Latest news with #Swedes
Local Sweden
4 hours ago
- Business
- Local Sweden
Renegotiating your Swedish mortgage rate could save you thousands
Differing interest rates between Sweden's banks mean that mortgage holders could save thousands of kronor per year by switching banks or negotiating a new rate. Advertisement Only one in five Swedish mortgage holders has negotiated a new interest rate over the past few months, and one in three think that they do not have the right skills or knowledge to do so, a study by the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority (FI) has shown. At the same time, there are substantial savings to be made by switching to a different bank. According to there was a 0.34 percentage point difference between the cheapest and most expensive mortgage banks in June, which represents a 6,800 kronor difference on a 2 million kronor mortgage. "A lot of people could save a fair amount by sitting down, going through and comparing the options," FI consumer protection economist Moa Langemark told the TT newswire. Despite this, few Swedes renegotiate their interest rates. "The market would probably be more well functioning if consumers were more willing to move," Langemark said. One think to watch out for, she added, is being encouraged to make parts of your mortgage fixed-term, as it can make it difficult to renegotiate the loan as a whole and complicates the process if you want to switch to a different bank. "You're more tied to a specific bank, essentially," she said. Advertisement Many also fall into the trap of looking at the so-called listränta (the advertised interest rate), when they negotiate their rate, instead of the snittränta (the average rate people were actually given in recent months). The difference between the two can often be more than one percentage point at the same bank, so the listränta should be seen more as a starting point for negotiations rather than a fixed offer. Langemark added that you shouldn't be afraid of asking questions and be willing to switch banks if you're not happy. "There are no stupid questions. You have every right to keep asking questions until you understand what interest rate your bank is going to offer you." FI has also worked in recent years to implement new measures to make the process easier and more transparent for people looking to change bank. Banks must now inform customers of the date their interest rate discount is due to expire (if they have a discount), and mortgage-holders have since last autumn been able to request a digital copy of their amorteringsunderlag (foundation of amortisation). The document details the amortisation requirements of the mortgage you want to move. This includes information on how much you already amortise, the estimated value of your property and the date when that value was set, and the size of your loan. An amorteringsunderlag is necessary if you want to move your mortgage to another bank, so ordering one can send a message to your current bank that you're thinking of switching. "Sometimes it's enough to just order a digital amorteringsunderlag to get your bank to contact you and offer you a better interest rate," Langemark said.
Local Sweden
4 hours ago
- Climate
- Local Sweden
Number of drownings spikes as Swedes cool off in hot weather
In the last two weeks, Sweden has seen on average one drowning accident a day. Advertisement Warm temperatures over the last two weeks have led many Swedes to head to the nearest lake or beach to cool off. Unfortunately, this has led to some gloomy statistics ‒ drownings have increased, with on average one per day occurring in the last fortnight, according to the Swedish Lifesaving Society. "We can see that the number of drownings has increased a lot, and the reason behind that is the nice weather we've seen across the country," Göran Bertilsson, from the Lifesaving Society, told public broadcaster Ekot. He added that boats and paddleboards have also become more common, which increases the risk of swimming accidents. Bertilsson advised swimmers to keep an eye on each other, especially children who can't swim. "You need to keep an eye on your children all the time, especially when there are a lot of people swimming," he said. "If you're looking at your phone you can't watch your kids at the same time." ESSENTIAL READING:
Telegraph
a day ago
- Telegraph
The 20 best places for a picnic in Europe
July is National Picnic Month – and there's no better place to embrace it than Europe, where picnicking is practically an art form. Across the continent, locals turn parks, palace gardens, canal banks and castle lawns into open-air dining rooms. No fuss, no fancy setups – just good food, good company and time to slow down and enjoy the moment. The pique-nique dates back to 17th-century France – originally meaning a potluck-style meal where everyone contributed – but each country has created its own version: from Italy's long, lazy merenda in the shade (often consisting of cold pasta and prosciutto), and Germany's dense rye sandwiches accompanied by Kaffeeklatsch (coffee chatter) in forest clearings, to Swedish fika featuring cinnamon buns. Each picnic is a snapshot of local life and that's what makes it the ultimate travel activity. You get to taste regional flavours, watch the rhythms of everyday life and soak up the atmosphere without blowing your budget. In Europe, a picnic isn't just a meal – it's a front-row seat to your destination. But where should you shake out your blanket and settle in for a feast and a good people-watching session? Aim for one of these 20 perfect European spots, and you're guaranteed an idyllic afternoon of calm, culture and crudités. Looking for the finest picnic spots in the UK instead? You can find our hand-picked selection of those here.
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
I've been to a World Cup final in the USA – here's what England fans can expect (hopefully)
A YEAR today, thousands of English fans will hope to be in uncharted territory - a World Cup final in America. There will be a scramble for tickets to watch the showpiece at the Met Life Stadium. Advertisement 8 Me, aged ten, with my dad before the 1994 World Cup final in the Rose Bowl, Pasadena 8 Our view from behind the goal as the anthems were played 8 I was a Brazil fan for the tournament and boy, did I look cool 8 We were behind this goal when Roberto Baggio skied his decisive penalty over Credit: AFP Three Lions fans might not know what to expect, but I can give them an idea as I have been to a World Cup final in America and witnessed one of football's most iconic moments. And things were very different 31 years ago. For a start, there were very few English supporters at the tournament as the national team failed to qualify. Advertisement READ MORE IN FOOTBALL That - along with the scheduling of Wigan borough's school holidays - gave us our chance. My dad and I were members of the England Travel Club and in pre-internet days, every FA was allocated World Cup tickets, whether they had qualified or not. The English FA doled them out through the Travel Club - and we cleaned up. It was part football trip, part brilliant family holiday. Advertisement Most read in Football CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS We saw Brazil beat the USA in San Francisco (and Tab Ramos nearly take Leonardo's head off), Sweden beat Romania on penalties in the quarters, Romario win the semi-final for Brazil against the Swedes and then the final, Brazil v Italy. I became Brazilian for two weeks - just call me Gradinho. Donald Trump reveals he's keeping Club World Cup trophy after gatecrashing Chelsea celebrations as Blues get replica The USA has much more of a football - or soccer - culture now. Advertisement In 1994, an old couple heard our accents and politely asked what we were doing in America. My dad's mate, Phil, replied: "We're here for the football". That confused them as the NFL season had not started. Know-it-all ten-year-old me leaned over to them and said: "He means the soccer." If anything, that confused them even more! Advertisement It did not permeate all parts of US society, although the stadiums were pretty much full - certainly more packed than at Euro 96 two years later. However, that created a problem for dad's pal Phil. Four years earlier, at Italia 90, tickets had been in plentiful supply from the touts and not too highly priced either. Dad and Phil managed to get to two quarter finals and the memorable semi in Turin where Gazza and the rest of the England fans ended up in tears. But in '94, although we were warned to stay away from 'scalpers' there was barely a ticket tout in sight and Phil, who had not been so lucky in the Travel Club draw, had to scour local newspaper adverts to try to get final tickets for himself and two sons. Advertisement He managed it, too, but not before a hair-raising trip to a rough part of LA and an impromptu auction with another hopeful fan who, he claimed, had a gun. Another oddity for an English football fan was sitting on bleachers in the stadium rather than seats - especially at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, just outside Los Angeles. 8 Brazil's star man Romario with the World Cup after his side's win on penalties Credit: AFP 8 The Los Angeles Times has Brazil's victory on its front page the next day Advertisement 8 The final itself was the worst match of the tournament - but what an occasion! It was packed and boiling hot - Loads of the 94,000-strong crowd were supporting Brazil - although we were sat next to a Scottish Italy fan who waxed lyrical about reserve defender Luigi Apolloni, of Parma. Advertisement He did actually get on too, after 35 minutes and helped Italy keep Romario quiet. After a forgettable 120 minutes, it went to penalties. We were behind the goal that Roberto Baggio skied his spot-kick over, nearly hitting us (OK, maybe not, we were a bit far back for that). After the match, we even got to Disneyland to watch the parade for a new film called the Lion King. A dramatic end to a brilliant trip - but things will be different next year. Advertisement 8 My ticket to the 1994 World Cup final Thanks to the MLS, Lionel Messi et al, the US public seem to be more into football and there should be more of a buzz throughout the country. And Kane will not sky his penalty in the final over the bar. Then, the fans in New Jersey will be watching Three Lions kings... Advertisement
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
I've been to a World Cup final in the USA – here's what England fans can expect (hopefully)
Scroll down to see how much the ticket cost! AMERICAN DREAM I've been to a World Cup final in the USA – here's what England fans can expect (hopefully) A YEAR today, thousands of English fans will hope to be in uncharted territory - a World Cup final in America. There will be a scramble for tickets to watch the showpiece at the Met Life Stadium. Advertisement 8 Me, aged ten, with my dad before the 1994 World Cup final in the Rose Bowl, Pasadena 8 Our view from behind the goal as the anthems were played 8 I was a Brazil fan for the tournament and boy, did I look cool 8 We were behind this goal when Roberto Baggio skied his decisive penalty over Credit: AFP Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka - New Jersey boys on the biggest stage. Three Lions fans might not know what to expect, but I can give them an idea as I have been to a World Cup final in America and witnessed one of football's most iconic moments. And things were very different 31 years ago. For a start, there were very few English supporters at the tournament as the national team failed to qualify. Advertisement That - along with the scheduling of Wigan borough's school holidays - gave us our chance. My dad and I were members of the England Travel Club and in pre-internet days, every FA was allocated World Cup tickets, whether they had qualified or not. The English FA doled them out through the Travel Club - and we cleaned up. It was part football trip, part brilliant family holiday. Advertisement CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS We saw Brazil beat the USA in San Francisco (and Tab Ramos nearly take Leonardo's head off), Sweden beat Romania on penalties in the quarters, Romario win the semi-final for Brazil against the Swedes and then the final, Brazil v Italy. I became Brazilian for two weeks - just call me Gradinho. Donald Trump reveals he's keeping Club World Cup trophy after gatecrashing Chelsea celebrations as Blues get replica The USA has much more of a football - or soccer - culture now. Advertisement In 1994, an old couple heard our accents and politely asked what we were doing in America. My dad's mate, Phil, replied: "We're here for the football". That confused them as the NFL season had not started. Know-it-all ten-year-old me leaned over to them and said: "He means the soccer." If anything, that confused them even more! Advertisement It did not permeate all parts of US society, although the stadiums were pretty much full - certainly more packed than at Euro 96 two years later. However, that created a problem for dad's pal Phil. Four years earlier, at Italia 90, tickets had been in plentiful supply from the touts and not too highly priced either. Dad and Phil managed to get to two quarter finals and the memorable semi in Turin where Gazza and the rest of the England fans ended up in tears. But in '94, although we were warned to stay away from 'scalpers' there was barely a ticket tout in sight and Phil, who had not been so lucky in the Travel Club draw, had to scour local newspaper adverts to try to get final tickets for himself and two sons. Advertisement He managed it, too, but not before a hair-raising trip to a rough part of LA and an impromptu auction with another hopeful fan who, he claimed, had a gun. Another oddity for an English football fan was sitting on bleachers in the stadium rather than seats - especially at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, just outside Los Angeles. 8 Brazil's star man Romario with the World Cup after his side's win on penalties Credit: AFP 8 The Los Angeles Times has Brazil's victory on its front page the next day Advertisement 8 The final itself was the worst match of the tournament - but what an occasion! It was packed and boiling hot - as it will be next year - and it kicked off at 12.30pm local time (which contributed to the lack of quality). Loads of the 94,000-strong crowd were supporting Brazil - although we were sat next to a Scottish Italy fan who waxed lyrical about reserve defender Luigi Apolloni, of Parma. Advertisement He did actually get on too, after 35 minutes and helped Italy keep Romario quiet. After a forgettable 120 minutes, it went to penalties. We were behind the goal that Roberto Baggio skied his spot-kick over, nearly hitting us (OK, maybe not, we were a bit far back for that). After the match, we even got to Disneyland to watch the parade for a new film called the Lion King. A dramatic end to a brilliant trip - but things will be different next year. Advertisement 8 My ticket to the 1994 World Cup final Thanks to the MLS, Lionel Messi et al, the US public seem to be more into football and there should be more of a buzz throughout the country. And Kane will not sky his penalty in the final over the bar. Then, the fans in New Jersey will be watching Three Lions kings...
