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The bestselling inflatable toy today is still the inflatable bouncer. This is the set that is beautifully designed and is normally sold complete with towers, walls, and palace entryways. Inside the playpen is a giant play area where kids can jump and play to their heart's desire.

However, bouncing is not all they can do inside these inflatable toys. Right now, a lot of inflatable bouncers are equipped with games for children to enjoy. A good example would be a slide. There are both wet and dry slides for inflatable toys. Children can climb onto it and slide into a sea of plastic balls or the swimming pool. It is very similar to the slides you see in city and water parks. The only difference is that this one isn't made out of steel. The slide is a soft, air-filled cushion that children can bump onto safely and comfortably.

Other than slides, some inflatable bouncers come with basketball hoops as well. This may be positioned at the far end of the play set. Kids can use the matching balls to shoot into the hoop. This game is perfect of little boys who love to play ball.

There are also bouncers that are equipped with obstacle courses. The object of this game is to have the kids run around the obstacles installed in the bouncers. They must go over, under, and around them to get into the end line and back. This is a very entertaining game for kids' parties. You can give treats like candies and chocolates to the winner. Of course, you can have your kids compete with each other. Or maybe you can be the opponent yourself. Doesn't it sound fun already?

Inflatable bouncers are not just big jumping toys. Most of the games integrated in each set can be stimulating and even educational. They are always worth yours and your child's time. With it, they will not only enjoy themselves but learn, exercise, and get fit while playing. Check it out. It is the best gift and investment that you can give your kids.

Most renting of inflatable bouncers comes from small businesses and private individuals. There are very few large-scale corporations taking of this market, which means that there are opportunities everywhere to start your own low cost, high profit marketing business.

There are almost no disadvantages to renting inflatable bouncers: most of the opportunity to rent them comes on the weekend, so they won't interfere with a full-time or weekday job. They don't take up much space, because they can be deflated and stored in a garage, or even in the house. And after the one-time cost of investing in an inflatable bouncer, the profits are entirely yours.

The advantages, on the other hand are immense. You set your own hours.You work from home. You operate your own personal business, and answer to no one. At the same time, the profits are limitless. The market for inflatable bouncers is anybody with young children. Your customers, who will be thrilled to receive the service will come back to you for more parties, and parents with more than one child may rent again and again.

Most parents will host only a few parties that could use an inflatable bouncer, and they may want different products for different parties.

In 1959 a man named John Scurlock designed an inflatable cover for a tennis court, an idea that would eventually lead to one of the most popular party accessories available today. After watching his employees jumping around on his invention, Mr. Scurlock decided to make an inflatable mattress of sorts for a new form of fun. Eventually he expanded his idea to include larger models, and over the years the idea has transformed to become one of the coolest backyard party attractions ever. The business was known originally as the Space Walk and Mrs. Scurlock had the idea to make the inflatable fun obtainable by renting out the air filled structures. Today there are over one hundred rental facilities still sharing the fun for family parties everywhere.

The Bounce House, known by other names such as: the Moon Walk, Jolly Jumper or Astro Walk, has grown in popularity since its inception. Only rentals were available during the early years, but eventually these fun party inflatable structures have become affordable for most families to enjoy the fun in their very own backyards. Carnivals, churches and schools rent them and charge fees to raise monies. The Bounce House is a very versatile way to entertain or raise funds for events, and is a relatively safe way to make any occasion a hit.

Bounce Houses are constructed of a PVC or nylon and vinyl material which is sturdy and flexible at the same time. This material is also able to handle small punctures without damaging the Bounce House itself. Once just a mattress inflated with one or more fans, the Bounce House has become a structure with columns and a roof that is still inflated by fans. The difference in the construction is that the air has more area to move about, which takes less energy (one fan as opposed to two or more like earlier designs) and is nowhere near as hot in the summer months. Mesh is used to keep the participants from tumbling out, while also allowing parents the opportunity to watch while their children bounce around inside. And keep in mind, children aren't the only ones who enjoy Bounce Houses -- they are structurally supportive for adults to enjoy the fun as well!

There are many designs readily offered for renting or purchasing. Castles and animals are two of the most noted designs to attract attention. There are even inflatable slides for your swimming pool! Water parks are offering Bounce House structures complete with water slides as new attractions for visitors. With the internet it is easy to purchase a new or even used Bounce House of your very own. Since they are inflatable storage is a breeze, however if you don't have the space or the desire to own there are still many rental options available to you. Many rental facilities have trained staff to set up & take down the inflatable houses, as well as provide safety tips. Bounce Houses are available for any party you desire and certainly will make you the envy of the neighborhood!

If you are renting an inflatable jumping castle, you need to make sure that the rental company will be responsible for the set up of the bouncy castle, the removal of the castle and for maintenance. The rental company needs to ensure that the bouncy castle is maintained in a way that is sanitary. Find out their methods for cleaning the castle. If the castle doesn't get a good disinfecting cleansing, you don't want your children to use it for obvious reasons. Make sure that the rental company repairs any rips and slits.

If you are buying an inflatable jumping castle, make sure that you can get a money back guarantee if you are unhappy. Make sure that you can buy your purchase from a company that will give you complete instructions on how to use and care for your bouncy castle.

Whether you rent, or purchase an inflatable jumping castle for your kids, you will be happy with your decision. Just make sure that the inflatable is safe, clean, and maintained well and your backyard parties or your parties in the park will be the event that all of your child's friends will want to attend.

Inflatable bouncers are a wonderful thing to have whenever there are occasions or family gatherings because children will surely have fun bouncing the whole day. Bouncers can be just rented or bought if you really want your kids to have their own bouncing space. As fun as these are but when these things are not properly used, it would lead to danger and injuries. It is really necessary to understand the safety measures of using these bouncers in order to prevent accident and to make it more enjoyable for the kids. Below are some safety guidelines to follow in order to ensure safety:

If you are heading for a family picnic, bringing inflatable bouncers can be a good idea but make sure that when you get there, you'll know how to install each part of the bouncer so that when kids decide to play, they will be out of harm. If you are just renting a bouncer, see to it that the company can provide a person who can do the proper set-up. When setting up, laid down a tap below it and check if it is already properly attach to the ground and it is not likely to fall or slide.

Before you let children play, test if everything is good and ask someone or keep an eye to the bouncer to make sure that children won't get hurt. Does the bouncer look like air have gone of it? Is the blower working efficiently? Do not allow children to play on it all together. An inflatable bouncer can't handle a lot of children and it will just create damage. The number of kids who will be using the bouncer will just depend on the size of the bouncer you have and the weight of the kids.

As long as pearl jewelry have been known to people, they have been a highly sought commodity for their beauty. It's only in recent times however that the industry has taken the hunt for the perfect pearl to a whole different level. Today, the shiny orbs that we see on in display in jewelry stores have actually almost always been grown in farms. That's a far cry from the dangerous extraction and collection methods used before the invention of modern technology. In the past, not more than 100 years ago, the only way to retrieve pearls was by diving in lakes, floods and the ocean to pick them up, one at the time. The unfortunate divers who'se job it was to do this, were often poor and lured by the relative large sums they could get. The diver would sometimes have to dive as deep as 100 feet on one single breath of air. In order to preserve air and to stay submerged the longest, the divers would hold on to heavy stones on the way down. Naturally, this dangerous activity was reserved for the desperate or the powerless - in many cases slaves or extremely poor peasents. Today, this method is all but obsolete in most places of the world. The cheaper cultured pearls have become popular and are many times the only pearls available to the consumer. There are however still a few isolated areas that practice this old art of pearl diving. Some of the finest natural pearl speciments come from the gulf of Bahrain. Here, divers still risk their health to retrieve what are considered the top of the crop in the world. In fact, Bahrain wants no part of the sale of cultured pearls, banned from trade. Bahrain is one of the few places on earth that does an active job in trying to preserve the natural habitat and waters from pollution. It's an interesting story and one that continues to fascinate buyers around the world. Somehow, the beauty of the pearl grows when it's been retrieved from the depth of the ocean.

The article from bounce house and jumping castle of Y&G.

Buying pearl jewelry can be fun, exciting and confusing. Whether you're considering a gift of pearl jewelry for someone special or as a treat for yourself, take some time to learn the terms used in the industry. Here's some information to help you get the best quality pearl jewelry for your money, whether you're shopping in a traditional brick and mortar store or online. Pearls Natural or real pearls are made by oysters and other mollusks. Cultured pearls also are grown by mollusks, but with human intervention; that is, an irritant introduced into the shells causes a pearl to grow. Imitation pearls are man-made with glass, plastic, or organic materials. Because natural pearls are very rare, most pearls used in jewelry are either cultured or imitation pearls. Cultured pearls, because they are made by oysters or mollusks, usually are more expensive than imitation pears. A cultured pearl's value is largely based on its size, usually stated in millimeters, and the quality of its nacre coating, which give it luster. Jewelers should tell your if the pearls are cultured or imitation. Some black, bronze, gold, purple, blue and orange pearls, whether natural or cultured, occur that way in nature; some, however, are dyed through various processes. Jewelers should tell you whether the colored pearls are naturally colored, dyed or irradiated. Clams, oysters, mussels and many other mollusks with limy shells are known to produce pearls. But very few kinds yield gem pearls of jeweler's quality. The pearl is an abnormal growth of mother-of-pearl, or nacre, imbedded in the soft bodies of these shellfish. It is built up, layer upon layer, in the same way as nacre is added to the lining of the growing shell and always has the same color and luster. For example, over the country, hundreds of good-sized pearls are found each year in the oysters we eat. Unfortunately these have no commercial value regardless of whether they have been cooked or not because they are dull opaque white or purple like the shell of the parent oyster. In recent times almost all pearls of gem quality come from the oriental pearl oyster which has a bright shimmering translucent nacre. A pearl starts growing when some irritating foreign substance such as a sand grain, bit of mud, parasite or other object becomes lodged in the shell-producing gland called the mantle. Pearls formed in the soft flesh where nacre can be added on all sides are most likely to be spherical and the most highly prized. By far the great majority are flattened or variously distorted and have little value. Size, color, luster and freedom from flaws are other essential qualities. Unlike other gems, such as diamonds, pearls have an average life of only about 50 years. In time the small amount of water in a pearl's make-up is lost and its surface cracks. Because they are mostly lime, necklaces which are worn often are injured by the acid secretions of the human skin.

The article from bounce house and jumping castle of Y&G.

As long as pearl jewelry have been known to people, they have been a highly sought commodity for their beauty. It's only in recent times however that the industry has taken the hunt for the perfect pearl to a whole different level. Today, the shiny orbs that we see on in display in jewelry stores have actually almost always been grown in farms. That's a far cry from the dangerous extraction and collection methods used before the invention of modern technology. In the past, not more than 100 years ago, the only way to retrieve pearls was by diving in lakes, floods and the ocean to pick them up, one at the time. The unfortunate divers who'se job it was to do this, were often poor and lured by the relative large sums they could get. The diver would sometimes have to dive as deep as 100 feet on one single breath of air. In order to preserve air and to stay submerged the longest, the divers would hold on to heavy stones on the way down. Naturally, this dangerous activity was reserved for the desperate or the powerless - in many cases slaves or extremely poor peasents. Today, this method is all but obsolete in most places of the world. The cheaper cultured pearls have become popular and are many times the only pearls available to the consumer. There are however still a few isolated areas that practice this old art of pearl diving. Some of the finest natural pearl speciments come from the gulf of Bahrain. Here, divers still risk their health to retrieve what are considered the top of the crop in the world. In fact, Bahrain wants no part of the sale of cultured pearls, banned from trade. Bahrain is one of the few places on earth that does an active job in trying to preserve the natural habitat and waters from pollution. It's an interesting story and one that continues to fascinate buyers around the world. Somehow, the beauty of the pearl grows when it's been retrieved from the depth of the ocean.

Buying pearl jewelry can be fun, exciting and confusing. Whether you're considering a gift of pearl jewelry for someone special or as a treat for yourself, take some time to learn the terms used in the industry. Here's some information to help you get the best quality pearl jewelry for your money, whether you're shopping in a traditional brick and mortar store or online. Pearls Natural or real pearls are made by oysters and other mollusks. Cultured pearls also are grown by mollusks, but with human intervention; that is, an irritant introduced into the shells causes a pearl to grow. Imitation pearls are man-made with glass, plastic, or organic materials. Because natural pearls are very rare, most pearls used in jewelry are either cultured or imitation pearls. Cultured pearls, because they are made by oysters or mollusks, usually are more expensive than imitation pears. A cultured pearl's value is largely based on its size, usually stated in millimeters, and the quality of its nacre coating, which give it luster. Jewelers should tell your if the pearls are cultured or imitation. Some black, bronze, gold, purple, blue and orange pearls, whether natural or cultured, occur that way in nature; some, however, are dyed through various processes. Jewelers should tell you whether the colored pearls are naturally colored, dyed or irradiated. Clams, oysters, mussels and many other mollusks with limy shells are known to produce pearls. But very few kinds yield gem pearls of jeweler's quality. The pearl is an abnormal growth of mother-of-pearl, or nacre, imbedded in the soft bodies of these shellfish. It is built up, layer upon layer, in the same way as nacre is added to the lining of the growing shell and always has the same color and luster. For example, over the country, hundreds of good-sized pearls are found each year in the oysters we eat. Unfortunately these have no commercial value regardless of whether they have been cooked or not because they are dull opaque white or purple like the shell of the parent oyster. In recent times almost all pearls of gem quality come from the oriental pearl oyster which has a bright shimmering translucent nacre. A pearl starts growing when some irritating foreign substance such as a sand grain, bit of mud, parasite or other object becomes lodged in the shell-producing gland called the mantle. Pearls formed in the soft flesh where nacre can be added on all sides are most likely to be spherical and the most highly prized. By far the great majority are flattened or variously distorted and have little value. Size, color, luster and freedom from flaws are other essential qualities. Unlike other gems, such as diamonds, pearls have an average life of only about 50 years. In time the small amount of water in a pearl's make-up is lost and its surface cracks. Because they are mostly lime, necklaces which are worn often are injured by the acid secretions of the human skin.

BBC presenters are not the only ones setting up their own companies to beat tax — growing numbers of professionals are opting out of salaried employment to become consultants and freelancers.

The Sunday Times revealed earlier this month that high-profile BBC names are using service companies to take advantage of lower income tax levied on company profits and dividend payments, compared with personal taxes.

Companies with a turnover of £300,000 or less currently pay 21% tax and are not subject to National Insurance contributions (Nics). Higher rate pay-as-you-earn taxpayers, on the other hand, pay 40% and from April next year this rises to 50% for those who earn £150,000 or more. With Nics, this rises to 51.5%.

Last week, Price Waterhouse Coopers, the accountant, reported a “groundswell of private business development in the UK”, adding that more graduates were deciding to pearl jewelry  start out on their own.
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Peopleperhour.com, a website where consultants and freelancers market their services to employers, said the number of projects posted on the site had risen 200% in the past three months, while the number of people registering grew 25%.

In addition to low tax rates, the advantages of being taxed as a company rather than an employee include the ability to offset losses against any other income you have earned in the past three years. You can also claim generous reliefs available for entrepreneurs on the sale of assets owned by a business or on the disposal of shares in the company.

However, there are some big hurdles when it comes to proving self-employment. Referring to the BBC presenters who have set up companies, Mike Warburton of Grant Thornton, the accountant, said: “I anticipate they will be picked off one by one by the taxman in the months ahead.”

We offer a guide to setting up on your own within the tax rules.

What are the advantages?

The big advantage is that you can retain funds within the business at lower company tax rates. If you take money out of the business, though, there is less benefit.

For example, a full-time employee earning £150,000 will take home £92,220 after income tax and Nics from next April.

Alternatively, you could set yourself up as a company and draw £150,000. First you would pay yourself £6,475, equivalent to the personal allowance and therefore free from income tax and Nics. You would then pay corporation tax of 21% on the remaining £143,525 left in the business — leaving £113,385 that can be paid as dividends.

Dividends are taxed from April next year at biwa pearl a basic-rate of 10% on the first £37,400 and at 32.5% after that, so you will pay £19,931 tax, leaving £93,454 to take home. With the £6,475 you have already taken, you get £99,929 out of £150,000 earnings — £7,709 more than if you were an employee, according to figures from Grant Thornton.

Accountants also point out that if you leave money in the business, rather than take it as a dividend, you would pay capital-gains tax at 18% when the company was wound up rather than income tax. You need to keep the business going only for two years before you become eligible to wind it up.

Are there limits?

The Revenue imposes strict rules — only those who can prove they are not employees are allowed to trade as companies.

Under “IR35”, the Revenue will scrutinise the number of clients a so-called company has to determine if the worker should be paying personal tax rates on salary.

David Whiscombe of BKL, the tax adviser, said: “The Revenue will investigate companies that use a large number of sub-contractors.”

An alternative is to use umbrella companies — these do not attract a lower base rate of income tax, but workers can offset travel and other expenses that are “wholly and exclusively” for business purposes.

Any other tax perks?

Companies can also be used to split income between a husband and wife who both own shares in the company. Couples — and also grandparents and adult children — can then each apply their personal allowance to what is, in effect, one salary.

For example, say a husband and wife each own 50% shares in a firm with annual earnings of £150,000. Again, each gets a payment of £6,475 (equal to the personal allowance) free of akoya pearl tax and Nics, leaving £137,050 taxed at 21% company tax rate (£28,780). This leaves £108,270 or £54,135 each, which can be paid in dividends. They will be taxed at £5,119 each on this, leaving them with £49,016 each. Adding the £6,475 tax-free payment, they each keep £55,491 — or £110,982 as a couple, compared with £99,929 were the company in one name.

However, the taxman could thwart this. It has already challenged “income splitting” in a test case, but ultimately lost. While the Treasury has pledged to legislate anyway, plans to do so have been shelved.

Concern about the stability of the Dutch bank ING, which may see it downgraded by Moody’s, the credit rating agency, has sounded alarm bells for savers.

More than a million people in Britain have savings with the bank’s online arm, ING Direct. Thousands more had their cash transferred to ING last year when it bought savings accounts from Kaupthing Edge and Heritable, the failed Icelandic banks.

ING is offering existing customers 3% interest on its Growth Saver if they deposit between £50,000 and £1m. Its pearl jewelry best-buy easy access account at 3.2% and fixed-rate saver at 3.25% also accept up to £1m.

However, the Dutch deposit guarantee scheme, which would cover British account holders if ING got into difficulties, guarantees only up to €100,000 (£91,745).
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West Bromwich building society was criticised in May for launching a best-buy savings account for deposits of more than £50,000 after its credit rating had been down- graded. The UK’s Financial Services Compensation Scheme only guarantees deposits up to this amount.

Moody’s could take up to 90 days to biwa pearl decide whether to downgrade ING, previously one of the strongest banks in Europe. The rating gives other financial institutions an indication of how safe it is to lend money to ING.

The European Commission is investigating the Dutch government’s agreement to cover 80% of ING’s €27.7 billion risky Alt-A mortgages in exchange for a fixed fee. Moody’s fears that the inquiry could lead to higher fees for the coverage, which would sap the bank’s depleted reserves.

Finance experts said ING Direct savers should not panic. Kevin Mountford of money- supermarket.com, the comparison website, said: “The possibility of a downgrade shouldn’t alarm savers; after all, ratings agencies have downgraded entire governments in the past year.

“As long as customers keep their balances below the compensation limit, they should have nothing to akoya pearl fear.”

ING said: “Our credit rating is in line with other major European and American banks, and there is no reason for customers to be concerned.”

BUILDING societies stand accused of ripping off the over-fifties on savings, despite government measures to boost the amount they can save tax-free this week.

From Tuesday, anyone over 50 will be able to invest an extra £1,500 into their cash Isas as their allowance will rise from £3,600 to £5,100.

Institutions have launched a wealth of accounts to attract older savers’ cash — but some are offering poorer rates than their “mainstream” deals.

Last week Principality building society launched an Isa for the over-fifties paying a lower rate than those available to everyone. Its 50 Plus Fixed Rate Isa pays 3.8% until June 2012 — 0.4 percentage points less than its standard three-year Isa, the Direct Fixed Rate account, which pays 4.2%. Newcastle building society is another that has a two-tier system which has worse rates on its accounts for older savers. Its 55 Isa pays just 0.5% — the same as Bank rate.
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Savers would be considerably better off in pearl jewelry its ordinary Cash Isa+ account, open to everyone, paying 2.5%. This is guaranteed to beat Bank rate until June 2011.

Michelle Slade of Moneyfacts, the financial data firm, said: “This is quite a cynical move — diverting older savers into worse-paying accounts.”

Isas are not the only potential trap — savers are being urged to check the small print on so-called easy access accounts or risk being caught out by unexpected penalties.

Bob Thurgood, 66, a Sunday Times reader from Sevenoaks, Kent, pictured below, invested £200,000 in biwa pearl March in the Nationwide e-Savings Plus notice account, paying 2%. When he closed the account six months later, he expected to be paid £2,000 but received just £99. He then realised that Nationwide imposes an unusual penalty on the account: the interest rate falls to just 0.1% if the account closes within a year.

Thurgood said: “I may be old but I am not stupid. Nonetheless, I overlooked this condition. I tried to explain my mistake to Nationwide but they wouldn’t reopen my account or reinstate the interest.”

Nationwide said: “We are very transparent about withdrawals and make the situation very clear. We take customer feedback seriously and we will review our website to see if it needs to be changed in any way to make the information clearer still.”

Last week, the Office for National Statistics published figures showing British households were saving the biggest proportion of their income for six years. However, an increasing number of banks and building societies are sneaking in penalties on easy access accounts.

We detail the over-fifties savings traps.

Isas Savers have been urged to akoya pearl look beyond deals targeted specifically at the over-fifties when taking out their Isas, although this may not always be as easy as it seems.

Principality’s 50 Plus Isa is a branch-based account, whereas the higher-paying Direct Fixed Rate account is available only over the phone or online. This means that older savers who use branches may never find out that the Direct Isa is a better bet than the 50 Plus.

Principality defended its move. “The additional costs associated with offering the over-fifties Isa via our branches represents the difference between these two products,” it said.

The best easy access Isa is from Standard Life bank, which pays 2.65% on deposits of £1 or more. This compares with just 1.9% from Newbury building society’s instant access Senior Monthly cash Isa. Saga’s one-year fixed-rate Isa pays 2.45%, but any withdrawals are subject to a 90-day loss of interest.

The FSA’s intervention will usher in several benefits for consumers, though they do come with some hefty provisos.

For example, cash transfers from one bank account to another can take up to 10 days at present. From November 1, they will have to take place by close of business the next day. Until 2012, banks can take up to three days to do this — but they must first notify customers. Banks and building societies will also have to give customers two months’ advance notice of any rate changes to their current or savings account, where those changes are detrimental to consumers (such as a rate cut) and unless the account explicitly states that it tracks a reference rate — for example, it guarantees always to be 2% above Bank rate.

However, the most intriguing wording in pearl jewelry the new regulations states that if a debit is made from a credit or debit card that was not authorised, the bank will refund the entire amount. If it refuses, it has 10 days to provide evidence to justify that refusal.

It is not entirely clear how this will work in practice but the FSA suggests it could be used in instances where customers have to hand over their card without agreeing the actual payment amount first.

One example would be where a card was swiped when checking in at a hotel and later found to include a higher bar charge than expected.

This looks great on paper but there is a big catch. Even though the onus is on the bank to refund your money, it biwa pearl may seek to claim it back from the company that made the original charge — and that company can still pursue you.

The FSA said: “The clear message is that you can dispute any charges, and have them refunded, unless the bank gives you a reason why not.”

What the rules mean

- From November 1, cash transfers from one bank account to another must be completed by close of business the next day, instead of 10 days as is the case now.

- Banks and building societies will also have to give customers two months’ notice of any rate changes to current or savings accounts where those changes are detrimental to akoya pearl consumers, such as a rate cut.

- If an unauthorised debit is made from a credit or debit card, your bank should refund the entire amount.

Millions of bank customers are receiving weighty booklets containing revised terms and conditions, and they could be forgiven for overlooking sneaky changes buried deep in the small print.

From November 1, the Financial Services Authority, the City watchdog, will regulate how banks and building societies deal with their customers, forcing them to speed up payment times and give prior notice of rate changes. The FSA will fine any that fail to comply.

However, many are using the FSA’s demand that they produce clearer terms and conditions as an opportunity to introduce variations on their accounts. Barclays is the latest culprit in a line-up that includes Halifax, American Express and Santander Cards.

In a document sent out to Barclays customers in the past few weeks, a new clause states that, from October 30, if there are no payments on a current account for 12 months, the bank will cancel any overdraft or “personal reserve” facility without warning.
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Personal reserve is Barclays’ version of pearl jewelry an unauthorised overdraft facility and costs £22 for each five-day period. If the prearranged reserve limit is then exceeded, there are charges of another £8 per transaction, up to a maximum £40 a day. The change would therefore hit consumers who temporarily stopped using their accounts.

One reader, a housewife not using her account at present, worries that she could be stung by overdraft fees if she decides to start using it again at some point next year.

She said: “I always read all the fine print but I doubt most people bothered to get through all four pages of this document. Barclays’ customers should check annually that their overdraft is still in place on little-used accounts — otherwise they might find out that their helpful bank has cancelled it without notifying them.”

David Black at Defaqto, the financial analyst, said that many customers may not be able to get another overdraft — or may be restricted to a lower amount — if their current overdraft facility is withdrawn.

“Banks are using any opportunity to biwa pearl shore up their balance sheets, which means they review their lending criteria much more frequently,” he said.

Barclays defended the move. It said: “To ensure that we lend responsibly, banks need to have an up-to-date understanding of a customer’s financial situation and ensure that any borrowing is within the customer’s means.

“Therefore, where an account is effectively dormant, without any debit or credit activity for over a year, we may remove the overdraft facility. The policy is communicated to the customers in the terms and conditions of the account but we will monitor feedback closely and, if necessary, change the way we communicate this to customers in the future.”

Other firms are also guilty of changing their terms and conditions in advance of the deadline. American Express has introduced a £20 dormancy fee for customers who do not use its Platinum cashback card — the market-leading cashback offering — for 12 months.

What’s more, it has increased the minimum amount you have to spend in a year to earn any cashback — from £2,400 to £3,000. The minimum cashback threshold has also doubled from £12 to £25, which means that if you earn less than £25 cashback over 12 months, you will lose it.

Meanwhile, Halifax is bringing in a host of new fees next month, such as doubling the cost of a banker’s draft to £20. It will also start charging £3 for accepting euro transactions over £8,000 or any other currency transactions of more than £100 into an account.

If any information from the bank sending the currency is incorrect, Halifax will levy a further £3 fee for carrying out checks.

The changes come amid a akoya pearl recent spate of rate increases on credit and store cards. Research from Which?, the consumer group, found that 27 brands have raised purchase rates, balance transfer or cash withdrawal fees in the past year, with Bank of Ireland one of the worst offenders — it has raised purchase rates one percentage point and balance transfer fees on all its cards from 2.5% to 2.98% in the past 12 months.

Santander Cards, which manages store cards for the likes of Topshop, House of Fraser and Laura Ashley, is also raising its rates. Last week, shoppers with a Laura Ashley credit card learnt that the interest rate on purchases would increase by 2.5 percentage points on December 4 — right in the middle of their Christmas shopping. The rate will rise from 18.3% to 20.8%.

Vera Cottrell at Which? said: “It seems that firms have simply jumped at the opportunity to introduce these negative changes under cover of a very positive move by the FSA.”