PERSONAL FINANCE NEWS
BRITS DON’T LIKE TO QUEUE ANY MORE
British people are no longer as willing to patiently queue, according to research published today by the Payments Council. In fact, the average British adult can stand just 10 minutes and 42 seconds of waiting before getting frustrated. 83 per cent of people now turn to virtual alternatives to avoid queuing, while 21 per cent of people even admit to taking drastic measures, such as shopping late at night, to avoid having to wait in line. Somewhat surprisingly, Londoners are more patient than others, willing to wait an average of 12 minutes.
TALKING ABOUT MONEY ISN’T VULGAR
According to research from uSwitch.com, British people are much more willing to talk about their salaries. Over a third of people – 37 per cent – are happy to discuss their salary with friends, while nearly a quarter would be happy to reveal their debts. Over half of people would tell friends the value of their house, and a third would reveal the size of the mortgage. Perhaps most remarkably, 82 per cent of people claim to find the idea of haggling acceptable. Despite that, however, only four per cent of people wouldn’t mind their friends knowing if they had to use a pawnbroker, suggesting that not all taboos are dead.
UNINSURED DRIVERS CAUSING HAVOC
Uninsured drivers are rife on our roads. Research from moneysupermarket.com indicates that as many as one in six British people have broken the law by driving a car without insurance. One in three uninsured drivers claimed not to realise that they needed insurance, while one in ten claimed simply not to be able to afford insurance. Presumably reflecting the higher premiums they pay, younger motorists were the most likely to drive uninsured, with 28 per cent of those aged between 18 and 34 admitting to driving a vehicle without insurance. Uninsured drivers are estimated to add £30 on average to the cost of every premium, costing a total of £500m.
TOO MANY TRICKS DURING HALLOWEEN
11.3m people have suffered damage to their homes during the “mischief week” between Halloween and bonfire night, according to Santander. On average, damage cost each homeowner £324 in repair bills. The most common offence is egging, with 5.9m people estimated to have had their houses egged. Shockingly, two percent of people claim to have been violently attacked by people using fireworks as weapons. Those living in the North-West of England are most at risk of suffering, while those in Scotland were least likely. The average cost to homeowners was highest in London, however, averaging £457, and lowest in the East Midlands.