Graduate with a First in student finance

With September literally around the corner, thousands of students will soon be leaving the safety of the nest and heading off to university to embark on three years or more of further study. While my degree set me up for my future career, I honestly believe that getting to grips with managing my money at university was the best skill I ever learnt.

Falling property prices are the least of our worries

According to recent research by retail analysts Verdict, supermarket food is around 5.8% more expensive than it was at the start of the year.

Getting tired of the ‘credit crunch’?

I don’t know about you, but I’m getting a bit sick and tired of the words ‘credit crunch’. As a financial journalist I’ve spent the best part of a year trawling through page after page of worrying headlines, depressing stories and even gloomier predictions about how we’re all seemingly ‘doomed’.

Over the past few days there’s been some real gems:

Just who wants a recession?

According to recent reports, the UK is sailing dangerously close to a recession – defined simply as two quarters of negative growth. Unemployment is set to soar, the price of oil and food show no signs of slowing down, and house prices are expected to keep falling (as much as 35% according to Capital Economics).

Make the effort and complain – it may be worth your while

Let’s face facts, we're a nation that loves to moan. Nothing escapes our attention, from the weather to the increasing cost of food and fuel, but when it comes to poor customer service and substandard products we just don’t formalise our gripes enough.

A joke too far...

When a senior executive of energy company E.on made bragged that a harsh winter would mean 'more money for us' earlier this week, his insensitive and insulting 'joke' raised some important questions of the energy market and its regulator - that these companies make far too much money from us, far too easily.

Are they reaping what they sowed?

So the FSA is banning the practice of short-selling? From someone who covered the hedge fund industry for two years this couldn't have come soon enough.

Until America gets better, we're all ill

There's an age-old adage in the financial world, that when America sneezes, the world catches a cold. But given events over the past year and past fortnight it seems that America is sneezing loudly, and we've caught the flu.

Bah Humbug?

You know Christmas is on the way when your local supermarket starts selling advent calendars, Christmas puddings and wrapping paper, but given recent events very few of us are likely to be full of festive cheer.

Savers set to suffer

While a rate cut in November was pretty much nailed on, the decision by the Bank of England to slash interest rates by a full 1.5% stunned the City into silence. With interest rates now at a 53-year low, the Old Lady of Threadneedle Street wants banks to start lending again, and the banks are refusing. Whoever comes up trumps though, you can be sure it won't be us savers.