Bank finance articles and tips

For many of us, travelling to a far flung destination is a rare treat that we can really savour. Whilst most would like to be able to do it much more regularly, the expense of travelling means that this simply isn't possible. As well as the cost of sorting out the holiday, you also then need to factor in the expense of eating, drinking, accommodation and everything else when you finally arrive. All of this can really mount up, costing hundreds, if not thousands.

So what can you do to make sure that you don't end up over-spending on your foreign holidays?...

There are two types of lenders in the loan market - direct lenders and finance brokers. Finance brokers do not lend money; instead they match lenders with potential borrowers. Brokers will have access to several lenders and many different loan products. Direct lenders on the other hand do lend money directly, cutting out any middleman and handling the whole loan process from start to finish.

So, when you need a loan do you approach a direct lender or a broker? Both have their merits and the answer really lies in your circumstances and the type of loan you need....

Fraud situations in a company can become really bad. When a person decides to use confidential information or unauthorised sources against the company anonymously, there is not any trace back to the suspect sometimes. Of course it would take a thorough investigation to get to the bottom of it first, but in some cases it is never traced back to the person responsible. It may even take years to solve it in some cases. Depending on the fraudulent situation the owner or company may be brought down and a mess like that takes time to recover from......

I'm a big fan of spread betting.

The spread betting phenomenon has opened up financial trading to many more people - it makes accessing the markets so fast, simple and - best of all - cheap!

But it does have its detractors - those who dismiss it as "gambling", or as too risky.

In my view, financial spread betting can be explained as no more gambling than other investment. Fortunately, the Chancellor takes a different view, which is why it enjoys its tax-free status!

Of course, there's an argument that if you can make something too cheap and too easy to access - but I'll leave that debate to anyone stocking up on "buy one, get one free" beers at Tesco - That's not to say that we can't all still learn a thing or two about spread betting, so I thought I'd pass on a few points that you really should know if you're a spread better...

ook at your credit score - do you have any negative marks? These marks are ruining your overall score.

It really doesn't matter how many positive items you have because the negative marks will outweigh them giving you a lower credit score ( the object is to get a high number ).

Therefore the most effective way to improve your score is to remove older, negative marks. Now, in the States it is completely feasible and legal using Legislation passed back in the 70's to challenge and remove any old items on your report. The laws were passed to try and protect the consumer from debt collectors and credit agencies. So, what can we do??

It's time to make the mortgage payment, but you don't have a dime to your name. All of your income has gone to an unforeseeable emergency that's just completely drained you of your resources - and there's no extra money coming in until your next payday. If you've got bills that need to be paid or an emergency that requires your immediate financial resources, then the thought of taking out a payday loan might seem like a much-needed solution to an overwhelming problem.

But before you head to that payday loan center to sign the dotted line, take a minute to really think over this decision: are payday loans ever worth the trouble - or do they just cause a domino effect putting you deeper into debt?