Lenders have been at great pains to point out to the FSA and the Competition Commission that the granting of an unsecured loan is no longer dependent on whether the customer takes Payment Protection Insurance or not.
Yet my own experience shows that lenders haven’t given up on the hard sell yet! I am in the unenviable position of wanting to convert part of my garage into a study/playroom, but not having the readies to pay for it. So like all sensible people I had to take out a personal loan to fund this. I’m good for the cash, so I knew that getting a cheap loan wouldn’t be a problem.
On Sunday morning I searched online for the best deal, from a major bank, then applied on the Web. Fantastic, job done, sorted. Roll on the builders.
However a couple of hours later I got a text message asking me to call the bank in question regarding my application, so I gave them a ring (on an 0845 number too, so not a free call!). (more…)
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Defaqto’s Star Ratings for 2008 have been more widely adopted by providers than ever before. The ratings, which have become the most authoritative and impartial guide to product quality available, cover products in the banking, protection, investment, pension and general insurance areasIn January Defaqto undertook the huge task of analysing the quality of just under 2,200 products in 24 separate product areas from 550 different suppliers. Defaqto used a set of quality criteria to assess each product in each particular area. From this analysis Defaqto was able to score each product and then assign it a Star Rating. The ratings ranged from five stars down to one star.
In total Defaqto assigned 252 Five Star ratings, 360 Four Stars, 571 Three Stars, 498 Two Stars and 511 One Star.
Defaqto licenses companies to use the rating in their promotional material and so far this year, Defaqto has licensed the use of 140 Five Star Ratings.
Brian Brown, Head of Insight at Defaqto said: “A Five Star rating enables companies to demonstrate to consumers that their products have reached the highest tier of quality. The rating, with its associated logo, is becoming a well-known statement of product quality in the market as more and more companies adopt it into their marketing plans.
“With the ever-growing emphasis on product cost, product quality has been in danger of being excluded from the purchase decision. A Five Star Rating helps to address this imbalance by identifying for consumers products which have been independently assessed for quality.”
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Main Star Rated Product Groups
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| Credit Cards |
Current Accounts |
Home Insurance |
Motor Insurance |
| Pet Insurance |
Travel Insurance |
Payment Protection |
SIPPs |
| Offshore Bonds |
Onshore Bonds |
Critical Illness |
Income Protection |
-Ends
For further information contact:
Defaqto Limited
Brian Brown, Chris Johnston or Luci Mylward
01844 295 454
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With so much press comment around about cancelling Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) we are often asked where customers who do want cover can go online to purchase standalone PPI or Income Protection Insurance (IPI).
These policies are used to protect the customer in case they are unable to make loan or mortgage repayments following unemployment or sickness.
Anyone buying PPI cover must be sure they read all the information and questions asked by the insurer to make sure they are eligible to buy the policy, and make sure they understand any exclusions which might apply to claims (such as restrictions on backache or mental illness claims, or for pre-existing medical conditions).
The following companies all sell cover on a stand-alone basis:
Standalone Mortgage Payment Protection
Provider
|
Web Address
|
Phone
|
Cost *
|
Ant Insurance
|
|
020 8972 557
|
£2.36
|
British Insurance
|
|
08450 175 178
|
£3.25
|
Churchill
|
|
0800 404 770
|
£4.00
|
Post Office Ltd
|
|
0800 633 967
|
£4.50
|
Web Money
|
|
0845 155 1931
|
£3.50
|
Standalone Income Protection/Payment Protection
Provider
|
Web Address
|
Phone
|
Cost *
|
Ant Insurance
|
|
020 8972 9557
|
£2.50
|
iprotect
|
|
01962 877 818
|
£2.64
|
British Insurance
|
|
08450 175 178
|
£4.05
|
Hitachi Capital
|
|
0870 850 8116
|
£4.25
|
Paymentcare Ltd
|
|
0870 428 4088
|
£4.40
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Pinnacle Insurance
|
|
08000 350 292
|
£2.69
|
Web Money
|
|
0845 155 1930
|
£4.44
|
* Cost is cost per £100 of cover for a 35 year old man, with 12 months benefit. Note that premiums vary markedly and this is in part because differing policies offer different features and benefits.
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