New money saving website launched!

Published by Richard Lord for Wakefield & District Housing in Bill Payments and also in Central Government, Education, Housing, Local Government

Social landlord Wakefield and District Housing (WDH) has launched a new version of its financial advice website ask:ted, which offers up-to-date financial guidance on savings, loans and value for money.

The website, which is available to everyone – not just WDH tenants – features a unique traffic light system tailored specifically to whether the visitor needs immediate help or just some general advice to stay out of the red.

Ask:ted, which stands for ‘Tackling Exclusion and Debt’, was originally set up in September 2007 by WDH to support its work on financial inclusion, but following government cuts and last year’s spending review the site has been redeveloped to offer the latest help and top tips.

Jacqui Ward, WDH Senior Revenues Manager, said: “One of the problems facing people with limited incomes is that they often find it difficult to obtain the right advice and value for money.

“They also find that banks do not always offer them their best accounts and companies tend to offer their best rates only to people who can afford to pay regular amounts.

“Loans are more expensive for people without a regular income, which forces them to borrow from loan sharks and the debt spirals out of control from there.

“The ask:ted website is part of our efforts to avoid these problems. It supports the ‘Money Matters’ sessions we hold, where WDH employees provide direct financial guidance, and is freely available to anyone – whether you’re a WDH tenant or not.”

The site has been redesigned using visitor feedback and is now easier to navigate and includes up-to-date content – as well as a special utility that helps calculate your budget.

To access this raft or money saving advice and information visit www.askted.org.uk.