Monday, August 27, 2012

Mick Jagger's Secret Hideaway

When Mick Jagger thick-lipped lead singer of the Rolling Stones (affectionately also known as the Strolling Bones) finishes a tour, where does he head to unwind? He heads for the beautiful Touraine region in the centre of France in a sleepy little backwater where he can relax with his family and friends preferring the simple life.

Poce-sur-Cisse is well placed being only 220 kilometres from Paris on A10. And just 25 kilometres from the village is the Tours airport, where a private, three-person taxi-plane whisks Jagger from London in 70 minutes. The area is also handy for the high speed TGV, which speeds into Tours or its satellite station, St-Pierre-des-Corps, in 62 minutes from Paris's Gare Montparnasse.

The little village is incredibly quaint with a population of about 1600 people. If you blink it is easy to miss Poce-sur-Cisse. There is the Marie as usual, a little white church, a newsagent, two hairdressers, baker, hotel, two pharmacies, and pizzeria. In the centre is an impressive 15th century chateau set out in a gorgeous park. This one is not Sir Mick's. A discreet sign indicates the way to La Fourchette.

Twenty six years ago he and Jerry Hall his then wife purchased a beautiful 16th century chateau for a mere 2 million francs (roughly 200,000 inflation aside) in a tiny village called Poc-sur-Cisse on the north side of the Loire River, a few kilometres from Amboise. His chateau, La Fourchette was originally the property of the Duc de Choiseuil, Louis XV's finance minister.

Apparently the singer fell in love with this region when he came here camping with his parents in the 1950s. It is his preferred second residence. Probably not only for the relaxed lifestyle he gets to enjoy there, but also because of how handy it is to London and New York.

It is not at all surprising that Jerry wanted La Fourchette as part of the divorce settlement but she did not get it.

His guests at La Fourchette have included Tina Turner, Paul McCartney, Roman Polanski and David Bowie. The last Rolling Stones album was recorded at his chateau and the band members where all regulars in the village during thisperiod.

He is known to the locals as Sir Mick, Le Seigneur de Fourchette, Sir Jagger, Mick de Fourchette, le pape du rock, Dr. Jagger, sexy papy British, le pre Mick, le pre Mick and Mister Mick.. He is the Touraine's best hard to find attraction. He is popular with the locals and is quietly protected. The locals are loath to discuss him with strangers. I doubt if he would have been able to find any village in England or America, which would not have cashed in on his association with Rolling Stone paraphernalia and merchandise splattered everywhere.

The Peter Pan of Rock has integrated nicely into French country life and he competently engages local upholsterers, plumbers, electricians and mechanics. He even fronts up to the local Bricomarche (DIY store) to be served by blushing giggling young girls.

He has also been known to play cricket for Saumur when he is at La Fourchette.

In spite of his wealth, his reputation and his glamorous friends, he is mostly seen at the wheel of a fairly downmarket Opel station wagon, or a tiny Nissan Micra or his old 505 Peugeot.

Art historian, John Richardson commented: "I've stayed with Mick at his chateau, La Fourchette, and that's where you see a very different Mick. He got Alvilde Lees-Milne to lay out a marvellous formal walled garden and he became completely part of the garden, knew every single thing about all the plants, the flowers, the way the fruit trees were espaliered. There is nothing contrived about his wonderful country-house life. Big trestle tables under the chestnut trees, with nanny and kids at one end and adults at the other - the children having buns, the adults smoking. Absolute paradise. I remember Mick was training for one of his tours there too - he used a dead straight local stretch of country road so he could practise running backwards very fast. You'd see a French farmer resting on his shovel or his hoe, watching the head of Mick Jagger above the hedge going back and forth, very fast, backwards."

You too can live like Mick Jagger if you wish. You can rent a castle in France in the gorgeous Loire valley chateau exclusively for a vacation for a relaxing week or a weekend with family and friends, gyrating optional.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Critique of Win Lotto Systems by William Foster Critique

What would you think of a lottery system that was not designed to win the big jackpot every time? Would it work? Believe it or not, the Win Lotto Systems does work. The idea behind the system is that the more smaller amount you win, the more games you will be able to play. By lowering your cost to play, it allows you to buy more tickets which increases your chances of winning the big jackpot we all dream of.

William Foster developed his Win Lotto Systems after hearing a lecture about lotto playing in his hometown. A renowned expert in this field, the seminar was conducted by James Gray-Brown. He had developed a method of choosing winning numbers using mathematical formulas. While the numbers recommended might not win huge amounts, it gave players a better chance of winning something.

William had found someone who shared his dream. More ideas began to form after talks between the two of them continued. Since William was a computer programmer, he convinced James to allow him to use the secrets and methods that had led to his math formulas and design a software program. The program would be so simple anyone could use it.

The Win Lotto Systems was born. The program enabled the average player to understand and use it. Since its focus was on winning smaller amounts, it gave players the opportunity to invest their winnings in playing other games. The price of playing becomes less. The actual cost of a ticket could be as little as 8 cents depending on the amount of winnings.

For this amount of total cost, who wouldn't want to play more often? And by playing more, what happens? Your odds of winning increase. Although a very simple concept, it has been shown to be successful.

When you download the Win Lotto Systems software, you get an easy to understand system that you don't have to have a college degree to understand. It is divided into very simple to use sections. This system also offers something other systems won't do. Weekly results of the system are published. It also gives you the results of other systems. Other systems don't have this much confidence in their product.

The Win Lotto Systems is actually easier to use than choosing quick picks when you play. You also have the luxury of knowing all the research has been done for you. The quick picks are selected by random generators. Used by thousands, the Win Lotto Systems is backed by a proven method.

How many other systems claim they will "guarantee" that you will win the big jackpot? There are too many to count. Win Lotto Systems does not make this guarantee. But it does guarantee to give you the best chance possible.

Masterluck recommends this product. It offers players the thing that they desire the most. That is a better chance of making their dreams come true at an affordable total cost.

You can start dreaming. It is fun to think of all the things you could do if you won a huge jackpot. By using the Win Lotto Systems you are that much closer. Why wait? The sooner you begin, the sooner all the things that you want can be yours.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

How Contract Hire Can Save Your Company Money

Contract Hire is a method of renting a vehicle for personal or business purposes. It differs from standard vehicle hire in that the vehicle is leased over a longer period. Contract Hire is offered on 12 to 48 month contracts but typically lasts 3 years.

With Contract Hire a finance company supplies the vehicle and takes full responsibility for its depreciation, funding costs and administration. The finance company calculate a monthly rental price and usually demand a deposit of three months of the monthly rental value.

The lessor can request a contract that includes maintenance this only leaves insurance and fuel to be considered. The fixed pre-determined stream of rental payments makes it easy for the lesor to calculate their monthly outgoings.

Contract Hire is becoming increasingly popular in the UK. This is mostly due to the tendancy for company funded vehicles. It is particularly popular with businesses because it allows for accurate monthly budgeting, minimal running costs and the lesee does not have to suffer value depreciation they would experience if they bought a vehicle.

This method of hire also allows a business to update its vehicles regularly. This can be beneficial for maintaining the status of a company or, if being used as a company car, be a popular perk for its employees. Of course these benefits also apply to people using Contract Hire to hire a vehicle for personal use.

Contract Hire can appeal to a business as it is an extremely tax efficient method of funding a business vehicle. Full tax relief is available on cars worth up to 12,000 GBP. If your business is registered for VAT 100 percent of the VAT payable on the finance element of the rentals may be recovered.

If the vehicle is being used for personal use then only 50 percent if the VAT payable on the finance element of the rentals may be recovered. The fact that rentals may be offset against taxable profits make it a very popular option for a business. It can help improve the cash flow and tax position of your business.

Indeed 40 percent of V.A.T Registered companies choose this funding method. The UK industry is considered the largest best managed in the world. The industry representative body BVRLA (British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association) has nearly 2 million vehicles in its management.

The industry has seen steady growth since the first statistics were published in 1990. More than 50 companies now offer this type of supply. Fleet statistics are reviewed and published annually by EMAP.

Additional benefits of Contract Hire include; minimal capital expenditure (you do not have to pay for the vehicle) reduced administration (administration is minimal) and no disposal worries (when the agreement ends the vehicle remains the property of the lessor and never becomes property of the lesee). Contract Hire is available to Individuals, Sole Traders, Partnerships and Ltd Companies.

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Genworth Cornerstone - Advantage or Disadvantage?

Genworth is promoting it's new long term care insurance product, Cornerstone Advantage, as an affordable LTCi solution. In today's market, there is only one way for an insurance company to offer lower priced long term care insurance coverage - and this is to cut their costs! But how is Genworth doing it?

I was recently asked that very same question. Since I haven't been able to get my hands on a policy or even an Outline of Coverage yet, I went to the Genworth website to look at their consumer marketing brochure. The wording is a bit vague, but there are some points that stood out to me.

Please keep in mind that I'm NOT a licensed Long Term Care insurance agent. You'll want to get professional advice before making any LTCi decisions. As the wife of a retired LTCi broker, I suppose I'm as good as any non-LTCi professional would be at deciphering a marketing consumer brochure. So here goes...

After reading the Cornerstone Advantage consumer brochure that is in PDF form on Genworth's website, here are my understandings:

The main difference between Long Term Care insurance (LTCi) policies that have been sold in the recent past and the Cornerstone Advantage is that the Advantage only covers 80% of costs. It's like health insurance. Not only will you have the typical "deductible", or elimination period, as it's called in LTCi policies, but you will also have a copay of 20% of your care costs. You can choose a high daily benefit, but Genworth will still only pay 80% of the daily long term care costs. That means, if your home or nursing home care costs are, say, 00 per month, you will need to come up with 0 per month.

Next difference? The Genworth Cornerstone Advantage doesn't cover rent or room and board costs if you are in an assisted living facility. Now that's a big deal. Room and board can be the most expensive part of assisted living facility's monthly bill, depending upon how much care you need. Clay and I looked into a lovely assisted living facility in Washington state. They wanted 00 per month for room and board - not including any actual care services like assistance with showering, transferring, eating or toileting. Each service was charged for separately and tacked onto the room and board costs.

I'm assuming that the Cornerstone Advantage LTCi product would cover most, if not all, types of needed services, remembering that Genworth will only pay for 80% of these service costs. However, I cannot be sure about which services are covered without seeing the actual policy wording.

It seems to me, that Cornerstone Advantage inches closer to the old days of "nursing home only" policies, although it does cover Home Care. What part of or what kind of home care is covered I don't know, as the Genworth website did not elaborate on the subject.

The last big difference: From what I read, the Cornerstone Advantage does not seem to provide benefits by the year. Instead, it looks as if you choose how much Genworth will pay out in total. The wording on Genworth's consumer brochure says this: "The whole idea behind Cornerstone Advantage is affordability. You choose the daily benefit you want. You also select the total amount of protection you want in dollars - from 0,000 up to million."

Alrighty then... This means that you'd better plan for the absolute worst scenario. Otherwise, you may end up paying all your long term care costs out-of-pocket when you've used up your "total amount" and your coverage ends. This feature may be a nightmare in the making for those who do not calculate future care expenses correctly. And who can know their future care needs?

The plan includes Care Coordinators, but you don't need to use them. Who knows? One might need care coordinators in order to figure out just what services Cornerstone Advantage covers, when or where they will be covered, and what won't be covered at all.

So, in my opinion, Genworth's new product seems to eliminate some pretty important benefits in order to cut their premium price. Is there anything they are giving you to make up for it? Well, yes.

From what I can gather, Return of Premium is built into the product and is automatic in the event of your death. Again, the wording of the consumer brochure was pretty vague. so check this out with your LTCi broker to make sure. Return of Premium is usually provided as an "add-on" rider that increases premiums, but it looks like Genworth's new product provides it as a "freebie". There are many folks who want to get their premium costs back if they don't use any benefits of their policy. Some folks may not be able to afford to pay for a Return of Premium rider as well as the immensely important inflation protection rider, so this is a nice feature of the Cornerstone Advantage.

Cornerstone Advantage also offers a 35% couple's discount if you and your partner apply for or own Genworth's long term care insurance policies. Apparently, this applies even if one of your applications is declined. Ask your LTCi specialist if the term "partner" applies to your living situation. If you don't already have a expert, specialist-broker, you can get your questions answered by your Long Term Care insurance Buyer's Advocate.

The Shared Benefit looks as if it is available as a rider, and is available to couples who buy identical polices.

Although the Genworth website did not specifically state this, I'm assuming that their inflation protection options are available as a rider, too.

Is Genworth's new LTCi product right for you? That will have to be decided by you and your LTCi broker. If I were considering this Cornerstone Advantage as a choice, I'd keep these points in mind.

1) Will I have enough income or savings to cover the one time deductible AND the monthly copays?

2) Since this product does not pay for assisted living rent or room and board, would I be able to pay for those high monthly bills? Or instead, do I have friends and/or relatives who will be willing to help me stay in my own home, with help of Home Care services?

3) Considering long term care costs are currently rising more than 6% per year, am I willing to take the chance that I will be able to figure out my daily benefit and total amount of protection amounts ahead of time (and just hope I don't need more)?

4) Am I young enough to even apply? It appears that Cornerstone Advantage isn't available to purchase for those 75 years of age or older. Seems most LTCi companies are encouraging folks to get LTCi at younger ages these days.

As with any LTCi policy, make sure that you completely understand all "gatekeepers" that may be in any policy you choose. A gatekeeper is any wording that may affect your benefit pay-outs, such as the number of Activities of Daily Living you need to have assistance with before your policy kicks in. There can be many gatekeepers in LTCi policies.

Of course, only your actual policy contains the exact terms and conditions of coverage, so read it carefully.

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Is It Possible to Qualify for a Mortgage with No Pay Slips?

Planning to take out a loan? Before you proceed, you need to make sure you will be able to meet all the requirements of lenders. One of them is showing proof that you have a stable income by being employed. You'd have to present an employment record and submit certain documents like pay slips and tax returns.

This is how the normal process of loan applications goes. Those who cannot adhere to the requirements are usually denied their request. This is because lenders have probably found them unfit for a loan. The most common reason is the lack of evidence that they have the financial ability to repay the loan. And they base their decisions on whether or not the borrower is able to produce the necessary documents.

But what about those who have money but without documents like pay slips? Will they be denied loans? It shouldn't be since the whole point is to prove you have money for the repayments, right?

Ideally, there should be no problem as long as the source of income is established. However, being worried as they are, lenders want to make sure that they have enough proof to show strong financial status. Saying you have money and a job that pays well is not enough. Your requirements need to show that.

This is where things can go wrong for a lot of people. How do you think you'd be able to take out a mortgage with no payslips or any other document?

This can really be a challenge for a lot of interested homebuyers. But there is a solution to this. If the typical lender does not want to give you a loan, then look for another one.

Know that there are many other lenders out there who are willing to gamble on you. They're more lenient and would look for other things that would show you have the ability to pay off a loan.

It's all right if you do not have any pay slips. They'd understand that you might have a job that is not like other people. You could be a casual worker or get more money form bonuses. They will not be too strict about certain policies and would look for ways on how they can actually help you.

Based on the other proof you can provide, they will assess your financial situation and, hopefully, award you with the loan. It's not really hard to do it especially when you have a mortgage broker to help you.

It's really advisable that you seek the help of mortgage brokers because they know how to go around these types of problems. They now which lenders offer alternative solutions like unusual employment mortgage.

They will convince lenders that you are fit to receive a loan. They can even negotiate for the most competitive rates and allow you to borrow as much as 90% of the property value.

With their help, you can still take out a mortgage with no paylips or any other documents that typical lenders are going to ask from you.

It will definitely make buying a house a lot easier.

Monday, August 13, 2012

Capitalizing On The Greatest Wealth Transfer In History

I've lived through a few recessions in my time, and came out the other side just fine, so can we just get back to shopping yet!?" That's how most Americans view this "recession," but what they don't realize is that we're not experiencing a recession...

We're experiencing the mother of all wealth cycles that will end (as a cycle of this type historically does) with...

1: Deflation that will put the Great Depression to shame.

2: Hyperinflation that will destroy the US Dollar.

Or BOTH, in the form of a "Hyperinflationary Depression", as Michael Maloney and Robert Kiyosaki predict.

What's important to understand, is that this Super Cycle has repeated itself hundreds of times, in hundreds of countries since the dawn of man's first currency. This time it will not be any different. It is inevitable, and there's nothing you and I can do to stop it. But with all great change comes great opportunity, and it is possible to end up on the winning side.

So What Are Wealth Cycles? Simply put, a wealth cycle shows how you can move your money from an over-valued asset class in a bubble, to an undervalued asset class. Then ride the new asset up until it becomes over-valued, sell, and repeat the process. A great example of this is the Dot.com bubble of the late 1990's. Many people don't realize this, but the tech investing boom actually started in the early 19802s just as the last gold ans silver boom was ending. Much of the money moved out of gold and silver, which was over-valued by 1980, into emerging tech stocks and internet start-ups. As gold was sucked dry, it's priced dropped from 0 in 1980, to 5 by 2001. Much of that wealth moved into tech and created the largest asset bubble in history at that time by the year 2000. In 2001, the peak of the.com wealth cycle had been reached, and the money started flooding out of tech stocks, and into tangible assets and real-estate. As the final phase of real-estate progressed, trillions of dollars flooded into housing, fueling the largest housing boom in history. The price of a median family home went from 9,000 in 2000, to 7,900 in 2007, but then it peaked, and the money is now pouring into the next sector... Precious metals. If you understand the current cycle, you can get wealthy by selling at the top of the current one, and buying at the bottom of the next. Unfortunately, the uneducated public does the exact opposite. They buy assets that are hot and rising, and then sell in a panic at a loss, not realizing that the cycle has ended and that the smart money has already moved on. This is why understanding Wealth Cycles is the single most important part of your investing strategy.

The Current Wealth Cycle: But something interesting happened during this cycle... Banks made an unprecedented number of loans to people who should not have been given a loan. Then they took those bad loans and packaged them into derivatives, which were then sold again. This flood of money fueled a global level of growth unlike anything the world had ever seen. Entire cities sprung from the desert sands of Dubai in less than 10 years. People were using their increasing home equity levels like a massive ATM machine to by luxury cars, vacations, and to invest into the market. But there was one tiny problem... While the housing bubble was the largest in history, it wasn't inflated by existing money like the tech bubble was. It was inflated by newly issued DEBT in the form of these home and equity loans. It was filled with poisonous IOU's held by people who had no way to ever pay them back. Then on August 6th, 2007, the "American Home Mortgage Company" filed for bankruptcy - quietly popping the real-estate bubble, and throwing a wrench into what had been a pattern of manageable wealth cycles fueled by existing money that moved from over-valued assets, to undervalued assets.

The mortgage company's closure was the sign that the global system could not absorb any more of the debt that had fueled the incredible growth seen in the US, in Dubai, in Singapore, in Malaysia, China, and many other countries who had experienced massive booms in real-estate and development. That day, the debt bubble burst, and because all of this debt had been collateralized and resold time and time again through derivatives, it was an event that was felt around the world. Now the popping of any credit bubble is a deflationary event, and in the case of the great depression, it was extremely deflationary. When a home goes into foreclosure, a loan gets defaulted on, or when someone files bankruptcy, that currency simply disappears back into currency heaven where it came from. So as credit goes bad, the currency supply contracts and deflation sets in. This is what happened in 1930-1933. As a wave of foreclosures and bankruptcies swept the nation, one-third of the currency supply of the United States evaporated into thin air. Over the next 3 years, wages and prices fell by 1/3. Companies could not afford to pay their people, and those people could not afford to pay their bills. And as we all know, whether it's from stories of our grandparents, or pictures from the history books, it was disastrous period in our country's history.

This process began once again, in 2008 with the popping of the housing credit bubble. Over the past 24 months, deflation has sucked an estimated 60 TRILLION worth of credit out of the global economy. That's 60 Trillion dollars worth of fuel, which was flaming the fires growth around the world, and it virtually disappeared over night. What appeared to be wealth was only a mirage, and the massive global economy has been slowly grinding to a halt as the debt unwinds and works through the system via deflation. Normally, this would be an extremely painful, but natural and healthy remedy for the problem. Companies and individuals who made poor decisions, and who were reckless with their debt levels (like GM, Lehman Brothers, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, etc) would fail as they deserved to.

The fit would survive to rebuild, and the system would be purged of the stupid and the weak.

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Cash loans for unemployed-Finance for unemployed people with ease and quickness

Unemployment is the main cause of arrival of scarcity of finance and indebtness. If you are laid off from your job and finding the better option, you may need to get hold of additional funds to meet your daily expenditures. The assistance of cash loans for unemployed is the better financial aid that let you access the desired amount of funds till you get a better and suitable job for you. Applying with this loan can be worthwhile for the unemployed people who need immediate finance right away.

Cash loans for unemployed, as the name says are short term loan aid that offers you loan money to cover your small temporary fiscal crisis. Due to its short term nature, one need not have to arrange any physical asset to pledge. Funds that you are looking for can be ranges from 0 to 00 with swift repayment tenure of 14 to 31 days. Utilize the loan money for meeting numerous purposes such as meeting uncertain medical care costs, paying off grocery bills, utility bills, tuition fee of your kids, small home repair and so forth.

In order to enjoy the assistance of loans for unemployed, applicant should be eligible form the following lending criteria that are as mentioned below:

1. The applicant should hold a valid and active bank account not more than three months old.
2. Holding a permanent citizenship of US is necessary
3. Moreover, the applicant should be an adult with eighteen years or more.
4. Good repayment ability adds preference to your loan application.

You need not have to lose the hope of getting the external financial aid if you are holding bad credits. This loan application is free from credit checks and let you enjoy this aid without any credit hassle. Borrower with any type of credit scores can apply with this aid without any credit issues. Thus, presence of CCJ, arrears, defaults, late payments, skipped payments and so on does not affect the loan approval.

Applying via online application method add a great ease and simplicity. Also, it does not let you waste your time and effort. The application involves filling a single online application form with few personal details. Loan money will directly transfer in your checking account once you are approved.

One can enjoy the hassle free financial aid of these loans without undergoing any mess and delay at all.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Types Of Online Payday Loans

Online payday loans make it easy for people to get access to quick cash when they need it. While the basic idea behind all of these payday loans is similar, there are a few different types for consumers to consider. Understanding the difference between these loans can help the consumer choose the best one for his situation. Here are some of the different types of payday loans that a consumer can find online.

Faxless Payday Loans

One type of payday loan that a consumer could pursue is a faxless payday loan. With this type of loan, the applicant does not have to provide any additional documentation via fax. With many payday loans, the applicant has to provide some kind of pay stub or other document that shows how much income he makes. With a faxless payday loan, the individual does not need to provide any other documentation. The payday lender simply takes the applicant at his word as far as how much money he claims he makes on a regular basis. These loans are very simple to get approved for, and they can speed up the process of getting the money.

Instant Approval Payday Loans

Another type of loan is the instant payday loan. As the name suggests, this type of loan provides approval almost right away after an application has been submitted. These payday loans are based on an automated approval process. Once the application has been submitted, the system looks for certain information to make sure that it is within the lending standards of the payday lender. As long as everything checks out, the applicant will be approved right away. At that point, the money from the payday lender can be transferred to the applicant's bank account within a short period of time.

Bad Credit Loans

Bad credit loans are also available for individuals who are interested in payday loans. With this type of loan, the applicant's credit history does not come into play. The lender does not look at the applicant's credit history. Instead, the lender simply verifies that the applicant makes enough money on a monthly basis to get approved. If the applicant's income is within a certain range, the lender will approve the loan. These loans are ideal for individuals who have been through a bankruptcy, a foreclosure or some other negative financial event.

Interest-Free Payday Loans

In some cases, consumers can find interest-free payday loans in the market. These are rare, but sometimes, payday lenders will offer a special promotion to try to get people involved with them. For example, they may offer a free one week loan for new customers. With this type of loan, the consumer can borrow up to a certain amount of money and then pay it back without any interest as long as the loan is paid back within a certain amount of time. This can provide the applicant with essentially free money as long as they pay it back in a timely manner. Other lenders may offer a free payday loan for small loans below a certain value. For instance, any loans under 0 may be free as long as they are paid back within the allotted time frame. This makes it easy for people to afford to be able to borrow money when they are in a tight financial situation.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

No More PPI Mis-selling, Please

The banks are facing tough times with the huge rise in the number of people making claims against them, especially because of the PPI debacle. Consumers are increasingly aware of the necessity to get some compensation for mis-sold PPI policies, which were sold alongside loans, mortgages or credit card agreements with their financial services provider.

Many banks are being hit hard by the scandal. For example, Lloyds PPI complaints are expected to carry on for a good while yet, especially since they set aside a cool 3.2 billion in 2011 to ready themselves for the huge amount of expected customer PPI compensation claims. Most of these claims will be because of the deceitful tactics that were employed by the bank to get their customers to agree to PPI policies (the majority of which they wouldn't pay out to in the event that their customers needed to claim on them).

Of course, Lloyds PPI complaints should not be singled out as the only ones making the rounds in the financial world. Halifax, Alliance and Leicester, HSBC and Barclays are some of the more high profile companies guilty of mis-selling payment protection insurance to their customers, and there are many more companies without household names that mis-sold PPI as well.

PPI Justice
This is not to suggest that Lloyds TSB et al are not getting exactly what was coming to them. Mis-selling payment protection insurance to unsuspecting customers was one thing only: a complete and utter rip off instigated by banks. The mis-selling of PPI is something that proliferated through questionable PPI sales strategies put into practice by banks, which made unsuspecting and trusting customers think they needed the policy when they didn't.

PPI reclaiming can be a heavy burden for those who are unsure and sketchy on how to deal with the complaints procedure for their respective banks. It is certainly possible for a person to make a claim by themselves via contacting their bank and making them aware of the strong suspicion that they have been mis-sold PPI. But for some people, this may be a difficult task and banks have not been known for accepting claims for PPI compensation easily, in some instances making the process as wearisome as possible to dissuade a person from claiming the full amount that is rightfully owed to them.

This is where a claims management company could help. To win a difficult case, where a PPI claimant may have been turned away or denied compensation by a bank or financial institution despite believing they have a valid claim, the expertise and professionalism of a reputable claims management company will certainly make the difference.

PPI reclaiming is a task that shouldn't put off. With millions of people affected, and billions of pounds waiting to be collected by aggrieved customers, now is the time to claim.

The financial services responsible for separating hard working people from their money with little to no regard for whether it was a just or reasonable thing to do should not be allowed to go unpunished - aggrieved customers have every right to demand compensation, and at the very least get back the money that was always theirs in the first place.