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   Anne Diamond Signs
      for Another Year
   with Postgoldforcash


  Anne Diamond

Radio presenter and TV Breakfast Queen Anne Diamond has confirmed she has signed to be the face of Postgoldforcash for another year, encouraging customers to choose the TOP company to sell their unwanted or broken jewellery. 

Anne Diamond had no doubt from the beginning that she had picked the right gold buying company to endorse. She was proved right in the last year when Postgoldforcash appointed top independent research company TNS to conduct a mystery shop. Postgoldforcash came top of all TV advertisers. 

Being a BBC Radio Presenter, Anne was also not surprised when the BBC One Show found that Postgoldforcash paid more than all the other TV advertised gold buying companies in a postal gold survey. 

‘Postgoldforcash provided me with a great experience when sending my gold away a year ago and now they have proven they have kept to those standards by scoring top for service in the TNS research. 

"I would still encourage people to send of their gold as the gold price is still rising and with the poor economic climate, what better way to make
some cash from sending in broken and out of fashion gold, silver or platinum jewellery. I will need to look through my jewellery box to see if I have anymore odd earrings,’ says Anne Diamond. 


Postgoldforcash.com is based in the Bournemouth / Poole area. The business does exactly what it says on the tin and, in a recent TNS Mystery Shopper Study, was the top-payer of all its TV advertised competitors when offered
25grams of 9ct gold to buy. In fact, postgoldforcash.com pays OVER DOUBLE the amount for Gold paid by our largest rivals. Postgoldforcash also came TOP in BBC’s One Show Postal Gold Survey.


For a summary of this study see the comparison table at www.postgoldforcash.com

Its two founder directors, Ashley Faull and Ian Corica, have over 30 years experience in the jewellery trade and very extensive media and start-up experience. They believe that with the current high Gold price, combined with the poor economic climate, there is a great opportunity for
postgoldforcash.com to provide a first rate Gold buying service to its customers.

     Pension Shortfall?

If your pension fund isn’t likely to meet all your needs, you may have other savings and investments that could be used to top up your retirement income. And if you haven’t been saving for retirement, but have a lump sum available, you might want to consider an immediate vesting annuity to top up your retirement income. In broad terms, this involves paying your capital into a pension and then immediately converting it into an annuity.

You’ll probably have some ideas already about your lifestyle in retirement. Once you have taken care of the fixed costs of running a home and everyday living, you might have ambitions to travel, to spend more time pursuing your favourite leisure activities or making some improvements to your home.

You might want to treat your grandchildren or help your family out financially. To meet these aspirations, you’ll need to work out the best way to take your pension benefits: annuity, income withdrawal or phased retirement. You’ll also need to think about whether you take some of your benefits as a lump sum.
 

There are a number of factors you’ll need to consider:
 

The size of your retirement fund. Some options are only suitable for funds in excess of £150,000 (after tax free cash has been taken). Your FInancial Planning Manager will be happy to discuss these options with you.

Your appetite for risk

At this stage in your life you may take a more cautious approach, but you should be aware that inflation will significantly erode the value of your retirement fund.How much risk are you prepared to take in pursuit of potentially higher returns without jeopardising your retirement plans?
 

Why and when you need to take an income:
 

The short and long-term financial plans you may have for retirement and the resources you will need to fulfil these.
 

Factors that might affect your life expectancy:
 

Your lifestyle, both past and present, long-term health problems and your family medical history will all play a part in your financial decision.

There are many ways in which you can take your pension benefits. These are the main ones:

   Annuity

Income withdrawal (unsecured pension)

•   Alternatively Secured Pension from age 75

•   Phased retirement

Annuity:

One of the biggest choices facing you on retirement is whether or not to take out an annuity.
 

An annuity is a type of insurance policy that pays an income for life. The annuity provider that you purchase it from estimates how long you might live and pays you an income (usually monthly) based on the amount in your fund and the annuity rate. If the annuity rate was 5%, for example, you would receive £5,000 a year for every £100,000 in your fund. There are different types of annuities available and payments usually cease on death but you can incorporate payment guarantees and/or a dependant’s pension if you are worried about providing for those close to you in the event of your early death.
 

Annuity rates vary between providers, and your current pension provider may not offer the best deal. It is your right to shop around in order to find the best deal for you. This right is known as your ‘Open Market Option’. Some personal pension arrangements may carry guaranteed annuity rates (GARs) which could provide a better return than that available elsewhere, so you should check this with any existing pension provider when looking at the Open Market Option.

You should be aware that current annuity rates are low, so the income you receive from your annuity will also be low. Bearing this in mind, you might want to consider other options. Your  FInancial Planning Manager will be able to talk these through with you.

Income Withdrawal:

If you’re looking for a more flexible option, rather than buying an annuity you might want to consider income withdrawal. This involves taking a taxable income from your fund each year, and leaving the rest invested. An income withdrawal arrangement offers a viable alternative to an annuity.

However, it is not without its pitfalls. For example, investment charges could reduce the value of your fund and annuity rates could have reduced further by the time you decide to take an annuity. As with all options covered in this article, we recommend that you take professional advice before making any decisions. Since 2006, when major changes to the pension rules were introduced, it’s no longer obligatory to convert your pension fund into an annuity when you reach 75.
 

Instead, you can opt for an Alternatively Secured Pension (ASP). This is similar to income withdrawal, but for those over 75 and with different (and stricter) limits and rules. The main difference is that these plans do not pay out tax-free cash – if you wish to take a lump sum,you have to do this before you are 75. The fund remains invested, and you take a (taxable) income directly from the fund.
 

When you die, the remaining fund must be used to provide an income for your dependants. However, this will be liable for Inheritance Tax and other tax charges. If you have no dependants, it passes to a charity that you nominate.

Phased retirement:

Instead of converting your pension funds into an annuity once and for all, you can access your funds gradually by setting up a series of annuities or income withdrawals over a period of time.

This involves using part of your fund to buy an annuity and leaving the rest invested. At a later date you can use all or part of your remaining pension fund to buy another annuity.

You can combine phased retirement with income withdrawal. With this approach, you start drawing your income from a part of your pension and leave the rest intact. You have the option of increasing the rate of withdrawal from this portion or starting to draw on another part of your pension fund.
 

 

                 Money Savers Page


       Beware of Rogue
      Doorstep Traders
 


  
   
Click on the arrow to watch the video

While British weather cannot always guarantee sunshine, the longer days of light and occasional dry spells provide the best time to undertake outside building and home improvement work. Sadly the summer is also an opportune time for rogue doorstep traders to approach homeowners.

 Last year, the OFT funded consumer advice line, Consumer Direct, received more than 5,300 complaints, an increase of 16%, about doorstep traders offering home improvement or maintenance work on the doorstep with these complaints peaking in the summer months of July to September.

 Consumer Direct figures show that roofing jobs received the most complaints (28%) during 2009 with tarmacing and paving being close behind with 23%. Home insulation and guttering also received significant complaints. 

Unfortunately, it is often the elderly  and  vulnerable that are the target of rogue  doorstep   traders.   Whilst  it  isn’t  illegal  to  trade  on  the doorstep,  the  OFT  is   providing ways  to  help  people  avoid  being scammed by rogue doorstep traders:
. If a trader knocks at your door, do not agree to on the spot house repairs, or sign anything on the spot.

. Be wary of special offers or warnings that your house is unsafe.

. Do not make snap decisions.  Take time to talk to someone you trust before you make a decision.

.  If in doubt, call Consumer Direct on 08454 040506 or visit www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/doorstepselling    

            Three Quarters of
        55s+ Could Be Missing
      Out On Retirement Income

     

       59% could qualify for an enhanced annuity   

More than three quarters (77%) of British adults aged 55 and over are unaware that certain medical conditions could entitle them to a higher level of pension income though their annuity provider, according to new research from MGM Advantage.

The findings show that millions of people are potentially missing out on a higher income in their retirement because they’re not taking advantage of the higher rates that come with enhanced annuities if they suffer from certain medical conditions. Worryingly, according to the survey, 59% of people aged 55 and over claim they have or have had a medical condition that could qualify them for an enhanced annuity. 

However, only one in four people (20% of women and 26% of men) are aware that they could get more income when they retire if they suffer from certain medical conditions.

Four fifths (80%) of British adults over the age of 55 claim to have had a health check within the past year and 65% claim to have had one within the past six months but it seems people are not sharing their results with their annuity providers.

For example, 40% and 30% of people surveyed have or have had high blood pressure or high cholesterol respectively, which requires treatment or management by a medical professional, and would be considered for a higher level of income by an annuity provider.

The retirement income specialist warns that people who don’t mention any underlying health issues could risk losing out financially as enhanced annuities pay out on average 24.09% more for men and 22.69% more for women. For the first five years of retirement for example, the difference between the amount paid out by an average standard and enhanced annuity is £3,823.50 for a man buying an annuity with £50,000, and £3,407.65 for a woman.
 

Health condition that will be considered for
enhanced annuity  

 Percentage of people aged 55 and over who have suffered this medical condition, requiring treatment and/or management by a medical professional

 High blood pressure    40%
 High cholesterol  30%
 Heart diseases  13%
 Diabetes  11%
 Stroke   7%
 Chronic obstructive
 pulmonary disease
 6%
 Breast cancer  4%
 Prostate cancer  3%
 Heart attack  7%


Aston Goodey, Sales and Marketing Director, MGM Advantage comments
, “Whilst it’s encouraging that so many people aged 55 and over are having regular health checks, it’s shocking that so few are aware that certain medical conditions would qualify them for an enhanced annuity and therefore increased retirement income.  In some cases, declaring a ‘medical impairment’ could result in an individual being thousands of pounds better off and make a real difference to their quality of life.”

Goodey continues, “Having a health check before purchasing an annuity is vital, and if someone discovers they have a medical condition, it’s really in their best interest to inform their prospective annuity provider. To ensure you are getting the best annuity rate possible, you should also exercise the Open Market Option and shop around for the best enhanced annuity rate.”

According to MGM Advantage an estimated five million people aged 55 and over are likely to retire in the next five years.  Many of these people could be missing out on higher annuity rates unless they get a health check before applying for an annuity.
 

 Care Commission Must End Era Of  Means-Testing And Unfairness

Britain's biggest pensioner organisation, the National Pensioners Convention (NPC) has called on the new Care Commission announced  by the health secretary Andrew Lansley, to end the era of means-testing and unfairness in the current care system and introduce a National Care Service funded through general taxation.

Dot Gibson, NPC general secretary said: "The establishment of a National Care Service that is universally available to all in need, free at the point of delivery and paid for by all, would be a tremendous step towards ending the era of means-testing and unfairness.

Around 1m older people are already receiving care at home or in residential care - and large numbers are faced with a lack of dignity, poor services and huge bills. A National Care Service would put an end to this."

"Care in the UK is in crisis. For years it has been the Cinderella service of the welfare state – under funded and overlooked, but the main proposal from the coalition is simplistic and unrealistic. Their figures just simply don’t add up. Suggestions that people should pay lump sums or take out private health insurance just won’t tackle the inequalities in the system or prevent pensioners from having to sell their homes.”

“Older people and their families have a right to ask: why when education, the NHS and many other public services can be funded by society as a whole – should the care of our most vulnerable pensioners be left to individuals?”

“We must do more and faster to give financial help to the army of carers, improve the regulation and standards of care provided and ensure care staff are properly trained and paid for looking after our loved ones."

"The proposed care commission must also ensure it adequately reflects the views of older people themselves and isn't simply taken over by the great and the good who have no real understanding of how older people live their lives. A national care service can be afforded if we share the cost across society as a whole and pay for it through general taxation. All political parties should commit themselves to this principle and act now to make it a reality."

Care Facts

A snapshot of social and long-term care provision in England shows the following :

Domiciliary Care 

• Around 1m older people receive some form of care in their own home, but around 2.5m have care needs. 

• 80% of those in need of care at home do not get it from the state. 

• The private and voluntary sector care providers receive around £9.3bn a year in public funding. 

• An estimated £5.9bn is spent by individuals on social care either through private contributions or through charges. 

• A huge unmet need and care gap exists between the services older people require and what they actually receive because services are being rationed.

As a result, only those with high care needs qualify for assistance. This unmet need places an additional burden and strain on many relatives and friends who provide unpaid care (eg. 1.2m men and 1.6m women over 50 are unpaid carers). 

• All care in the home is means-tested, and individuals need an annual income of less than £13,000 to receive services free. 

• The charges for those with income above this level vary widely depending on each local authority area, thus creating an unfair postcode lottery.

Long-term residential care

• In 2003, out of 500,000 care places: 69% were in the private sector, 17% in the public sector and 14% in the voluntary sector. 

• Private care is worth around £6.9bn a year. 

• There are around 448,000 care home residents, 60% of which are self-funders. 

• 1 in 4 care workers leave their jobs every year and this high turnover is almost entirely due to poor pay and conditions of employment. 

• Within care homes, only one member of staff is required to have an appropriate care qualification (but even they do not have to be situated on-site). 

• Those with assets (including the value of their property) of more than £23,000 must fund their own care. Those between £13,000 and £23,000 are means-tested and pay a proportion whilst those below £13,000 have their charges paid by their local authority. 

• In 2008, the average fees for care home residents across the UK were £34,528 per year for nursing care and £24,128 for residential care. 

Carers

• 2.8m people aged over 50 provide unpaid care.

• Adult children provide their parents with 36 hours of unpaid care each month, estimated at a total annual UK cost of £39 billion.

• Nearly a quarter of all carers aged 75 and over (24%) provide 50 hours or more a week of informal care.
 

 

Promotional Codes


    Save Money With PromotionalCodes.org.uk

We make it easy for you to find the latest promotional codes, discount codes and online voucher codes from top merchants, and many more to save you money. Simply enter these codes at the checkout page for instant discounts on just about anything you buy online.


Here's the best part: Promotional Codes UK is 100% free, so start saving money now!
Before you checkout, check us out!
 
 

  How to Save Money and
  Earn Cashback Rewards
    on Internet Shopping

internet shopping

 One of the greatest elements of internet shopping is the potential for consumers to find bargains and save money off their shopping with just a few clicks. Saving money online is a crucial part of internet shopping; and it is considered beneficial too. Here are some tips on how to save money online.

Compare Prices Before Buying

Internet shopping has been made easier by the presence of comparison sites. Although many shoppers would associate these sites with insurance products and cars, the same principal can also be applied to retail shopping. Leading comparison sites such as Comparethemarket.com allow users to browse and compare the prices of just about anything that can be bought from various retailers.
 

Various comparison sites exist for the same purpose so competition is rife and, as a result, they do not include every retailer or business. For that reason, it might be worthwhile to browse through a few comparison sites before buying a product in order to find the best deal as sometimes prices vary.

Use Promotional Codes and Discount Vouchers
This is the next step that allows online shoppers to save more once they’ve found good deal. Voucher codes are a godsend to many shoppers who can use them at the checkout to obtain a further discount on their purchase. And promotional codes give peace of mind as they offer shoppers the option to buy now and pay later (BNPL), giving them the opportunity to spread the cost over several months and avoid paying interest. Nowadays promotional and discount codes are readily given by retailers who are eager to entice online shoppers – all in the name of increasing online sales.

Retailers usually email the codes to their most prolific customers or those who have been inactive for a while in order to encourage them to start spending again. However, the majority of the time, codes can be obtained from specialist websites such as hotukdeals.com or vouchercodes.com who offer exclusive promotional codes and discount vouchers from time to time. Again, as there are numerous sites available so it is worth checking a few for the best and most suitable codes.

Get Cashback Rewards on All Purchases
Getting cashback on purchases made online is another way of saving money and earning rewards, too. Websites such as quidco.com, for example, offer members the opportunity to earn cashback on purchases made via the site. Insurance and financial products such as credit cards, bank accounts and loans tend to attract higher cashback rewards but shoppers can also earn notable rewards on their shopping from hundreds of retailers. The important thing is to remember to go through a cashback site before making a purchase and the rewards will eventually add up to a big payout.

 Cashback sites also offer exclusive promotional and discount codes. But be wary when using such codes and only use those issued by the relevant cashback site as many of them specify that codes obtained from third parties will nullify cashback rewards on the purchase thus making the whole transaction pointless.

Cashback sites are becoming increasingly popular as lead providers to those wishing to earn extra money for doing the things they do every day. Cashback websites are affiliate sites that act as a platform through which consumers can click to access their intended websites where they can shop as normal.

There are numerous cashback websites paying huge rewards, sometimes hundreds, for a single service or membership. These rewards add up to a substantial amount which can be paid as cash, cheques or gift vouchers.

    Ways To Save Money
British credit card holders now owe an average of £2,200 on their plastic and with retailers reporting a slump in sales not seen for two decades, it is clear that shoppers are reining in their spending. In short, it's payback time.

To clear a debt of £2,200 on a card that attracts an interest rate of around 15% will take more than two years assuming a monthly repayment of £100.There are, however, plenty of simple ways to make significant savings on your regular spending that could clear the debt many times over in less than a year.

1. Change your attitude to your mortgage
The most expensive item you are ever likely to buy is your home. If you're not in the privileged position to pay cash, make sure the loan you use to finance it is the best available. For example, if you are paying your lender's full standard variable rate (SVR) you are probably paying hundreds of pounds a year more than you need to.

There are thousands of deals to choose from and while it is vital to check the small print for hidden catches, this is a relatively easy way to save a lot of money. Remember: loyalty to your bank benefits your bank, not you. Even better, if you can afford to make overpayments on your mortgage, you'll clear your debt several years early and make massive savings. For example, if you borrow £100,000 at 6% over 25 years, you'll pay it back at £643 a month. The total charge for credit will be £93,000. But if you can overpay by £100 a month you'll clear the loan in less than 19 years, giving you 6 years of mortgage-free living and saving a staggering £25,000 in interest. 
Saving: £1,000s

2. Clear your credit card debt
One of the golden rules of financial planning is to clear your most expensive debts first, in other words your credit cards. OK, credit cards offer a convenient way to pay for goods and services but if you can't clear the balance every month, consider a low-cost loan as an alternative. Do the sums: a credit card debt (APR 15%) of £2,200 over three years will cost £545 in interest. A loan at 6% will cost £209. A saving of £336.
Saving: £100s

3. Cut the cost of your fuel bills 
As the global demand for power threatens to outstrip supply, prices are rising. But that doesn't mean you need to be ripped off. The domestic market for fuel is a competitive one and you can change supplier with a few clicks of the mouse. Your new supplier will take care of the formalities - you just pay less every month. 
Saving: £100

4. Consider installing a water meter
We take our tap water for granted. And why not? The companies behind the supply exist to make a profit, we pay them to supply water and have every right to expect it to flow from our taps. But if it doesn't rain, supply runs dry and the price goes up. So you may want to consider the possibility of installing a meter. If you have a big home with few occupants you may be surprised to learn you could halve your annual bill. 
Saving: £100s


5. Cut your home phone bills 

BT may seem to behave like a monopoly but it most definitely is not one. If you must use your phone there are scores of cheaper alternatives from cable companies that package your telephone, television and even broadband internet access to low-cost dial-up services that give you access to cheaper calls using your existing BT line. 
Saving: £100

6. Consider a pay-as-you go mobile
Ask yourself this: is your mobile phone absolutely necessary? If the answer is yes, then ask yourself whether you really need all those minutes and texts that come as part of your package. If you hand over £50 a month to your mobile phone company, that's £600 a year – or around £1,000 of your gross salary. But you can buy a pay-as-you-go phone for as little as £30 and only pay for the odd call as and when you need to. 
Saving: £100s


7. Make a shopping list
Food shopping forms a significant part of our monthly outgoings and the supermarket is where the bulk of the money is spent. Tesco takes £1 in every £8 spent by UK shoppers. But be warned, stores spend a small fortune studying ways of making us part with more of our money than we would otherwise intend to. Have you ever wondered why your favourite song is playing in the background as you navigate the aisles? Have you even noticed the background music? Possibly not, but you will have noticed at the checkout that the bill is often more than expected. To circumvent this, simply make a shopping list. Dig out the cookery books, plan a few meals and only buy what you need.
Saving: £10 a week = £520 a year


8. When was the last time you went to the market? 
One way to beat the supermarkets - that is, to eat healthily for less - is to use your local market stall. Lower overheads should mean lower prices. At the time of writing, cherries were on sale in Asda for £2.99 for 400g, the equivalent at the local market was going for just over £1. 
Saving: £100+
 

9. Consider own-brand goods
You can buy a tin of Asda own-brand baked beans for 14p and a loaf bread at Asda, Tesco or Sainsbury's for 19p. Enough said. 
Saving: £100 

10. Don't buy designer labels
Celebrities are given expensive clothes to wear. You're not. At the end of the day, and let's face it you may only wear the outfit once, can you justify paying hundreds of pounds over the odds because a top designer has had his or her name sewn on the label?
Saving:
 £100s
 

 

 

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