NS&I is undertaking a nationwide search to help track down the winners of over 898,000 unclaimed Premium Bond prizes, worth over £44 million in total.
Premium Bond prizes may go unclaimed as a result of NS&I not being informed of changes to your personal circumstances, such as a change in contact details or if Premium Bonds were bought for you as a child and you have subsequently lost track of them. It is important therefore, to keep NS&I up to date if anything changes.
Over a third of the UK population have invested over £45 billion in Premium Bonds, and every...
Average winter gas bill will be up by £132 on a year ago to around £460 because of the extended cold spell.
The figures were compiled by economist Alan Clarke of the wholesale banking division of Scotiabank, Scotia Capital and do not factor in price rises which could come later this year.
Mr Clarke said average household gas use was up by some 30 per cent between January and March compared with a year ago. On top of that gas tariffs are now around 8 per cent higher.
Based on these calculations, he estimates that the average gas bill for the first three months of...
Jamie Matheson, Executive Chairman of Brewin Dolphion announced at the end of last year that despite extreme economic uncertainty at home and abroad, 2012 will largely be remembered as a year of better news for investors.
According to Brewin Dolphin's Group Strategist, equity markets have a sound backdrop for further gains next year and most markets have the potential to see around 10% earnings growth - he is predicting that the FTSE 100 will reach 6350 in 2013 - which is welcome positive thinking.
However, continues Matheson, the road for 2013 remains...
New research released from NS&I’s Quarterly Savings Survey shows that savings levels have risen for the second successive quarter. Britons are now saving 7.33% of their income each month, £90 in real terms, a rise from 7.17% in the previous quarter. Albeit positive news, savings levels are rising from a low level previously. In Spring 2012, Britons were saving 7.08% of their income each month, their lowest amount for more than a year previously, and 28% of Britons now believe they won’t be able to sustain the same level of saving over the next three months.
More than £7.3 million was injected into Devon’s economy from this year’s Tour of Britain cycle race.
Devon County Council hosted this year’s section of the race from Barnstaple to Dartmouth over Dartmoor.
And according to independent research commissioned by the tour organisers, an extra £7.3 million was spent in the county as a direct result of the event. Devon County Council hosted this year’s section of the race from Barnstaple to Dartmouth over Dartmoor.
That is more than double the £3.1 million that was generated for the county’s economy by...
The amount of money lost to doorstep crime in parts of the West Country has doubled during the past two years, according to new figures.
Council trading standards teams in Devon, Torbay, North Somerset and Poole and have reported increases in complaints from residents about rogue traders.
In Devon just over £50,000 was reported to be lost to doorstep crime in 2010, whereas the figure this year is already almost £100,000.
However, these figures are just an indication of the actual amount of money people have lost, which is undoubtedly far...
The Financial Service Compensation Scheme (FSCS) has opened the floodgates for consumers to claim against 16 financial advisers (including Financial & Taxation Consultants based in Exeter) some of which were involved in Keydata and Arch Cru scandals.
The FSCS has declared 16 financial advice firms across the country in default, meaning that their customers can now put in a claim for up to £50,000 for any money they may have lost as a result of their dealings with the firms.
A default means that the FSCS is satisfied the firms cannot pay their...
Brewin Dolphin is one of the largest independent private client investment managers in the UK. Tim Walker, Divisional Director and Head of Office at Brewin Dolphin Exeter looks at investment opportunities and recommends that now is the right time to buy equities.
The tide has finally turned - investors are beginning to wake up to the opportunities in equities. They were shy coming round. According to statistics from the Investment Management Association, more than half of all fund sales in July went into fixed income. Four of the top five most popular fund sectors were...
Pension Minister’s idea should not be dismissed out of hand as Brewin Dolphin highlights the importance of shopping around for your annuity
Following Pensions Minister Steve Webb’s recent suggestion that pensioners should be given the power to switch annuities, wealth manager Brewin Dolphin has underlined the importance of shopping around and seeking professional advice when choosing your annuity.
Having spoken to four of the major pension providers, Brewin Dolphin has found considerable disparities between the best and worst annuities quoted for a typical 65 year old...
A new event called The Money taking place at Exeter's Guildhall invites players to spend money. Not fake money, real money. On a table will be a pile of cash and the participants or 'Benefactors' have to unanimously agree what to spend the collective money on. The group will only have two hours to decide. There are no rules and players can be as creative as they like as long as they keep within the law.
Taking place in Exeter’s Guildhall where the council make their decisions, The Money playfully poses questions about value, priorities and collective decision making...
