Mortgage Help and Advice 101

Fee Free Mortgage Deals
Fee free mortgage deals may not offer homeowners or potential homerowners the value for money they first think. Based on an analysis of several mortgage / remortgage packages, its been calculated that only people looking to borrow less than £57,000 can find a good deal with a fee free mortgage or remortgage. Based on this, these deals are best suited for those looking to remortgage or those who have already paid off a substantial part of their home loan. In what may surprise many homeowners, the best mortgage or remortgage offers all incur the most fees up front. Lenders are being very innovative with products, but because mortgages can be so complex borrowers need to be cautious and ensure they get best deal. Fee-free deals are not as simple as they are marketed to be, so people need to look beyond any headline rates and special offers. Unfortunately, the more money-conscious consumers are more likely to be attracted to the 'free' part of fee-free - but doing a bit of homework beforehand could expose the pitfalls of a fee-free deal.

Debt Problems
Some 2.5 million people in Britian are struggling with paying back their debts, a rise of 700,000 people in just six months, new figures reveal. A YouGov poll commissioned by debt consultancy firm Thomas Charles found 8.4 million people or one in five of the UK population has unsecured debts of over £10,000. Of those owing more than £10,000 a third of women and a quarter of men said they were in financial difficulty and reporting regular repayment problems. Seventy per cent of those owing over £10,000 or 1.4 million adults - said they are 'quite likely', 'likely' or 'certain' to declare themselves bankrupt or take out an Individual Voluntary Agreement (IVA) in the next six months.Mr Falla, director of Thomas Charles, said: "Our latest research confirms that the debt problem in the UK is continuing to worsen. "We are currently witnessing a correlation of increased borrowing alongside a massive decrease in the number of people coping with their debts. If action is not taken to curb borrowing trends in the UK, the situation is likely to spiral over the coming years." He added that the UK could soon hit "a tipping point" where those in financial trouble outnumbered those who were not. He advised people with debt troubles not "to bury your head in the sand".

Sub-Prime Mortgages
High-street lenders have a tendancy to steer clear of any mortgage circumstance which may be viewed as non-conforming. However, in today's society, many people fall into this category due to CCJ's, bad credit or mortgage arrears, but also, those who are self-employed, contract workers or those who rely on bonuses/commission. Fortunately, there are lenders dedicated to helping those who suffer from such a financial position, and Shorething Mortgages is a closely linked introducer to lenders of this sort.

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Wedding Cakes - Making the right Decision

Wedding cakes are works of art, both inside and out. They're also a costly business as it takes time to make and decorate a cake. When I was getting married we looked into the cost and was surprised at some of the prices, over the last few years things have changed though.

For a professionally made three tier wedding cake, the prices start at around £200, however many professional bakers now offer budget cakes as demand has grown for cheaper options. If you start to add fancy icing and decorations though, the cost will rise sharply.

A popular alternative is hiring a fake wedding cake, where fake cake tiers are created with polystyrene and then iced and decorated as per the wedding cake of your choice. You pose for photos with the fake cake and then cut up a "cutting" cake behind the scenes to serve to your guests.

This section is intended to give you some ideas and tips for lowering your cake costs, information on how to make your own cake including pitfalls, things to look out for and tricks to reduce your costs. There's also a guide to the best cheap cakes on the high street.

If you're up for making your own, there are some tried and tested recipes with English measurements, from Britain's famous chefs, with recipes including traditional fruit cakes, chocolate cake and choux pastry buns. For those wanting a more simple budget option, you could try making cupcakes instead.

Here are three ways of ensuring a charming cake design.

Specialty wedding cake design: No compromise on design. Go for the professional hand. Go to the baker who is specialized in specialty wedding cake designs. Ask the baker to show the picture gallery. You will see dozens of pictures in the folder the baker provides. These pictures are of real cakes already made. Select the one which you think is most suitable for you. Ask the baker to make some changes in the design you selected so that it will look unique. You may decide on the size of the cake or leave it to the baker to decide to accommodate all the details of the design.

Wedding cake toppers: A topper is an important part of a specialty cake design. In most cases, the exact replica of the couple is represented in a couple of figurines on top of the cake. At least at some weddings, the topper used is the heirloom of the bride's family and it is repeatedly used by them for every wedding in the family. There are several types of toppers like military toppers, crystal toppers, and monogram toppers.

Wedding cake charm: Pulling out a charm from the layers of the cake by the bridesmaid is a very old tradition. The charm is the symbol of good luck. It is placed in the cake and is attached to a satin ribbon.

Give a new dimension to the cake concept which is followed in every wedding for ages.

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