“As we continue to maintain our growth pattern and conservative approach which allows us to increase our earnings consecutively while avoiding defaults and other problematic situations related to our loans portfolio, we asked our board of directors to authorize management to increase the amount of money available to our lending operations. Gratefully the board approved our request and we are now set to move on to the next stage of growth. We are working to arrange lines of credit in order to make additional funds available for the company’s use,” stated Assaf Ran, Chairman of the Board and CEO.

Manhattan Bridge Capital, Inc., provides short term, secured, non-banking, commercial loans to small businesses. In addition we developed innovative software and a related web site that allows retail businesses and other service providers to reach prospective customers and clients for their goods and services in a more effective way than traditional on-line and print yellow pages searches. We operate several web sites including: http://www.manhattanbridgecapital.com. and http://www.nextyellow.com.

This report contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Forward-looking statements are typically identified by the words “believe,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate” and similar expressions. Those statements appear in a number of places in this report and include statements regarding our intent, belief or current expectations or those of our directors or officers with respect to, among other things, trends affecting our financial conditions and results of operations and our business and growth strategies. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those projected, expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors (such factors are referred to herein as “Cautionary Statements”), including but not limited to the following: (i) the successful integration of new businesses that we may acquire; (ii) the success of new operations which we have commenced and of our new business strategy; (iii) our limited operating history in our new business; (iv) potential fluctuations in our quarterly operating results; and (v) challenges facing us relating to our growth. The accompanying information contained in this report, including the information set forth under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis or Plan of Operation”, identifies important factors that could cause such differences. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this report, and we caution potential investors not to place undue reliance on such statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. All subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the Cautionary Statements.

The manner, timing and number of shares purchased will be at the Company’s discretion.
Assaf Ran, Chairman of the Board and CEO, stated, “As our stock is trading at such a discounted value and as we continue our growth and spotless performances record, I believe that the best investment that our company can pick is an investment in our own stock.”

“Therefore, I praise the board decision to buy back up to 100,000 shares,” added Mr. Ran.
Manhattan Bridge Capital, Inc. provides short term, secured, non-banking, commercial loans to small businesses.

This report contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Forward-looking statements are typically identified by the words “believe,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate” and similar expressions. Those statements appear in a number of places in this report and include statements regarding our intent, belief or current expectations or those of our directors or officers with respect to, among other things, trends affecting our financial conditions and results of operations and our business and growth strategies. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those projected, expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors (such factors are referred to herein as “Cautionary Statements”), including but not limited to the following: (i) the successful integration of new businesses that we may acquire; (ii) the success of new operations which we have commenced and of our new business strategy; (iii) our limited operating history in our new business; (iv) potential fluctuations in our quarterly operating results; and (v) challenges facing us relating to our growth. The accompanying information contained in this report, including the information set forth under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis or Plan of Operation”, identifies important factors that could cause such differences. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this report, and we caution potential investors not to place undue reliance on such statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. All subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the Cautionary Statements.

Automobile insurance companies use another methods to decide what to charge each driver. And so although one company could be cheapest for you, it could be more expensive for someone else. With the rise of comparison sites, it’s now possible to get a sample of quotes from a large number of insurers in a matter of minutes, taking all the hassle out of finding a cheaper quote.

Automobile insurance is a very competitory product so there are often substantial gains to be made by shopping around. The average premium we pay is in the region of £300 to £400 a year and it is reckoned that one in six of us claim on our automobile insurance every year with the average payout being around £2,000.

As well as shopping around, what else can help you save money on your automobile insurance?
Discounts and multiple policies

A few companies offer a decent discount whenever you insure more than one car with them. You are able to also get additional discounts if you’ve other types of insurance policy, e.g. home insurance, with the same insurer.

Third party or fully comp?

There are 3 levels of automobile insurance cover – third party, third party, fire & theft and fully comprehensive. In full comprehensive is usually the most expensive so, whenever you drive an old banger, it might not be worth it as your car will probably be written off if any sizeable repairs are required. That said, rather bizarrely, with some insurers fully comprehensive is the cheapest of the three, so you might make a saving by switching from third party to fully comp.

You

Your age is among the biggest determinants of your automobile insurance costs. Young drivers are the most expensive to insure with males under 20 hit hardest. Some insurers offer discounts whenever you take the Pass Plus training scheme. This involves continual assessment over six modules and costs £180 although some local councils offer a discount of up to 50%.

Premiums then fall quickly till you reach the age of twenty-five and then decrease marginally after that. Those in their fifties and sixties tend to pay the least for their cover. The cost of insurance policy then starts rising again once you’re in your 70s and 80s. It’s worth noting that numerous car dealers offer free insurance deals when you buy a car and these can be particularly valuable for younger drivers.

Female drivers usually pay less for automobile insurance, specially below the age of twenty-five. This has led to a number of female-only automobile insurance firms. However, these do not ever offer the cheapest rates so it’s still worth shopping around as you could get cheaper cover elsewhere.

Be sure you describe yourself precisely. If you are a homeowner or married then you’re likely to get a lower quote. Your job can also have a big impact. Quite often you’ll find that there are several different job descriptions you can choose which all describe what you do. If can be worth experimenting with these to see which provides the lowest quote.

Your car

The type of car you drive will affect your premiums dramatically. Any modifications made to the car, whether they improve its performance or not, can also push your premiums higher. You can bring down your automobile insurance costs by having an alarm or immobiliser.

Wherever you keep the car can make a difference too. A garage is best but off-road parking is usually cheaper too. Where you live will affect your premiums, although moving to get cheaper automobile insurance is fairly of a radical step! Some parts of London are twice as expensive as the cheapest postcodes in the country.

Your mileage

If you’re a low mileage driver then this could result in you paying lower premiums. Check the mileage noted on your MOT certificate if you’ve an older car. You might be surprised at how few miles you actually do.

Recently a couple of insurers have started providing ‘pay as you go’ insurance using technology to track where and when you drive your car. Working out whenever this will be cheaper isn’t always easy but if you’re a young driver who doesn’t often drive at night it’s worth investigating.

Paying monthly

Paying every month can help to spread the cost of large automobile insurance bills but the interest rate charged can sometimes be as high as 30%. For younger drivers this could mean an additional £200 to £300 a year. A 0% credit card can often be a smarter option if you need to spread the cost.

Additional drivers

Adding additional drivers to your policy can cut down your costs, particularly whenever you are a younger device driver. In the past a lot of parents have named themselves as main drivers by their children’s automobile but insurance firm* are clamping down on this. With some polices it’s possible to start building up a no claims bonus as an additional driver so this can often be a good way for young, occasional drivers to cut their future car insurance costs.

A lot of policies use to let you use another persons car as long as you had their permission but this clause is increasingly being removed so, whenever you think this may affect you, be sure you check the policy wording.

Tweak your excess

Varying your excess can be a worthwhile exercise. A higher excess, if you can afford it, can bring down your costs considerably. Sometimes reducing your excess is worth checking too, as it may not necessarily increase your premiums.

Most companies have a separate excess for windscreen damage so check the policy wording for this. There mayhap a maximum number of claims annually as well.

Optional extras

There a number of optional extras you will be able to get alongside your main policy. You might want the use of a courtesy car while your car is being repaired or you might would like to be insured for driving your car in Europe.

Legal cover costs around 20 and in the event of an accident that is not your fault will help you claim back items not covered by your car insurance policy. These might include your excess, additional travel costs, damage to possessions you had in the car and so on. Opinions are divided on whether it’s worth paying for. You may already have legal cover through your employer or union.

No claims discount protection is another add on, which typically costs around £30. It might not prevent your automobile insurance rising next year as, although you’ll keep your percentage discount, the gross amount you are charged could still increase because you’re perceived as being a higher risk.

There could also be a limit on the number of claims you are able to make within a certain time period e.g. twice in three years. But, altogether, it is considered to be worth the money, especially if you’d find a hike in your premium next year difficult to pay for.

Usually, without no claims discount protection, one claim will result in you losing two years worth of no claims bonus.

The minimum monthly payment trick

Many people look upon the low minimum monthly repayment you can make on a credit card as a blessing. In fact, it’s just the opposite. The minimum you can pay has become steadily lower in recent years and now the higher of 2% of your outstanding balance or £5 is fairly typical for a minimum monthly repayment.

Now 2% a month doesn’t sound too bad. Over the course of a year this should mean you pay off almost a quarter of your original debt. The problem though is the high rate of interest that credit cards charge. If you’re being charged 20% interest a year, payments of 2% a month are only going to make a small dent in your debts over the course of a year.

Indeed, paying the minimum amount on a credit card can result in a debt that lasts far, far longer than the typical mortgage – and that’s 25 years. An example will help demonstrate this. Say you have a £3,000 balance with interest charged at 20%. If you pay the minimum of 2% or £5 this debt will be cleared in …… wait for it …… just over 52 years! So if you take out this credit card at 18 you’ll still be paying it off on your 70th birthday. You’ll also be charged over £9,000 in interest over this time, which is over three times the original debt in interest alone

Paying the minimum amount is fine when you have a 0% balance transfer or purchase deal. But with a normal credit card, it’s a life-long debt sentence. If you have more than one card, then pay as much as possible on the one with the highest interest rate and the minimum (or as much as you can afford) on the others. Continue doing this until the first cards is paid off and then repeat the process with the second card and so on. This way you can escape the curse of the minimum monthly repayment!

Card protection insurance

In contrast to our first pitfall, this one is relatively minor. Well, you probably need a breather after that shock.

Card protection insurance provides an emergency service should your credit cards get stolen or lost. They’ll ring up all your card providers, organise replacements and ensure you don’t lose any money as a result. It’s usually offered by one of two main providers – Sentinel or CCP. Sentinel is the largest player in the market, covering some 6 million people.

The cost of these policies is around £twenty to £thirty a year, so it’s hardly an enormous sum. But you covered for fraudulent losses over £fifty and, in practice, banks generally waive this amount anyway. This cover often covers others in your household too, and so compared to another forms of insurance, it is not the worst value cover out there. Still, it is not good value either and more people would prefer have the extra £30 in their wallet.

Credit card repayment protection

Let’s turn to another form of insurance. Credit card repayment protection (CCRP for short) is a form of payment protection insurance designed to cover your card payments if you’re unable to pay them due to an accident, an illness or unemployment.

There are a couple of tricks to look out for here. First of all, it is the way the cost is expressed – usually at between 70p and 80p per £100 of cover. Put this way it does not sound like a good deal. But this is for every month, meaning that to protect a balance of £3,000 can cost you almost £300 a year

The second aspect to look at is how much the policy will actually pay every month if you need it. Most policies pay somewhere between 3% and 10% a month, yet still cost around the same per £100 of cover. So a insurance policy that disburses 3% will cost you about £300 a year yet only disburse a maximum of about £1,000 over years. Obviously those that cover 10% offer the ‘best’ value but it’s still a hefty price to pay for protection that you’ll rarely use.

So, regardless of how much your CCRP policy pays every month, this is one form of optional insurance policy you are able to well do without. If you’re worried about protective your revenue, a more general form of income protection policy that protects all your outgoings, not just your credit card repayments, will offer far better value for money.

Cash withdrawals

Last of our four pitfalls is withdrawing cash on your credit card. This hits you in so many ways it’s hard to know where to start.

1st up, the rate of interest you get charged on cash withdrawals is generally higher than for normal purchases. It’s often in the region of 25% to 30% a year. Secondly, you do not get the normal 45-day grace period you get with purchases, wherever you pay off your balance a month and a half later and do not get charged interest. With cash withdrawals the interest starts racking up straight away

Thirdly, you will likewise get hit with a one-off fee for each cash withdrawal. This is commonly about 2.5% of the amount withdrawn with a minimum of £2.50. If your withdrawal is in a foreign currency, you will get hit for an additional charge of around 2.5% on top of that. Last of all, due to the way credit card companies allocate your payments, any cash withdrawals you make will be paid off last, as debts with the lowest rate of interest are paid off first.

Altogether, you’d be fortunate using a loan shark than withdrawing cash using your credit card. Don’t do it!

Quotes for insurance cover are free and do not place you under any obligation to purchase the policy. When you shop online you also have access to insurance companies that you may not even know exist because they do not have a visible presence in your local area. Experts recommend that you should request at least three of these quotes so that you can compare rates and get the best deal. When you enter your address on the insurer’s website, if the company is not permitted to operate in your area, you will not be able to advance any further.

Before you can request a free quote, you do need to provide the insurance provider with some basic information. This includes:

the material used in the construction of the foundation, walls and roof
whether or not you have any built-in features, such as a dishwasher
whether or not you have any safety features, such as dead bolts, installed
the source of heat for your home
the amount of coverage you need for your home and your belongings
These are the factors used to determine the cost of your insurance to give you a quote. In order to determine the amount of coverage you need, you should check the home prices in your area to see what your home may be worth. You can also check with a builder to find out what it would cost to rebuild should your home be completely destroyed. This amount is what the insurance would pay you for such a purpose.

Another part of the coverage is that of your personal belongings. In most policies, this amount is equal to half that of the coverage on the house itself. For tenants, there is tenant insurance, which is coverage on the contents of the home alone. To determine how much coverage you need, you should take the time to make an inventory of all your furniture, electronics, clothing and expensive antiques, furs, artwork or jewellery. Assign a dollar value to each item to reach a total of what you will need to replace these items. This will really come in handy if you suffer a total loss because the insurance company will need such a list and in times of trauma it is likely that you will omit something important.

Once you do select the policy that is most affordable for you, then you can purchase the policy. The actual cost may be different from the quote because then the provider does delve into other issues that affect the price of the policy. The company will want to know about previous insurance and whether or not you made any claims on the policy. Your credit rating can also have a negative effect on the price you have to pay. If at this time the cost rises beyond what you can afford, you can opt to go with a different insurance company or choose lower amounts of coverage.

Each insurance policy, whether it is a homeowner policy or a tenant’s package, will spell out specific coverages for which the insurance will pay. These are usually fire, lightning, wind and hail. If you live in an area that is prone to flooding, flood insurance costs extra in a policy and some insurance companies do not even offer it.

If you don’t have any safety features installed in your home, such as smoke detectors, fire extinguishers or locks on the windows, you will also pay a higher price. Since these devices do not cost a lot of money, you should consider installing them to save money on your policy. Although it will add to your expenses this year, the savings on insurance will continue year after year and will give you back more in savings than you spend.

Insurance policies also have a deductible. This is the amount of money you are responsible for paying before the insurance policy kicks in. If you can afford to pay a higher amount of deductible, then the price of the policy will also be lower. Another factor you have to consider in home or tenant insurance is liability protection. You should have the highest level of this protection as possible because it will cover you in the event that someone is injured on your property and sues you for damages. Not having this protection could cause financial ruin if you have to pay the medical expenses for someone who does sustain serious injuries.

Industry experts have stated that because of the economic downturn and the recession the level of burglaries will have risen by around 7 percent by the end of this year, and in the next year they are set to rise by a further 2 percent.

Of course, this is worrying news for those that do not want to become victims of such crime, and it is important to take steps to protect yourself against becoming a victim of domestic burglary. There are certain things that you can do to try and make your home as burglar-proof as possible, and this includes ensuring that you have secure window locks, having a mortise lock fitted to the front door, having bolts fitted to the external doors, and having an intruder alarm fitted.

However, never mind how many precautions you take there’s still a chance that you could turn the victim of this kind of crime, and therefore it’s also vital that you’ve proper home insurance in place. Although insurance cannot stop the burglary from occurring it can help to ensure that you do not have to put up with the financial consequences.

During the last recession manufacture experts have reported that there was a abrupt increase in the number of domestic burglaries that were coming about, and it’s probably that with the ongoing credit crunch and economic downturn this could happen again in the present time.

With Christmas only just over many of us have new, valuable gadgets and items in the home that we have received as gifts or that we have purchased ourselves, and this gives thieves even more reason to break in at this time of year, as they can often get away with a wide range of valuables that are practically new!

Consumers are being urged by several industry officials to check that they’ve up to date insurance cover in place, and to make a point that their home insurance is adequate based on the value of the items that they’ve within the home. You may have things like expensive jewellery, computer equipment, flat screen televisions, and other gadgets and valuable items in your home following the Christmas period, and you need to make certain that you factor these in when you update the level of cover that you have, otherwise you could suffer financial losses in the even that you do become a victim of burglary.

One insurance expert says: ‘It only takes a phone call to your insurer to make sure new items haven’t taken you over your cover limits. Many insurers won’t insure you for more than ￡50,000 of contents unless you choose a provider offering unlimited cover. It’s a trade-off between perhaps paying a little more for the peace of mind of an unlimited policy, or going for a budget selection. But either way it pays to check your valuables are covered.’

For those that are drawing out freshly policies as well as those that would like to switch and find a cheaper supplier it’s important to shop around and compare the market in order to find the most suitable policy at the right price. Remember, you should avoid skimping on the level of cover that you take just to save a pound or two, as you may regret this in the long run if you’ve to cause a claim. Make certain that you take out an adequate level of cover based on your circumstances and then try and have the best price possible for that particular level of cover.

Also, bear in mind that insurance can be complicated and there’s often a lot of important stuff hidden away in the small print. You should make certain that you read all of the policy documents before you make a decision, and check on matters that you’re covered for as well as exclusions and restrictions. Check if accidental cover is included inwards your policy and if not look at adding it, as many people end up being forced to claim for damage that occurs through household accidents, and this can prove to be a very valuable part of the cover.

You can compare different home insurance providers and insurance policy* with ease and convenience using the Internet, as many providers operate online, and several also offer big discounts to those that take their cover online.

You could also use the various price comparison websites that operate online, and with these you simply enter your details and requirements and you are able to compare a list of potentially suitable insurances and prices at a glance. One official says: ‘a lot of households are feeling the pinch so it makes sense to shop around to try to save as far as possible. Comparing policies has never been easier on the internet.

Quotes for insurance cover are free and don’t place you under any obligation to purchase the policy. When you shop online you likewise have access to insurance firm* that you might not even know exist because they don’t have a visible presence in your local area. Experts recommend that you had better request at least three of these quotes so that you are able to compare rates and have the best deal. When you enter your address on the insurer’s website, if the company isn’t allowable to operate in your area, you’ll not be able to advance any further.

Before you are able to request a free quote, you do need to provide the insurance provider with a few basic information. This includes:

the material used in the construction of the foundation, walls and roof
whether or not you’ve any built-in features, such as a dishwasher
whether or not you’ve any safety features, such as dead bolts, installed
the source of heat for your home
the amount of insurance coverage you need for your home and your belongings
These are the factors used to check the cost of your insurance to give you a quote. In order to ascertain the amount of coverage you need, you had better check the home prices in your country to see what your home may be worth. You are able to also check with a builder to find out what it would cost to rebuild had better your home be completely destroyed. This amount is what the policy would pay you for such a purpose.

Some other part of the insurance coverage is that of your personal holding. In most policies, this amount is equal to half that of the coverage on the house itself. For tenants, there’s tenant insurance, which is coverage on the contents of the home alone. To decide how much coverage you need, you had better take the time to make an inventory of all your furniture, electronics, clothing and expensive antiques, furs, artwork or jewellery. Assign a dollar value to each item to reach a total of what you’ll need to replace these items. This will really come in handy if you suffer a total loss because the insurance firm will ask such a list and in times of trauma it’s probably that you’ll omit something important.

Once you do take the policy that’s most affordable for you, then you’ll be able to buy the policy. The actual cost may be different from the quote because then the provider does delve into other issues that affect the price of the policy. The company will prefer to know about previous insurance and whether or not you made any claims on the policy. Your credit rating can also have a negative effect on the price you’ve to pay. Whenever at this time the cost rises beyond what you are able to afford, you’ll be able to prefer to go with another insurance company or choose lower numbers of coverage.

Each insurance policy, whether it’s a homeowner policy or a tenant’s package, will spell out specific coverages for which the insurance will pay. These are usually fire, lightning, wind and hail. If you live in an field that is prone to flooding, flood insurance costs extra in a policy and some insurance companies don’t even offer it.

If you do not have any safety features installed in your home, such as smoke detectors, fire extinguishers or locks on the windows, you’ll besides pay a higher cost. Because these devices don’t cost a lot of money, you had better consider installing them to save money on your policy. Whilst it will add to your expenses this year, the savings about insurance will continue year after year and will give you back more in savings than you spend.

Insurances likewise have a allowable. This is the sum of money you’re responsible for paying before the insurance kicks in. If you are able to afford to pay a higher amount of deductible, then the price of the insurance will also be lower. Some other factor you’ve to consider in home or tenant insurance is liability protection. You had better have the highest level of this protection as possible because it will cover you in the event that someone is injured on your property and sues you for damages. Not having this protection could cause financial ruin if you’ve to bear the medical expenses for someone who does sustain serious injuries.

There have been, and still is, a lot of people that can benefit from accepting this kind of cover, but industry groups have been attempting to highlight the truth that there are also people that may be talked into drawing out the cover even though they’ll never benefit from them and people that have had cover included in their finance deals without even knowing.

PPI is a form of insurance cover that is sold alongside different types of finance, such as credit cards, loans, automobile loans, catalogue credit, and so on. The purpose of the cover is to cover refunds for the policyholder for a set period in the event that the policyholder cannot make refunds on the debt due to illness, fortuity, or redundancy.

However, whilst the cover sounds good in theory there have been a lot of people that have paid a great deal for this protection without understanding that they can’t ever claim on it, and a lot of other people that have been talked into taking out the cover even thought they didn’t want it. This is something that campaigners and various groups have been trying to put an end to, and even the Financial Services Authority, the UK’s financial regulator, has become heavily involved in the crackdown on PPI, having levied heavy fines on a number of lenders that have been found to be mis-selling this cover.

PPI cover is available from independent suppliers, and has also been sold by lenders such that  banks, which gain a healthy commission from PPI sales, which goes some way towards explaining the hard sell tactic that a lot have used over the years. Whilst consumers that do would like to draw out this cover can in theory shop around to have the best price – as it can be quite a costly form of cover – a few lenders have completed that the cover has to be taken from them along with the finance, which isn’t the case. As a matter of fact, there have been a lot of troubles and mis-selling tactics that have been tied to PPI sales, and this is why campaigners have been working tirelessly to try and rectify the situation.

It seems that the years of campaigning, however, may be at last having some desired effect, according to a new reports. The reports claim that a number of major banks have instantly decided that they’ll stop selling PPI alongside their unsecured loans, which means that consumers will no more have to worry about being pushed into taking cover, and if they would like to draw out cover they can well make their own choice from a selection of providers without feeling pressured to take it from a particular provider. Even the Competition Commission has threatened to stop the sale of PPI with loans and credit in the past, reflecting just how serious mis-selling was becoming, so the decision to stop these sales by the participating banks comes as good news.

There are 5 major banks that have said that they’ll stop selling PPI with their unsecured loans, and these are Alliance & Leicester, Barclays, the Co-operative Bank, Lloyds Banking Group, including HBOS, and RBS, which has Natwest. These banks will still offer even premium PPI, which is a regular monthly charge to cover repayments on a loan or credit card. However, previously the PPI sold was single premium PPI, where the cost of the cover was taken as a lump sum, added to the finance, and then had interest charged on it along with the rest of the finance, resulting in the cost of the cover soaring.

Officials do urge consumers to remember that PPI isn’t necessarily a bad affair, although there are rising concerns over the costs associated with the single premium PPI cover that’s added onto finance thus attracting high interest payments. In the current financial climate, where there’s several uncertainty over job security, a lot of people may find that this cover offers them peace of mind once they take out any form of finance, but it’s vital to shop around and check prices from different providers. One useful thing to think is that the FSA offers a guide for those looking for PPI, and enables consumers to find the most suitable cover from a list of providers based on their needs.

Industry experts have stated that because of the economic downturn and the recession the level of burglaries will have risen by around 7 percent by the end of this year, and in the next year they are set to rise by a further 2 percent.

Of course, this is worrying news for those that do not want to become victims of such crime, and it is important to take steps to protect yourself against becoming a victim of domestic burglary. There are certain things that you can do to try and make your home as burglar-proof as possible, and this includes ensuring that you have secure window locks, having a mortise lock fitted to the front door, having bolts fitted to the external doors, and having an intruder alarm fitted.

However, never mind how many precautions you take there’s still a chance that you could turn the victim of this kind of crime, and therefore it’s also vital that you’ve proper home insurance in place. Although insurance cannot stop the burglary from occurring it can help to ensure that you do not have to put up with the financial consequences.

During the last recession manufacture experts have reported that there was a abrupt increase in the number of domestic burglaries that were coming about, and it’s probably that with the ongoing credit crunch and economic downturn this could happen again in the present time.

With Christmas only just over many of us have new, valuable gadgets and items in the home that we have received as gifts or that we have purchased ourselves, and this gives thieves even more reason to break in at this time of year, as they can often get away with a wide range of valuables that are practically new!

Consumers are being urged by several industry officials to check that they’ve up to date insurance cover in place, and to make a point that their home insurance is adequate based on the value of the items that they’ve within the home. You may have things like expensive jewellery, computer equipment, flat screen televisions, and other gadgets and valuable items in your home following the Christmas period, and you need to make certain that you factor these in when you update the level of cover that you have, otherwise you could suffer financial losses in the even that you do become a victim of burglary.

One insurance expert says: ‘It only takes a phone call to your insurer to make sure new items haven’t taken you over your cover limits. Many insurers won’t insure you for more than ￡50,000 of contents unless you choose a provider offering unlimited cover. It’s a trade-off between perhaps paying a little more for the peace of mind of an unlimited policy, or going for a budget selection. But either way it pays to check your valuables are covered.’

For those that are drawing out freshly policies as well as those that would like to switch and find a cheaper supplier it’s important to shop around and compare the market in order to find the most suitable policy at the right price. Remember, you should avoid skimping on the level of cover that you take just to save a pound or two, as you may regret this in the long run if you’ve to cause a claim. Make certain that you take out an adequate level of cover based on your circumstances and then try and have the best price possible for that particular level of cover.

Also, bear in mind that insurance can be complicated and there’s often a lot of important stuff hidden away in the small print. You should make certain that you read all of the policy documents before you make a decision, and check on matters that you’re covered for as well as exclusions and restrictions. Check if accidental cover is included inwards your policy and if not look at adding it, as many people end up being forced to claim for damage that occurs through household accidents, and this can prove to be a very valuable part of the cover.

You can compare different home insurance providers and insurance policy* with ease and convenience using the Internet, as many providers operate online, and several also offer big discounts to those that take their cover online.

You could also use the various price comparison websites that operate online, and with these you simply enter your details and requirements and you are able to compare a list of potentially suitable insurances and prices at a glance. One official says: ‘a lot of households are feeling the pinch so it makes sense to shop around to try to save as far as possible. Comparing policies has never been easier on the internet.

Although the base rate of interest has been slashed by the Bank of England many banks have failed to pass on the rate cuts, which means some borrowers may still be paying a fortune on their mortgage. Lenders have started demanding ridiculous deposit levels such as 20 or 25 percent minimum, whereas previously borrowers could easily get away with a 5 percent deposit and in many cases with no deposit at all.

The housing market has also suffered hugely over the past year. Property prices peaked in around October of last year, and since this time prices have been falling month on month after a ten year boom. With the bubble finally burst homeowners have seen their equity levels plummet, and whilst non-homeowners may have thought that the fall in house prices would finally allow them to get their foot on the property ladder, the lack of mortgage availability has put the kibosh on this.

Property sales levels have suffered hugely during this time, and many homeowners that were hoping to sell their properties have found that they’ve either had to drop the asking price lower than they’d have liked or have found that the property has been left stagnating on the market with little to no interest from buyers. Would be buyers have been put off buying for a few reasons, including the lack of finance available from lenders and the threat of falling into negative equity due to ongoing house price falls.

This combination has resulted in a very bleak year for the housing market and there’s much trepidation about what 2009 will bring when it comes to the housing sector, with a number of industry groups and professionals making predictions with regards to property sales and house prices over the coming year. However, in such a difficult and turbulent climate some major lenders and groups have decided not to even bother making predictions and forecasts, which reflects the volatility of the housing market now.

The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors is among the agencies that’s made a forecast with regards to house prices and property sales for 2009. Officials from RICS have predicted that over the course of 2009 house prices will fall by a further 10 percent, having already fallen by over 15 percent since the peak in 2007. The institute has also predicted that the sale of properties will increase by 10 percent, which is good news considering that earlier this year property sales levels fell to record lows with estate agents selling an average of less than one property per week each. However, whether or not property sales do rise by this level will be dependant partly on whether the government is able to increase liquidity in the mortgage markets further in order to get things moving again.

Tow major lenders that have become familiar for their yearly forecasts on house prices, which are widely followed, have decided that they will not be making any forecast this year. The Halifax recently stated that it felt that making a prediction or forecast on house prices would be inappropriate this year given the impending takeover by Lloyds TSB. The Nationwide said that it felt that the market was too volatile and difficult to make a prediction on house prices. This opinion has also been mirrored by the Council of Mortgage Lenders, which has also decided that it will not be making any forecast.

The Treasury has predicted that 2009 will see house prices decrease by a further 9.2 percent, and industry officials have said that this could result in many people decided to hold out until the second half of next year before looking at getting a property, as property values will have fallen further by then and may be closer to getting back on the path to recovery. Again, this will be dependant on the state of the mortgage lending sector and whether liquidity has increased and mortgage lending conditions have eased.

There are mixed predictions with regards to how long the housing slump will actually last, with some officials predicting that it will bottom out around the middle of next year and start to make a recovery, and others claiming that it’s likely to continue well into 2010.