know that the times aren't getting any easier. In order to save, you've got to be creative, confident & crafty! This can be on emergency expenditures, gifts, or anything really, but the best way to do this is on recurring expenditures. Saving money over and over again on things you already buy will always pay for itself. Read on for 4 great ways to do so.

1. Your Water Bill
In order to save money on your water bill, it is vital to follow these simple steps. Hand-wash your dishes. It might be a little more time consuming, but hand-washing your dishes will cut back 5-6 gallons for just one load. Also, not flushing your toilet every time you "go number 1" can save water. Newer toilets will use about one and a half gallons of water when you flush and older ones use about 5 to 6. Just remember the saying "If its brown flush it down, if its yellow let it mellow". Taking showers, rather than baths, will also save you money as well. The trick is to take a shower while your tub is plugged and when your shower is done see how much water is in the tub. If there is less water in the tub than you would normally use to take a bath, you will probably save money this way.

2. Children's Clothes
Consignment shops usually have a great variety of children's clothes at very reasonable prices. You can even find name-brand clothes at a fraction of the cost of buying them new. Most consignment shops only take new or gently used children's clothes, so the chances of you finding very nice and nearly new children's clothes are very good. Infants will change clothes size about 6 times in their first two years, and toddlers and kindergarten age children will grow up to a size a year, so buying used clothes with the knowledge that they will be outgrown within a few months will definitely save your hard-earned money.

3. Gas
Saving money on gas can be tough, especially with gas prices across the country steadily rising. A great trick is to never let your gas tank go below a quarter tank. It has been shown that running a vehicle that has less than a quarter tank of gas will use that remaining gas twice as fast. Also, it has been shown that letting your car idle for a short period of time uses less gas than turning it on and off. So, if you need to let your car idle for three minutes or less, it is more beneficial to do so, rather than re-cranking it.

4. Household Items
Never buy anything if you don't have a coupon for it. Visit manufacturers' websites or check out your local newspaper for coupons. You can usually find a coupon for everything you want to buy. Shop at Flea Markets and Yard Sales. There are great deals to be had at yard sales and flea markets on almost new merchandise. Visit online auction websites or participate in local auctions. Auctioning is another great way to obtain merchandise fairly cheap. Ask friends and family for things they might not want anymore. There are many people who have things that they rarely or never use laying around their house, but they just want to get rid of for the space. Friends and family will probably be more willing to just give you things or charge a small amount for items that they just don't want anymore.

Taylor Granatelli saves the most money by checking out homeequityloan.net.

Multicar Insurance: The Ins, the Outs, and The Shake-It-All-Abouts

If you have watched any telly other than the BBC in the past few months you are bound to have seen adverts for the latest car insurance product, the multicar policy. If you paid attention during the advert you may even remember that it’s a policy designed for households with more than one car. So what, you might think, isn’t it just another new angle that the marketing people have come up with to encourage people to spend money with their company?

Here we give a brief outline on what a multi car insurance policy is, what’s good about it, and what’s bad.

What is it?

A multicar policy, as has already been said, is a policy that covers more than one car, should you be a household that has more than one vehicle. Instead of having one policy per car with all the same people on each (which is usually the case) you have all cars and all people on the same policy, and it is usually cheaper than having separate policies.

The good bits

A multicar policy is a bit like having your gas and electricity from the same provider, or getting your phone and internet access from the same telecoms company – as there is less administrative work for the company a discount is passed on to you.
It can also simplify the process for you by having only one contact number, one account, and possibly even one renewal date if you want – although one renewal date for all cars can make for a very expensive month!

A multicar insurance policy can be especially handy for households with a young driver with their first car as they can have the advantage of being on their parent’s policy and having their parents as named drivers on their car.

And the not so good

Multicar policies are offered by many insurance companies in the UK but they can all differ in how they work, so you need to be careful and maybe shop around for car insurance quotes. For example, Company A may have one policy holder on the documents with everyone else down as a named driver, but company B may have a main driver for each car and then named drivers, recognising that there is often ‘my car’ and ‘your car’ in a multicar household. Some companies will want to know full details on all drivers on the policy, others just the principal policy holder.

You should also check what happens with regards to no claims bonuses (NCB) in the event of a claim. Many multicar insurers will happily register a drivers NCB on the policy and each drivers history should be separate from any others so that if one driver has an accident and makes a claim it does not affect another’s NCB, but that is not always the case so be careful.

You should also be aware of any administrative costs once a policy is in force as well. If, for example, you have a son or daughter who is living at home and has his or her own car and is on your multicar policy, then decides to fly the nest, any associated administrative cost could negate any savings made by having the policy in the first place. Plus your little darling will need to get their own insurance policy, of course.

As with many things in life there are both good and bad sides and you have to weigh the odds and try to get a balance that is right for you. Multicar policies can make genuine savings for households with more than one car, but some polices can be problematic when it comes to claims and administration. All you can do is shop around and check the policy details very carefully.

This article was written by Rob Powell. Getting the best deal on your car insurance? For more information on multi car insurance policies go to Confused.com.