Money

First Direct has announced plans to scrap the monthly fee on its 1st Account as part of a string of new changes from next month. The bank said it will be removing the £10 charge for all customers on 14 September 2019. At present, the bank charges a monthly fee on the account after you've had it for six months. However customers can avoid this fee by either a) paying in a minimum of £1,000 a month b) maintaining a monthly balance of £1,000 or c) having a savings, mortgage, credit card, loan or home insurance account with First Direct. But from next month, the fee will be waived for everyone - including existing customers regardless of whether you adhere to the above terms. First Direct said the majority of customers are already avoiding this fee - but it wants to make it free for everyone. Under the new terms, fees for those who opt for more than one paper statement per month, or extra copies of their statement, will also be removed. At the moment, customers pay between … [Read more...] about First Direct to scrap monthly fees for thousands of customers

The past year has seen a 2% rise in vehicle offences, with 8% more cars stolen, according to latest Government figures. The Office for National Statistics said in the year to March, the public fell victim to 814,000 instances of "criminal damage to cars". On stolen vehicles, it said there were also 114,656 offences related to "theft or unauthorised taking of a motor vehicle". And one insurer puts this down to the rise in criminals targetting keyless cars. LV= General Insurance said its claims data suggests a correlation between thefts and the rise in the smart devices. It told the Mirror this trend is particularly present in Birmingham, where findings show a 3% increase in the past four years. And it's not alone either. Analysis of 2018 theft activity by Tracker, a car security company, also suggests "keyless" car thefts are on the rise. These occur where the car owner has locked a “keyless” car (one that can be unlocked when it senses the key fob is nearby, and … [Read more...] about Rise in keyless car thefts

Going on holiday without any travel insurance in place is a serious gamble, but it’s one that plenty of Brits take on every year. A recent report from the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) suggested that around two in five (38%) of us heading abroad this summer have no insurance in place yet. What’s more, around one in five people who went overseas last year did so without an insurance policy in place. This is a risky tactic, as if something goes wrong with the trip ‒ from cancelled flights to getting sick while away ‒ it could leave you massively out of pocket. However, it’s now emerged that even if you’re sensible and get cover for your trip, you may still end up severely in the red should you need treatment while you’re away. Putting holidaymakers ‘at risk’ The Spanish Private Healthcare Alliance (ASPE) has accused British travel insurance firms of “systemic fraud” by selling travel insurance policies which … [Read more...] about Travel insurance deals leaving thousands of people at risk

While we may still be relishing the summer holidays and walking around with no coat on, Christmas is already slowly creeping in. With 19 weeks until Christmas, Disney is beginning to announce its festive ranges - with one item in particular suddenly surging in sales on Amazon. The brand new 2019 Disney Storybook Collection Advent Calendar has just hit Amazon, instantly becoming a number one best-seller overnight. Costing £17.97, the adorable advent calendar contains 24 different Disney books for bedtime reading every day in the countdown to Christmas, all of your little ones favourite characters feature, including Frozen, Moana, Toy Story, The Lion King, and even newer tales like Coco and Ralph Breaks the Internet. Made by publisher Igloo Books, the sales have spiked despite the fact that the book itself is currently only up for pre-order, and won't actually be delivered until the 30th August. A great alternative to a chocolate one, there's a new version of the book … [Read more...] about Disney just released an advent calendar filled with 24 books

Veterinarians are the UK’s highest-paid graduates based on how much they earn within a year of university, figures show. On A-Level results day, recruitment website Indeed has listed the most lucrative industries for young people as soon they graduate. While training to work with animals can take up to six years, newly-qualified vets can expect to start their career on an average salary of £31,636 – putting them on the top of the earnings tree for new graduates. Next up come property management consultants who enjoy a typical starting salary of £31,362, while development operations engineers can expect to start on £30,593. Eight of the 10 of the highest-paid graduate jobs pay more than the average UK salary of £29,500 a year. Unsurprisingly, tech jobs also feature highly, with the league table featuring several coding and developer roles. Meanwhile, global car rental company Enterprise has been named the UK’s most prolific hirer of university … [Read more...] about Best paid jobs for graduates