Welcome
to the issue 14 of the weekly Polar Money Tips
newsletter. This week we look at how you get away
on the cheap from as little as five pence! And,
we show how you not to be diddled out of broker
fees for a service you didn’t use.
Getting
away on a shoestring |
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|  If
you are looking to go on a holiday or
have a short break in Europe, but your
budget is tight, there are ways you
can get flights without breaking the
bank.
While
budget airlines are currently big news
with the collapse of Kent-based budget
airline Eujet, this does not mean that
using budget airlines is risky. If you
pay by credit card, you should get at
least some of your money back in the
unlikely event of an airline going bust.
Many
people choose to use budget airlines
– and why not? When you can gets
flights starting from as little as 0.05p*,
it would be rude not to! And while people
may perceive budget airlines as old
1940’s style planes with cramped
seating and one toilet, this is certainly
no longer the case!
Probably
the only major difference you’ll
find using a no-frills airline compared
to one of the ‘big boys’
is that you are not allocated a seat
when you check in. Instead, you’ll
be a given a number and when it comes
to board the plane, groups of numbers
are called out at a time, so it is all
very civilised!
The
other beauty of no-frills airlines is
that most allow you to amend your flight
details online, so if something comes
up and you cannot travel at that time
you can rebook without too much hassle.
However, be prepared that you may not
be able to rebook at such a low price
unless it is far in advance.
So,
how do you get the best deal? First
of all, the more flexible you are with
dates and travel times, the better deal
you will get. Also, the earlier you
book, the better (unlike package holidays
which have many last minute deals –
budget airlines are the opposite).
The
best place to bag a bargain flight is
on the web. You can visit the websites
of the individual airlines themselves
(such as www.easyjet.com,
www.ryanair.com,
www.bmibaby.com)
or use a price comparison site such
as www.travelsupermarket.com
or www.cheapflights.co.uk.)
If you choose to use a price comparison
site, do use more than one as they do
not all cover the same airlines.
Booking
is simple and instead of tickets, you’ll
be given a confirmation code online
for you to quote when you check in,
so no worrying that you’ll tickets
have got lost in the post! Happy holidays!
* The cost of
a one way flight from London Stansted
to Venice is 0.05p as at 1st August
2005, excluding taxes and costs and
subject to terms and conditions –
visit www.ryanair.com
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|
Take
a quick trip to marbles |
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If a marbles credit card were a city it’d
be Barcelona – funky, cosmopolitan, nice
to look at and decent value for money.
You get an excellent 0%
pa fixed for 6 months from account opening
on balance transfers, plus a fantastic
0.5% cashback on all purchases. Once
the six months are up, it will revert
to a variable rate. Typical
**11.9% APR** (variable).
So just apply
now.
You also get cool stuff like free travel
accident insurance* and exclusive offers
from our travel partners as well as
up to 52 days' interest free credit
and of course no tedious annual fee.
For a decision in principle in 60 seconds,
as well as more info about marbles,
click
here
Important,
please read the following information
before you apply. marbles
credit card is issued by HFC Bank Limited
and is only available to persons aged
21 or over, who are resident in the
U.K. or Channel Islands and who are
not already (or have not recently been)
marbles card account holders and is
subject to status and conditions. If
you do not qualify for a marbles credit
card, we may, with your specific permission
only, pass on your details to other
divisions of HFC Bank Limited, who may
be able to offer you an alternative
credit card product. Written quotations
are available on request from marbles,
PO Box 3615, Birmingham B3 2RJ. marbles
and marbles card are trading names of
HFC Bank Limited. HFC Bank Limited is
a member of the Financial Ombudsman
Scheme (further details are available
upon request) and is regulated by the
Financial Services Authority.
*Terms
and Conditions apply.
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MONEY
SAVING SNIPPET – RENT OUT A ROOM
AND PAY YOUR MORTGAGE OFF QUICKER |
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|  If you have a spare room in your house, why not rent
it out? The income is tax-free up to
£4,250 pa and, depending on how
much rent you charge you could put it
towards your mortgage and pay it off
earlier!
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Don’t
let a broker take you for a ride |
|
|  If you have
recently applied for a loan and have
paid an arrangement fee to your broker,
but have not taken up the offer, then
you are entitled to a full refund of
this money, less £5.00.
The
Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is alerting
consumers to the fact that if they are
not found a suitable loan within six
months and don't take up any loan offered
- for whatever reason - the broker can
keep only £5 of the arrangement
fee.
According
to the OFT, it has found that some brokers
are targeting disadvantaged consumers.
The broker will get their fee up front
(approximately £50) and only after
does the consumer find that the prospective
credit provider will only lend them
amounts less than they require or that
loans are only available with a guarantor.
Understandably, the consumer may wish
to reject the loan offered and many
do but are not aware that they are entitled
for a full refund of the arrangement
fee, less a fiver.
People
having difficulty obtaining a refund
should contact their local trading standards
service. Under section 155 of the Consumer
Credit Act 1974 - which applies to a
number of types of agreement including
mortgages and consumer loans of £25,000
or less. - a credit broker may charge
no more than £5 for its services
if the consumer does not enter into
an agreement within six months of an
introduction to a lender. If the broker
has already charged more than £5,
the excess must be refunded to the consumer
upon request.
For
more information, visit www.oft.gov.uk
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| Tell Us What You Think |
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| We would love to hear what you think of this issue of Polar
Money Tips. And of course,
if you have any suggestions for upcoming
issues that you'd like to share with
us, please send those, too!
Just e-mail me at: moneytips@polarloans.co.uk
PLEASE DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS EMAIL!
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They will thank you for it! PolarLoans.co.uk is
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Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy please click
here |
In
This Issue:
- Getting
away on a shoestring
- Take
a quick trip to marbles
- MONEY
SAVING SNIPPET
- Don’t
let a broker take you for a ride
Polar
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