Dealsmaster's Blog

The move means new and existing customers will be able to enjoy
broadband speeds potentially up to three times faster than the previous
8Mbps headline speeds.


There’s no change to the £6.99 a month price for the ‘Essentials’
package, which offers free broadband connection (saving £30), a 40GB
download usage allowance, plus unlimited evening & weekend phone
calls to UK landlines.


TalkTalk has also made a significant change to its TalkTalk Pro
Broadband package. Fom today the ISP will be removing P2P traffic
shaping for all Pro customers.


TalkTalk Pro Broadband is designed for heavy downloaders and online
gamers, so news of the ISP scrapping P2P traffic shaping will mean Pro
customers will not see their broadband speeds slowed during times of
peak demand.


Priced at £14.99 a month, the TalkTalk Pro Broadband package offers
unlimited broadband speeds up to 24Mbps, a free wider range wireless
‘N’ router and anytime phone calls to UK landlines.


Both Essential and Pro packages also include free technical and customer support.

The 100% guarantee on deposits currently enjoyed by Northern Rock savers will come to an end on 24th May 2010.

From then on, customers of the nationalised bank will be covered by
the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), which currently
offers protection of up to £50,000 per individual.

Anyone opening an account before the deadline will automatically come under the FSCS.

The enhanced guarantee came into existence in autumn 2007, when
Northern Rock came close to collapse and savers began queuing up to
withdraw their cash in what became the first run on a UK bank in over a
century.

Since then the lender has been split into one good and one bad back.

The less attractive elements of its mortgage book have been
separated out from its retail deposits, which now form part of the soon
to be auctioned Northern Rock PLC.

The bank’s rivals will be pleased to hear that the 100% guarantee is
being lifted as it raises competition issues, although deposits with
National Savings and Investments remain fully government protected.

Be sure to insure winter break, warns Moneysupermall.co.uk
Brits travelling abroad this month have been encouraged to take out travel insurance by moneysupermall.co.uk. The price comparison site said insurance for winter breaks is available for as little as £10 per week. "Whether you're seeking sunshine in Spain or snow on the slopes, travel insurance is an essential item when planning any holiday and you should not leave home without ...

Interest rates on personal loans are finally starting to fall.

The average interest rate on the top ten loan deals has fallen to
8.35%, the lowest level since the Bank of England reduced the base rate
to 0.5% last March.

When the Bank of England first lowered the base rate, mortgage and
current account providers followed suit, while personal loan rates
detached themselves from any connection with the base rate.

Despite the recent reduction in rates, many providers are still
restricting personal loans to existing current account customers.

“Perhaps the tide is turning,” said Tim Moss of moneysupermall.co.uk, who published the figures.

“It has been a long time since there was much good news to talk
about in the loans market, but the recent moves suggest lenders are
willing to open their purse strings just a little wider.

“For those in need of credit for one reason or another, it might be time to have a look at personal loans again.”

AA Credit Card: 0% on purchases for 10 months
The AA has launched a new credit card with a 0% interest rate on retail spending for 10 months. The card, available exclusively through moneysupermall.co.uk, offers the 0% rate on all purchases including motoring and fuel. Consumers can also take advantage of a 0% rate on balance transfers for 12 months, subject to a 3% handling fee. The card also provides ...