Wanted: IFAs to help the needy

Whilst current financial ‘hard times’ have forced people to become more money-savvy and having an independent financial adviser is not unusual, it seems that not everyone is able to make use of their services.

"My personal shopper says…"

I was interested to read recently that Insurers Aegon held a research day in London to look at how the financial services industry can better cater to the general consumer. The 50 volunteers split into five groups, each looking at one proposed model based upon the findings from Aegon Chief Executive Otto Thorensen’s report for the government.

Splurge vs Save

Us Brits just won’t quit our spending ways: one in four people admit to a weekly shopping ‘habit’ according to a survey from online bank Cahoot. This is despite the credit crunch induced belt–tightening that we should all apparently be adhering to.

Mary Poppins and the Fraudsters

I read recently that the average women’s handbag is worth £290. According to research from insurers Sheilas’ Wheels, women carry more than the bare essentials around with them, upping the cost of their bags' contents in the process.

Charity shops boost

As well as all the apocalyptic ‘The recession is nigh!’ stories, the media tries to mix things up a little with a few lighter-hearted ‘but look who is doing well’ pieces. Latest on the roll–call are charity shops.

Football club sponsors get shirty

Although the world of millionaire footballers is inhabited by huge houses (sans mortgage), fast cars and diamond earrings big enough to eat your dinner off, the football industry is bankrolling these excesses like a parent promising their kids the KFC family feast when all they’ve got in their wallet is enough for a 99p mini fillet burger.

How (not) to do your tax return

There are two types of people in the world (well actually there are many more than that but for the purpose of this blog there are just two) – those who file their tax returns on time –nay well before the deadline, and then those who manage to file it a day or two before T–day. I most certainly belong to the second camp.

Is Woolies past its sell–by–date?

High street favourite Woolworths has gone into administration, unable to cope with it’s £385 million debt and putting 30,000 jobs at risk.

This news has saddened me more than the current twoapenny retailers’ reports of sales slumps and paltry profits or even the increasingly regular news of job losses, with companies either making cutbacks or going bust.

Confessions of an Editorial Assistant

I’ve been working at Moneywise for close to a year now and while I still have a fair way to go before I start tipping shares to friends in the pub I have learnt enough to know that my attitude to my finances is pretty poor.

There's no business like snow business

What was that about the economy going into meltdown? Sorry it's just that over the last 48 hours or so the only 'melting' the news is paying any attention to is that of the snow.

'I can see clearly now the rain has gone...'

The trouble with word limits is that you can’t always go into much detail as you’d like – admittedly a cap on how much waffle I can write is generally a good thing; however, sometimes it would help to be able to explain things a bit more thoroughly.

Are low-cost airlines really… low cost?

I recently had to book flights to Belfast for a friend’s hen do, and was pleasantly surprised to book fairly cheap flights at quite short notice. Of course I knew that the ‘total’ cost of flights I had selected would go up once the various charges and taxes were added but I went near apoplectic when I saw how much I was being charged for paying with my debit card.

Can we still keep trade local?

On my walk home from the tube station I now pass five empty shop fronts and a closed down pub. The remaining open businesses on the high street are a mix of chain restaurants, one locally–run pub and a handful of independent retailers, restaurants, solicitors and estate agents.

Payday loans: don't forget the small print

Sitting on the tube last week, I noticed an advertisement for payday loans from Moneyshop.tv.

To run or not to run: are gym memberships worth the hassle?

Once upon a time in a suburban land far, far away was a place called Northwood Hills and in it was a squash club. It had more courts than I have fingers on my hands, a friendly atmosphere and an annual membership that cost something in the region of £150–200. 

Wardrobe Rehaul

My name is Nathalie Bonney and I’m a shopaholic. Up until very recently both my wardrobe and chest of drawers, were so jam–packed that it was difficult to find anything and so most of the time my clothes were parked on the floor.

Last–minute ISA

April: lighter evenings, warmer weather (hopefully), Easter holidays, chocolate eggs and hot cross buns. In the words of Julie Andrews ‘these are a few of my favourite things’.

Wanted: budget airlines that keep it simple

There’s something altogether less budget about budget airlines these days. The halcyon days where you could fly to Barcelona for a fiver or Prague for free even (barring taxes natch) are long gone and while flights are still cheap, airlines are constantly coming up with new and inventive ways to shake out the last few coins from their passengers’ pockets.