money

Get mortgage fit and invest wisely

With more people choosing to grow their finances in buy-to-let properties, one of the country’s leading housebuilders says getting mortgage fit will help potential investors sail through the buying process.

Barratt is providing information and advice that is designed to help investors secure specialist mortgages, allowing them to let their new assets for potential medium and long term profit.

The five star housebuilder currently has a number of homes in the Exeter area suitable for investors. Developments locally include Rydon Place and Hillside Gardens.

“With a...

Survey raises concerns over new benefit

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Mon, 07/27/2015 - 11:44am

A survey into a new benefit due to be introduced in Exeter has produced some alarming results.

Universal Credit, which will replace many existing benefits, is being gradually rolled out across the country and will begin to be implemented in Exeter in November.

But research by the Advice Exeter partnership has raised grave concerns about how claimants will be affected, with few aware of the changes and advice agencies worryingly unprepared.

Universal Credit will see significant changes to the way benefits work, from how they are claimed to how they are paid. Some of...

Education for start-ups needed

Authored by jacobseal
Posted: Mon, 07/20/2015 - 7:49am

Fewer UK businesses would fail if owners had more knowledge of the world of business prior to taking the plunge and setting up themselves, according to two thirds (63%) of SME owners.

Small business owners are now calling for more education for those in the process of setting up in business, as research today reveals many directors went into business blind and confess they made big mistakes along the way.

The research, conducted by Just Cash Flow PLC spoke to 250 small business owners, and 80% admitted that they didn’t know everything they needed to when they first set up...

Exeter Family Friendly raise £2.5k

A team of executives from Exeter Family Friendly raised £2675 for Devon-based charity Rainbow Living after cycling 72 miles from Wellington to Salcombe.

Starting at 8:30am, Exeter Family’s Andy Chapman (CEO), Simon Philp, Paul Austin, Alan Ord and Adrian Hodgkinson crossed the finish line at 16:30pm, to raise money for the protection provider’s charity of the year.

Rainbow Living provide housing for adults with learning disabilities so they can live with their peers in supported accommodation and the funds raised from the cycle will go towards the charity’s third house....

Harry Potter joins forces with Exeter Cavern & Concrete Donkey for Exeter Pound

Exeter Pound has revealed its £E10 note will feature Exeter’s iconic Gandy Street, accompanied on the reverse by local band Concrete Donkey on stage at Exeter Cavern.

Daniel Hillier of Vision ICT captured the image of the band’s drummer Dave Parsons at a recent gig in the club.

For Daniel, he said “It is great to see this culturally important venue being represented on the £E10”.

The Cavern holds a prestige status in the city, as one of the longest running live music venues, which continues to be important for the young people of the city.

“You only have to...

Mystery £1,000 handed over to Hospiscare

Authored by Hospiscare
Posted: Tue, 05/05/2015 - 5:35pm

Local charity Hospiscare has officially received the £1,000 left in a bag outside one of its city shops.

Amy Broadway, deputy manager of Hospiscare’s flagship Fore Street shop handed the cash over today to Hospiscare nurses at the Dryden Road hospice.

Police released the cash after nobody came forward to claim it.

Six weeks ago £1,020 was left in a large bag, containing a purple quilt, just by the front door a few minutes before staff arrived to open up in the morning.

Hospiscare staff nurse Megan Woodman, who received the cash, said: “This is wonderful news...

Pensioners lead crowdfunding revolution

Pensioners are three times more likely to pledge on projects than Britain's digital youth*, says Crowdfunder

The UK's No1 crowdfunding platform has revealed that Britain's senior citizens could be leading the huge growth in crowdfunding as they are more likely to pledge money on projects more than any other age group.

Analysis from the alternative funding website found that in the month of March over 12.5 % of people who pledged on the site, were aged 65+, compared to just 9.3% of 18-25 year olds.

The biggest pledgers overall were the 45-55 year old market, who...

RGB relaunches community fund

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Tue, 04/07/2015 - 12:08pm

Due to the overwhelming success of RGB Building Supplies’ Well Built Community Fund, the builders' merchant is delighted to announce that they are relaunching it and will be giving away a further £1,000 worth of building materials every other month until March next year.

Having made donations to a charity, a sports club, school, community group and care home last year, RGB will be calling out for different deserving groups to make contact with them this year and tell them how they can help.

The first giveaway will be to a group, charity or project that supports young people...

Savvy SW householders switch suppliers

Around £10.2 million was saved by 145,000 households in the South West in the last six months, simply by changing electricity supplier.

The figures, released as part of the ‘Power to Switch’ campaign, show that within the South West:

The ‘Power to Switch’ campaign encourages people to switch supplier and save money by visiting www.BeAnEnergyShopper.com . Millions of people can save around £200 - and some can save even more.

Nationally, during a four week period for the campaign, both gas and electricity switches through price comparison sites resulted in 130,000...

Exeter CAB reports increase in average client debt

Local charity Exeter Citizens Advice Bureau today publishes its latest advice trend statistics which show that so far this financial year it has helped 4,976 people directly with advice and information.

On average, clients with debt problems had debts totaling £15,685.79, up by £2,488.38 on the same period the previous year.

The amount of advice that the charity has been able to provide has increased in the following areas compared to the same period last year:

Welfare benefits

• 28.2% increase in enquires about council tax benefit/local support • 24.8%...

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