Chancellor George Osborne has given Brits a mixed bag of options in this year’s Budget. Attempts to thwart the economy falling into a double dip recession will have a dramatic effect on personal finances. Pensioners in particular are getting the raw end of the deal as their annual personal tax allowance will be frozen. Typically

Income tax As the tax bands will be changed, an estimated 1.3 million will be dragged into a higher 40p tax bracket. The Budget will trap over a million workers into paying the 40p band for the next two years, as the higher rate income tax will be reduced from £42,475 to £41,450 next year.

Raising children has always been a costly affair and parents are now shelling out hundreds of thousands to raise their little ones under the best conditions possible. According to the January annual Cost a Child Report from protection and retirement specialist LV= it costs parents £218,024 to get children from birth until the age of

With changes to the calculations of insurance premiums and fuel price increases on the horizon for motorists this year, keeping your car on the road could prove to be an expensive business. This means that keeping motoring costs minimal will become a priority for drivers – but how can you drive these expenses down? 1.

Homeownership comes with many highs and many lows. Brits are often left battling the elements against the ever-changing housing market, as well as the fluctuating economy. The UK housing market has experienced a turbulent few years following the global economic meltdown and mortgage regulations have become tighter. Over the last 18 months, the market has

UK travellers using low fare airlines are being robbed of £265,000 per day in high booking fees and charges. Popular budget airlines such as Ryanair, Wizz Air, Aer Lingus, Flybe and others have all been guilty of charging consumers ‘sky-high’ booking fees when using a credit or debit card. Consumer watchdog, Which? has been campaigning

Official figures suggest that Brits are living in the worst economic downturn since the Second World War. Households across the country are struggling to cope in the deepest recession since the 1950s. Many are facing a financial pitfall and risk plummeting into debt. Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that consumer spending

Having your personal details stolen from you and used fraudulently by others can be a scary prospect for already cash-strapped Brits. The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) estimates that Brits lose a massive £3.5 billion on scams every year, with the average victim losing £850. With the number of UK households struggling to cope with

Singletons are paying the price for their solo status to the tune of £3,500 pounds a year, according to research by the Co-operatives UK. We already know that those who are savouring in the delights of wedded bliss benefit from tax breaks, access to larger mortgages and avoid paying the dreaded ‘single supplement’ tagged onto

The majority of spenders will admit to being woefully ignorant when it comes to managing their finances and apart from enlisting ‘moneysaving expert’ Martin Lewis as a permanent lodger, are short of ideas on how to make their money work for, rather than against them. For those who want to earn the accolade of ‘savvy