Household Bills
Product launches of the week
Skipton Building Society launches new fixed rate bond range; Barclays enters the Help to Buy space; Santander reduces rates on personal loans.
SAVINGS
Skipton Building Society has launched a new fixed rate bond range, with rates paying up to 3.00%. The Society is also offering a new range of branch and online Fixed Rate ISAs, paying up to 3.00%.
The bonds can be held for two, three and five years.
The minimum investment for each account is £500, up to a maximum of £1,000,000 (or £2,000,000 for joint accounts).
TopCashback has launched its Travel Hub where consumers can access the travel cashback deals on the market. Retailers such as Expedia and Hilton Hotels are offering exclusive rates to TopCashback. The Travel Hub will run until 9th February.
MORTGAGES
Barclays has launched into the Help to Buy arena with its mortgage guarantee products.
The lender will offer two products including a three-year fix at 5.35% and a five-year equivalent at 5.49% .
Both products are fee-free and available up to 95% loan-to-value. A minimum loan size of £50,000 and maximum of £570,000 apply to both products.
CREDIT CARDS AND LOANS
Santander has reduced the APR on personal loans between £3,000 and £10,000 when taken out for the purpose of debt consolidation.
The following rates will be available:
– 5.0% APR for personal loans between £3,000 and £10,000 for 1|2|3 customers, new and existing customers.
– 6.0% APR for personal loans between £3,000 and £10,000 for non-1|2|3 customer, new and existing customers.
The new debt consolidation rates are available in branch, over the phone and online.
INVESTMENTS
Specialist buy-to-let and consumer finance group Paragon has launched a retail bond paying 6.125%, due for maturity on 30 January 2022.
The bond has a minimum initial subscription amount of £2,000 and is available in multiples of £100 thereafter.
This offer is open until 5pm on 27 January 2014.
UTILITIES
Sainsbury’s Energy has launched the longest fixed price energy tariff on the market.
The new plan will enable customers to lock in their prices until 31st March 2018 – three months more than the previous longest fix offered by npower. The tariff will earn the average household £1,316 a year.
