ARE they cowboys in a “Wild West” market taking advantage of rising demand by ripping people off with impunity?

SAVERS desperate for inflation-beating ­income are piling into eyecatching new bond offers unaware of the risks they’re taking, ­experts have warned.

AROUND 15 per cent of Scottish parents over 50 are playing host to their adult children in the tough economic climate.

HALF OF all people in the UK believe DIY and basic household maintenance skills are being lost in a generation.

SAVVY shoppers are visiting two or more supermarkets in the same trip and almost half are reducing food waste in efforts to save money, according to a study.

Who calls the shots, billpayers or utility companies? Burdened with the soaring cost of living and weighed down by outgoings, consumers all too often forget they have great collective power. Anyone who has ever tried voting with their feet and switching providers will know this is one of the best ways to make themselves heard.

]]> 1.2944752 Sat, 25 May 2013 15:18:37 +0100 http://www.scotsman.com/keith-dryburgh-savings-reforms-push-our-most-vulnerable-citizens-into-poverty-1-2944751

Three recent headlines have focused media attention on individuals affected by the UK government’s welfare reforms.

A growing number of investors are turning to funds which come free of any hidden charges, reports Jason Hemmings

They’ve taken millions of pounds from thousands of savers, wiping out their pension pots and condemning them to poverty in retirement.

One area of a subdued housing market is thriving as demand grows and affluent savers look for a new home for their money.

LOW levels of savings will condemn many to finance problems, reports Jeff Salway

HOMEOWNERS in Scotland are missing out on a golden opportunity to slash costs by failing to take advantage of rock-bottom mortgage rates, it has been claimed.

THEY pledged to get Britain saving again. In reality they’ve achieved quite the opposite, punishing prudence and removing incentives to save.

TRAVEL insurance policies have failed to move with the times, providing inadequate cover for lost or stolen valuables abroad and potentially leaving holidaymakers hundreds of pounds out of pocket, a report has found.

SCOTS are being targeted by cyber criminals with the power to steal their identities and empty their bank accounts, an influential organisation has warned.

QUELLE horreur! A report has revealed that France – that nation of gastronomes – now eats half of all restaurant meals at fast food establishments.

IT IS a trend that has taken off in London, Paris and Australia – and aims to lure diners on an otherwise quiet night of the week.

JUST as your post-holiday resolve to build a barbecue pit or learn Spanish fades as quickly as your suntan, some sceptics suggest that the idea of bringing continental “cafe culture” to Edinburgh’s Princes Street might sound more attractive than the reality.

‘I SPEAK my mind; you are blunt; he is rude.” We all know the conjugation game, how we excuse or ignore in ourselves the faults we find in others.

BANK customers are set to remain loyal to the much-maligned high street banks despite a fresh challenge to the status quo in the current account market, new research suggests.