UK Pension Gap 'Widens'

UK Pension Gap 'Widens'
The "confidence crisis" surrounding the British pensions
sector is deepening, it has emerged.

According to Alliance Trust's annual retirement confidence
index (RCI), the gap in those failing to put money away for
later life is rising as some 26 per cent of consumers are
currently without any form of pension - up from 20 per cent
noted last year. However, with evermore Britons set to face
financial difficulties later in life, it appears that women
could be in line for the greatest strife. Just under a
third (31 per cent) of females are currently not making any
contributions towards a savings fund, an increase from the
23 per cent recorded during last year's RCI. Meanwhile, 22
per cent of men are without retirement provisions, up from
the 17 per cent noted last year. In addition, the
proportion of people who believe they will receive a state
pension in later life stands at 35 per cent - a fall from
the 49 per cent recorded last year.

The study also showed that more than half (55 per cent) of
Britons between 18 and 29 years of age are without any sort
of savings account for later life. However, with this in
mind, only six per cent of consumers in the age bracket
feel "totally unconfident" that they will not be able to
put enough money away to fund a "comfortable retirement".
Yet it was consumers in the "prime of their working lives"
who could be set for the most retirement trauma as one in
ten people aged between 30 and 49 are "totally unconfident"
that they will be financially comfortable in later life.
Meanwhile, only one per cent of Britons within this age
group are "totally confident" about their future.

Hyman Wolanski, head of pensions at Alliance Trust, said:
"It is worrying to see that many in the prime of their
working lives are most uncomfortable about their retirement
prospects. It is clear that serious action needs to be
taken to tackle the problem to break this trend. Our
research shows it is now more important than ever for
people to ensure they have a proper pension plan tailored
to suit their individual circumstances. For example,
locking regular sums into a pension might often be put off
in favour of more immediate financial demands but with the
range of saving products available today, there is now much
more flexibility than ever in how people can save for their
future."

He claimed that a pension is not the only method by which
consumers can prepare for their financial future,
indicating products such as individual savings accounts as
possible options. "But irrespective of the means, it is
important action is taken and serious provisions are made,"
Mr Wolanski pointed out.

And with millions of consumers struggling to save into
pensions, problems managing their money may extend into
other areas of their finances such as developing
difficulties in paying back loans and credit cards.
Consequently opting for a bad credit loan could well be an
advisable option for reorganising your monetary situation
and getting back on your feet. Earlier this year, James
Cotton, mortgage specialist for London & Country, suggested
that those who have taken out a bad credit loan may still
be able to access mortgages with competitive rates of
interest.

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Abbi Rouse is Editor in Chief for All About Loans. Our
visitors have access to online loans of all types: From
home improvement loans to bad credit debt consolidation
loans. Visit our site today: http://www.allaboutloans.co.uk

Mortgage Broker Strategies - Direct Mortgage Marketing

Mortgage Broker Strategies - Direct Mortgage Marketing
There are many ways that many mortgage originators go about
producing leads. They talk with realtors, builders, and
even try buying leads. However, believe it or not, there
are many mortgage originators out there who are able to get
leads before they even get as far as their realtor.

The method such mortgage pros use is called direct mortgage
marketing and the mortgage professionals using this method
are working on a whole different plane than much of the
rest of the industry. The best part is that it is exactly
what it sounds like it is: simply marketing to consumers,
prospects, and clients before they are even thinking of
making a mortgage decision.

The pros that use this method were visionary in a way
because they knew the direction of the market. If you are
like many mortgage professionals, then you have noticed the
saturation of the market by builders and agents that
control the entire transaction from purchase all the way
through the mortgage. This process freezes you, the
mortgage originator, out of the entire process. It can be
frustrating.

If you choose to market to consumers before they make a
mortgage or real estate decision you are getting around
this new market trend. You're creating rapport, a bond, and
putting yourself in the position of a trusted financial
advisor with your contacts.

Once you are able to pre-qualify them for a loan, you have
completely eliminated any competition that may have been
lingering out there before hand. Anyone would be out of
their mind to suggest that your client start their mortgage
process all over again with a new loan officer and a new
company just because they made a decision to buy. After
all, if you have a pre-qualified client, then you are ready
to go and to close the loan quickly, right?

So how do you find the right mortgage direct marketing
technique? There are a few things you can do to get
potential clients so that they are thinking of you when
they get ready to get their mortgage. Here are just a few
of the direct mortgage marketing techniques you may wan to
consider.

Use What You Have: You probably have a database of
potential clients already. Market it hard all the time.
Send out timely cards, reminders, and even informational
articles to keep in touch. Make the information useful so
that they do not feel you are pressuring or pestering them.

FSBO's: For sale by owner homes offer a great market for
you. Offer to help them sell their home by pre-qualifying
their prospective buyers. This will get you in contact with
the sellers who will likely be buying and also help you
qualify people who are in the market enough to be looking
at a home.

Write: By writing informative article and information for
your prospects, you are giving them really valuable help.
While not everyone you supply with information is going to
work with you, it is a great way to get the lines of
communication open with those who have not yet made a
buying decision.

Market to Others: Try marketing your business to those who
may know new buyers. Divorce attorneys and financial
advisors are great contacts to make that can help you get
in touch with buyers well in advance of their first home
buying experience or their first mortgage decision. When
that time comes, though, your name will be the first of
which they think.

Marketing directly to the buyers before they make a
decision can be very helpful to your mortgage business.
What, though, about mortgage advertising to others with
leads in real estate. By talking with a real estate agent,
you can get a lot of business sent your way.

With the right system for partnering up with real estate
agents, you can help turn renters into buyers. In the
mortgage industry, they call those easy to pick fruit or
low hanging. Simply put, you need to partnered up with a
real estate agent or even a few real estate agents.

Once you do that, you will see your business sore while the
amount of leg work and phone time you have to log will go
down. It is a good trade off that helps your business.

So find the right system for you and consumer direct
mortgage marketing will be as easy as can be. No more being
shut out by the contractors and builders. You will create
your own database and your own series of leads.

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Shane Brooks is a hard nosed business man that doesn't take
kindly to competition. His hard hitting no nonsense
marketing techniques constantly makes waves for his
competitors regardless of the market he is focusing on.
Shane doesn't mind stepping on the toes of his competitors
or ruffeling a a few feathers of the so-called gurus in
order to level the playing field. For more info please
visit http://www.MortgageSuccessBlueprint.com