The Best Car Finance Blog In The World

On my soon to be released blog I talk about the way that the media misleads the public about, amongst other things, car finance. For some reason when it comes to anything vehicle related they put out reports that are poorly researched then draw conclusions that are either ill informed or simply inaccurate. This week we saw The Telegraph with headline news about the way that motorists are conned into Read more »

a few people have been asking about new cars and when a new car is a new car. I have explained this in detail in my book, An Insider Guide To Car Finance, which can be bought and downloaded online. But to summarise, the car must not have been registered to anyone else before you receive it, not even to the dealer and it must not have an ‘unreasonable’ mileage on the clock, expressed in one court case to be no more than 500 although I find this excessive. The strange rule is that Read more »

A row has broken out between the Government and the Magistrates Association over proposals by the Department for Transport to introduce fixed penalties for careless driving. The proposal will give the police new powers to impose a fixed penalty of £60 and 6 points on the licence where a driver admits to an act of careless driving. The Magistrates Association is furious as they feel it diminishes the serious nature of Read more »

I have just quoted a customer on a BMW X5, similar to the last car that he contract hired 2 years ago. On his old car the difference between the 2 year and 3 year rates was about £15 per month (2 years more expensive). However, the difference now is £134.53 + VAT per month! Why should this be? 2 years ago it could be argued that there was more discount/bonus in the car virtually wiping out the first year’s depreciation. 2 year old cars may have had a greater resale desirability than 3 year old cars on pro-rata mileage. But £135 + VAT per month? I don’t think so! Or maybe I’m to blame. You see I have explained Read more »

As drivers continue to feel the pinch of recession insurance groups warn about the dangers of not telling the truth when taking out car insurance. Every claim is now being closely scrutinised as a result in the upsurge in fraudulent claims, as explained in my recent crash for cash fraud item. As a result lies or mistakes made at the time of proposal is causing claims to be rejected so great care needs to be taken when completing proposals or you may not only find a claim rejected but Read more »

Over the years I have put forward many reasons why you should opt for Dealer HP over a personal loan (contrary to all advice given in the media). Your legal rights are so much greater when you take HP. If you have read my book An Insider Guide To Car Finance, or been a regular reader of my newsletter, you would know the reasons that I put forward. However, I have just uncovered a new one that you may find useful if you, or a friend/relation ever find yourself in this situation. If you are a consumer (can also be a sole trader) and you purchase a vehicle outright you are deemed to have accepted the goods if you have had a reasonable time to inspect the goods and not rejected them. After this time your remedy for defects is restricted to Read more »

Calls for a total mobile phone ban have come from safety experts following a landmark case. Lynne-Marie Howden, a director and head of sales at business consultancy Insights was found not guilty of causing death by dangerous driving. But she was found guilty of the lesser charge of careless driving which resulted in a 12 month ban and a fine of £2,000. Ms Howden was talking on her hands free phone to a works Read more »

Specialist law firm, Driving Defences LLP have said that thousands of convictions of failing to provide a specimen could be overturned due to questions over the reliability of the police intoximeter machine. They brought a successful case in which it was proven that due to an error made by the police, a defendant could not possibly have provided a sample of breath. Martin Hammond, a solicitor at the practice, said Read more »

Insurance rules are about to change as a result of proposed legislation that is going through the consultative stage. If introduced it will become an offence simply to keep an uninsured vehicle as opposed to the current legislation that makes it an offence to drive an uninsured vehicle. Road safety minister, Jim Fitzpatrick, said ‘Increased police powers already mean that 400 uninsured vehicles are seized every day Read more »

 If you use your own car for company business or you allow employees to drive their own cars for business use Active Risk Management feel they have a solution to checking if employees are totally road legal in their own cars by providing an ongoing audit service. Employees will be issued with an online permit which will confirm whether they are eligible to drive on company business. The record will show whether the Read more »