The Best Places to Find Italian Wine

When you are looking for a superior Italian wine, it can be difficult to know what is best on the high street. Over priced and mass-manufactured bottles litter the supermarket shelves. For something truly special, it helps to purchase online from a specialist wine boutique. But with so many online retailers, it can be difficult to know where to begin. As a result, it helps to bear a few things in mind when searching for the best places to find Italian wine and fine wine merchants near Reading.

Imported Wines – When you are looking for a great selection of Italian wine, look for an online retailer that imports their own wine from a variety of different producers and specially selection vineyards.

High Quality Alternatives – If you are looking for a special Italian wine that is not mass produced, look for an online retailer that stocks high quality alternatives to the mass produced wine on the market.

Wine Selection – People who are passionate about where their wine comes from will know that mass produced wine is not always the best way to sample Italian wine. Look for an online retailer that is passionate about their wine being an expression of the place it comes from and select their wine carefully to bring you the very best in Italian wine. Look for a boutique that sells Italian wine split by region to give you an insight into the complex tastes and subtle differences between vineyards.

Graded Wines – Not everyone can be an Italian wine connoisseur. Look for a retailer that puts a helpful grading on their Italian wine to give you an insight into the quality of each bottle.

Exchange Rates and Choosing the Best Destination

If you are looking to spend less and save more on your next vacation, do a little research in to which currency offers the best money exchange rates.

With the holiday season upon us, many Britons are jetting off to sunnier planes and our attention moves to today’s exchange rates.

Save Money with Today’s Exchange Rates

There are many ways to cut the cost of your holiday. Some people prefer to go online to find the cheapest air fares and the various price busting offers on accommodation. Some people choose to holiday in the off season to lower the cost of their trip. One thing that tends to be overlooked is the financial market. Keeping an eye on the ever changing exchange rates could be the best way to get a good deal.

The affects of the credit crunch have affected different countries in different ways. You will get more for your money by scrutinising which countries have been hit the hardest. One look at the current exchange rates and you will realise that converting your British pounds into Euros will not give you much to smile about but luckily for you there are a number of places that will give you more for your money.

Fly Long Haul for the Best Exchange Rates

One of your best options in order to get the most bang for your buck is to jet off to a far away place. A top choice in terms of value for 2010 is South Africa. Although these exchange rates are expected to peak for the World Cup season, you can take advantage of the stunning scenery for a small price. This destination truly has something for everyone. Alternatively you may want to give the city of Las Vegas a try. The credit crunch has hit Las Vegas hard and there are now substantially less people willing to pay the sky high prices for business trips and stag weekends. As a result the prices have plummeted making this one of the best value destinations for 2010. Other budget holiday destinations include Thailand, Mexico and India.

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Bad credit mortgage – Move Forward with your Finances

It can be hard to move forward with your life if you feel chained down by bad credit, but a bad credit mortgage could help you move on.

Debt can be a debilitating thing. It can impact on your psychological outlook as well as your physical well being. Money troubles affect whether or not you can go on holiday, live a decent lifestyle and where you can afford to live. It’s increasingly difficult to get on the property ladder, and there are areas in the UK where it’s prohibitively expensive. But just because you’ve had debt problems or a bad credit history, doesn’t mean you can’t have access to holidays, a decent lifestyle and your own property. How? With a bad credit mortgage.

Bad credit mortgage – the way forward

It’s true that some high street lenders may refuse you a mortgage or be wary of lending to people with bad credit. And although the high street is moving more towards catering for people who have debt or bad credit, in the meantime there is a specialist bad credit mortgage market that deals specifically with people who find it difficult to get a conventional mortgage.

How will a bad credit mortgage work for you?

• Property ladder – a bad credit mortgage will allow you to get your foot on the property ladder and own your own home. If you’ve had financial troubles, owning your own property can offer you stability and security as well as be a lucrative investment.
• Credit Rating – If you keep making regular bad credit mortgage repayments than over time your credit rating will improve. Meeting your debt repayments is proof to lenders that you can be trusted and this increases the possibility of being accepted for other financial products in the future.
• Affordable – The bad credit mortgage has boomed in recent years as more and more people struggle with debt. This is good news for you, as it means there are more products than ever on the bad credit mortgage market, making it more competitive. Interest rates may be only slightly higher than the general mortgage market.

How to get a bad credit mortgage

If you are interested in obtaining a bad credit mortgage, you can make an appointment with a bad credit mortgage consultant. Contact a qualified mortgage specialists regulated by the Financial Services Authority, and you’ll be able to get impartial and fair advice on which bad credit mortgage is right for you. You too can be a property owner and move forward with your finances.

See the latest mortgage news here: http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/mortgageshome/article-2145665/Mortgage-rates-set-rise-euro-crisis-pushes-banks-borrowing-costs.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Property Development Finance – Home and Away

Property development finance can be difficult to secure, but as the global credit crunch hits, now’s the time to invest.

Buy when times are tough. It may sound paradoxical. The property market is faltering all over the world as consumers take nervous baby steps into 2008, thanks to the notorious ‘credit crunch’. But in fact, it’s the credit crunch that is resulting in a whopping increase in repossessions and auctions across the UK. If you want property development finance to turn a repossessed house into a must-have home, you need to contact the experts.

Swift Finance specialise in property development finance

As times are hard however, you might find your high street bank turns your request for property development finance down. Mainstream lenders are reluctant to take risks, especially with those who have a bad credit history. If you’re looking to secure property development finance, a dedicated broker can help find you choose the best option and even secure 100% funding of development projects. Whether you want to refurbish a repossessed property or complete your own Grand Design from scratch, you can find property development finance to suit your needs.

Home and Away – Finding the perfect property

As well as opportunities in the UK, property development is booming abroad. As the Office for National Statistics revealed this year, more Brits are emigrating than ever before thanks to the high cost of living and dreary weather. If you’re looking for property development finance, it makes sense to research the up and coming countries, to find out which are ready to take-off.

Property Development Finance – Act Fast

A new budget airline route could be enough to prompt a flurry of property investors. But you need to ensure your property development finance is in tact so you can act fast to bag a bargain. Some of the property hotspots in 2008 include Transylvania. A short hop from Luton airport, there are 11 budget airlines featuring 29 new routes to the medieval delights of the country. Add to the ease of travel low cost property ripe for refurbishment, and Transylvania joins other European up and coming countries such as Romania. Tourism, business prospects, a stable political state and EU accession are all tick boxes to check, alongside cheap travel and ease of access when it comes to securing property development finance.

For business related advice contact EBC's financial planning services today.

Accountant Quotes – Don’t Waste Time!

Don’t waste valuable time by looking in the wrong places for expensive accountant quotes and unbefitting services – get Goringe Accountants Berkshire to pitch to you!

Applying for accountant quotes from different suppliers is a very time consuming task, so why not leave the leg work to the companies who really want your business? The market place for accountancy services is not as straight-forward as other business packages. SMEs (Small business enterprises) will require a certain level of continued support and maintenance and sometimes through an on-demand basis.

With the growing availability of internet services, price comparison tools and supplier sourcing platforms, there are now easier and faster ways of getting reasonable accountant quotes that really work for your business.

Outsourcing Your Accountant

Quotes from different accountants will vary greatly, so looking for the right provider and the right package can become something of a nightmare. But outsourcing business-to-business services has never been easier, with so many resources that can help a small to medium business get the best value for money.

The option to outsource means that SMEs, new start-up businesses, and small “cottage industry” companies can get an accountancy service as and when they need it. Businesses that do not require in-house accountancy can outsource for these services and obtaining accountant quotes is now incredibly simple, thanks to resources available on the internet.

Recent nurturing of price comparison facilities has changed the way that business-to-business services are found, delivered and utilised. Price comparison and supplier sourcing platforms allow companies to find the best quotes and business packages, and this has led to suppliers striving to offer more bespoke and tailored services.

Accountant Quotes Pitched to You!

CmyPitch is a leading website, committed to providing online services to your business. Whether you are an entrepreneur or a SME, CmyPitch can connect you with trustworthy, reliable and competent suppliers who are enthusiastic about acquiring your business!

If you want to get accountant quotes quickly and easily from eager companies then let CmyPitch get you connected with the right suppliers. Not only can you get accountant quotes for your unique business requirements, but you can also get cash back on your business purchases, get top advice from other UK entrepreneurs, compare prices of business insurance and banking, and find the best deals that are exclusive to UK businesses.

Life Insurance – New guidelines lead to complications

With new policy guidelines being brought into the insurance market, prices are set to increase but how does this affect you as the consumer?

Financial Services Authority

New, strict guidelines are being enforced on the insurance industry which prevents any firms not registered with the Financial Services Authority from trading. These have been brought in as an effort to protect consumers from purchasing too much or too little cover.

Policy Outlines

Part of these new guidelines includes firms legally having to outline the ins and outs of their policies in order to prevent confusion for the consumer. Life insurance is vital, should the worst happen, therefore it is essential to know exactly what you are buying. This therefore highlights that the new insurance guidelines should be of benefit, however, enforcing them is a costly process for insurance firms as a whole.

How will this directly affect insurance costs?

Insurance firms will be looking at other ways of paying for these increased costs rather than it coming directly out of their profits. However, it is very difficult to tell if the cost of implementing these regulations will be directly linked to cost of life insurance, house insurance and the other products offered by the insurance firms.

Firms awaiting the ‘green light’

Firms who are waiting to hear whether they well be granted acceptance by the FSA have been allocated an interim stage however, it has been said that customers of these firms may not be entitled to compensation if these firms were to go under.

Further complications

It has also been noted that travel insurance policies bought through the travel agents are not covered by the FSA as well as the fact that more detailed and complicated policies such as life insurance could now be put on a level playing field with more basic policies such as motor insurance. This could jeopardise peoples choice making when buying policies, putting them at risk of making the wrong decisions.

Life insurance online – Does the internet spur competition?

With new sites being added every day, the internet is continuously expanding. Has the ease to become part of this phenomenon increased competition in financial markets?

Google it

If you asked someone on the street ten years ago if they thought the phrase “Google it” would be a sentence we use on a day to day basis they would have probably have laughed in your face. However, Google has in fact become one of the largest global empires in the world. With their offices spanning over three million square feet of San Francisco in the Silicon Valley, comprising of volleyball courts, complementary restaurants for employees and even swimming pools. In reality though, Google has been a global gateway to increasing competition within consumer fuelled markets and one market that effects have been most obvious is life insurance.

Search for your life

Insurance is one of those laborious and pain staking tasks that everyone has to go through but no one really wants to. Therefore, the internet can be seen as a blessing in disguise. All you have to do is sit down at your computer, choose your search engine and type in life insurance and a whole wealth of options appears before you. It is due to this accessibility that the competition is hotting up. Life insurance firms need to stand out to you as the consumer in order to get noticed and with the internet acting as a catalyst for competition they have to act fast!

Driving down the prices

Due to there being no “internet police” or one giant holding company of the internet, it is, in the simplest of terms a bit of a fee for all! However, once you set up a website it is your job then to attract consumers to your site. Life insurance is the type of thing you look for with a glass of wine in one hand, when you happen to have a spare half an hour after a hectic days work; therefore you want it to be as hassle free as possible. This has led to an increase in the competition between the life insurance firms as they need to offer the best products in order to catch you! Therefore resulting in lower prices all round.

Term insurance for your mortgage

Term insurance helps you to protect your mortgage.

Your mortgage is likely to be the biggest debt you have, and you know that if you fail to make the repayments, your home could be repossessed. It’s only natural to worry about how that mortgage would be paid off if you died – particularly if you are the major wage-earner in your home. Term insurance lets you cover that possibility without costing you a fortune.

Term insurance is different from payment protection insurance or PPI insurance which caused so many PPI claims because of mis-sold policies.

How term insurance can help

Term insurance is specifically designed to pay out a sum of money if you die within a certain period of time – usually between 10 and 25 years. This makes it the ideal product to protect your mortgage. You can take out the term assurance for the same length of time as you have taken out your mortgage, so that if you die before the end of the term insurance policy, your mortgage will be paid off immediately. There are many benefits to taking this route, including:

• Peace of mind – by taking out term assurance to cover your mortgage, you don’t need to worry about how your dependents will manage financially after your death.
  
  
• Flexibility – you can choose a decreasing term insurance policy, so that the amount paid out is in line with the amount of mortgage left to pay. Your premiums will decrease accordingly, so you are making sure you’re not paying out too much for your term assurance.
  
  
• Additional cash – you could also choose an increasing or index-linked term insurance policy, where the sum assured grows in line with the Retail Price Index. Although this may mean higher premiums, it also means that the sum paid out on your death may exceed the mortgage you have left to pay, leaving you family with some extra cash.
  

Before choosing your term insurance policy, make sure you seek some advice so that you can be sure you’re getting the policy that’s right for your budget and your circumstances.

What insurance will you need when you take out a mortgage?

If you are looking to take out a mortgage for a property in the North Yorkshire area you will also need to consider insurance. Some insurance policies are obligatory in order to take out the mortgage whereas others are advisable. Read on, to discover which insurance policies you will be obliged to take out.

There are four basic types of insurance policies involved in taking out a mortgage and these are as follows:

1. Buildings Insurance
2. Household Contents Insurance
3. Life Insurance
4. Mortgage Protection Cover

Every mortgage agreement differs and so it is advisable that you discuss the terms of the mortgage with your mortgage adviser before signing the agreement. In general terms the Buildings Insurance is obligatory and the other three are optional.

Buildings Insurance
This policy protects the structure of the house itself. Normally Buildings Insurance is index-linked which means that it will alter each year to match the Retail Price Index (for example as the cost of re-building the property changes, so does the amount payable). The exact nature of what is insured by the Buildings Insurance will differ from policy to policy but in general terms it will probably include the insurance of the permanent fixtures and fittings (e.g. the bath, toilet, fitted kitchens etc) and will normally protect your house from damage caused by the following:

• Fire, smoke and explosions
• Water - burst pipes, burst tanks etc
• Natural disasters - storms, lightening, floods, subsidence, landslide, earthquake
• Items falling on your house - aircraft (and their contents), trees, masts etc
  
• Theft and vandalism
  
• Civil commotion and riot
  

Contents Insurance This policy insures the contents of your home (including furniture and personal belongings) from damage and theft. It may also be useful to buy excess protection insurance to avoiding having to pay the first part of a claim.

Life Insurance This policy provides life cover for a fixed term which means that a lump sum of cash is payable on death in return for a monthly payment.  

Mortgage Protection Cover This policy means that your mortgage repayments will be paid for a certain period of time should you lose your job (through redundancy, illness etc)

Do I need contents insurance for my house?

If you are thinking of taking out house insurance there are two main forms to consider – buildings and contents. So why do you need contents insurance?

What is contents insurance?

When you take out house insurance there are two main areas of cover – contents and building. Whereas building insurance covers the structure of your property – walls, roof, the bricks and the mortar - contents insurance covers those movable household items and can cover everything from your sofa to the frozen food in your freezer!

Contents insurance can cover you from:

• Severe Weather
• Crime, including theft and vandalism
  
• Fire and smoke damage
  
• Subsidence
  
• Burst Pipes.
  
• Water or Oil Leakage.
  
• Damage from falling trees.

Wear and tear

House insurance policies cover contents on an indemnity basis. This means they will deduct for wear and tear, although many policies are on a ‘new for old’ basis which covers the cost of replacement at today’s current market value.

Accidental damage

There are different kinds of house insurance you can take, and many contents policies will cover accidental damage if you pay an increased premium. What kind of accidents can happen? Anything from putting your foot through a floor to breaking a window.

Antiques Roadshow

Your house contents insurance can cover items up to the value of £1,000 and £2,000 depending on your insurer. But if your attic is full of antiques or a distant great aunt dies leaving you with family heirlooms and treasures, you must always specify each treasure separately and pay an additional premium. And you will also need to give your insurer a recent valuation. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that valuable Ming vase is covered in your general contents house insurance or you could get a nasty shock. That’s why the experts on the Antiques Roadshow always advise people to insure their individual items (or take them to the nearest car boot sale!)
Make sure you regularly review your policy as collectible items often gain value at a quicker rate than inflation.

Do I need, ‘All Risks Cover’?

If you have a tendency to leave your specs on the commute home, forget your designer jacket at the restaurant or are worried about your baggage being stolen when you go abroad, than All Risks Cover is worth considering on your house insurance. This basically buys you additional cover to include your property when you are outside your home.

Special features

Some house insurance includes special features for your contents – including legal expenses, food spoilage if a freezer breaks down or insurance for your garage or outbuildings.
You should always work out how much your possessions are worth and shop around for the right policy for you.

FAQ’s on House Insurance

If you’re not sure what the difference between contents and building house insurance is, or whether you should insure that antique plate, than our FAQ’s below will help.

When I buy my house insurance, what does buildings insurance include?

Building insurance covers the bricks and mortar of your property. It includes your property, its fixtures and fittings and any outhouses such as sheds or garages, which are for domestic purposes. It also covers any facilities within that site, including things like walls, hedges, gates or even swimming pools. The price that you take your building insurance out at is determined by the cost it would take to re-build your property, not its market value.

When I buy my house insurance, what does contents insurance cover?

Contents insurance covers the value of your household contents. The best way to get an accurate value is to go round your property room-by-room. You need to put the value on your possessions as if you were buying everything new, not what it would be worth second hand.

Are my possessions still covered outside the home?

No, your house insurance covers your household only, but there are special features that you can add such as valuables and personal effects cover or contents away from home cover when you buy your house insurance. This will cover the valuables that you carry around such as handbags, designer jackets, jewellery and mobile phones. If an item is particularly expensive, you may need to class it as a specified item.

What is accidental damage?

Again, accidental damage is another additional feature that you can add to your house insurance, and will cost an additional premium. Standard insurance covers you from damage as a result of fire, floods, subsidence and theft, but accidental damage includes everyday accidents. This could include spillages by children on your cream carpet! Some house insurance policies do have some accidental damage cover included, so it is always important to read the paperwork that states exactly what you are entitled to.

What if a valuable item I have individually insured, increases in value?

If, for example, you take a plate that has been sitting in your attic down to the Antiques Roadshow and find out it is in fact worth a lot of money, than you will need to tell us about it and take out adequate insurance on the item. You should never assume your existing contents insurance will cover it.
If there are any changes in the original information you have based your house insurance quote on, than you should inform your insurer as soon as possible, as they may have to re-assess your premium.

Do I get cheaper house insurance if I have increased security?

If you have security alarms, window and door locks than yes, you should use this to try and negotiate a reduction in your house insurance premium.

Does my house have subsidence?

If your walls crack this can be a sign of subsidence – as can door or window frames that start to stick. You can find out through a local authority search if there is a history of subsidence in your house. You should always let your insurer now when purchasing your house insurance if you are aware of subsidence.

What is a ‘new for old’ policy?

This is simply the value of your possessions as if you bought them ‘as new’. You should estimate how much your contents would cost if you had to buy them as new, not second hand.

Consolidation Loan – Housing Boom

If you are in debt and own a property, a consolidation loan could help.

Debt has gripped the UK economy and more of us than ever before owe more money than ever. If you are a homeowner you could find a way out - consolidation loans or remortgaging are ways of managing uncontrollable debts.

Homeowner confidence

Property experts have said that no matter how high interest rates go, or whether we face another recession the housing market has traditionally doubled in price every ten years. This means despite the ups and downs of the economy, if you own a property, it’s usually a good investment. This is why more people are releasing equity from their homes or using them to secure consolidation loans to clear their debt.

Borrower boom

One of the reasons we have more debt isn’t simply because we are being careless with money but because consumers have generally been optimistic thanks to a housing market boom and cheap borrowing. But an unfortunate twist of fate could leave you struggling with debt, and a consolidation loan could be a way out. You could be vulnerable if:

• You are a victim of job losses
• There is  recession which could hit the housing market
• You are tempted to take out too high a mortgage and can’t keep up payments because of a lull in finances
• Your personal life such as bereavement or divorce impacts on your employment

Consolidation loan for homeowners

However if you have a property, the chances are you can use this to borrow money - such as a consolidation loan - to help with temporary financial lulls. Interest rates are still reasonably low for borrowers, which is good news. It’s thought that mortgages swallow about a third of people’s salaries – higher than ever – your property is probably the biggest investment you have. As long as the housing market continues to go from strength to strength a consolidation loan or remortgaging could be a way of solving your current debts.

Housing market

If people feel richer, they tend to spend and borrow more. And the strength of the housing market has made many in the UK feel rich. One survey revealed that although debt has increased by 112%, house prices have gone up by 141%, creating consumer confidence. As long as the housing market stays strong, consolidation loans and remortgaging are a viable option.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/ManagingDebt/index.htm

Debt Consolidation Loan

If you are thinking of taking out a Secured Homeowner Loan, you would be well advised to ensure that you fully research differing Debt Consolidation companies before going ahead with Debt Consolidation.

If you have heard that a Debt Consolidation Loan may be the answer to all your current debt problems then you are probably in the situation of trying to find as much information as possible about a Debt Consolidation Loan. If this is the case then you may well benefit from reading our basics to Debt Consolidation Loans, outlined below.

Debt Consolidation Loan – The Basics

What is a Debt Consolidation Loan? A Debt Consolidation Loan is when you arrange to put all your debts together into one single manageable monthly re-payment. Debt consolidation companies help you achieve this by contacting all your creditors and making arrangements with them on your behalf, which will usually result in lower interest rates. As a consequence of this you will then only have to pay off the debt consolidation loan once a month, at a reduced interest rate and for a fixed term. This means that you will be paying lower interest rates than with separate re-payment installments and that you know exactly how long it will be before you pay off your debt. A Debt Consolidation Loan may also provide you with an opportunity to repair your credit rating, allowing you a greater future credit flexibility, with a reduced interest rate.

Debt Consolidation Loan – The Options

There are many more different types of debt consolidation loan than you might think, for example you can use the equity within your house to consolidate the debt. However, most people are faced with two basic options when undertaking debt consolidation. One option involves a debt consolidation program that, for a fee, will negotiate with the creditors in obtaining an interest rate reduction, thus reducing your overall debt and allowing it to be re-paid quicker. The other option also involves the re-negotiation of interest rates but also includes taking out a debt consolidation loan to pay off the creditors. You will then only have to pay off one lender.

Debt Consolidation Loan – The Best time

Many people ask when the best time is to take out a debt consolidation loan. The answer is not necessarily clear cut. However, if you feel as though you are constantly drowning in your attempt to repay your debts then a debt consolidation loan might be the answer. It is important that you have reached a stage within your debt that you are prepared to make a significant commitment in paying the debts off. You need to be sure that you are at a stage where you can make a monthly re-payment and that you are prepared to possibly use your house as collateral. A debt consolidation loan is not something to be undertaken lightly, without the right kind of financial advice.