Brits are saving an average of £423 each by cutting out the middle man and booking the components of their holiday directly with providers.

We're not scared to haggle either – six million people asked for an upgrade last year according to research by Santander.

It found that of the 25 million adults who went on holiday abroad last year, 11.6 million (47%) saved money when booking their travel and accommodation by avoiding travel agents and tour operators, instead going online or calling directly to make their booking.

So how much money can holidaymakers save and how?

The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has issued a warning about a new share scam.

The warning follows a dramatic increase in overseas fraudsters selling shares using the names, registration numbers and addresses of FSA authorised firms and individuals.

The FSA has noticed a significant rise in this type of fraud, with crooks imitating genuine authorised firms to try and convince consumers of their legitimacy.

So what should consumers watch out for?

New mobile roaming EU regulation comes into effect today with the aim of protecting customers from "bill shocks".

The past couple of years have seen many holidaymakers return from their travels to mobile phone bills of thousand of pounds because they have used the internet or downloaded data on their phones while abroad.

Under the new rule a cut-off mechanism will be introduced once the bill reaches €50 unless the customer specifies another cut-off limit.

So is this really necessary - how big is the problem?

Virgin Media has launched a new "Travel Pass" for people using its mobile internet service abroad.

Users can access the internet on their mobile phone for £6 a day or on their laptop for £10 a day within Europe.

So how does the Virgin Travel Pass compare against rival services?

More consumers complained about the Lloyds Banking Group to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) than any other financial firm in the second half of 2009, according to new figures.

The FOS received 20,190 complaints about Lloyds in the last six months of 2009 including 9,952 about Lloyds TSB and 7,349 about Bank of Scotland.

The FOS received a total of 82,136 new complaints between July and December last year, an increase of 18% on the first half of the year. Barclays received the second most number of complaints.

So, does this mean more people are unhappy with their bank?

The average British household would run out of money in less than 14 days if a wage earner fell critically ill or died, according to new research.

Insurance firm Aviva says one in four Britons could access only £100 of disposable cash within a week if they lost their income due to death or a critical illness. Yet nearly two-thirds (63%) of British households have no critical illness cover or life insurance.

So how should Brits prepare for a rainy day?

Nationwide is offering £75 cash to existing Flex Account customers who make the account their main current account.

The UK's largest society is thought to be targeting the throngs of consumers who have the account for its overseas spending perks but do not widely use it otherwise.

Hey, that's me! I opened a Flex Account a few years ago and take the cash card on holiday with me to benefit from fee-free spending overseas. However I rarely use the account for day-to-day spending or direct debits or standing orders.

So, is it worth making Flex Account my main current account?

Barclays current account customers are outraged after the bank increased overdraft charges for the second time in six months.

The higher charges will come into effect from the end of April. Overdraft rates on Barclays Graduate account will jump from 9.9% to 14.9%. Meanwhile the overdraft rate on the bank's First Additions account will rise from 14.9% to 18.3%, on the Current Account Plus from 16.9% to 18.3% and on the Premier Life account from 12.9% to 14.9%. Rates on half a dozen other accounts will also rise.

So why are Barclays customers so upset?

New guidelines have been launched twhich will mean the end of the sick note as we know it. The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) has introduced the "fit note" in place of the traditional sick note.

It's all very good for employers. It says the new regime will cut the cost of sick leave. According to the DWP the new rules will benefit the British economy by an estimated £240 million over the next ten years.

So, what does this mean if you're ill?

A law firm is set to investigate the legality of Skipton building society's SVR clause, which allowed the lender to hike its standard mortgage rate by 1.45 percentage points last month.

It was revealed last month that Skipton was temporarily removing the ceiling on its SVR which promised borrowers that the standard variable rate (SVR) would not go over 3% above the Bank of England base rate.

But with effect from March 1st the building society is bringing in a new SVR at 4.95%, which the building society says is in response to "exceptional market conditions."

On a typical £150,000 repayment mortgage, this would see the annual cost increase from £9,010 to £10,480.

So, what's the legal case all about?