Will the madness never end? Just as we thought that the nation was gradually coming to its senses about property, a press release arrives from a “specialist property finance broker” Assetz Finance. It suggests that …
Category: Personal Finance
How the young are feeling the pinch
This is not a good time to be young. Student debts are vast – some figures show the average debt nearing £20,000. Jobs are thin on the ground, with 30%-plus of graduates ending up in …
Cut the cost of child minding
Childcare can be a huge expense, so rather than paying for a babysitter every time you want a night off, use your friends. Form a scheme with other parents where you watch each other’s children …
Time to think about taxes…
It’s time to start thinking about tax again. The first self-assessment date – which allows you to send in a paper form and have HM Revenue & Customs calculate the tax you owe – has …
How to get more out of redundancy
More than three million workers fear they’ll lose their jobs in the next year, says a recent TUC poll. If you are made redundant, remember the first £30,000 of compensation is usually tax-free, as long …
Don’t listen to Hazel Blears. Don’t buy a house
Imagine an environment in which house prices had fallen 10.5% in a year. An environment in which the risks to the market were considered to be so extreme that even the biggest lenders in it …
What does a foreign takeover mean for a UK shareholder?
Shareholders in Alliance & Leicester are having to vote on a £1.3bn takeover deal, which will involve them giving up three of their existing shares for one in predator Banco Santander. That means subsequently receiving …
Wise up to childcare vouchers
Childcare costs can be “crippling”, says Rosie Murray-West in the Daily Telegraph. Yet just 2% of working parents have signed up for childcare vouchers, a little-known government scheme introduced in 2005. One reason take-up is …
Beat the downturn with pedal power
There has never been a better time to get on your bike. High fuel costs and the economic downturn are proving highly effective at cutting road congestion – down 12% in the first six months …
Beware of the pitfalls when opting for dental tourism
Private dental treatment in Britain isn’t cheap. In fact, Ian Domville tells The Times, “most people drop out of the chair” at a typical quote for crowns, bridges or implants. That’s when they “go home, …