Friday, 2. May 2014
Whilst catching up on some of the stranger things to come out of the budget I noticed that the pound coin is about to change. Well when I say ‘about’ I mean in 2017 when it will be launched. I have seen the design and if you are as old as me you will immediately think of the thrupney piece.
Thinking of a change but unsure as to the best way to finance your car? Then you need a copy of my car finance book, Car Finance – A Simple Guide by Graham Hill. Click on the link below to buy the best car finance book on the market, available as a Kindle Book and Paper Back.
It’s the usual bronze colour but it has 12 sides and has been described by the Rotal Mint as the most secure in the world. However the new design comes at a cost as all vending machines will have to be modified at a cost. According to the British Parking Association, the cost to local authorities of the modification to their parking metres will be £50 million alone.
However, they also said that this will give the authorities the opportunity to upgrade their machines to also accept credit/debit cards at the same time. The move has been instigated by the Treasury because 4% of all £1 coins in circulation are counterfeit and this is already costing local authorities a fortune as banks refuse to accept them.
Personally I’m confused as I can’t see that making the £1 coin 12 sided makes it any less capable of being replicated. If there was some hidden ingredient in the metal that made it detectable I could understand it but it’s a lump of metal that has either been stamped out or forged (that’s metal forged not as in illegally forged – oh you know what I mean).
Royal Mint X Mirai Suenaga (Photo credit: Danny Choo)
So I can’t see how it will stop the crooks? Obviously the Royal Mint knows more about these things than me! By Graham Hill
Monday, 7. February 2011
I have read several reports recently complaining about the motor insurance industry, it’s pretty much in turmoil with anomalies, inefficiencies over charging and deceit. I reported recently that some companies are now charging substantial arrangement and documentation fees in order to keep the monthly premiums low. We all know that there are a trillion terms in each policy making straight comparison very difficult so we tend to go for the cheapest and hope for the best. By that I mean try Read more »
Monday, 3. May 2010
We have such short memories! I remember the furore when petrol prices hit 119.7pence per litre 2 years ago. Fuel suppliers were challenged and emails flew around in all directions telling everyone to boycott the main oil companies in an attempt to force petrol suppliers to drop their prices. At the time oil prices were $147 per barrel but with exchange rates at about 2 dollars to the pound it put the price per barrel at Read more »
Monday, 5. April 2010
Lease rates will have to increase for some of the larger ‘gas guzzlers’ as a result of the new showroom tax. However, there are some winners. If your new car spits out less than 130 g/km of carbon dioxides then you will pay no showroom tax and low road fund licence (car tax). The highest showroom tax is £950 for vehicles throwing out over 255 g/km of carbon dioxides. Aimed at discouraging large environmentally Read more »
Tuesday, 26. January 2010
Carsite, the online reseller of ex lease cars, has used their experience gained over the last few years to identify the top 10 contributors to a sharp intake of breath from the car dealer, when you part exchange your car, which results in much less being offered for you car than would have been otherwise. They have even suggested what the dealer is likely to knock off his offer as a result. Some things are damage items such Read more »
Sunday, 11. January 2009
I’m confused! I could understand the bailout of the banks, we can’t allow the banking system to collapse. And whilst the VAT cut was never going to have a significant effect on the economy in terms of kick starting expenditure it was a small step in the right direction but why are the Government listening to the car manufacturers? Of course it’s terrible when people lose their jobs and making loyal and good workers redundant is one of the hardest things Read more »
