http://www.articlealley.com en-us editorial@articlealley.com Debt is like quicksand. Someone can be happily walking along and the next thing they know they’re up to their elbows in gunk. The more they struggle, the more they get sucked in. In this situation Bear Grylls keeps a cool head, thinks out a plan of me... http://www.articlealley.com/article_524757_19.html 28th April 2008 How do you escape a sinking ship? You push the boat out. That seems to be a fair summary of what is currently happening. Many see bad debt rising and trouble on the way. It does look like we’re in for some nasty weather. This forecast is based on the fa... http://www.articlealley.com/article_524755_19.html 28th April 2008 Historically Edinburgh was once the capital of a British kingdom that served as a buffer state against the Pictish people north of Stirling. Later it was part of the nascent Kingdom of Northumbria. But today the thing that strikes a visitor from South of ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_523538_29.html 25th April 2008 Utility bills contain a lot of information and the format is not always as clear as it might be. Upon receipt of a new bill the first thing to check is the name and address. It would be a little over-generous to pay someone else’s bill. However in c... http://www.articlealley.com/article_522647_19.html 25th April 2008 When credit card users want to apply for a new card it is best not to approach several providers individually. This scatter gun approach will be noted on the credit record of the borrower in question. When this happens the lender is far more likely to rej... http://www.articlealley.com/article_522646_19.html 25th April 2008 In the first quarter of 2008 British Gas, the major gas supplier in the UK, increased prices to the tune of 15%. The company attributed these increases to rising wholesale costs that needed to be passed on to end users to maintain profit margins. Ce... http://www.articlealley.com/article_522636_19.html 25th April 2008 Due to the international monetary crisis, property owners look set to experience difficulties in sorting out a new deal when their existing fixed rate loans expire in the near future. The number of borrowers whose fixed rate deals run out in 2008 is recko... http://www.articlealley.com/article_522632_19.html 25th April 2008 The principle behind the offset mortgage is simple. Interest payments on savings contribute to reducing, or offsetting, the amount owing. Seven years ago there were only a handful of providers but the idea has taken root and there are now more than 40. M... http://www.articlealley.com/article_522630_19.html 25th April 2008 The discovery of oil and gas deposits in the North Sea was justly celebrated at the time. People’s lives were transformed as cheap energy made cold rooms in winter a memory for millions. Of course there were doubts: the Piper Alpha disaster in 1988 sa... http://www.articlealley.com/article_522627_19.html 25th April 2008 The concept of life insurance was well developed in the eighteenth century with the establishment of The Society for Equitable Assurances (1762). Since that time the numbers of people who have tried to fiddle the insurance companies must be legion. Howeve... http://www.articlealley.com/article_517754_19.html 16th April 2008 The Association of British Insurers (ABI) believes government proposals to boost the country’s housing stock significantly are inherently flawed. Where southern England is intersected by major rivers, the surrounding land is prone to flooding. However... http://www.articlealley.com/article_517753_19.html 16th April 2008 The credit crunch might sound like a breakfast cereal but it is still proving pretty unpalatable to those looking to save money by transferring their card balance. There are currently just nine cards that offer a 0% deal lasting 10 months or more. A year ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_517752_19.html 16th April 2008 Darwin’s scientific curiosity took him to the Galapagos Islands. Walter Ralegh brought potatoes and tobacco back from the New World. Evidently, however, Britons have lost their sense of adventure: a recent study reveals that the 2.5 million travellers ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_515395_19.html 11th April 2008 Sometimes sands from the Sahara are carried by the winds so far out into the Atlantic that the skies over Lanzarote are given an almost unreal, rusty teint. Only rarely does this disrupt the caravan of charter flights that head for Lanzarote all year roun... http://www.articlealley.com/article_515387_29.html 11th April 2008 Memories of 2007 will be scarred for many by the terrible flooding that afflicted lowland river plains. People affected naturally look to their insurers to retrieve the situation financially in the aftermath of a flood, yet it has been well reported that ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_514728_19.html 10th April 2008 Drinking in New York is like drinking anywhere else. But Americans will expect a 15% tip according to most guides and this means, in practice, forking out a one dollar note extra every time you go to the bar. Bearing this in mind the canny drinker will go... http://www.articlealley.com/article_511633_29.html 07th April 2008 London has wonderful, gloomy cemeteries. It is useful to think of them as spacious open air museums that preserve an atmosphere of stillness amid the tumult of the city. The association with celebrated personalities makes things even more exciting for the... http://www.articlealley.com/article_511580_29.html 07th April 2008 Before it became a territory for men to dispute, Cyprus was home to dwarf elephants and an equally diminutive version of the hippopotamus. This phenomenon is well known in nature where an absence of predators negates the advantage afforded by bulk. Elepha... http://www.articlealley.com/article_509834_29.html 06th April 2008 For hundreds of years the Anglo-Norman colonisers made few inroads into the Irish hinterland. Coastal strips around Dublin and Wexford were settled quickly and these areas were defended. Indeed, the word “pale” refers to a wooden stake which would hav... http://www.articlealley.com/article_508631_29.html 04th April 2008 Frankfurt does not have an established reputation as a short break destination. This is because most people recognise the city as a European financial centre and this tends to dampen the interest of visitors. However there is plenty here to merit a short ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_507913_29.html 03rd April 2008 A 70 year old driver was born into a world in which the horse drawn plough was still a familiar sight. It’s a different world today and a new study from the Institute of Advanced Motoring indicates that our senior citizens are ill-equipped to cope with ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_507911_63.html 03rd April 2008 The Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) was developed to ease the burden on astronauts encased in their bulky suits. It was deployed in three of the latter Apollo missions (Apollo 15, 16 & 17). With a top speed of barely 10mph and a total range of around 70 mile... http://www.articlealley.com/article_506214_45.html 03rd April 2008 The real inconvenience of driving the sQuba in its particular element is the bind of having to bring your own oxygen, to say nothing of wearing a wet suit. Nevertheless for anyone with a bit of Roger Moore in them or indeed anyone with a fancy for things ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_504722_63.html 02nd April 2008 The compelling spectacle of young, sunburnt Brits trawling and trashing bars in Ibiza, egged on by boorish tour reps, has been well documented in the media. In the cold light of day, it is a bit embarrassing, although the subjects of these studies, one fe... http://www.articlealley.com/article_502800_29.html 01st April 2008 Many associate Australia with the arid desertscapes familiar from much Australian iconography: Ayres Rock, outback and endless dusty cattle ranches. Queensland is different: the north-eastern reaches of Australia fall within the tropical zone. A coast... http://www.articlealley.com/article_500101_29.html 28th March 2008 Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn McCool) was a bad thrower because when he scraped up most of Ulster’s heart to hurl at his Scottish counterpart across the water, the earth and stone splashed into the Irish Sea and formed the Isle of Mann. The depression in the... http://www.articlealley.com/article_500100_29.html 28th March 2008 Secure in their Norman wisdom, William the Usurper and his fighting men saw the English as insular barbarians. The whole bloody spectacle of Caldbec Hill was sewn up shortly after the event on la tapisserie de la reine Mahilde, or, as we would know it, ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_499051_29.html 28th March 2008 Brainy TV legend Carol Vorderman was raised in Prestatyn and when you consider how much this town has to offer it seems a real conundrum that she ever moved away. Plentiful good value accommodation allows the visitor not only easy access to this quintesse... http://www.articlealley.com/article_498405_29.html 27th March 2008 Beloved of science fiction writers for decades, the vision of the flying car transporting people to and from the office has remained distant from scientific reality. However, the NASA Personal Air Vehicle Challenge projects a future where helipads on roof... http://www.articlealley.com/article_497387_19.html 27th March 2008 Whoever said “Life’s a beach” might have been talking about Qatar. The lone, level sands of this Gulf Emirate stretch from one coast to the other with little between but for the occasional decaying mud-built fort. It’s hot here: the mean tempe... http://www.articlealley.com/article_497378_29.html 27th March 2008 Oliver Hummel from Billings, Montana has schizophrenia. He receives a monthly benefit cheque of 1013 dollars. Last year car repair costs coincided with a veterinary bill for his 13 year old terrier; an unfortunate synchronicity that had Hummel stepping in... http://www.articlealley.com/article_489179_19.html 11th March 2008 Outside industry, road vehicles are the major source of fine particle pollutants. These are not only released through the exhaust as a by product of fuel combustion but are produced through friction between road service and rubber tyre. Scientists classif... http://www.articlealley.com/article_489177_19.html 11th March 2008 The real star of this year’s motor show in Geneva started its journey in Mumbai. The stand featuring the new luxury model of the Indian small car Nano drew enthusiastic crowds. The Nano is built by Tata, India’s premier car maker. Within recent year... http://www.articlealley.com/article_489171_19.html 11th March 2008 In order for a small business to have a loan approved in Germany the first thing that needs to be established is the creditworthiness of the applicant. The way that this is done is now quite standardized across the commercial credit sector. In German... http://www.articlealley.com/article_487300_34.html 10th March 2008 For those caught in the snare of Germany’s capitalist system that have been cast aside like so many worn out shoes, it is not easy to get credit. Some amongst the 7,500 BMW staff made redundant in Munich this week (despite the car makers’ record pro... http://www.articlealley.com/article_487293_19.html 10th March 2008 In many German states 17 year olds are already permitted to drive, at least when they are accompanied in the passenger seat by a qualified driver. However, for insurers these young drivers represent something of a grey area. Normally 17 year old no... http://www.articlealley.com/article_487290_63.html 10th March 2008 Insurance paperwork is often to be found gathering dust in some rarely opened drawer. Once these agreements are formalized they are often put away: a case of out of sight out of mind. Many of those insured are hardly aware of the policies they have taken ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_487289_19.html 10th March 2008 • Update your details! It is always prudent to ensure that the insurance provider is notified of any change of circumstances that may impact upon the policy. This may relate to a change in the driver’s regular itinerary that sees him putting fewe... http://www.articlealley.com/article_483655_19.html 29th February 2008 Until recently pensioners in Germany would have found it very difficult to get credit. Collectively, the obstacles placed in the way of applicants are known as “Risikobegrenzung” and they represent a strategy of risk management designed to protect cre... http://www.articlealley.com/article_481976_19.html 26th February 2008 The internet: no other medium permits such a wide range of products to be offered for comparison so easily. In recent years the potential of the Internet has been increasingly exploited by the German credit sector so it is hardly surprising that so called... http://www.articlealley.com/article_481880_19.html 26th February 2008 Without a doubt the car is very important to most people; indispensable for travelling to work or for the numerous necessities that make up daily life. Many may dream of owning a brand new car but the financial reality ensures that most make do with what ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_481836_19.html 26th February 2008 Even those pining for the golden age of the motor car would scarcely credit the ingenuity of Joe Harmon, 27, who has designed and built a remarkable machine, the Splinter. Harmon is a young engineer not afraid to go against the grain and he has branche... http://www.articlealley.com/article_480628_19.html 25th February 2008 Anyone who really needs money in a hurry must carefully consider whether they should apply for a so called fast loan or Sofortkredit as it is known in Germany. In practice, this does not simply mean the customer has only to complete a cursory applicatio... http://www.articlealley.com/article_477253_19.html 20th February 2008 Autoversicherung: Creeping Roundabouts Unsettle Federal Republic For cost reasons and for their proven effectiveness in reducing congestion at noted bottlenecks, the German authorities have decided upon an accelerated program of roundabout building. Ho... http://www.articlealley.com/article_477249_19.html 20th February 2008 A loan does not always need to be taken out for a large sum. For smaller purchases, such as a piece of furniture or a new suit, it is quite sufficient to lend a smaller sum of money. A short break is a really viable expenditure that can be covered by smal... http://www.articlealley.com/article_474311_19.html 13th February 2008 A credit does not always have to constitute a princely sum. For more modest expenditure, such as a new stereo system or a replacement washing machine, a small loan is quite sufficient. With the advent of cheap flights it is also a viable way of funding a ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_474306_19.html 13th February 2008 Many entrepreneurs would take out a loan in order to finance a start up business but it often happens that someone running an established concern has to borrow in order to support this in leaner times. In Germany it is very important to guage whether th... http://www.articlealley.com/article_474304_19.html 13th February 2008 The following summary of recent state court judgement from around Germany illustrates some of the more unsavoury kinds of driving behaviours that are viewed very harshly by the authorities there. Some of these cases are really the result of simple neglige... http://www.articlealley.com/article_474297_19.html 13th February 2008 The German acronym SCHUFA stands for Schutzgemeinschaft für allgemeine Kreditsicherung (General Credit Protection Association). The body is tasked with checking the credit worthiness of private individuals and disclosing this information to interested pa... http://www.articlealley.com/article_468231_19.html 05th February 2008 To take out a loan, even for things that might constitute a relatively minor expenditure, is a very real option for many in Germany today. It is often also the only way for many to achieve their aims without having to scrimp and save for ages in advance. ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_468218_19.html 05th February 2008