Thursday, April 1, 2010

How Do I Claim Back My PPI Payments?

If you have taken out a loan, mortgage or credit in the last ten years you will have probably been wrongfully sold PPI. You may not even be aware that you are eligible to claim back your money and the seriousness of what the banks have done.

Over the last ten years, banking salesmen have hunted for those last ounces of commission by slapping add on products to their services, most commonly PPI. The chances are that if you had PPI tagged on to something you bought then it was never going to cover you anyway, something that has really become obvious since the recession. In many cases a bank would tag on compulsory PPI in order to take out the loan, this was money in the bag as it would never be paid back out, or so they thought.

This whole time, lenders knew full well that the PPI they were selling was completely useless to the people they were selling it to, even though they told them otherwise. This has called into action the financial watchdogs who have forced many of the large lenders to pay back the money to customers. However, most banks are still using a 'don't ask - don't get' policy making the customers chase them for their money, often alone but more successfully with the help of legal experts.

The first step in claiming back your PPI is to write a letter to your bank/lender asking for a full refund. They will definitely reply with a variation of 'no' to which you need to be more forceful, threaten legal action and declare your intent to involve the financial ombudsman. They will probably continue to respond with a range of answers ultimately dismissing your claim, albeit wrongfully, as they have no fear of your authority. The key to success is to be persistent and by all means get the financial ombudsman involved but if all else fails, seek professional help.

Using a legal agency to help you claim back your PPI is often hassle free as they are experienced and will do all of the legwork for you. This will often have a faster affect than acting for yourself and will most likely end in success. Many solicitors are no win no fee so you wont lose out by claiming with them and it's the best way of hitting back at the evil banking giants!

Free Removal From Chexsystems

Chexsystems affects millions of folks in a negative way. Banks
group together and join Chexsystems to help keep singled out people from starting checking accounts. With identity theft rampant these days, thousands of innocent victims have been hurt by being reported to Chexsystems, causing them all of the financial troubles that come hand in hand with not having a bank account, like being unable to write checks or use a debit card.

When a consumer has been reported to Chexsystems, they can be denied an account at most banks for up to 5 years. Their credit score can also be tarnished. This can be devastating to a person's financial situation, as having bad credit and being unable to write checks or use a debit card basically harms an individuals ability to make financial transactions.

Luckily, options do exist for those consumers who still want to to create a checking account. The consumer advocate company, "Chexsystems Relief", offers aid in a manner different than so many of the other websites on the Internet.

Most organizations only give a list of banks that supposedly do not belong to the conglomeration. These lists are often riddled with inaccuracies and the banks that are a useful opportunity are usually small banks that can be across the country from the person's home. Other websites that offer removal from the database do not actually get the job done. "Chexsystems Relief" does not just offer a list of banks. Instead, they offer removal with a guarantee that the process will begin within 24 hours.

Rather than relying on an outdated list of non-Chexsystems banks, the best option is to get your name permanently removed from the database. That way you can go back to writing checks as normal, using your debit card, etc. "Chexsystems Relief" will get you on your way to doing so in 24 hours or less, and will explain to you in detail exactly what to do every step of the way.

3 Reasons Why You Should Have An Internet Checking Account

Money management is important. With the current economic crisis as well as the regular change in rates of interest and banking terms it is worth spending a bit time to just be sure you are in control of your money.

To effectively manage your money you'll want to have total control. Banks think about their own bottoms line figures, especially with the collapse and mergers which have lately shaken the banking world. They don't seem to be considering what's best for you and your financial situation.

Below are our top 3 reasons why you ought to consider an internet checking account as opposed to traditional checking accounts.

1. No more queuing. Queuing is great for buses and buying tickets, these are a first come first serve basis and queuing is hence suitable. Banking really should not be dealt with like this. If your requirements are sufficiently straightforward that they can be processed through an unnamed person behind a security screen then there isn't any need to see the person, you might as well do it all through a computer and reduce the potential of human error.

2. No more paper statements. With online banking you are able to ?turn off? your paper statements. This means no more envelopes landing on your doorstep requiring filling. This will save you time, and will also save you space. The online system is fairly simple. The statements are available for you to down load and save as suits your needs, otherwise you may just ask for them as and when you want to see them.

3. No more visiting bank branches. The idea of visiting your bank branch and chatting to them about your banking needs might sound excellent, however the reality is usually quite different. Firstly, most decisions have to be made through a centralized structure, therefore are not able to actually be authorized at your branch. In addition you're not likely to be able to see the same person on each visit, so there is no continuity of care.

Once you comprehend how impersonal banking through a high street branch is becoming you'll realize that it is a misuse of your time and effort.

With an internet checking account, you are in control. If you would like advice about a particular product you can phone the banking institutions sales team who will know significantly more about the product than your average bank employee.

The banks have realized that they can reduce their overheads considerably by transferring accounts to the internet. To achieve this transfer of customers they have to make the internet checking accounts appealing. This is the simple motive why offers and rates available online will frequently be better than those offered at a bank branch.

Take advantage of the offers and get yourself a good rate and service with an internet checking account.

Checking Accounts - Why It's Advisable To Have One

Checking accounts do not earn you interest and are not a popular choice for saving money. Rather than that, they are preferred for the immediate access to funds that they allow, especially in online transactions and in business transfers.

There are practically no limitations on the amount of money and the number of transactions that are allowed. They are very versatile and can be used to withdraw money from ATMs, make check payments and set-up direct debits.

Another feature of the checking account is the availability of an overdraft, that is withdrawing a larger amount of funds than the one currently available in the depositors account. How much of a negative balance can be incurred is normally agreed on beforehand, and not going over that amount normally means that no, or minimal, interest needs to be paid on the amount temporarily borrowed.

Should you go even slightly over the overdraft amount agreed on though, then you may be liable to pay penalty fees and / or a high interest rate. This may well be highly disproportionate to the extra amount borrowed, so you should do your best to avoid this happening.

If you would like to earn interest on the money that you have in your checking account, then one option is to opt for a NOW (Negotiable Order of Withdrawal) account, which is very similar, but which includes interest payments on the funds in your account. Not all financial institutions offer this type of account, but ask around and you will be able to find one that does.

You will not earn interest for all money in your account, only that which is above a certain, pre-agreed, balance. You will also earn less interest on any funds that come over a specified maximum balance too. Thus, the interest rate is determined for amounts that are under this limit, and lower ones are applied to amounts that exceed this maximum.