Personal Finance: Bargain Basement

A FOUR-YEAR capped-rate home loan starting at 6.19 per cent is on offer from Chase De Vere Mortgage Management. Rates will revert to the lender's prevailing variable rate, and there is a fee of pounds 295 at completion. The maximum loan-to-value is 70 per cent with a minimum loan of pounds 50,000. Call 0171-930 7242.

DIRECT LINE, the telephone insurer, is offering to halve the cost of annual breakdown cover through its subsidiary, Direct Line Rescue, to customers who take out or renew fully comprehensive insurance. The offer means that Direct Line's Recovery Plus policy will cost an average of pounds 38 a year. Call 0181-256 2182.

MARKET HARBOROUGH Building Society is launching a pre-ISA account giving customers the chance to shift cash into the new-style Individual Savings Account when it opens in April next year. The ISA Ahead account pays 7.75 per cent gross on deposits of pounds 3,000 or 7.95 per cent gross on deposits of pounds 7,000. Call 01858 463244.

INITIAL CHARGES on most of Royal & SunAlliance's unit trusts bought direct from the company are being cut between 3 and 4 per cent. Call 0500 100333.

AN INCOME protection policy for smokers is being launched by City underwriting agency GRIP. The policy offers up to 75 per cent of earnings to clients unable to work due to accident or illness. Benefits are payable for either 12 or 24 months. Premiums start at pounds 1.50 per pounds 100 of monthly benefit.