Good news on economic growth

June 28th, 2010

In the midst of all the negative news on the cost of the bailout of Anglo and the pending austerity measures in the December 2010 budget it was a welcome relief to hear some good news.  The Ernst & Young quarterly euro zone forecast said Ireland will rank second next year in terms of GDP growth within the 16 countries, up from 14th in 2010. The economy will return to growth next year and relatively strong rates of growth in the medium term, it said.  The full article can be seen here.

As Ireland is a small open economy any pickup in the International Economic environment will have a positive impact here.  The benefit of the lower Euro should also help our export sector.  Let’s hope for more surprises on the positive side.

How to claim a repayment of an overpayment of PRSI/ Health Levy

June 4th, 2010

It is quite a common occurrence that an individual may have overpaid PRSI or the Health Levy for reasons such as:

  • Contributing to a personal pension (where net pay deduction is not operated)
  • Two or more consecutive employments

These refunds can be claimed by completing this form (or in the case of pensions, this form).

For PRSI Refunds not in respect of PRSA, RAC and AVC pension contributions, contact:

PRSI Refunds Section
Department of Social and Family Affairs
Floor 3, Oisin House,
212-213 Pearse Street, Dublin 2
Telephone: (01) 673 2586

For PRSI Refunds in respect of PRSA, RAC and AVC pension contributions:
Customer Service Section
Office of the Collector-General
Sarsfield House
Francis Street
Limerick

The above is for information purposes and should not be reliable upon as tax advice. A Registered Tax Consultant can be found on taxireland.ie.

SmartQuotes.ie offer low cost Personal Pensions and PRSA’s.

These refunds can be claimed by completing the attached form

The Importance of Income Protection

May 27th, 2010

Only between 12% and 15% of the working population have Income Protection Cover.  Not to be confused with redundancy cover, Income Protection (also known as PHI) provides an Income if you cannot work due to illness or injury.

While some employers may pay sick pay for up to six months (after that you’re on your own), in a lot of cases employees who find themselves unable to work have to survive on the state benefit of €10,192.  If you are self employed that reduces to nil.

It is worth considering what your current income pays for on a monthly basis:

  • Mortgage
  • Food Bills
  • Electricity
  • School Fees
  • Insurance
  • Pensions
  • Loan repayments

This demonstrates the importance of your earnings and therefore the importance of Income Protection.

Income Protection is relatively cheap for most types of employment. For example a 35 year old office based worker, male can protect an Income of €40k for circa €35 per month (assuming tax relief at 49%, 26 week deferred period) to age 65.

That means that if you can’t work due to illness or injury your Income Protection will pay you an annual salary of €40,000 until normal retirement age of 65.

The average claim on Income Protection is 5 years and the most common types of claim relate to stress and back related injuries*

*source Friends First

Is The Recession Over?

May 24th, 2010

With all the talk of European bailouts it was welcome to see another report coming out stating that this are improving here in Ireland.

Goodbody Stockbrokers has raised its forecast for the Irish economy this year, saying recent figures indicate that the economy resumed growth in the first quarter.

While these types of commentators cannot be seen as totally impartial as they are owned by an Irish Bank it is welcome positive news and demonstrates that a small open economy like ours can benefit quickly once the major economies of the world (in particular America) start to recover.

Income Protection – A Vital Product to Protect Against the Unexpected

May 17th, 2010

While having Life Assurance for your Mortgage and for personal reasons is extremely important to protect your family and loved ones in the case of the unexpected, Income Protection should be given the same priority when individuals are considering their financial security.
If you were not able to work due to illness or injury you would only receive circa €10k per annum from the state (this drops to zero if you are self employed).

In the average family monthly costs such as mortgage repayments, food, pension payments, school costs, car repayments, car and house insurance would struggle to be met from such a low annum state income. In certain countries it is a requirement when taking out a mortgage with certain lenders to have Income Protection and you can see why.

Income Protection (also known as PHI – Permenant Health Insurance) benefits from tax relief at your marginal (ie higher rate). For as little as circa €25 per month a 30 year old non smoker can protect €40k of their income (assumes tax relief at 49%, deferred period of 26 weeks, Occupation Class 1 – eg Accountant).

SmartQuotes.ie offer Income Protection real time quotes. Why not go online or call us on 01 6853813 to find out more?

The advice is – Shop Around

May 15th, 2010

The National Consumer Agency have highlighted this month the benefit of shopping around for items such as Motor, Home and Health Insurance. 

At SmartQuotes.ie we echo this advice and believe it can also apply to personal finance products.  It is important that we are regularly reviewing our personal finance needs to ensure they remain fit for purpose and value for money.

Personal Finance product such as Life Assurance and Critical Illness Cover are very important to an individual and their families’ financial wellbeing should anything unexpected happen. In these recessionary times it can be possible to save significant amounts on the costs of the above products without compromising on the level of cover.  It is also worth remembering that the cheapest may not be the best fit for an individual.

SmartQuotes.ie will offer up to a 70% discount off the monthly cost for the first twelve months on certain protection products.  Why not call us today on 01 685 3813 or go online to www.smartquotes.ie for further details.

Critical Illness Cover – Now Discounted by up to 70% for the first 12 months

May 12th, 2010

Due to the success of our Discount Life Assurance offer, SmartQuotes.ie are delighted to announce the extension of this offer to Critical Illness Cover (also known as Serious Illness Cover).

Critical Illness Covers is offered from Zurich, New Ireland, Irish Life, Aviva, Caledonian, Canada Life and Friends First.

Critical Illness cover pays a benefit of the sum insured if you are diagnosed with a particular illness. It is important that individuals review the list of illnesses covered.  On receipt of a full quote clients will receive details of the list of illnesses covered in the information sent by email.

By way of an example cover of €100,000 for a male aged 31 (non smoker) to retirement at aged 65 costs €42.92 per month with Irish Life.  SmartQuotes.ie will discount this for the first 12 months to €12.87 per month.

SmartQuotes.ie offer 70% off the first twelve months premium on Life Assurance, Mortgage Protection and now Critical Illness cover.  We also offer discounts on a monthly basis therefore making a real difference in an individuals monthly outgoings.

Click here to have a look at our critical illness page.

Launch of RegularSaver.ie

May 2nd, 2010

SmartQuotes.ie are delighted to launch our dedicated Regular Saving website. RegularSaver.ie is a website designed by SmartQuotes (a trading name of PFP Financial Services Limited ) to provide information on regular saver products available in the Irish Market. RegularSaver.ie currently offer products from Zurich and Aviva. Clients benefit from the following:

- Low management charges
- No entry/ exit costs
- Varied fund choice
- Full advisory service

RegularSaver.ie aim to provide clients with low cost investment options for regular and lump sum savings while still offering a full advisory service if required by the client.

Funds are available from Aviva Investors, Zurich Investment Managers and BlackRock.

There are no hidden cost or fees.

Switch and Save on your Life Cover

May 1st, 2010

Life cover may be cheaper than you thought it was. If you took out your current policy a number of years ago, it may be a good time to look at today’s best buy rates. Life Cover rates have come down a lot the last few years as discussed here,

SmartQuotes.ie compare all the market providers to offer you the cheapest life assurance quote available from the main providers in Ireland. In addition we offer a discount on the first year’s premium. SmartQuotes.ie are currently offering up to a 70% discount on the first year’s premium on certain products including life assurance. Unlike other providers we allow individuals on monthly payment plans to benefit from a discount in their first twelve months premiums.

This saving on a €50 a month policy will equate to a €420 saving in the first twelve months as well as any ongoing saving you obtain by shopping around for the lowest monthly rate (this could save as much as €10 per month in certain cases). Savings can also be made where a policy holder has recently stopped smoking or now requires a lower amount of cover due to a change in circumstances (loans repaid etc).

SmartQuotes.ie have agencies with all the main players in the Life Assurance market such as Caledonian Life, New Ireland, Irish Life, Friends First, Zurich, Aviva and Canada Life. Go online today to obtain a quick quote and start saving.

http://www.smartquotes.ie/life-assurance/