Tag Archives: savings

National first helps families fight off loan sharks

Martin Groombridge

Martin Groombridge

Hundreds of secondary school starters in Haringey have already opened a free £20 credit union savings account as part of a landmark financial awareness scheme by Haringey Council.

Application packs have been sent to nearly 3, 000 Haringey pupils starting Year 7 this term for a School Savers account with London Capital Credit Union, with nearly 200 students already signing up.

The council-funded scheme, the first of its kind in England, is designed to encourage children to get into the savings habit and promote alternatives to unscrupulous payday loan companies.

Accompanied by financial management lessons in schools, accounts are ‘locked in’ for two years, with students and their parents encouraged to add to their savings where possible.

Councillor Joe Goldberg, Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Social Inclusion and Sustainability, said: “We want our children to be given every opportunity to learn about money and the different financial options available as they grow up.

“Giving every Year 7 child an account with a responsible credit union will give them a chance to start saving early on in life and understand the alternatives to the scourge of legal loan sharks colonising our high streets.”

Haringey Council has provided £750,000 in loans to the credit union in the last two years, which has more than 3,000 members in the borough – and the fastest growing contingent of anywhere in London.

The credit union has issued affordable loans worth almost £1 million since October 2012 and holds more than £1 million in savings from Haringey residents.

Martin Groombridge, chief executive of London Capital Credit Union, said: “We are very pleased to be working with Haringey Council in this way to encourage children to learn the importance of saving and budgeting.

“This monetary incentive is a fantastic way to get Haringey children to open savings accounts and for their families to benefit from the services of the credit union.”

Every Year 7 child who lives in Haringey or attends a school in the borough is eligible for an account, which can be opened by simply returning the application form sent to all pupils.

For more information and to download a copy of the application pack, visit www.haringey.gov.uk/creditunion

Credit union saved Londoners £6.5m in interest payments

People who have taken out loans with London Capital Credit Union in the last 12 months have together saved over £6.5 million in interest payments and other charges.

Martin Groombridge

Martin Groombridge, Chief executive of London Capital Credit Union

The figures were revealed by Martin Groombridge, Chief Executive of the credit union, as he encouraged people to see for themselves how much they could save by becoming a credit union member.

In the 12 months to the end of August, London Capital Credit Union issued loans to the value of £5.3 million. According to Martin Groombridge, these loans saved local people a significant amount of money. “We estimate that our members will have saved £6.5 million in interest, charges and fees by switching their borrowing to us from payday lenders and other high interest lenders.”

A loan from a credit union such as London Capital Credit Union will result in lower repayments than from a payday lender or a doorstep loan. Said Martin: “That’s where people taking our loans in London can really benefit. What’s more, our ‘Saver Loans’ are designed to help people get into the savings habit, without racking up high interest charges.”

A typical £1,000 loan from the credit union, paid back over one year, would cost a total of just £67 in interest. This is a tiny fraction of what it would cost to borrow from a payday lender, for instance.

“That extra money stays in the local economy,” says Martin, “which has to be good news for everyone.”

London Capital Credit Union is a not-for-profit co-operative dedicated to promoting saving and dealing with debt. Established in 1962 it now has 11,000 members and £7m of assets and provides secure savings and low cost loans for anyone living, working or studying in Barnet, Camden, City of London, Hackney, Haringey or Islington.

Find out more at www.credit-union.coop.