Household Bills
Credit crunch cuts switching by 17%
The credit crunch has hit home with a 17 per cent drop in the number of household and financial products being switched in the past year, according to MoneyExpert.com.
New protection for consumers
After 20 years of campaigning by the National Consumer Council (NCC), and other consumer bodies, new rules that require all businesses to treat customers fairly will finally come into force on Monday (26 May).
Sex and the City generation shirks financial responsibility
The Sex and the City generation is living for today and shirking financial responsibility, according to a new report released by FTSE 100 life and pensions company Friends Provident.
Brits driven towards financial meltdown by soaring fuel prices
With the price of oil hitting record levels, petrol prices exceeding £1.10 per litre and gas and electricity prices up by 15 per cent, a poll shows two thirds of Brits fear they won't be able to cope if fuel prices continue to rise.
Food for thought as Britons cut back on spending
Britons usually love a bargain but it seems our spending on fashion and luxury foodstuffs is being hit as more than 36 million (76 per cent) of us prepare to settle in for a period of belt-tightening.
Shop around and you can still save £thousands
Moneyextra.com's latest quarterly review of financial services highlights the savings available just by making the right financial decisions.
Till debt do us part
Weddings might be decreasing in popularity but new research reveals that even in the current financial climate Brits will still risk going further into the red to get hitched.
Teenagers can't budget
Teenage children are preparing to take on credit cards, loans and overdrafts when they turn 18, despite not being able to undertake basic budgeting tasks efficiently, according to a new study by the AXA Financial Task Force.
Silver Surfers Day - make sure you're covered
Silver Surfers Day (May 23rd) is now in its 7th year, and reaches out to the 10 million strong over 50s audience surfing the net, which makes it hard to believe that this age group was once written off as the ‘technophobe generation'.
No hols barred
More than one in three people (38%) are refusing to forego their summer holiday this year, despite money being tight, preferring instead to ration their daily treats in the run up to summer, according to new research from American Express Travellers Cheques.
‘Trapped' homeowners can't switch to cheaper energy tariffs
People looking to avoid energy price hikes by switching to cheaper deals could be trapped with their current supplier if they have defaulted on a payment and owe money, according to MoneyExpert.com.
Living costs pushing retirees to the edge
More than one in two retirees, 54%, are struggling to make ends meet as the cost of living escalates, according to new research from Engage Mutual.
Inflation rate facing the elderly has surged to 4.1%
Alliance Trust's independent study of age related inflation has found that inflation surged in April and hit the over 75 year olds the hardest - this age group now faces an inflation rate of 4.1%.
Beware the Government inflation trap
The difference between the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) and the true rate of inflation means that for many people, household income lags behind personal inflation.
CPI inflation rises to 3.0 per cent
Consumer Price Index (CPI) annual inflation - the Government's target measure - was up from 2.5 per cent in March to 3.0 per cent in April.