When George Osborne introduced the new ‘pension freedoms’ that come into force in April this year he told the House of Commons that it was right that people got to use their pension investments however they wanted and whenever they wanted. Well as soon as they reach 55 that is. From April this year you will indeed be able to…
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The over-inflated property prices we have suffered in the last couple of decades can be traced right back to the original right-to-buy schemes championed by Margaret Thatcher in the early ‘80s. Local authority housing stock was sold off at huge discounts to tenants on the basis that we’d all be ‘better-off’ if we owned our own homes rather than continuing…
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Wouldn’t it be great if companies spoke to us in plain English? Contracts and agreements, particularly those relating to consumer credit and financial services, are ridiculously complicated and probably not designed to be understood to be honest. Here, for example, is an extract from one insurer’s critical illness definitions: “All cancers which are histologically classified as any of the following:…
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The ISA season is upon us again and bank and building societies are urging us to deposit our hard earned cash with them before the end of the tax year. So here’s a real idiots guide to help you decide whether you need one and, if you do, which type is better for you. An ISA is an Individual Savings…
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