What are the pros and Cons

There are lots of different ways to invest your hard earned cash in order to enjoy a regular income in later life. You could stash your savings in a pension fund or some other type of investment vehicle, or you could choose to deposit a lump sum in an annuity fund in return for a regular income. So if the annuity option is an attractive one, what are the pros and cons of immediate annuities and how do they work? An annuity is an insurance policy that allows you to pay a lump sum in return for a regular income. [...] Read more »

There are many ways to obtain a new car: you can walk into the nearest showroom and hand over a wad of cash, or if you are really desperate, you could hotwire a nice sporty little number for a temporary ride. But if buying a new car is not an option (and hopefully stealing one is also not an option!), leasing a vehicle might be just the ticket, so what are the pros and cons of leasing a car and is it a viable solution? Leasing a car is very different to buying a car on hire purchase or via [...] Read more »

What are the pros and cons of reverse mortgages? In order to decide whether a reverse mortgage is the right product for you, it is helpful to understand exactly what a reverse mortgage is. Unlike a traditional mortgage whereby you borrow money from a lender to buy a property, a reverse mortgage allows you to tap into the equity of your home in order to supplement your savings, and the money does not normally need to be paid back until the property is sold or you die. Reverse mortgages are becoming increasingly popular with the older generation in these difficult [...] Read more »

Outsourcing work is often used by businesses as a way of cutting costs and dealing with an uneven workload. It can be a very useful method of getting the job done, especially if there is nobody suitable internally who can fulfil the role, but like any business practice, outsourcing is not without its problems, so what are the pros and cons of outsourcing and how does it work? If a business task is contracted to an outside person or supplier, it is being “outsourced”. A good example of outsourcing is when a company uses contract cleaners to keep the offices [...] Read more »

Buying into a franchise is a very common way of starting your own business and there are literally hundreds to choose from. Instead of coming up with an idea for marketing a product or service, you can buy the right to sell an already successful product or service within a certain geographical area. But although franchises businesses are undeniably popular, what are the pros and cons of franchising and is a franchise a good way of starting your own business? Franchising can help inexperienced people start their own business. Rather than diving in at the deep end, you are cushioned [...] Read more »

What are the equity indexed annuities pros and cons? Equity indexed annuities are insurance/investment product linked to the stock market or other type of equity index. They are different to other types of fixed annuities due to the way interest in the investment is calculated—most fixed rate annuities pay interest based on a set rate previously specified in the contract whereas an equity linked annuity calculates the interest based on the equity index to which the annuity is linked. When it comes to equity indexed annuities pros and cons, it is important to understand that this type of investment is [...] Read more »

What are the fixed indexed pros and cons? There are many different types of investment vehicle available for investors to place their money in. Some are a good choice, whereas others should be avoided at all costs. But unless you are a financial expert, it pays to do your research before signing on the dotted line. Fixed indexed annuities are also known as equity indexed annuities. Thanks to the bad publicity surrounding sales of equity indexed annuities, the name was changed to fixed indexed annuities in the hope that new investors would continue to buy into them. Of course, the [...] Read more »