Consumers To Receive Improved Financial Guidance Following PBR

By:Mark Dawson

More Britons could be on track to receive better guidance in managing their finances, it has been revealed.

In the government's pre-Budget report (PBR) and Comprehensive Spending Review, chancellor Alistair Darling announced that millions of pounds are to be invested into the provision of financially advisory initiatives targeted towards some of the most vulnerable people in the country. With the Financial Inclusion Fund set to receive some 130 million pounds over the course of the next spending year, consumers may be able to adopt a more responsible attitude towards the applying for and paying back of secured loans, credit cards and other avenues of borrowing.

In addition, such moves may also help people develop a greater knowledge of financial products and learn more about the importance of creating a budget. With the government claiming that the announcement builds upon "the good progress achieved so far", the money will support projects such as the Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform's fiscal advice schemes and the Department for Work and Pension's Growth Fund.

Meanwhile, the report may also be welcomed by older people who are struggling to keep up with demands for payment on utility bills, home loans and other areas of their spending. From next year, the government is to boost the minimum amount of pension credits to 124 pounds for single retirees. Couples, on the other hand, are to receive 189 pounds.

Speaking ahead of the report, Vince Cable, treasury spokesperson and deputy leader for the Liberal Democrats, asserted that millions of Britons are now beginning to develop difficulties with loans and other types of borrowing, as a result of Gordon Brown "blithely ignoring the growing crisis of personal debt and irresponsible lending". He added that as "the chickens are finally coming home to roost", people are finding that a greater proportion of their income is going towards paying back debt as the economic landscape looks bleak. "Household debt is now 160 per cent of income double the level of a decade ago. The cost of servicing debt is close to the level that caused the recession at the end of the 1980s Lawson boom," Mr Cable asserted.

Such sentiments were also shared by Mark Williams, Liberal Democrat MP for Ceredigion. He pointed to data released by the Welsh Liberal Democrats in June which showed that the country's personal debt, which may have been acquired through the use of loans, overdrafts and plastic cards, stood at 164 per cent as a proportion of income during 2006. With this figure up from the 105 per cent noted in 1997, it was also suggested that this level of personal debt is the highest in the developed world. Meanwhile, Welsh households are currently contributing nine per cent of their disposable income, towards paying back debts.

And although more financial advisory services are on the horizon, those who find that they are still struggling with money may wish to consider using the equity built up within their property as a means of debt consolidation. Last month, Sue Anderson, head of member and external relations for the Council of Mortgage Lenders, suggested that consumers deciding to take out such a form of secured loan are often doing "a logical thing" as they are effectively replacing expensive unsecured debt with low-rate borrowing.

Digg del.icio.us Blink Stumble Spurl Reddit Netscape Furl

Article keywords: pre, budget, plans, for, financial, guidance, loans, finance, secured, personal

Article Source: http://www.articles2k.com

Mark Dawson writes for Loan-Arrangers .co.uk where visitors can compare loans online. Then apply for the best secured loans and bad credit loans available.

Top Personal Finance Articles
1). Dealing with The Stress of Debt! By : Paul Duxbury As the New Year begins many people resolve to address the problems caused by their debts. This article provides some insights into dealing with the stress of debts.
2). Forecasting the Future Value of Your 401(k) By : Stephen L. Nelson, CPA If you’ve got Microsoft Excel (or just about any other popular spreadsheet program) running on your computer, you can use its FV function to forecast the future value of your 401(k) account. The FV function calculates the future value of an investment given its interest rate, the number of payments, the payment, the present value of the investment, and, optionally, the type-of-annuity switch.
3). What Makes a Credit Score Rise or Fall? By : Nathan Dawson OUR financial decisions can affect your credit score in surprising ways. Two credit-scoring simulators can help consumers understand the potential impact.
4). Handling Your Money Effectively By : Mary Williams There is inflation every year. You cannot stop an increasing in living expenses as prices of consumer goods increasing all the time. Saving money becomes an extremely difficult task to do. Here are some solutions for saving a little so that you can still meet your needs and still find ways to trim off a little for the future. 1. Budget – Get one and stick with it! And set aside at least a small portion for savings while you’re at it; savings for your future, your retirement, your education, your vacation, whatever.
5). An Overview Of The Direct Deposit System By : Bob Benson Direct deposit is an excellent feature offered by many banks all around your area. Banking is supposed to be convenient and easy, it has been made that much easier and more convenient with the offering of direct deposits. When thinking about direct deposit, consider many of the things that could apply to you. Have you found yourself hurrying off to.
6). Post-Christmas Financial Difficulties By : Mike Hanna If you’ve spent more than your budget can cope with, then maybe you’re thinking about credit to help you through January. Many people fear the long, broke month of January. After a lovely Christmas full of joyous smiles January can see a mood swing in the wrong direction. Many of us turn to credit cards to help get through this terrible month. But without knowledge of the financial industry a person without a great income can fall victim to the evil grip of unscrupulous credit companies.
7). Boost your savings By : Bob Benson It is general knowledge that residents of the United Kingdom are typically not savers. They tend to spend much more than they save; according to studies, saving money is not as popular as it once was. Saving is extremely important to the quality of life you expect to live in the future. Think about it, what would happen if your car suddenly quit working?.
8). How To Get Personal Loans For People With Bad Credit By : Susan Dean Personal loans for people with bad credit are available. There are a number of opportunities for those who are looking for money that do not have the highest scores out there.
9). If You Want To Make Money: Avoid Debt! By : Rene Graeber Everybody starting in life should avoid running into debt. There is scarcely anything that drags a person down like debt. It is a slavish position to get ill, yet we find many a young man, hardly out of his "teens," running in debt. He meets a chum and says, "Look at this: I have got trusted for a new suit of clothes." He seems to look upon the clothes as so much given to him; well, it frequently is so, but, if he succeeds in paying and then gets trusted again, he is adopting a habit which will keep him in poverty through life.
10). Refinance With Help From The FHA By : Lorna Mclaren Refinance, Home Loan - The FHA can help...

New Personal Finance Articles
1). How To Consolidate Your Debt If You Are A Homeowner With Bad Credit By : Craig Thornburrow Different debt consolidation methods you can use if you are a home owner with bad credit.
2). Bargain Buys for You in the Wholesale Market By : james lowe If you buy lots of goods you can save big money by learning how to use wholesale markets
3). Gold Coins - An Investment in Your Financial Liberty By : Ricardy Banks When you have a child, or even before you do, start collecting gold coins. When your child grows up, cash them in to send your high school graduate to the University of their choice.
4). Estate Planning: The Gift that Keeps on Giving By : Robert Valentine Gifting is one of the many estate planning tools available.
5). Living Debt-Free By : Debbie Dragon Do you dream of living without the burden of excessive debt hanging over your head? It’s possible, but not easy. Living debt free requires financial discipline, all the time. To become debt free and maintain a debt free life, try the following three steps: 1. Get rid of existing debt. This is obviously your first step to living a debt free lifestyle.
6). Accountant By : Jason Gluckman An accountant is a person who manages financial issues, including the preparation of financial plans and budgets, as well as the management of accounts and staff welfare. In most countries, officially licensed accountants are recognized by titles. In the UK, they are termed as “chartered accountants.” In the U.S., accountants are commonly known as “certified public accountants,” whereas in Canada, they are either known as “certified management accountants” or “certified general accountants.
7). Roth 401k – New Retirement Savings Plan. By : Simon Fox Brand new employer sponsored retirement plan is a hybrid of a traditional 401k and a Roth IRA. Income tax rates have been cut, the marriage penalty done away with, and the "death tax" is also on a path to no more. All of this is a result of the Bush administration's Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act which was passed by a Republican congress in 2001.
8). Budget Backyard Family Vacations By : Cheryl Johnson When travel and lodging are cost prohibitive, you can still have a vacation right at home. Yes, in your own backyard. Many of us live within reasonable distance to museums, campgrounds, historic sites, and beautiful state parks. You might be surprised at what you find in your own local area. Do some research in your area to find free or low cost activities and sites to visit.
9). The Cost Of Talking By : blueboy With so many companies offering “the lowest call rates, and the best service" who do you believe and are there any additional costs hidden in the small print? Do they all give per second billing by email, full cost analysis, discounted BT line rental and personal account managers? On mobiles do they offer free connection, and line rentals from £4? There has never been a better time to review the cost of your telephone charges and the service you are getting.
10). Asking for a lot of money By : James C. Samans Most people dream of making a lot of money. The question is, what does that mean? The truth is that money is highly subjective. Certainly, a billion dollars is a lot of money; there are only a handful of billionaires in the world. Is a million dollars a lot? In terms of total wealth, no; a significant minority of the population has a million dollars or more in total assets to leave to their heirs, largely due to the appreciation of real estate.