Personal Finance
Hard times ahead as UK readies to ride out the eurozone storm
Few households have escaped the far-reaching implications of the eurozone crisis – and the worst could be yet to come as events in Europe continue to unfold.
Top tips for a great holiday in some of Scotland’s best B&Bs
With summer finally here, it is the perfect time for a mini- break in one of Scotland’s B&Bs. Here the experts from {http://www. scotlandsbestbandbs.co.uk|scotlandsbestbandbs.co.uk|scotlandsbestbandbs.co.uk} offer tips for choosing a place which suits your needs.
Current account and credit card fraud soars by 82%
Consumers have been urged to keep an eye on their current account and card statements after an unprecedented rise this year in “account takeover” fraud.
Savers missing out on billions in dividend payments
savers turning their backs on equities are missing out on billions of pounds in pay-outs after UK company dividends hit a new record in the early months of this year.
Eurozone uncertainty sees mortgage costs edging up
The Scottish housing market faces a summer of retrenchment that could send both sales levels and house prices slipping downwards, experts have warned.
Alan Steel: Greece may be hitting some heavy financial turbulence, but don’t hand out the parachutes yet
IF YOU’RE like me, you’ll be fed up hearing about Greece. But it’s been going on for longer than you think, for it was more than two years ago that a former European Central Bank Greek insider said it was only a matter of time before Greece collapsed.
Claire Smith: Common-sense food without the eternal mayo!
LATELY I’ve started to love lunchtimes again.
Consumer demand boosts sales of local foodstuffs
IT only opened in April, but a new grocery store in Edinburgh is already bustling with customers shopping for veg grown in East Lothian, fresh meat from the Borders and Perthshire and fish and cheese from the Highlands and Islands.
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Scots dad unveils safe social network site for youngsters
FACEBOOK founder Mark Zuckerberg denied this week he was working on plans to open up the social network up to children under the age of 13.
1 commentPatriotic potatoes mark the Jubilee
WE’VE all seen the doilies, the flags and the biscuit tins – and the latest figures suggest Brits will be spending £823m celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
1 commentFirst Class service by the Royal Mail
PERTH, Edinburgh, Inverness and Aberdeen all achieved a First Class postal service with more than 94 per cent of letters being delivered on time in the first three months of 2012, according to the Royal Mail.
Plans for lender code of conduct
AFTER a week when the Church of Scotland expressed concern about payday loans and Wonga was criticised by the Office of Fair Trading, the Westminster government has announced plans of a new code of conduct for payday lenders.
Consumer Watch
A NEW European law regulating the use of cookies by online businesses comes into force today.
Investors must seek out strong firms that grow dividends consistently
Investors have ridden a rollercoaster of intense worries about the eurozone debt crisis over the last six months. Amid this turmoil, they could be forgiven for a feeling of bewilderment. This feeling is widespread, reflected in low volumes across stock markets as investors choose to sit on their hands and wait for some resolution to the crisis. So what’s the answer, asks Thomas Moore.
Young urban professionals seek the sunshine in Leith
IT’s not best-known for its yuppies, but Leith has become one of the new hotspots for urban professionals.
Stand up for your rights when buying on the net
UK SHOPPERS currently spend, on average, 25% of their disposal income online – whether buying their groceries from Tesco Direct, purchasing cutprice books and CDs on Amazon or hunting down bargains on eBay.
2 commentsIMF’s growth remedy another bitter pill for struggling savers
For pension savers, the implications of the International Monetary Fund’s proposed remedies for the UK’s economic woes could not be much worse.
Top ten tips: Income for your retirement
THESE are hard times both for pensioners and for many of those on the brink of retirement as annuity payments plunge and savings are eroded by inflation.
Even affluent retirees are seeing their income slashed by a combination of low interest rates, poor stock market returns and new drawdown restrictions.
Richard Johnston, chartered financial planner at Murray Asset Management, gives his top ten tips on making your money go further in retirement.
Consumer watch: Minimum drink price plans met by storm of protest
Doubts on legality of legislature’s attempt to introduce minimum price on alcohol as a condition of licensing, reports Claire Smith
Don’t get stung by credit card charges, holidaymakers told
Many people don’t understand the dangers of plastic, says Claire Smith
Insurance costs:: New laws mean women’s insurance costs set to soar
Act now to beat Brussels ban on use of gender in calculating premiums, writes Jeff Salway
Pension planning: Plan ahead and save as much as you can to avoid working into your seventies
Pension age changes mean many work longer, save a lot more or retire poor, says Jeff Salway
Bankruptcy changes ‘will mean decades of poverty’
Proposals will make it harder for Scots to repay creditors, writes Jeff Salway
Jeff Salway: Time our high street banks felt the effects of people-power
Their casual approach to service suggests our high street banks already think their customers are revolting. They could soon be right about that – in a different sense of the word.
Claire Smith: Here to help our readers make better choices
YOU may have noticed me making a brief appearance on these pages last week to rant about the Edinburgh trams, but this is my first official outing.
Citizens Advice has a major role today, says new head
THE new head of Citizens Advice Scotland has said she is looking forward to taking over one of the biggest jobs in the voluntary sector.
Big Switch proves to be turn-off
A SCHEME which tried to “sell” thousands of energy customers to the energy company which offered them the lowest price for fuel was only a partial success, according to consumer watchdogs.
Calls for individuals to band together to take on big firms
PLANS to put power back in hands of the consumer, writes Claire Smith
I like it... an intelligent coat hanger
FASHION retailer C&A has come up with a new way to show shoppers which clothes are earning a following by creating intelligent coat hangers with an electronic counter showing Facebook “likes”.
Women ditch gyms for the great outdoors
WOMEN are increasingly ditching the gym and exercising outdoors, according to a poll of physically active women.
Insurance really is for the unexpected
A MISSING nun’s habit, a cow which landed on a roof and several pairs of missing false teeth were among the strangest insurance claims of the year.
Graeme Brown: Firm action needed on unlawful letting fees
WITH more than 270,000 households across Scotland renting privately, Graeme Brown, director of Shelter Scotland, asks if it is time to take stock of the private rented sector
Top ten: Scottish seafood treats to tickle the tastebuds
RICHARD MUIR’S Top Ten Scottish Seafood Products
Calls for more local fish to be available in Scotland
THE owner of the Fish Restaurant of the Year says more should be done to make locally-caught fish and shellfish available in Scotland.
Helpdesk: If a zoo can bring pandas from China, why not soya?
Q: BEING former members and excited about our visit to Edinburgh Zoo, my son and I wondered whether to renew our membership.
Avoid over-exposure to any single asset as bull market nears
Millions of investors will this month receive their six-monthly statements telling them how much their portfolios are now worth.
Get your travel money plans in order this summer
scots holidaymakers taking overseas trips could pay a heavy financial price if they fail to get their travel money plans right this summer.
Time to start rebalancing club’s portfolio by selling off and investing the proceeds in equities
Back in March, Chancellor George Osborne produced yet another pusillanimous Budget with respect to the Investment Club’s fortunes.
Top Ten Tips: Investing money ethically
PEOPLE are increasingly taking an interest in how their money is invested and the impact it has on our lives following the financial crisis and the growth of ethical consumerism.
Sarah Cockburn: Investors looking for rental growth rather than capital value
THE UK commercial property market has now stalled after a period of capital growth since mid-2009. In fact, during the last quarter capital values have fallen slightly.
Putting money into bricks and mortar is still a valuable diversification
WHEN the bottom fell out of the commercial property market in 2008, millions of ordinary investors found themselves trapped in bricks and mortar funds that blocked them from taking their money out.
Average rent in Scotland rises by 2.6% to £644
The cost of renting a home in Scotland continued to edge up in the first three months of 2012 as demand for family properties rose sharply.
Concern at number of Scots resorting to payday loans
The number of Scots turning to expensive payday loans in a desperate attempt to ease the pressure on their finances more than doubled last year, alarming new figures show.
1 commentClem Chambers: Getting used to roughride ahead is the key to a solid portfolio
FOR the last couple of years, an age-old market cycle has been getting more and more pronounced.
Avoiding the pitfalls of being a first-time landlord
PEOPLE are turning to letting as properties fail to sell– but many are unprepared for the complications
4 commentsAndrew Hagger: Offset mortgage offers hard-pressed borrowers the opportunity to save thousands of pounds
IN THESE times of economic hardship we’re becoming more savvy when it comes to saving or making money on financial products.
1 commentHomeowners should expect repayments to carry on edging up
THUOSANDS of Scottish homeowners experienced that sinking feeling this week when their mortgage payments became more expensive
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Card providers exploiting consumers’ ignorance of right to refund
COMPLAINTS to ombudsman soar as banks give misleading information, writes Jeff Salway
Third of Scottish workers to reject new savings scheme
LACK of spare cash blamed for failure to save into a pension, writes Jeff Salway
Doorstep sellers defying rules on practices, says watchdog
NEW rules mean that customers must be given written information on their rights
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Weather for Edinburgh
Monday 28 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 10 C to 16 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North east
