The Abbey National is aiming to help smokers kick the habit by encouraging them to save the money they would normally spend on cigarettes.
The typical 20 cigarettes a day smoker spends around GBP170 each month that could be used for many different and ultimately far better uses. Over the period of just a year a smoker who gives up and puts the money they would have spent into a monthly savings account such as the Abbey National Fixed Rate Monthly Saver would have a balance just 12 months later of almost GBP2,120.
An Abbey National spokesman urged smokers to think seriously about their options and consider the benefits of using a savings account to put money to one side. It can quickly build up into a tidy sum and the person becomes healthier into the bargain.
Marks and Spencer have announced their new Ethical Investment Fund which will invest in UK based organisations that make a positive contribution both to the environment and the communities in which they have an effect.
Investors are driven by more than just money now, wishing to consider where their money is invested as well as how much it earns. The M&S Ethical Investment Fund is perfect then for this type of conscientious investor and is also expecting to generate good returns too. In fact an ethical fund topped the charts of all investment funds only last week, so there is clearly plenty of growth potential.
The fund will be managed jointly by Jupiter Asset Management and Sinopia Asset Mgt, two organisations with good track records in the ethical investment arena. For those wishing to learn more about the new fund there is information available via the Marks and Spencer website.
Alliance and Leicester fixed rate bonds have enjoyed some interest rate changes, with the one year fixed rate product going up from 6.5 percent to 6.65 percent AER.
All the fixed rate bonds provided by Alliance and Leicester will payout on a monthly basis should that be preferable to the customer, with the balance invested needing to be between GBP2,500 and GBP2 million to be eligible for monthly payments. The minimum amount needed to invest in one of these bonds is GBP1,000.
The benefit of fixed rate bonds is the security of the capital invested as well as there being a set, guaranteed, return said an Alliance and Leicester spokesman. This means customers know exactly what they will receive back from their investment, enabling them to plan more effectively.
