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Loans
Money
Supermarket - compare loans, mortgages, credit cards, savings
and insurance
Share Trading
Nothing
Ventured - In our view the most comprehensive
share trading and company information site
Savings and Investments
Lowes
Financial Management - The independent financial adviser (IFA),
publishes a list of income bonds and other structured products,
with a detailed assessment of each product and an “endorsed”
or “not endorsed” stamp.
Share Oracle - Small investors who want to stay ahead of the
game should be aware of the dealings of directors and senior executives
of companies in which they hold shares. Directors’ dealings
are not an infallible guide to future performance but can give
an idea of whether people have faith in their company.
Tax Shelter Report - High earners and adventurous investors
should consult the Tax Shelter Report, produced by Allenbridge,
the IFA, for all they need to know about venture capital trusts,
enterprise investment schemes, hedge funds and film partnerships.
Foster
and Cranfield - An auctioneer of financial assets, Foster
and Cranfield has a site that offers free online endowment policy
valuations, future auction dates and details of unsold policies
available, and is soon to introduce a continuous online auction
and valuation system.
Pensions
Pallett
& Collins - The IFA, has a good pensions calculator on
its site: key in age, gender, planned retirement age and desired
retirement income, and the calculator will tell you how much you
need to save each month to achieve that goal. But be warned: it
doesn’t make pleasant reading.
Sharing Pensions - A free information site that explains the
division of pension rights resulting from divorce.
Tax
Just
-Tax - A division of the chartered accountant Seymour Taylor,
has guides to the tax affairs of those living abroad, a timetable
of key tax dates, and tables of tax rates for this year and last.
Their tax return service starts at only around £130 for
most employees - and at around £250 for the self-employed.
Credit
Check
My File - If you need to know why your credit has been declined,
and cannot wait for Experian or Equifax to reply, there is a quicker,
but more expensive, way to learn your credit rating. Pay £9.40
to checkmyfile.com and you get a report within one working day.
Checkmyfile also gives an instant and free estimate of your credit
score, a classification of your neighbourhood, and will find the
lender most likely to say yes.
Alternative Investments
Magnum
- The whys and wherefores of investing in fine wines, complete
with price lists and an ordering service. The site includes Magnum’s
selections for those not sure which vintage to buy: the Value
Case costs £147.60, and Ultimate Selection £419.40.
Invest
Drinks - If planning a serious investment in fine wine, visit
this site first. Dedicated to pointing out the dodgy deals in
the wine arena, investdrinks will advise on what to buy and what
(and whom) to avoid.
Art
Sales Index - Art Sales Index is used by art dealers, galleries,
and auction houses but private collectors can search the database,
which includes 2.5 million entries of art sales since 1950 to
help to estimate the value of an artist’s work. Each search
costs £2.
Getethical
- Getethical’s site contains all the information you need
to live a greener lifestyle, such as ethical shopping, how to
profit with principle, and eco-tourism. It has recently launched
a guide to socially responsible companies.
Economics
National
Statistics - The office for National Statistics publishes
all manner of economic information that is useful when deciding
whether or where to invest, which mortgage to choose or whether
to buy a house. For GDP growth, trade figures, unemployment and
inflation numbers, or even the number of people living in Britain
(58,789,194 at the last count), look no further.
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