http://www.articlealley.com en-us editorial@articlealley.com Suffering a bereavement is a difficult enough time without the stress of arranging a funeral. It can be an expensive business, though, so it pays to do your research and contact a few different funeral direct... http://www.articlealley.com/article_132784_19.html 28th February 2007 Note: the information in this article applies to England and Wales only. This guide is an introduction to obtaining probate after someone’s death in order to administer their estate. When someone dies, their <a href="http://www.mortgagenati... http://www.articlealley.com/article_131688_19.html 22nd February 2007 This article refers to divorce law as it applies in England and Wales. Apart from all the emotional turmoil, there are so many practical matters that must be sorted out when a married relationship comes to an end. If you and your partner find you... http://www.articlealley.com/article_131256_19.html 20th February 2007 This the season to be jolly … and to spend lots of money, it would seem. Christmas can be an enormous strain on the family budget. It’s not just presents that you have to worry about – which itself can be a nightmare as you battle with pressure f... http://www.articlealley.com/article_130060_19.html 19th February 2007 If your debts get to the stage where a bailiff comes knocking at your door to seize goods, it can be a very distressing experience. However, if you know your rights and the law beforehand, this can alleviate some of the stress and make the situation mu... http://www.articlealley.com/article_129292_19.html 15th February 2007 It’s increasingly difficult for young people to get on the first rung of the property ladder alone, as property prices are rising much more quickly than earnings. This is where parents can help. Just as mortgages shared by friends are becoming more a... http://www.articlealley.com/article_128690_19.html 13th February 2007 The energy supply market was deregulated in 1999 and since then millions of people across the UK have benefited from cheaper bills by switching their gas or electricity supplier. There are lots of different deals available to suit different domes... http://www.articlealley.com/article_127979_19.html 10th February 2007 Fraudsters are continually coming up with new ways to con unsuspecting people into parting with their money, and with the internet, email and mobile phones it’s becoming easier and easier for them. Here are some examples of types of scams you might c... http://www.articlealley.com/article_127634_19.html 09th February 2007 Property prices for even the smallest apartments are beyond the reach of many first time buyers nowadays. As a result, more and more people are clubbing together with friends to share a mortgage and ownership of a property. It’s a very good way to ge... http://www.articlealley.com/article_126984_19.html 06th February 2007 Increase the value of your home – build or extend This article is part one in a two-part series on making home improvements. Once upon a time, investing in property was a sure-fire way to make money, but as the property market has... http://www.articlealley.com/article_126202_19.html 03rd February 2007 This article is the second in a two-part series on how to upgrade your home and increase its value. The property market is very unpredictable nowadays – sales are slower and buyers more demanding. I... http://www.articlealley.com/article_125603_19.html 01st February 2007 Having your very own, custom-built dream home is a lot easier and cheaper than you might think. Although building your own property involves a great deal of planning and hard work, it’s within the reach of most people, especially now that many mortga... http://www.articlealley.com/article_124898_19.html 30th January 2007 If you’re Muslim and are concerned about financial products that comply with Sharia Law, there are more and more options available to you today. The first Islamic bank in the UK, the Islamic Bank of Britain, opened its headquarters in Birmingham in 2... http://www.articlealley.com/article_123840_19.html 27th January 2007 People set themselves up in business for many different reasons. Sometimes they have an idea that will fill a niche in the market or is a vast improvement on current products or services available. We... http://www.articlealley.com/article_122662_19.html 24th January 2007 Once you’ve got a good idea of whether your business is viable and you’ve analysed the market, it’s time to draw up a business plan. What is a business plan? It’s a detailed analysis of your bu... http://www.articlealley.com/article_122591_19.html 23rd January 2007 As well as being viable from a business perspective, it’s also crucial that setting up a company is appropriate for your personal needs. It’s a huge commitment that will require a lot of hard work, so you need to be sure that you’re up to it and ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_121900_19.html 20th January 2007 The two key ingredients of a successful business are a reasonable business idea and a thorough business plan, which will put the meat on the bones and turn your idea into something concrete and viable. A wonderful idea is a great start for anyone w... http://www.articlealley.com/article_121431_19.html 18th January 2007 You’ll almost certainly need to raise money to start up your company, unless you already have sufficient capital yourself. The typical costs of starting up are in obtaining premises, manufacturing your product if you have one, buying materials, stock... http://www.articlealley.com/article_120734_19.html 16th January 2007 There’s more pressure on people than ever before to save for their futures. Relying on the state is no longer a safe option for retirement, benefits and healthcare. As a result, an increasing number of people are purchasing personal financial product... http://www.articlealley.com/article_110064_19.html 05th December 2006 If you’re planning to bring goods into the UK from travels abroad or from purchasing on the Internet, there are some important customs laws that you should be aware of. Here’s a handy guide to the regulations. Buying goods abroad Entering the UK... http://www.articlealley.com/article_110062_19.html 05th December 2006 Your identity is extremely valuable. You need it to prove who you are for various purposes in your day-to-day life, such as opening a bank account, obtaining a loan, getting a credit card, purchasing goods or services, applying for a passport or drivin... http://www.articlealley.com/article_110061_19.html 05th December 2006 We’re a nation of car users – although not always by choice. Expensive and unreliable public transport systems have forced many of us onto the roads, but having a car certainly isn’t a cheap alternative. The cost of owning a car, even if you don’t... http://www.articlealley.com/article_109103_19.html 30th November 2006 We all love a bargain and when we’re faced with a store card offer at the sales counter as we make a purchase, the temptation can be difficult to resist. At face value store cards can seem appealing –discounts on purchases, invitations to promotion... http://www.articlealley.com/article_109102_19.html 30th November 2006 With ever-increasing property prices, more and more people’s assets are now worth more than the inheritance tax threshold of £285,000, which has never been increased in proportion to the recent property boom. With a rate of 40% inheritance tax on an... http://www.articlealley.com/article_108677_19.html 28th November 2006 Please note: this article applies to residents of England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is provided for general information only. It does not constitute financial advice. It’s not something that anyone likes to think about, but deciding what hap... http://www.articlealley.com/article_108170_19.html 24th November 2006 The Individual Savings Account (ISA) scheme was set up by the government in 1999 to encourage people to save more money. It allows people to save up to a certain amount each year without paying tax on the interest or income from it. There are various d... http://www.articlealley.com/article_107815_19.html 22nd November 2006 The most important financial decisions you’re likely to make in your life are those concerning your retirement. To have a secure future with a comfortable standard of living after you’ve stopped working, you’ll need to plan your finances carefull... http://www.articlealley.com/article_107073_19.html 18th November 2006 It’s now unlikely that the state pension will be enough to keep you living comfortably when you retire. It provides only basic support, and the government itself is keen to encourage people to save as much as they can to supplement their state pensio... http://www.articlealley.com/article_107072_19.html 18th November 2006 The government provides a range of benefits and allowances for those who are unable to support themselves financially, whether they are unemployed and looking for work, on a low income, ill, injured or disabled, bringing up a family, caring for someone or... http://www.articlealley.com/article_98677_15.html 13th November 2006 One of a series examining the different types of government benefits, this guide looks at some of the options available to assist those who’re on a low income and are struggling to support themselves or their families. Income support – this is a ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_98676_15.html 13th November 2006 The financial services industry is highly regulated and companies selling financial products or advice must adhere to a stringent set of guidelines set out by the industry’s independent regulatory body, the Financial Services Authority. The FSA has w... http://www.articlealley.com/article_98342_15.html 09th November 2006 There’s a wide range of government benefits to support you as you bring up your family if you’re on a low income and need assistance. This is a brief guide to some of the key benefits that you may be eligible to receive. Child benefit ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_97876_15.html 09th November 2006 Unless you’ve managed to build up a large private pension or have a great deal of savings, it’s not always easy to get by in retirement when you’re no longer earning. There are various ways in which the government can help give people of pension age... http://www.articlealley.com/article_97844_19.html 09th November 2006 If you’re incapacitated for any reason and are unable to work, you may qualify to receive certain benefits from the government to assist you. This is one of a series of guides to government benefits, in which you’ll find practical information on th... http://www.articlealley.com/article_97244_15.html 07th November 2006 It’s an age old problem for parents – how to handle pocket money for their kids. How much should you give them? How often? What should they spend it on? All these questions have troubled parents for generations. Here’s a brief guide to using pock... http://www.articlealley.com/article_96776_15.html 06th November 2006 Most of us find ourselves having to part with our hard-earned cash almost on a daily basis to just keep ourselves going. Have you ever thought about exactly what you’re spending though? A great deal of people never bother to budget – yet they could... http://www.articlealley.com/article_95235_19.html 18th October 2006 Basic principle of a mortgage is very simple: you borrow money to buy a house and pay back the loan with interest. However, nowadays there are so many products available that it can be mind-boggling. Here’s a guide to methods of repayment and interes... http://www.articlealley.com/article_95216_19.html 18th October 2006 Having children isn’t cheap these days, especially in the long term – the older they get, the more they cost. Higher education prices continue to soar and it’s almost impossible to get onto the housing market without having some capital or <a hre... http://www.articlealley.com/article_93956_15.html 12th October 2006 Definition of bankruptcy: Bankruptcy is one method of getting out of debt. It is a court order that transfers responsibility for dealing with creditors to the Official Receiver, who also takes ... http://www.articlealley.com/article_93953_15.html 12th October 2006