Castlebar News

Second-hand, imported cars from the UK continue to rise in popularity with the Irish consumer. In fact, the latest Consumer Market Monitor (CMM)* reports that second-hand cars imported from the UK will overtake the number of new cars sold in Ireland for the first time ever this year. In 2007, imported second-hand sales were at just over 59,000. In the ... Read More

Take advantage of SEAI grant funding towards the cost of energy upgrades We all want to feel that little bit cosier in our homes and enjoy the comfort that home brings. With energy efficiencies and sustainable energy a hot topic in national news, now is the ideal time to take advantage of the wide variety of grants available to homeowners ... Read More

Irish holidaymakers are likely to be more price-conscious than ever in 2019 with the economic uncertainty surrounding Brexit. The annual holiday will however continue to remain a staple event for Irish households this year, despite cost being a significant factor. The travel experts at Lonely Planet for example do not forecast any drop in consumers holidaying this year. They are ... Read More

First Choice Credit Union, and its sister credit unions around Ireland, have been named the highest regarded organisations providing financial services in Ireland. Credit unions topped the financial services category in the Ireland RepTrak® 2019 study. With a score of 80.3, they were far ahead of the average score of 59.0 in the sector.   Credit unions were also ranked … Read More

More than half of adults in Ireland own a credit card. A substantial six in ten however don’t know what interest rate they pay. This is despite the fact that most credit card owners use their plastic very frequently. The majority of adults tend to use their cards every month for ad hoc spending, rather than for one-off purchases throughout ... Read More

Summer is now upon us – and the change of season is one of the best and most popular times of year for home improvements. Home upgrading has seen a surge in popularity in recent years – and for good reason. A refurbishment can completely transform a home. A nationwide survey by the Irish League of Credit Unions (ILCU) found ... Read More

Buying a used car is something most of us will do at least once in our lives. It’s a big deal. Here’s 5 tips to help you make sure you’re making the right decision. 1. Negotiate Some of us like a good haggle, others not so much but we all know the old saying, “if you don’t ask you won’t … Read More

The First Choice Credit Union Schools Quiz took place on Sunday 3rd of February to a packed Breaffy Events Arena. A record 53 teams battled it out in two categories, Competition A which was U-11 and Competition B which was U-13. Questions covered a wide range of topics including geography, history, music, literature and sport, and it was great to ... Read More

Close to four in ten consumers in Ireland plan to purchase a car in 2019. Over half plan to spend more than €10,000 on their new set of wheels, according to the most recent Carzone Motoring Report (2018). The study also found that one in four consumers who spent between €10,000 and €20,000 on their previous car, used a credit ... Read More