Tag Archives: finance
Payment Protection Insurance – The Facts You Need To Know
Payment Protection Insurance cover is a type of cover that is offered with finance such as credit cards, store cards, and loans. Like other types of insurance cover Payment Protection Insurance, or PPI as it is simply known, is designed to provide financial protection under certain circumstances. When you take out finance you may do so under the assumption that you will be able to keep up with repayments throughout the term of the finance. However, this is not always the case, as life does tend to throw a few surprises our way, and this is where PPI can kick in.
PPI is designed to cover your finance repayments for a specified period in the event that you are unable to work and make your repayments due to sickness, accident, or redundancy. The terms and conditions, including the restrictions and exclusions, with this type of policy can be strict, and therefore you do need to carefully check the small print to ensure that the policy is suited to your needs. Not everyone will benefit from PPI – for example, this type of insurance covers your repayments in the event of redundancy, but this is something that you cannot benefit from if you are self employed.
The cost of PPI can be high, but at the same time this form of cover can offer valuable peace of mind, so it can be difficult to decide what to do. Those that do not want the expense of PPI should remember that this is not a compulsory form of cover and there is no obligation to take any PPI cover out at all. For those that do want this protection but don’t want to pay a fortune, it is worth remembering that you are not obligated to take your cover from any particular provider, and therefore you may be able to save money on the cost of cover by shopping around and comparing different PPI plans from a number of providers.
Whether or not you take out PPI with your finance is entirely your choice, although some lenders may make it sound as though this cover is necessary and even make it sound as though taking out PPI will increase your chances of getting finance – this is not the case. PPI, like other types of insurance, provides optional protection to consumers for a price, and you need to weight up the pros and cons before you make a commitment. You should also make sure that you check any policy that you are thinking of taking out carefully to ensure that the cover is suited to your needs and circumstances, otherwise you could end up wasting a large amount of money on insurance that you can never benefit from.
Some insurers however to offer protection schemes specifically designed for self-employed people so they are not paying for benefits which they would not benefit from.
Information and Advice on Five Different Types of Credit Cards
How can you find the right credit card for you with so many different types of cards available? The first thing you need to do is start thinking about how you plan on using credit and for what. After you do this, you can start comparing all the different charge cards and credit cards available. Some cards offer you excellent value, and then there are others, which may cost more in finance and interest charges, provide incentives you may find useful. My advice is to research all the varying card rates, fees and benefits before making a decision.
Depending on your needs, you’ll find several different options which can fit what you are looking for. There are some cards aimed toward individual consumers, while others are built specifically for small business needs. To help you figure out what type of credit card would fit your needs, here is some information on five of the most common credit cards available:
- Standard credit cards – These types of credit cards are the most commonly used. They let the user hold a balance on the card all the way up to a set credit limit. After you make a purchase for an item such as a new TV, credit from that balance is used. After you make payments on that balance, that credit is made available to you once again. Keep in mind that finance charges and interest rates will be applied at the end of the month to your balance. You should also be aware of your card’s minimum payment that needs to be paid by a certain due date or be charged late-payment penalties.
- Premium credit cards – Premium credit cards are very similar to regular credit cards except these offer incentives and benefits. I’m talking about those Gold and Platinum credits cards. These offer incentives such as cash back, reward points, or travel upgrades along with many other different types of rewards just for using the card. However, they tend to come with higher fees and you will need minimum income and credit score requirements before you can be qualified for one.
- Prepaid credit cards – These credit cards require money to be uploaded onto the card before it can be used for a transaction. You do not have a renewing credit limit on these either since you are responsible for how much of a balance is loaded up on the card. They work very similarly as debit cards do, but are not dependent on the balance of your checking account.
- Business credit cards – These cards are intended specifically for business use. These cards allow business owners to keep all of their transaction separated between personal and business. They work nearly identical to a standard credit card does with mostly all the same rules and fees.
- Charge cards – Charge cards are basically credit cards without a limit to how much you can charge. The only requirement is that the entire balance must be paid in full at the end of the month. Since the balance is always paid in full monthly, they tend not to come with any finance charges or minimum payments. They ares however, subject to fees, charge restrictions, or card cancellations if you are late on your monthly payments.