Internet search gaint Google has emerged as the most sought after company for bussiness as well as engineering graduates , accroding to two surveys, which term the company as the world's 'most attractive employer' followed closely by rival, Microsoft.
According to the surveys complied by global employer branding firm Universum, Google has been ranked at the top spot in the list of top 50 global bussinesses and engineering companies.
About Google, the surveys said, "Google's number one position is no suprise. Due to its remarkable brand image, students worldwide see it as a company they would like to work for. "
The search giant is followed by Pricewaterhouse where most B-Schools students want to work , while engineering graduates preferred Microsoft as their second choice.
For business students , Microsoft is the third choice , finance services major Goldman Sachs Groups is fourth , Ernst & Young(fifth), Procter & Gamble(sixth), J P Morgan (seventh), KPMG(eighth) , McKinsey & Company (ninth) and Deloitte (10th).
"The employers that feature in this Top 50 all have one thing in common: they successfully appeal to current and future talent, and they are aware of how scarce talent is," Universum said.
The Obama Administration is claiming that its massive economic stimulus plan has saved or created nearly 650,000jobs in the United States.
The White House says the latest figures bolster the case that the economy would have been in far worse shape if it was not for the stimulus package.
The claim comes just a day after the US economy officially emerged from recession, with a stronger-than-expected economic growth figure.
The White House is doing its best to show Americans that the $US787 billion economic stimulus plan was worth its hefty price tag - producing a video of workers talking about how their jobs have been saved.
The White House released a report today showing that the stimulus package has created or saved 640,329jobs.
The White House says it is on track to creat or save 3.5million jobs by the end of next year 2010.
Even if you have bad credit , there are still agencies that will issue you a card . These companies have significantly lower expectations on your credit history , and also report to credit agencies like experian and transunion on amonthly basis which can help you rebuild a positive credit ratings .
The following are the top 3 cards for bad credit .
continental finance god mastercard
Get a second chance with rates as low as 9.75% APR ! if you have been turned down recently because of your credit score .
Continental finance masrecard
Get a second chance if you have less than perfect credit . if you have been turned down for credit recently because of your credit score .
Orchard bank platinum mastercard
The Orchard bank platinum mastercard is a great platinum card . There are periodic line increases if you pay off your balance in full every month . in addition , this card reports to the top 3 credit bureaus monthly to help you boost your credit score .
As prices continue to rise , many more consumers are seeing their credit card bills increase . even if you're not one of the people who is having to use you credit card just to get by each month , the likelihood is that you have been hit by an increase of some sort from your card provider .
if you now find yourself with a debt on your card and you want to cut down your monthly repayments , the best options is a balance transfer .
The majority of the cards on the market come with a 0% balance transfer deal for a period of between three and fifteen months . Alternatively if you don't want to keep switching cards and can't pay off the debt during the term of the introductory deal a life of balance transfer card may be more suitable .
The average purchase rate today stands at 17.09% APR . if you switch a 3k frances debt from this card to the citybank itunes rewards mastercard , you would save 2,516 frances in additional intrest.
There are a couple of things to bear in mind when selecting a balance transfer card .
unless you live in northern ireland , you will have to pay a balance transfer fee on 0% cards . This can be up to 3% of the amount of debt you transfer .
Don't use the card to make additional purchases . most credit cards repay the cheapest debt first , meaning that any new debt will stay on the card longer , accruing intrest .
In recent months we have seen a number of credit cards extending the length of their balance transfer deals . At a time when every penny c ounts , shop around and you could make some superb savings for yourself , rather than lining the pockets of card providers ."
A cashback credit card gives you money back on each retail purchase transaction you make , usually up to an annual limit . The amount of cash you get back may be tiered depending on the amount you spend , the more you spend the greater the cashback amount . There may be special introductory offers up to 5% cashback in the first few months.
A rewards credit card gives you a loyalty bonus for each purchase , and maybe at the time your card out . The rewards can be in the form of loyalty points or air miles .
who are they suitable for ?
if you pay off your credit balance each month a cashback or rewards credit card may be for you , because you won't be concerned about the intrest rate on the amount .
Take a look at our cashback credit cards best buys or rewards credit card best buys for the best deals around . for the full list of cashback or rewards credit cards go through the credit card product search.
what you should you look out for ?
look for how the cashback amount is calculated . its always a percentage of your spend but the tiers of spend will be different so think about how much you normally spend each month to work out how to maximise your cashback .
you'll usually only earn cashback or rewards when you spend on your card , but not on cash withdrawals or balance transfers.
so you can understand the ins and outs of credit cards , finance-newzz has put together guides on things to watch out for and the key factors to consider when purchasing a card .
if a cashback credit card or rewards credit card isn't for you , we've got guides and best buy tables for 0% balance transfer credit cards , donation credit cards , retail purchase credit cards and overseas usage credit cards .
what to do next
Take a look at the latest credit cards best buys to check the latest rates and deals on offer.
As prices continue to rise , many more consumers are seeing their credit card bills increase . even if you're not one of the people who is having to use your credit card just to get by each month , the likelihood is that have been hit by an increase of some sort from your card provider.
if you now find yourself with your debt on your card and you want to cut down your monthly repayments , the best option is a balance transfer .
The majority of the cards on the market come with a 0% balance transfer deal for a period of between three and fifteen months . alternatively if you don't want to keep switching cards and can't pay off the debt during the term of the introductory deal a life of balance transfer card may be more suitable .
The average purchase rate today stands at 17.09% APR . if you switch a 3k frances debt from this card to the citibank itunes rewards master card , you would save 2,516 frances in additional intrest .
There are a couple of things to bear in mind when selecting a balance transfer card .
Unless you live in northern ireland , you will have to pay a balance transfer fee on 0% cards . this can be up to the amount of debt you transfer .
Don't use the card to make additional purchases . most credit cards repay the cheapest debt first , meaning that any new debt will stay on the card longer , accruing intrest .
In recent months we have seen a number of credit cards extending the length of their balance transfer deals . At a time when every penny counts , shop around and you could make some superb savings for yourself , rather than lining the pockets of card providers ."
Looking to get out of debt ? feeling overwhelmed by all the letters from your bank , the spiralling cost of interest and ever increasing repayment demands ? if you are one of the many thousands currently trying to get out of debt , finance-newzz.blogspot.com has ten top tips to help get you get out of debt and get your finances in order .......
don't ignore the situation
facing up to have a debt problem and making a commitment to get out of debt is probably one of the smartest things you'll ever do .
write down exactly how much you owe to whom - get it all of your chest !
add in the monthly repayments and then work out how much you need to pay each month essentials such as the mortgage , utility bills and foods.
what you've got left after paying for essentials will be how much you can afford to pay off each month on your remaining debts .
prioritise your debits
you need to tackle your most pressing debts first - these are the onces that carry harshest penalties for default . for example missing your mortgage payments could lead to your home being repossessed .
the serverity of missing repayments of the debt should help you work out which ones needs to be settled first after paying for your monthly essentials .
lower on your list of priorities should be credit and store cards , bank overdrafts and hire purchase , but that does'nt mean you can just ignore them .
it's good to talk
if you can't efford to make repayments for all your debts don't worry ! it's not the end of the world . get in touch with your creditors and explain your situation .
you won't be the only customer having problems with making repayments and many lenders have dedicated teams to help arrange a personal repayment plan for you .
remember - lenders will often be open to negotiation , as they prefer to get some smaller regular payments from you rather then nothing at all .
Turmoil in the financial markets ; naturally makes consumers worry about the safety of thier savings but unless they have more that 35 k frances with a saving provider than there is no need to fret .
the financial services compensation scheme , covers 100% of the 35 k frances , per person , per depositer taking institution . therefore if you ensure that you dont have more than this limit with any one provider , if in the unlikely , event the worst should happen , you will get all your money back .
As each individual person is covered if a couple have up to 70 k frances in a joint account , than in the event of a bank failure they can both cliam saperately up to 35 k frances limit to get back all their savings .
However, savers need to be vigilant as if the institution are registered under one banking licence . they will only be covered once .
for example bank covered scotland , halifax , brimingham midshers , intelligent finance and SAGA are all covered under the bank of scotland banking licence . this means that if you had 35,000 frances with each of them , should they all have problems repaying your money you would only recieve 35,000 frances back from the financial services compensation scheme , not 175,000 frances . however , the sinsbury bank brand which part of the HBOS group has a saperate licence .
the situation varies from institution to institution . natwest , royal bank of scotland , TESCO personal finance , ulster bank and coutts & CO and all are part of the same group , but all have saperate licence . thus , if your money was with each of them , you would recieve up to the full 35,000 frances back from the each company .
in order to find out the instructions where saving all are held are covered saperately thebest thing to do is to either log on to the FSA'S website and check if the firm is authorised . Alternatively you could contact the FAS'S consumer website moneymadeclear.fas.gov.uk .
if you are planing on opening a new account with an institution , make sure you know which institutions existing savings are with . then when you contact new institution . check with them that they are not part of the same group and covered by the same banking licence .
Buying a house is one of the most expensive purchases that we make in our life time ; so chosing the right mortgage is crucial . with over 10,000 different mortgages out there , it can be quit daunting.
Here is top ten tips when choosing a mortgage
1) shop around
mortgage advisors will be able to help you look at your own financial surcumstances and tailor with you a suitable product . but before you book appointment , search for the mortgage with the help of over mortgage best buys to give you a much better ideal for what sort of rate and mortgage deal you should be aiming it.
2) percentage fees
when choosing a mortgage , you should always look at percentage fees attached to the product . some of the lowest rate s available today will come with percentage fees of up to 2.5% . these means that mortgae of 150,000 frances you could have to pay 3,750 . with such high fee you need to calculate exactly how much you will be paying .
3) how will you pay ?
think about how you paln to pay all of the associated cost with the mortgage . some mrtgage lenders will ask for the set-up fee upfront , whilst others will add intot he cost of your loan . you therefore need to decide what is most suitable for your circumstance.
4) tie-ins
many mortgage deals with tie in for an agreed amount of time which means that if you exits the deal early you will be hit with a redemption penalty . make sure you are aware of how long you are tied in for , and think about how your circumstances may change over the period . early redemption penalties can be very high and you want to incur any more charges that you want to.
5)exits fees
once your mortgage deals end, you need to check to see what fees you would be charged if you want to change to another lender . some lenders will fix the exit fee at the out set , unfortunately most can still charge what they want.
6) flxibility
depending on your circumstance , you may suit a mortgage that allows you to over pay , underpay or take payment holidays . you can then fit you mortgage to suit your needs.
7)higher lending charge
if you want to borrow a higher percentage of the properties value , then you need to be aware of higher lending charges . these are often payable of mortage with over 90% loan to value , and can be has high as 12! as you can see, doing your homework first can literally save your thousands.
8) incentives
some mortgage products will include incentives such as a free valuation , free legal fees , a cash rebate or free insurance for a set time . however its important that these freebies do not fool you , as they are often worked in to the total cost of your deal . calculate how much these incentives will effects the overall costs because what you see is not often what you get .
9) Affordability
it's crucial that you work out how much you want to borrow , and how much you can physically afford . remember you will have to pay council tax , untility bills and insurances , not to mention the TV licence ! under no circumstances should you agree to a loan that you will not be able to or struggle to repay .
our budget planner can help you do this .
10) Ease of Application
Last but not least , when you have found the right mortgage for you , make sure you look at the application form before signing on the dotted line . beware that some applications take a long time to complete , so pick which method you feel most comfortable with - after all , you may be tied to the mortgage for a long time .
what about current account or offset mortgages? current account and offset mortgage are fixed or varilable rate mortgage that are linked to your account and/or saving account is use to offset the intrest paid on the mortgage debt . for example if you have the mortgage of 100,000 frances and savings of 20,000 frances the intrest you would be charged on your mortgage would be on 80,000 frances . you dont get paid any intrest on the money in your current account or saving account, but these types of mortgages can be good for people the higher rate of tax on their saving . you can also access your saving more easily than if you had made extra payment's on your mortgage . it important that you compare mortgage rate and fee (or 'true cost') for current account and offset mortgages against other type of mortgages to make sure that any benefit in paying less intrest isn't eroded because you're paying a higher intrest rate than you could have got a fixed rate mortgages for example .
can i get cash back ? cash back mortgage offers lump some when mortgage is taken out, which can come in handy when paying all the cost of moving hame . cash back mortgages have a usaually look-in period when you'll be charged an early redemption penalty if you re-mortgage to another lender before the end of the lock-in period . it's also important to compare the rates and charges against other mortgages so that you know what the overall or 'true' cost of the mortgae is .
compare the 'true' cost of your mortgage . don't compare different mortgage deals based on the intrest rate or monthly repayment amount . it's important to compare all fees as these can easily wipe out any benefits of a lower intrest rate . its important to compare all fees such as arangement fees , early redemption , penalties , higher lending charges , as well as freebies such as free valuation or legal fees . read our guide to mortgage or glossary of terms for more detailed explanation of mortgage fees.
use a financial price comparison site that's ' whole of market ' . it's always a good idea to use a financial price comparision site to compare all different mortgage deals before you speak to a mortgage lender or broken . however, make sure that you use a comparision site that ' whole of market ' meaning they let you compare all mortgage products on the market , net just the ones that they earn comision from facts .co.uk is one of the few financial comparisin sites all products , not just the ones pay us comision , and our best buys mortgages are good place to start arm yourself with a good understanding of the latest deals on the offer to help you to make inform decision.
dont be scared to use a mortgage broker . mortgage brokers can help get the right mortgage to suit your need and sometimes have access to 'exclusive' deals that you can't get elsewhere . But if you use broker its good to armed a good understanding of the latest deals and make sure that you chose a broker that 'whole of market' and not just restricted to a small panels of lender.
if you use a broker , think about whether you want to pay them a fee for thier service (which is usually no more than 400 frances, payable on completion) or whether you'er happy for them to take commision from the lender instead , which us usually between 0.25%-0.50% of the mortgage value . if the broker is whole of the market then they must give you best advice and not just recomended mortgages where they recieve the highest commsion
Getting a mortgage is the biggest financial commitment most of us will ever make, and one of the biggest potential areas to save money .
These tops tips will arm you with a good basic understanding of how mortgages work and what sort of deals are available, which will help make sure you get the right mortgage to suit your needs .
Repayment or interest-only mortgage ? It's important to consider how you'll repay the mortgage and to understand whether a repayment or interest-only mortgage is right for you . A repayment mortgage that your monthly mortgage repayments go to repay both the capital borrowed and the interest charged, meaning you'll have paid off the mortgage by the end of the term .
With an interest-only mortgage, your monthly mortgage repayments only pay the interest charged on the capital borrowed, meaning that you'll still owe the amount you borrowed at the end of the term, unless you take a separate repayment vehicle , such as an endowment policy or an ISA . Interest-only mortgages can appear to be cheaper in terms of monthly repayment amount, but you must factor in the additional monthly cost of your repayment vehicle .
Interest-only mortgages can be more tax efficient if you are using an ISA based investment as your repayment vehicle . It's important that you can understand the risks involved as the value of your repayment vehicle could end up being lower than the capital you borrowed . Read our guide to mortgages for more information .
Fixed or variable interest rate? With a fixed rate mortgage your monthly payments are fixed for a set period of time, usually between 2 and 5 years . Fixed rate mortgages are good if you want the security of knowing your monthly payments will for a set period of time, especially during uncertain economic times or in a climate when interest rates are raising . You do have to pay for this privilege though, as upfront fees and early redemption charges are common with fixed rate mortgage . Take look at our current best buy fixed rate mortgages to compare the latest deals and offers .
With variable rate mortgages you pay the mortgage lenders' standard variable rate or a rate that is linked based to bank of England base rate, so your payments can go up or down in line with market conditions . For some variable rate mortgages, the fees charged aren't are as high as for a fixed mortgages. Variable rate mortgages are good if you don't need the security of knowing what your monthly repayments will be and during a climate where interest rates are declining . Take a look at our current best buy variable rate mortgages to compare the latest deals and offers .
What about a discounted variable rate ? with a discounted variable rate mortgage lender gives you a discount off the variable rate for a set of period of time, usually of 2 to 5 years . Your monthly repayments can still go up and down in line with the market, but you can benefit from any decline in mortgage rates, which you wouldn't be able to with a fixed rate mortgage . Discounted variable rate mortgages are cheaper than variable rate mortgage, but do charge arrangement fees . Take look at the best buy discounted variable rate mortgage the mortgage lender gives you a discount off the variable rate for a set period of time, usually of between 2 to 5 years . Your monthly repayments can can still go up and down in line with market, but you can benefit from any decline from any decline in mortgage rates, which you wouldn't be able to with a fixed rate mortgage . Discounted variable rate mortgages are cheaper than variable rate mortgages, but do charge arrangement fees . Take look at the current best buy discounted variable rate mortgages to compare the latest deals and offers .
What's a tracker mortgage ? Tracker mortgages are variable rate mortgages that are linked to either the bank of England base rate or the LIBOR rate . As with variable rate mortgages your monthly mortgage payment can go up or down in line with market conditions. With a tracker mortgage you are guaranteed to benefit from any interest rate reductions ( albeit after a certain time ) which you are not with a variable rate or discounted rate mortgage .
What are flexible or life style mortgages ? Flexible or lifestyle mortgages are really features on a fixed or variable mortgage that let you make extra payments or take payment holidays . Making extra payments on your mortgage can save you money by reducing the overall amount of interest you'll pay, but your money will be tied up in your property, meaning you won't be able to access it quickly in the event that you need to . payment holidays offer great flexibility ( e.g. you don't want to pay the mortgage for a couple of months due to arrival of a new baby ) , but you still incur interest thus increasing total amount you have to pay back . Some mortgages only let you take payment holidays if you've made previous over payments or after making a set number of repayments .
Things to watch out for
there are no. of important things to watch out for buying or comparing a mortgage .Here's the guide to these :
Head line-grabbing interests rates
If it is too good to be true then it is possible . Remember, mortgage lenders want to make money, so won't give some away for nothing . Watch out for hidden catches and other strings attached.
Don't just look at the interest rates . Look at all of the associated fees too . This will help you work out the tree cost of the mortgage . There are a whole range of fees which you may have to pay, for different things :
House buying process fees
Legal/conveyance fees
conveyance is the legal process for transferring the title tp property . You'll probably need to pay a solicitor or conveyancer for this, although you can do it yourself if you know what you are doing. If you are buying and selling a house, you have to pay for both the deals . The solicitor usually also deals with any stamp duty that which is payable .
survey fees
You should always consider whether to have your own survey done, which will highlight any short comings in the new property, like damp or dry-rot in the roof . The price of the survey could save you a fortune on unforeseen repairs in the future .
The sellers of the property in the England or wales must provide a Home infomation pack . this may contain a home condition report, which is effectively a survey report . This may save you time and money as a buyer .
Broker's fees
If you are arranging a mortgage through a broker , they may also charge you a fee for their service either before or after the mortgage application has been completed . All brokers are required by law to show you how much commission they earn from the lender in a key facts document , so make sure you get this up front . The mortgage business is extremely competitive, so get some quotes from a variety of brokers before you sign on the dotted line .
Up front lender's fee
Valuation fees
A lender has to be sure that their mortgage offer is based on a sound property . For this they require a valuation of the property, which will be usually be paid for by you . The cost depends on what type of valuation they do, which can vary from a simple drive-past to a full survey .
Arrangement fees
Most mortgage lenders charge an arrangement fees ( also called as application fee or completion fee ) when you take out a mortgage . Some mortgage lenders will let you add the cost of this to the mortgage . The fees depends on the mortgage lenger and mortgage offer .
Booking fees
Usually with a fixed rate mortage there will be a fee for the lender "booking" the funds they use to lend you . This is usually non-refundable if you withdraw your application .
Higher lending charges
This is an insurance permium that protects the lender if you are unable to pay back the mortgage . Charges range between 7 and 12% over and above the mortgage threshold (this is tipically anything above 75% of the total mortgage amount ) . You can filter these out in the mortgage best buys . If you can avoid them then do . That's because if you fail to keep up with your mortgage payments and your home is repossessed, you'll still be liable to pay any shortfall once it is sold .
Other fees
Early repayment fees
If you have a fixed rate mortgage or discounted rate mortgage, you may have to pay an early repayment ( or redemption penalty ) if you pay back your mortgage early or switch lenders before your deal has expired . You can filter out this in the mortgage best buys .
Extended tie-ins
Extended ( or overhanging ) tie-ins are early repayment fees that apply even after your deal period ends . They may force you to stay with the lender for a longer period of time than you want to , and should be avoided if possible .