http://www.inter-financial.co.uk/blog Interfinancial Limited Online UK Loans Broker Wed, 15 Oct 2008 11:58:33 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en A report into home information packs (HIPs) by Birmingham Trading Standards has reached pretty damning results. The packs have not only been slammed as useless, misleading and uninformative, they have also been credited with worsening the housing market situation. Many believe that the added cost of the packs is putting off ... http://www.inter-financial.co.uk/blog/2008/10/15/hips-compounding-problems/ The house price crash is proving to be a boon for many potential first time buyers. Those who have waited for years, ever-frustrated as house prices have rocketed beyond their reach are at last seeing a chance to buy. With house prices having fallen eleven months in a row (according to ... http://www.inter-financial.co.uk/blog/2008/10/09/how-to-finally-be-a-first-time-buyer/ There's a lot of confusion about credit ratings amongst people seeking personal loans and other forms of credit. Many people believe - wrongly - that a credit record shows whether a lender has refused credit. This is not the case. Every time you apply for credit a 'footprint' is created on ... http://www.inter-financial.co.uk/blog/2008/09/10/what-affects-your-credit-rating/ In surprise news this morning, the US government has announced that it will bail out America's two largest lenders, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Whilst this may seem far removed from the daily grind of most people's lives, the effect of this action will have far-reaching implications around the globe and ... http://www.inter-financial.co.uk/blog/2008/09/08/credit-crunch-hope-at-last/ Yesterday the government announced what were intended to be some sweeping measures designed to rescue both the housing market from its freefall. The measures included helping out beleaguered homeowners who had fell behind on loan repayments; offering equity loans to buyers and giving a stamp duty holiday under a new threshold. So ... http://www.inter-financial.co.uk/blog/2008/09/04/government-housing-measures-encourage-irresponsibility/ One of the most common questions asked here at Interfinancial is "Do you charge a fee?" Many customers come looking for a personal loan but are - quite rightly - wary of paying a Finder Fee before they see the goods. So, what are these fees and why is it so ... http://www.inter-financial.co.uk/blog/2008/09/02/broker-fees-why/ In these days of the credit crunch many lenders are looking to ways to recoup on losses incurred in the last year. If you are looking to get a mortgage look out for the following catches that many lenders slap on in an effort to boost profits. First of all many ... http://www.inter-financial.co.uk/blog/2008/09/01/beware-of-hidden-catches-in-your-home-loan/ Reports of a new study done by the Halifax building society puts paid to the idea that Britain is a nation of spend-now, think-tomorrow shoppers, forever borrowing to fund their lifestyle. The annual Halifax Home Improvement Survey is part of a series of studies undertaken by the Halifax over the last ... http://www.inter-financial.co.uk/blog/2008/08/29/savings-not-loans-the-reality-for-home-improvements/ An increasing number of households owned on bad credit mortgages are facing repossession as they make late loan repayments. According to figures out from Standard & Poor, nearly a quarter of all bad credit home loans are now in arrears - many by as much as 90 days. This is up ... http://www.inter-financial.co.uk/blog/2008/08/28/bad-credit-home-loan-woes/ People are making a number of fundamental errors in handling their finance according to Moneyfacts, the comparison website. It advises people to tackle their bad finance habits in order to stay afloat during these tricky financial times. One of the worst habits is that of living beyond your means. This fatal flaw ... http://www.inter-financial.co.uk/blog/2008/08/26/crack-the-crunch-by-tackling-bad-habits/