Julia Kollewe
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Avoid the pension pitfalls: Retirement experts' top 10 tips
Filed under: Saving, Investing, Retirement
The halcyon days of golden-plated final salary pension schemes for all are long gone, and with annuity rates at record lows and life expectancy increasing every year, planning for retirement has never been more important. Perhaps we are getting wiser as well as older, though. More than a third of all searches for an independent financial adviser on unbiased.co.uk relate to personal retirement planning. Here, we air the views of some of its most sought-after pensions boffins.
Britons stick to what we know and love - except our partners
Filed under: Weird and Wonderful
From our dentists to hairdressers and favourite shop keepers, once we have found someone we like and trust we return time and time again.These relationships with our favourite shops and people withstand the test of time – and often last longer than our love affairs with partners.
James Bond's Aston Martin is still king of the road
Filed under: Loans, Travel, Entertainment
When it comes to flashy cars, Italian racers and German engineering aren't enough of a draw for British drivers: most of us dream of getting behind the wheel of a classic British sports car.In fact, the classic Aston Martin - as driven by the nation's favourite spy James Bond - races ahead of European makes such as Ferrari in the polls as the top choice for more than six million Brits.
The Co-operative Bank Clear credit card: Ethical and now cheaper
Filed under: Credit Cards
The Co-operative Bank - Britain's only mainstream ethical bank - is cutting the interest rate on its 'Clear' card. To qualify you must have an account with the Co-op.The Clear card doesn't have a headline grabbing zero interest deal, but holders do benefit from a lower than usual standard rate, which makes it good for borrowing, while its lack of hidden charges also mean it is more transparent than most other types of plastic.
Save £480 a year by wasting less food
Filed under: Food and Drink, Budgeting & Planning
Households could save £480 a year by cutting down on food waste, according to new research that also reveals we throw away a staggering third of all the food we buy each year.Using fridges and freezers more effectively is vital if we are to stop this dreadful waste, while supermarkets should be doing more to help consumers, says the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP), which commissioned the research.
House hunters take sledge hammer approach to create perfect home
Filed under: Property, House and Home
The Bank Holiday provides the perfect opportunity for DIY-ers to get stuck in and give their home a fresh lick of paint or finally build that garden shed, and for househunters to find a new abode.
But how much work are we prepared to take on to achieve the perfect living space? New research from mortgage lender Halifax suggests that the gulf between the type of properties we aspire to and the homes available on the UK market, the answer is often as much as it takes.
Wednesday 4pm is peak time for online workplace slacking
Filed under: Work & Careers, Weird and Wonderful
When do most people surf for bargains on the Internet? Well according to new research from price comparison website InvisibleHand, people up and down the UK put their work aside to do some online shopping at about 4pm on Wednesday afternoons.At around that time each week, internet shopping surges by 75%, the research findings show, indicating that the end of the working day on Wednesday is when Britons are most likely to be slacking at their desks.
EasyJet attacked for wheelchair weight restriction
Filed under: Travel
EasyJet has come under fire for imposing an on-board weight restriction that excludes most powered wheelchairs, preventing thousands of disabled people from flying with the budget airline.The no-frills carrier refuses to carry one-piece wheelchairs that weigh more than 60kg with their batteries detached - but most wheelchairs weigh a lot more, some even twice as much. Disabled people wanting to fly with the company must therefore dismantle their wheelchairs into separate parts weighing less than 60kg each.
Bumper Bank Holiday spending predicted as Britons flock abroad
Filed under: Credit Cards, Travel
It's no surprise that many people are looking to escape to sunnier shores this Bank Holiday weekend given the appalling weather we've had of late. According to Barclays, this particular Bank Holiday exodus will lead to the biggest surge in overseas debit card spending and cash withdrawals seen this summer.
How to beat the Bank Holiday traffic
For many people Bank Holidays are synonymous with travel chaos and family rows in the car. And with more than half of the population planning a trip this Bank Holiday weekend, the mayhem caused by traffic jams, strike threats, delays and cancellations on public transport could be even worse than usual. You can ease the pain with a bit of planning, though.
