Money ranks third out of all topics that families feel uncomfortable discussing in the home, according to research by Bright Grey. Roger Edwards, proposition director at Bright Grey, said: “Sex, death and money are never popular discussion topics in the home – even today – and it seems...

Many people don’t understand how their credit rating affects their ability to obtain new credit, according to credit rating agency Equifax. The agency made the comment after its research showed that a third of credit card applications over the last year were turned down – and that a third of...

From 1st June, the fee that individuals, lenders and businesses must pay when petitioning for bankruptcy will increase, The Insolvency Service has announced. The fee for an individual petitioning for their own bankruptcy will increase from £450 to £525, while lenders petitioning to make a borrower bankrupt...

An article in the Guardian demonstrates how a small monthly payment for income protection insurance could save people from significant financial problems if they were unable to work for several months. With the cheapest monthly premium for men standing at £9.78, and £11.76 for women (based on a 35-year old...

The average debt in the UK – excluding mortgage debt – currently stands at £8,431. That’s one of the findings of recent research from moneysupermarket.com, which also indicates that men tend to owe more than women: £9,403, compared with £7,593. The ‘worry tipping point’ also...

More than one in ten over-60s (11%) report having outstanding debts including loans, credit cards and mortgages, according to research by Age UK. The study also revealed how many pensioners feel stretched in the current financial climate – with 47% saying they are just ‘getting by’ and a...

Yesterday, we learned that the CPI rate of inflation had unexpectedly dropped to 4% in March, down from 4.4%. It’s still double the Chancellor’s target of 2%, but at least the drop is a move in the right direction and will take some of the pressure off the Bank of England to raise the base rate...

The Independent reports that lenders are increasingly turning to ‘attachment of earnings orders’ to reclaim money from unpaid debts, according to legal information provider Sweet & Maxwell. Attachment of earnings orders involve the lender taking money directly from the borrower’s...

More than two thirds of motorists use a credit card to pay for petrol and diesel, according to credit reference agency Equifax. But nearly a third are paying off less than 25% of the balance at the end of each month, meaning they could be paying a fair bit of interest on top of their fuel costs. With the...

Inflation might be high – at 4.4%, it’s over double the Chancellor’s target of 2% – but the Bank of England clearly doesn’t feel the time is right to raise the base rate. “A rate rise might help keep inflation down, but the other potential effects of a rise have clearly...