Articles
FREETOCOMPARE PROVIDES BEST QUOTES FOR NICK WEBB'S 'SURVIVING THE RECESSION' COLUMN IN SUNDAY INDEPENDENT
Sunday February 28 2010
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Sunday January 24 2010
Sunday December 20 2009
Credit cards Family health insurance Used car loans Apartment insurance Lecky bills
You'd need to be about as thick as Ashley Cole to have one of the dreadful Ulster Bank standard credit cards. They are rubbish. These useless bits of plastic have an interest rate double that of the cheapest card on the market. AIB's click card is an internet-only card; for those who can't use the interweb, try NIB's credit cards. Based on €5,000 credit card debt.
Best: AIB Click -- 8.5 per cent
Avoid: Ulster Bank standard Mastercard -- 17.9 per cent.
Saving: Up to €470 per year
contact www.aib.ie or your local branch
Family health insurance
Trying to figure out which health insurance policy fits your family best is ridiculously complicated. The insurers spend ages trying to muddy the waters between policies. Check out the www.freetocompare.ie website which crunches through the waffle. Health insurance for a family with two kids. Semi-private room plus basic day-to-day cover.
Best: VHI First Plan Level 1 -- €1,830
Avoid: Aviva Health Level 1 Everyday-- €1,960
Saving: €130
contact www.vhi.ie or 1850 444444
Used car loans
The scrappage deals are pretty good. There hasn't been a better time to buy a car for yonks. But can you get your bank to cough up? A loan of €20,000 repayable over five years for a used car. Figures from www.freetocompare.ie
Best: BoI Finance -- €409.28 per month
Avoid: Ulster Bank -- €437.38
Saving: €1,686 over term of loan.
contact www.bankofireland.ie or your local bank
Apartment insurance
Apartments are usually partially covered under annual maintenance fees. But contents aren't usually included. Contents cover of €60,000 for a 35-year-old couple in an apartment in Dublin's Docklands. Alarmed. No claims for five years, excess €200. Including accidental damage cover.
Best: Chrome Insurance -- €135.00
Avoid: Benchmark -- €358.00
Saving: €223.00
contact www.chromeinsurance.ie or 1890 247663.
Lecky bills
Switching your electricity away from the gold-plated, hyper expensive ESB is a no-brainer. It takes less than five minutes. All you need are your bank account details and an old ESB bill. Bord Gais is up to 14 per cent cheaper, with green energy provider Airtricity up to 13 per cent cheaper than ESB. The highest savings can be made if you are already a Bord Gais customer and agree to pay by direct debit. Based on a €1,000 annual bill for a three-bed semi.
Best: Bord Gais €875
Avoid: ESB: €1,000
Saving: €125
contact www.thebigswitch.ie or 1850 485868
Mobile broadband Learner driver insurance Super-duper health cover Mortgage protection Pet insurance Life insurance Whoops, sorry...
OK, so it sponsors the rugby, the Point and a stack of GAA stuff -- but it's still not very good value. O2's dongley thing is the most expensive deal offered by the major players -- including Meteor, Vodafone and 3. Average monthly cost calculated by callcosts.ie
Best: Imagine Wimax 3mb €14.17
Avoid: O2 Clear 3Mb €21.48
Saving: €87.72 per year
contact www.imagine.ie or call 1890 9299007
Learner driver insurance
Not even Jim Corr could deny the irreversible damage caused by a learner driver to a shiny new clutch. Fully comp cover for a 50-year-old Carlow woman with no points or claims for five years, driving a 2007 Fiat Punto 1.2L worth €9k. Parked off road. Excess €200, and alarmed. And with an 18-year-old female named driver who has had her provisional licence for one year. No claims or points. No cover for death rays. Quotes from www.chromeinsurance.ie
Best: Quinn €813 per year
Avoid: AXA €1,320.00
Saving: €507 a year
contact www.quinn-direct.com or 1890 89 1890
Super-duper health cover
Gold-plated health cover gets you a private room in a top private hospital. All the nurses look like Amy Huberman and you'd almost be safe eating the food. Quinn has a sneaky 3 per cent surcharge if paying monthly (nearly €70 a year in this case). Quotes from www.freetocompare.ie
Best: Quinn Essential Gold €2,215
Avoid: VHI Plan E €2,832
Saving: €617
contact www.quinnhealth.ie
Mortgage protection
Only seven months to go until the new Lansdowne Road stadium reopens. Ever wondered how Aviva could spend so much on buying the naming rights? Here's a hint. Have a look at how much it charges for mortgage protection... double the price of the best deal on the market for decreasing cover on €75,000/15-year cover for two 40-year-old non-smokers. Quotes from www.freetocompare.ie.
Best: Zurich Life €10.12 per month
Avoid: Aviva €20
Saving: €118.56 per year
contact www.zurichlife.ie or 01-7992711
Pet insurance
Cover for a three-year-old male mongrel in Rathfarnham, Dublin 14. The beast is untagged, and has no health problems. Excess €150. Online insurer www.123.ie has a dirt-cheap accident-only premium of €83.95 -- but doesn't Fido deserve the best?
Best: 123.ie premium €149.92
Avoid: Allianz €157.21
Saving: €7.29
contact www.123.ie or 1890 221123
Life insurance
Chances are that you won't get rubbed out unless you have a big policy. Probably not the best selling point for life cover. A policy worth €400,000 over 20 years for a 45-year- old male smoker. Chill.ie is offering a fairly chunky 60 per cent discount in the first year. Year two isn't quite so pleasant.
Best: Chill.ie €477.75 per year
Avoid: Canada Life €1,554.36
Saving: €1,076.61
contact www.chill.ie or 1890 30 20 20
Whoops, sorry...
Last week's figures for the interest paid on an €80,000 lump sum lodged with Investec, Permo or Ulster were plum bonkers and horribly wrong. Sorry. Sadly, 3.6 per cent is about as good as you'll get.
Ski travel insurance Phone, TV and broadband combo Family health cover Flat insurance Car insurance Gas charges
Annual worldwide travel insurance including cover for a family heading off on the piste costs a proverbial arm or leg at VHI. The cheapest deal is from Multitrip, which also has a €3.50 handling fee, which you'll come across halfway through buying the policy online.
Best: multitrip.com €49.99
Avoid: VHI €160
Saving: €110.01
contact multitrip.com or call 0818-444 444
Phone, TV and broadband combo
Splat! That's the sound of Sky and Eircom crashing down. Chorus Ntl has kicked off a brutal price war and is absolutely crucifying Sky and Eircom on price. For a home phone, 5mb of broadband, calls and decent telly including Sky Sports and the somewhat rubbish ESPN.
Best: UPC Fibre Sports €960 per year
Avoid: Sky Mix 4 plus sports/Eircom Talktime chatter with 3mb broadband. €1,485
Saving: €525
contact upc.ie or call 1890-940 624
Family health cover
Fairly basic health cover for a family of four. Watch out for a particularly nasty and sneaky trick from Quinn. It lobs on an extra 3 per cent charge if you pay monthly. Cheap in more ways than one. Quotes from freetocompare.ie
Best: Quinn Essential starter €1,100 per year.
Avoid: Worst: VHI Plan A €1,520
Saving: €410
contact quinnhealth.ie or call 1890-221 123
Flat insurance
Annual management charges mean that you're generally covered if your apartment block is damaged. But you'll still need contents cover. Cover for €60,000-worth of gear in a €350,000 flat in Grand Canal Square, Dublin 2. No claims for yonks, usual alarms and excess of €200.
Best: Simply Mortgages €127
Avoid: Benchmark €302
Saving: €175
contact simplymortgages.ie or else call 1890-746 472
Car insurance
The big insurance companies are big for a reason. They absolutely fleece you with the cost of car insurance. We can't think of a time that Axa came in with the best car quote. Steer well clear if you want to save money. Fully comprehensive cover for a 2009 Toyota Avensis for a 30-year-old woman driver from Killarney, Co Kerry. Apart from two points, there's a spotless record. Parked off road, alarmed and with a nodding dog in the back window. Quotes from Chrome insurance.ie
Best: 123.ie €401.53
Avoid: AXA (broker) €839
Saving: €437.47 a year
contact 123.ie or call 1890-221 123
Gas charges
Bord Gais may the cheapest for electricity, but it's getting badly undercut in its core business of gas. Flogas is now miles cheaper. Cost for an average user of 20,000 thingummy gas units per year. Switch now.
Best: Flogas €880.30
Avoid: Bord Gais €960.66
Saving: €80.36
contact flogasnaturalgas.ie or call 1850-928 100
Save €150 a month to pay for a trip to see Santa up in Lapland in December 2010... assuming there's still some snow after the Copenhagen summit. Ulster Bank's Easy Access account pays 0.01 per cent, which is just for stupid people.Bank of Ireland's Easy Saver is marginally less awful, but still pretty bad.
Best: AIB parent saver €48.75 in interest
Avoid: Bank of Ireland Easy Saver €31.69
Saving: €17.06 over a year
Car loan
The scrappage deal wasn't exactly gold-plated, but it's better than a poke in the eye with a blunt stick. With car tax topping out at €2,100 per year for something silly like a Hummer, it could be smart to switch to something smaller and greener with a €104 per year tax rate. Borrow €25,000 over three years to buy a new motor in January. New car loans are generally a wee bit cheaper than those for second-hand clunkers. Quotes from freetocompare.ie
Best: BOI Finance €777.66 per month
Avoid: Halifax €811.21
Saving: €1,207.80 over term of loan
Car insurance
Axa isn't exactly pulling up trees when it comes to providing cheap car insurance. In fact, it's never topped our best price list. Ever. Ever. Ever. Fully comp car insurance for a €15,000-valued 2007 Nissan Primera 1.8l for a 50-year-old Lucan woman with no points and eight-plus years no claims. Excess €200. Car alarmed and parked on a drive.
Best: Quinn Direct €335
Avoid: Axa Freedom First Basic €756
Saving: €421
Teenage mobile phones
Stumpy-fingered teenagers sending 600 texts per month plus 100 minutes of calls, split between other mobiles and landlines, would be worth hooking up with 3 Mobile, based on figures from www.callcosts.ie.
Best: 3 Best of both worlds €25 per month
Avoid: Vodafone Simply €45.58
Saving: €246.96 per year
Backpacker travel insurance
Grow a beard, get some dreadlocks together and spend the year backpacking in Australia. Smashing place except for the people. Or rather, the sports fans. And the spiders.
Best: Backpackercover.ie €129.99
Avoid: Usit €363
Saving: €234
Life cover
Loose carpet on the stairs, toasters perched at the edge of the bath, Christmas present of a savage pitbull? These could be signs that your family is after the big fat pay-out from your insurance company if you have a nasty accident. For €250,000 life cover over 25 years for a 40-year- old male non-smoker with no underlying health problems. Indexed with no conversion option. Serious illness cover whacks up the premium nearly five fold. It'd be about €40 per month for the life cover by itself with Zurich.
Best: Hibernian Aviva €178.41 per month
Avoid: Caledonian Life €219.99
Saving: €498.96
Home insurance
Cover for a €600,000 bijou residence in Dalkey, Co Dublin, €300,000 rebuild, 20 per cent contents. Usual locks and alarms. No claims for five years. For 65-year-old woman.
Best: Simply Mortgages €251
Avoid: RSA €642.99
Saving: €391.99
Sunday Independent
Mobile Phones
O2 will have the shirt off your back. And not in a good way. The Spanish-owned mobile phone company is just far too expensive.
Figures from the Telecoms regulator or callcosts.ie show that O2's best, best deal for the national average of 232 anytime minutes of calls -- half to other mobiles -- plus 150 texts per month is way out of whack with everyone else.
O2 is damn near double the price. In fact, they show that for 100 minutes and texts per month, all the way up to 1,000 minutes and texts per month, O2 is miles dearer than everyone else. Run away fast.
Best: Meteor Bill Pay €20, Connect €25.71
Avoid: O2 Clear Sim 175 €45.30
Saving: €218.40 per year
Mortgages
We don't believe them either. The banks say that they are open for business and lending lots of money. On what planet? First-time buyer mortgage of €350,000 over 25 years with a 90 per cent LTV. Quotes from Simply Mortgages and freetocompare.ie.
Variable
Best: AIB €1,596 per month
Avoid: Ulster Bank €1,837.78
Saving: €2,901.36 per year
Two-year fixed
Best: Bank of Ireland/ICS €1,596.72 per month
Avoid: Ulster €1,886.30
Saving: €3,474.96 per year
Five-year fixed
Best: AIB €1,819 per month
Avoid: Ulster €2,035.88
Saving: €2,592 per year
Personal loan
Borrow €8,000 over two years to clear your credit card debt. Or to do something nice... like buy a Yamaha VX deluxe jetski. You'll pay through the nose at Halifax. Quotes from Simply Mortgages.
Best: AIB €367.28
Avoid: Halifax €379.24
Saving: €287.04 over term of loan
Regular savings
The best "saving up for stuff" interest rate can be found in regular savings accounts. But you'll need to lob money in every month and read page upon page upon page of terms and conditions. Saving €100 per month for a year with quotes from freetocompare.ie
Best: AIB Parent saver €1,232.50
Avoid: Bank of Ireland Easysaver €1,206.50
Saving: €26
Electricity
Save a few polar bears and a big wodge of cash by switching your electricity away from the ESB. Green (or somewhat green) energy provider Airtricity is up to 13 per cent cheaper than the ESB. But Bord Gais Energy is up to 14 per cheaper in the first year, if you sign a direct debit and are a gas customer already. Switch to Bord Gais for a year and then over to Airtricity. On an average bill of €200 per month.
Best: Bord Gais €172 per month
Avoid: ESB €200
Saving: €336 per year
Car hire
You'll need a PhD in spoofery to get to the bottom of foreign holiday car rental costs, but there are big savings to be had by sniffing around online. Renting a cheapo economy motor for two weeks in Marbella next summer for a 35-year-old male with a full licence.
Best: freetocompare.ie €414.58
Avoid: Avis €571.79
Saving: €157.21
Sunday Independent
KERRY consumers looking to cash in on a good deal in these recessionary times should check out ireland's newest online price comparison service, freetocompare.ie.
It enables consumers to compare Irish financial products, broadband, mobile phones, travel and shopping, free of charge.
Research shows that a huge percentage of Irish people do not compare more than three providers when they are making a purchase, and the main reason for this is the hassle and inconvenience of checking the prices from different sources. freetocompare.ie aims to simplify the process by allowing the consumer to compare all the products in a particular sector in the one place.
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Thursday, November 12, 2009
Free energy survey
The ESB are now providing a free energy survey which will enable the consumer to save money on their energy costs.The reference name of the survey is called "HALO" and if you log on to www.esb.ie you will be able to get more info and apply and see if you qualify! There are a few questions that you need to answer and your house needs to have built before 1980.
The initial survey is free and will suggest the areas in your home where improvements can be made.
The survey will look at how efficient your house is being insulated at the moment and your lighting costs and heating costs .
You will be provided with a report on how savings can be made and also how to improve your energy use.
www.freetocompare.ie
PersonalFinance Articles: How Changing Your Mind About Your Personal Finance WillChange the State of Your Wallet
6 July 2010
Many personal finance articles have been written on theissue of money. Can't say I have been moved to action by many. First I'd like to say it is ok that you feel down about the current situationabout your personal finances. I give youpermission to feel your feeling for the next 24 hours and then pull yourself byyour boot straps and let's what we can do.
There exist many a definition, I want to share with you my personalfinance definition:
Financial freedom is not an event, it is a skill.
I bet right now with the current economic situation you are saying to yourself,"I just wish I could the lotto!" Boy don't we all and yet statistics andpersonal finance facts show that the majority of people who win the lottery,end up broke and worse off before their winnings! Imagine that. You amongthe many seeking wealth,riches, fame few people realize that money isn't the solution to theirproblems; the way you think about money is the problem and thesolution.
I can almost see you going oh yeah, give me the money and I'll show you changein mindset!
My favorite entrepreneur of all times, Henry Ford was once asked, "What ifyou lost everything you own?" He responded without missing a beat:"I'd have it all back and more within 5 years."
Being a master of your own personal finance is not about what is in the bank;it's about the ability to acquire the skill that will show you how to producenew streams of income and wealth based on your knowledge and experience.
So before we go any further on this issue let us tackle the real problem herethat is impeding your personal finance for good! Why you might ask? Well without the mastery of these 5 steps, your desire for your goal for financialsuccess and financial freedom is highly unlikely! This is why big playersin any industry have coaches, Oprah has a life coach, football players andbasketball players have coaches and mentors. Tiger woods after every badgame will go in for coaching and training. Why? Those who achievegreat financial success do not go it alone. They always have ateam. Those who achieve great poverty have the do it yourself mentality!
Why is it important to plan personal finances?
5 Steps That Will Guarantee You Become Master Your Personal Finances
1. How do you think about money? Say you come up with an idea to do something.Do you think that will never work? Are you afraid to followthrough? Are you scared of loosing money or do you see every dollar spentas an investment?
2. How do you manage and invest your time? The average man hasat his disposal 6 discretionary hours. This is time they can dowhatever they want. No work, no chores etc. Many will watch T.V.,attend pricey sports events, spend money on meals at a restaurant and movies,see where I am going with this? Do you do personal finance budgeting?
3. How do you leverage the talents and life experiences you ALREADY POSSESS?
Most people see their experiences as failures. They only talk of how theytried to do something as failed. Thomas Edison failed more than I care tocount, and yet he persisted to light the whole world. Many of life's failuresare people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gaveup. Thomas A. Edison
4. Do you have amentor and/or coach with a proven personal finance curriculum? Thisis the true measure of your desire for financial freedom. This is whereyou literally put your money where your mouth is, can't afford a mentor yousay? Well what was the last book you read? Gossip magazines do not countas literature sorry ?!
5. What do you think is "risky," and what do you think is "safeand secure"? Most people never break into the realm of the 5%wealthy group who own 95% of the worlds resources because they want toplay it safe. They want the money, the fame, the accolades but they feelthey should not have to go through the process of creating this wealth. No wonder the internet and other places are full of scams and get rich quickopportunities. Remember this success does not happen overnight, butone night success does happen. Someone once said to me, it takes 3 yearsto be an overnight success!
Patricia Kagwiria Makhulo - About the Author:
If you're tired ofliving paycheck to pay check discover how to build your home party & directsales business with hot prospects, well attended home parties, and spendingless money than you make, then your troubles have ended...
You can now secure your own copy of The Little Black Book Of Home Party Plan MarketingSecrets ! Now you toowill know the secrets of 6-Figure Home Party Consultants.
To Your Success,
Party Plan Pat
http://www.partyplanpat.com
Home Party & Direct Sales Marketing Expert
=-=-=-=-=
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution
New Insurance Products for 2010
01/12/2009
At freetocompare.ie we are pleased to announce that we have introduced the following insurance products to our portfolio, Travel, Wedding, Motor Breakdown, Pet Insurance and Car Hire Excess.
Insurance requires you to consider your peace of mind. "How will my family or I cope if an accident occurred? This is not a question to be considered lightly but dealing with this is something all of us should do.
As a result freetocompare.ie would like to introduce you to our new portfolio of insurance products that can be tailored to meet your individual circumstances.
- Motor Breakdown Insurance: Breakdown cover provides complete peace of mind for you and your family every time you venture out onto the roads, particularly in the winter months. We offer breakdown cover from €49 per annum.
- Travel Insurance: Travel insurance provides protection to holidaymakers and business travellers against unexpected costs e.g. flight delays and cancellations, lost luggage and overseas medical bills, swine flu. Travel insurance safe guards you and your family from the unexpected while abroad. We offer yearly travel insurance from €35.83.
- Car Hire Excess Insurance: Buy your car hire excess insurance today and cover the excess amount on your Car Hire policy from as little as €2.99 per day.
- Wedding Insurance: The average wedding is now a major financial commitment. To ensure that all your hard work leads to a memorable occasion, Wedding insurance will provide you with peace of mind for your special day. Great idea to give as a wedding gift. We now offer wedding insurance cover from €69.99.
- Pet Insurance Coming Soon!!!!
If you would like to find out more about the insurance products we offer or any other insurance matter please feel free to email us at info@freetocompare.ie and our insurance team will be happy to answer your queries and provide professional advice.
1. Cheap mobile broadband
23.10.2009
Pricesfor mobile broadband in Ireland are very similier with the different providers.It really comes down to speed, download limits, coverage and service that comewith the packages on offer.You will be able to compare the different offersavailable on the mobile phone/broadband comparison tables at freetocompare.ie
Please note that it is important to check with the provider that they offercoverage in the area you propose to use it in !
2. Money for old...phones !
23.10.2009
Oldmobile phones can be recycled - as there are plenty of re-usable parts in them.If your old handset is less than four years old you can play your part inhelping the environment by recycling it and making money into the bargain!
Just click on the following link.
3. Enery SavingTips
23.10.2009
At freetocompare.ie we believe in helping you save money in every way we knowhow. Here we havecompiled a guide on energy money saving tips to help you save money onutilities and give you cheaper electricity and gas bills.
We have worked out that the average household couldsave up to and over €200 annually on their energy bills. So to save on gas andelectricity costs check out our helpful hints:
- Invest in a lagging jacket for your hot water tank and insulate pipes - this will pay for itself very quickly
- Turning your thermostat down by 1°C could cut your heating bills by up to
- 10%. And if you're going away for winter, leave the thermostat on a low setting to provide protection from freezing at minimum cost.
- Replace light bulbs with energy saving versions: just one can reduce your lighting costs by over €40 over the lifetime of the bulb.
- Is your hot water too hot? For most, setting the thermostat at a lower setting is still fine for bathing.
- Don't leave the fridge door open longer than necessary and defrost freezers regularly.
- When cooking leave saucepan lids on as this will allow you to turn down the heat.
- Don't use more water than you need when boiling a kettle as it takes much more electricity to boil a full kettle each time than just enough water to cover the element.
- Draw the curtains-it will help to insulate the room.
- Take a shower instead of a bath.
- Hang clothes out to dry instead of using tumble dryer.