Topic 1 Continued Flashcards
What was required of payday lenders until April 2014?
Payday lenders had to obtain a licence from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) and could lose it if found to be lending irresponsibly.
Which organization took over the responsibility for licensing and consumer credit legislation from April 2014?
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
What did the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) investigate in February 2012?
The OFT launched an extensive review of the payday lending sector and investigated whether the top 50 lenders were complying with consumer credit legislation.
What was a key finding of the OFT’s final report in March 2013?
The report was critical of payday lending and identified concerns such as aggressive debt collection and deep-rooted market problems.
What actions did the OFT take as a result of their findings?
Over 20 payday lenders had their licences taken away or volunteered to give them up, while all 240 lenders were warned to improve their practices or face fines and closures.
What price caps did the FCA announce for payday lenders in November 2014?
An initial cost cap of 0.8% per day, a maximum default fee of £15, and a total cost cap of 100%.
What is the purpose of financial protection products?
To help individuals withstand unexpected changes in income and expenditure, such as those caused by car accidents, illness, or redundancy.
Why is insurance considered important in financial planning?
It helps protect against events that could have a damaging impact on an individual’s finances and prevent long-term financial plans from being ruined
What did the FCA commit to further investigate regarding payday lenders?
Whether payday lenders were making adequate affordability checks on borrowers and understanding the impact of repeat borrowing
Name the 5 different types of insurance
General insurance
Life insurance
Income protection insurance (IPI)
Accident, sickness and unemployment (ASU) insurance
Critical illness cover (CIC)
Herbal insurance is usually short term, this insurance is designed to protect
Your home (buildings and contents insurance covering loss, damage or theft)\
- Your income and health (third party loss, damage and theft cover)
- Your income and health (accident, sickness and unemployment cover; private medical insurance)
- Your holidays (travel insurance to cover cancellation, medical care, injury, cash, etc)
Life insurance
This pays out a sum of money when someone dies, to protect their dependents from the financial consequences of their death. It can be arranged to provide cover for a fixed term
Income protection insurance
Also known as a permanent health insurance, this provides a monthly income to replace salary or wages if you are unable to work as a result of illness or disability
Accident, sickness and unemployment (ASU) insurance
- This pays out income for a limited time (typically up to 12 or 24 months) if you are unable to work due to accident or sickness or if you have lost your job through no fault of your own.
- The cost of ASU is usually lower than IPI because of the limited payout
Critical illness cover (CIC)
Under this policy, a lump sum is paid out to protect you from the financial consequences of suffering an illness such as cancer, stroke, heart attack
What are pensions
is a long term form of investment that has tax benefits for investors. People save in pension schemes throughout their working lives so that they will have an income in their retirement
there are several types of pension, including:
• State pension (a government benefit based on the individual’s National Insurance contributions)
• Occupational pensions (for those in employment)
• Personal pension plans (set up by an individual)
• Stakeholder pensions ( a type of personal pension with low costs)
• The National Employment Savings Trust (NEST)
What is NEST and when did it become mandatory for employers?
NEST (National Employment Savings Trust) is a low-cost, trust-based pension scheme that became mandatory for all employers to offer from 1 October 2012. It helps employees and self-employed people save for retirement.
What is required for eligibility for a full state pension?
Eligibility relies on a person’s National Insurance contribution (NIC) record.
Can someone who has been out of the country or in unpaid employment still receive a state pension?
Yes, but they may only be entitled to a reduced rate if they haven’t made sufficient NIC contributions.
Why might a full state pension not be enough for some retirees?
The amount paid may not be generous enough, making it difficult for some pensioners to make ends meet
What is recommended for a sustainable personal financial plan for retirement?
Regular monthly payments into an occupational pension or private pension plan, in addition to the state pension.
What must employers do for employees aged 22 and over regarding pensions?
Enrol them into an occupational pension scheme that meets certain minimum standards.
What options do employers have for providing pension schemes?
Employers can use the NEST scheme or set up their own scheme through a pension provider that meets legal standards.
Who else can benefit from private pension plans aside from employees?
Self-employed individuals and those not working can also use private pension plans for additional retirement income
Investments
• People put money into investment products because of their potential to achieve high returns. But the promise of high returns is balanced by the increased risk of losing some or all the money invested.
• An investment usually entails buying an asset which the investor excepts to increase in value over time (capital growth) and/or to be a source of income
Name the 3 main forms of investments for individuals
Shares and bonds
Property
Non financial investments
Shares and bonds
Buying shares in companies is the most common form of financial investment.
Shares and bonds continued
Wealthy investors
Wealthy investors use stock brockers to buy and sell shares in particular companies, but most investors use collective investments products such as unit trusts, investment trusts and open - ended investment companies, often within a tax free ISA ‘wrapper’.
These products can also be used to invest in government bonds and corporate bonds.
Property
Most people buy a house or flat as a home for themselves and if house prices rise each year at a rate higher than that of inflation, the buyer can achieve high capital growth returns
Property continued
Before the credit crunch
the introduction of ‘buy to let mortgages’ encouraged people to buy additional properties purely as investments. The rent received was often sufficient to cover the monthly mortgage repayments, which meant that, while house prices were rising
Non financial investments
Other ways of investing for capital growth are not strictly financial products. These include buying works of art, fine wine, antique furniture, classic cars, stamp or coin collections – any physical asset that might be expected to increase in value over a period of years
What is long term investment?
An effective way of building up a capital sum to ensure a comfortable retirement.
Long term investments typically involve holding assets for several years to benefit from growth.
What must investors be aware of regarding long term investments?
The risks involved with each investment.
Understanding risks is crucial to making informed investment decisions.
How can asset prices behave in the short term?
They can rise and fall dramatically in a matter of days.
This volatility can impact investor decisions and strategies.
What is necessary for investors to benefit from long term growth?
They must be able to leave their money invested.
This allows time for the asset’s value to appreciate.
What should effective long-term planning include as retirement approaches?
Moving money out of high risk investment products and into safer savings accounts or fixed term saving bonds.
This strategy helps to preserve capital as retirement nears.
Fill in the blank: Long term investment is a way to build up a _______.
capital sum.
True or False: Long term investments are risk-free.
False.
All investments carry some degree of risk, especially in the short term.
What was the purpose of the government-funded Social Fund from the late 1980s until April 2013?
To provide additional grants and interest-free loans to claimants in ‘exceptional circumstances’.
This included assistance through Community Care Grants, Crisis Loans, and Budgeting Loans for emergency situations.
What types of assistance were available under the Social Fund?
- Community Care Grants
- Crisis Loans
- Budgeting Loans
These were one-off assistance options for individuals facing emergencies.