Work drinks: make mine a double standard
Filed under: Work & Careers
There's nothing wrong with having a pint or two with your colleagues after work. But well-meaning employers are often contributing to health problems for their staff by getting workers to bond down the pub – because it's easier than organising other social events.This is according to new research released by Aviva. Over half of business leaders (57%) questioned in the insurer's fourth Health of the Workplace report claim that socialising at work usually involves going to the pub for drinks.
Move over Steptoe, we're all economising now
Filed under: Economiser
After a decade of high living and fast spending it was always going to be tricky to learn to give up the unnecessary extras and live within our means, but a new survey has shown that we've finally mastered it.Four in five of us have embraced what it is calling the 'age of austerity', and the best news is that we're doing it cleverly enough for it to be sustainable.
Easyjet passengers have had enough
Filed under: Travel
The never-ending row between airlines is sort of funny when viewed from the sidelines. If easyJet and Ryanair were humans instead of airline companies, you would expect to see them on Jeremy Kyle, screaming insults at each other and scrapping while the audience brayed and hooted.
British Gas profits not just a rip off
Filed under: Economiser, House and Home
While we were all freezing during the coldest winter for 30 years, Centrica bosses were rubbing their hands together, not to keep warm, but in glee as their company's profits soared.Centrica is the parent of British Gas which posted a surplus of £585 million – 98% ahead of last year – as shivering households cranked up the heating and gas usage rose 8%.
House prices peak at Shakira's hip level
Filed under: Property, House and Home
Pint-sized Colombian warbler Shakira, partnered by Wyclef Jean, dominated the charts in summer of 2006 with Hips Don't Lie as she topped the pops for five non-consecutive weeks.If you can remember back that far, which even I can, then that is when average house prices last achieved the same level at which they currently sit. And while that slice of Latino rubbish plays on a loop in your head, I can also tell you that June's Land Registry data revealed the average price of a property in England and Wales stood at £166,072 in June, which is 8.4% higher than a year ago.
Stop: when not to buy a house
Filed under: Mortgages, Property, House and Home, Insurance
If you've ever purchased property, you'll know that it is an incredibly emotional experience. We tend to get attached to houses for aesthetic reasons like a beautiful period features or a cool kitchen, and it's easy to overlook the really important issues like the structure and condition of the house.But the are some warning signs to look out for when viewing a property, that signal you should walk away or put your haggling hat on for some serious negotiation.
Credit card market hots up with new deals from Tesco and NatWest
Filed under: Credit Cards
Anyone on the lookout for a new credit card deal at the moment is in luck thanks to the recent launch of market-leading new 0% balance transfer and purchases offers from NatWest/RBS and Tesco.
The supermarket bank's Clubcard is now charging new customers 0% on all purchases for 13 months, and on balance transfers for nine months, while the NatWest and RBS Platinum card has a new offer of 0% for 16 months on balance transfers and three months for purchases.
Illegal investments rip off pensioners
Filed under: Retirement
The FSA has announced it is investigating illegal pension investments - which could leave pensioners thousands of pounds poorer. It's against the law for them to be sold in the UK, but after discovering they were being recommended by one financial adviser, they are worried that the sale of these incredibly dangerous investments could be more widespread.So what are these schemes, and what can you do if you think you may have been sold one?
Have a Chelsea-Clinton-style wedding on the cheap
Filed under: Economiser, Celebrity Pockets, Weddings
When Chelsea Clinton is walked down the isle by her dad on Saturday, she'll do so at a mystery venue, in front of celebrity guests like Steven Spielberg, Barbra Streisand and Tony Blair ( lucky girl) . She will also do it for an estimated cost of £2 million. And while the cost of her wedding to financier Marc Mezvinsky is unlikely to worry her dad, it needn't be so pricey. So how do you have a wedding with the trimmings, for less?
Fuel bills will rise £277
Filed under: House and Home
You could be forgiven for thinking that you pay enough for your home energy. You might consider that over £1,000 a year to heat and light your home is more than enough to be going on with, but the government disagrees. It says bills are going to have to increase by as much as £277.So just where is the extra cost coming from, and how can you avoid it?
