If this article is correct then online food shopping is set to double within the next five years. That’s according to new estimates from the Institute of Grocery Distribution. Their research shows that customers will spend nearly £7.2bn on grocery shopping online by 2014, that’s nearly double the figure spent last year. Personally I do most of food shopping online. It allows me to shop for the whole month without worrying about getting it in my small car and I find I budget better and am less likely to overspend.

According to this article the number of people advertising for a lodger has risen by 27% in the first two weeks of the year. According to Spareroom.co.uk the rise is down to people looking to raise extra income because they have over stretched financially after the Christmas period. The group have said that they saw a record number of people advertising for lodgers during 2009 and that it expects the trend to continue this year. With the average weekly rent costing £87 it seems like a good way to bring in some extra cash if you have a big enough house to be able to do it.

According to this article you could soon be paying a bit more for your pint. Many of the country’s biggest brewers are likely to increase their prices in a move that will mean an increase of around 10p on popular beers. Guinness are putting up the recommend retail price to £3.03 per pint from February 1st. InBev who make Stella Artois, Becks and Budweiser are increasing the wholesale price of all its drinks by 4p a pint from the same date. Heineken UK have also announced a price rise and Carlsberg and Moulson Coors are yet to make an announcement.

If you want to pop the question but don’t have a very big budget, then Asda might have the answer. They are selling engagement rings for just £397. The average amount spent on an engagement ring is £1,800 according to the wedding site Confetti.co.uk but it is traditional to spend at least one month’s salary on the ring. The Asda ring, then seems something of a bargain. The ring is the best selling one on offer at the store and is an 18ct gold ring with 1 caret 7 stone diamonds and looks quite good for the price.

If this article is correct we could soon expect to pay a little more for a carton of orange juice. According to the article cold weather and disease have hit the citrus groves in Florida which produce much of the world’s orange juice. This has already led to the price of concentrated juice doubling in the past year. As yet this has not affected the prices we pay in the supermarket because stores usually fix their prices a long time in advance, however, we should expect prices to rise by between 10 and 30 per cent when contracts are renegotiated.

This article suggests that some supermarkets are misleading customers with bargains that are not all they seem. The main focus of the article is a half price deal being offered by Tesco on Bernard Matthews turkeys. The turkeys are being offered at £20 which Tesco claims is half price, however, the turkeys have only been on sale for the full price of £40 for a short period of time. Tesco began selling the turkeys on the 3rd of September and made the price cut on the 1st of October allowing the birds to be at half price in the run up to Christmas. The chains rivals, however, say that the product should retail at just £20, the price they are all charging. It seems then, this particular deal is not such a great one. I wonder how many other offers are real reductions.

According to this article a bottle of champagne from Sainsbury’s that costs just £16 has performed better than some brands which cost twice as much. The champagne beat Moet and Chandon and 11 other champagnes to come second in a blind tasting. A total of 14 champagnes were tested, nine from major supermarket chains and three from big champagne houses. The Sainsbury’s Blanc de Noirs champagne was only beaten by Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label which received 90 points whilst the Sainsbury’s champagne received 89. At half the price though you can’t help thinking you might be better off going to Sainsbury's. The cheapest champagne tested was Aldi’s Veuve Monsiny which costs £9.99. It managed 10th place with a score of 84 points.

Marks and Spencer have announced that they will hold a Penny Bazaar on Friday. The sale which will last one day only will see 15 different items going on sale at just 1p each. Items include socks, card games, puzzles, handkerchiefs, money boxes, tea towels, mugs, notebooks, ties, knickers, keyrings and chocolates. Marks and Spencer have previously hosted a similar event which saw people queued outside stores trying to pick up a bargain. If you want to get your hands on some of the cheap items customers are limited to five purchases each and you can check which stores are offering the promotion on the website.

According to this article it is possible to cook Christmas dinner for eight people for just £2.78 a head. The Good Housekeeping Institute priced 11 ingredients mainly from Lidl and Morrisons and some from Tesco and Sainsbury’s. It found that it is possible to buy a turkey from Lidl and Morrisons for just £9.99. Lidl also came out best for some of the trimmings such as sprouts, carrots and parsnips whereas Tesco had the best value Christmas pudding at just £1. If the article is correct it appears that you can find a bargain if you shop around.

It seems the recession is good news for the restaurant chain Taybarns which runs all you can eat restaurants. The chain offers a choice of food including fish and chips, carvery, pizza, pasta and Mexican all for a fixed price. Customers pay £5.99 during the day or £7.99 in the evening and can take a plate and help themselves to whatever they fancy as many times as want. The business model appears to working, whilst other restaurants are closing at a rate of a 100 a month Tayburns has seen a 3% increase in sales in the last six months and serves around 10,000 people a a week in their most popular branches. They are planning to open 30 new branches to take advantage in the growing popularity. I can see how the restaurant might appeal to cash strapped families who are struggling with the bills. It is certainly interesting to see that even during a recession it is possible to capitalise on certain markets.

It seems that business is booming at McDonald’s despite the recession. According to this article many McDonald’s drive through outlets are struggling to cope with increasing demand as the recession fuels a boom in fast food sales and a move towards more expensive meals. In order to deal with the increase in business the company will be installing an extra lane to many of its drive through restaurants. This will enable two drivers to order their food at the same time thus increasing capacity. The two lane system will be trialled at outlets in Telford, Shropshire, Kent and Edinburgh, and if successful will later be rolled out across the country.

If this article is correct then consumers will soon have less choice when they choose a credit card. Natwest and HSBC have recently decided to offer credit cards to existing customers only. To qualify for a credit card with them you will now need to also have a current account with the bank. The move obviously cuts down on the risk to the bank but if other banks start to follow suit then it looks as though people are going to be quite restricted when choosing a credit card in the future.

According to this article some high street chains are starting to see an increase in sales and profits. Four of Britain’s largest retailers have seen rising earnings suggesting that consumer spending night be starting to improve. Sports Direct, House of Fraser, Laura Ashley and Thorntons have all seen and increase in half year sales. Industry experts are still cautious about the outlook for Christmas and the new year due to the VAT rise in January and rising unemployment but perhaps we are starting to see those elusive “green shoots”.

Waitrose has come to the rescue of the Duchy Originals brand which has been struggling during the recession. The brand which was founded by Prince Charles in 1990 to promote organic food and farming has seen a slump in profits during the last two years. It is thought that customers have been put off buying the brand due its high prices. Waitrose is the biggest stockist of the brand and have now struck a new licensing agreement which will give them the exclusive right to make and distribute the product across its 214 branches. Waitrose will also sell the products wholesale but will only allow independent stores and restaurants to stock them. They also have plans to extend the range from 200 to 500 products.

Tesco are now offering double the amount of loyalty card points in a bid to tempt more customers. According to the article sales growth at Tesco has been outpaced by its main rivals in the past year prompting the supermarket to look at new ways of retaining customers. All Clubcard holders will now receive double the amount of rewards every time they shop meaning you will now get two point for every pound you spend in store or online. I do have a Tesco Clubcard but personally I find I currently receive very little rewards and that I frequently forget to use the vouchers I receive. I wonder why Tesco don’t go the same way as Sainsbury’s and simply allow you to take the money off your shopping bill at the checkout. I find this works a lot better and means that I can save my points up for an expensive event such as Christmas to buy a few luxury items that we wouldn’t usually be able to afford.

According to this article Asda has actually increased the price of one one in five of its products despite its pledge to roll back prices. Trade magazine The Grocer has found that in many cases the supermarket has been rounding price up rather than down. It checked 969 products and found that 173 actually cost more in July than they did in March. A third of the products were the same price that they had been in March and 477 products were cheaper in July than in March. The Grocer found that one in five of the round pound lines which are heavily publicised has been sold for less than pound in recent months. Often customers often see the items priced at a £1.00 and fail to realise that they were actually previously on sale at a cheaper price.

According to this article Waitrose shoppers are increasingly choosing the supermarkets budget range as they try to save money. Their essential range of products are packaged in simple white boxes and packets are similar to the basics range of products produced by Sainsbury’s. Sales of the range are up 11 per cent compared to a year ago and the supermarket expects to sell £600 million of essential products over the next 12 months. Sainsbury’s have also recently published figures that suggest shoppers are choosing the budget range of products. What do you think? Are you cutting back?

Millions of Setanta customers have been left without their sports channels after Setanta went into administration and the channel was switched off. Customers who have paid £12.99 for the service which included being able to watch Premier League football are likely to be left without compensation. In addition more than 200 people have lost their jobs and 950 more jobs are at risk in call centres which are connected to the firm. The broadcaster recently lost the rights to continue showing the Premier League matched, something which appears to have instrumental in the companies demise. It all seems very similar to when ITV digital went under about 7 years ago. They also relied heavily on their sports channels to bring in the money. I think the problem is relying on one prime channel to make money rather than concentrating on providing quality content across several channels.

Shoppers in Germany will soon be able to buy something a little more high end from vending machines as machines selling precious metals are introduced across the country. The machines are being introduced by TG Gold Super Mart at 500 locations across Germany including train stations and airports. The aim is to tap into increasing interest in the buying of gold and the prices will be updated every few minutes, although they will be around 30 per cent higher than the current market prices. The prototype machine offered the choice of purchasing a 1g wafer of gold for 30 Euros, a 10g bar for 245 Euros and gold coins. It appears the aim is to take advantage of people that want an investment they can put in their pocket rather than something that is invested in markets you can’t see. It will be interesting to see if the machines prove to be popular.

According to this article wine sales in Britain have fallen for the first time in ten years. Figures show that the average British household does still drink more than a bottle of wine a week, however, it appears that people are cutting back. 1.16 billion litres of wine were sold in Britain in 2008, a two per cent fall on the previous year and the first time there has been an annual fall since 1995. One factor that might be behind the fall is the increase in wine duty last year which means a duty of £1.61 on a standard bottle. It might also be that people are spending their money more wisely in the current economic climate. What do you think? Are you buying less wine?

If like many other people you are thinking of getting an allotment to grow your own vegetables, it appears you might be in for a long wait. According to this article in some areas the waiting lists for an allotment are so long that you might have to wait up to 40 years before you get one. In Camden for example there are 883 people waiting for an allotment and in Islington, Burnley, Fylde, Wirrel and Kingston upon Hull waiting list are all longer than 10 years. Although every council has to provide 20 allotments per every 1,000 residents it seems demand is simply to high. Whether its the effects of recession or simply a renewed interest is not clear but it appears growing your own is the thing to do.

Royal Mail has launched a tamper proof stamp which should stop people pealing off old stamps and reusing them. The problem whilst it might seem minor costs Royal Mail tens of thousands of pounds every year. Although stamps are franked when they go through the sorting office, the markings on them are not always noticeable and often stamps with little markings on them are peeled off and used again. The new stamps, however, should make it impossible to reuse them. They have two oblong strips on either side of the stamp so that when the stamp is peeled off the strips are left behind. This leaves a useless stamp with two holes in it which should now be unusable.

It looks as thought it might be all over for Setanta as an emergency meeting has taken place to try and secure a rescue package. The sports broadcaster could face going into administration within days unless backers provide more funds. The company owes the English Premier League a total of £30 million, money that it does not appear to have. It has also failed to pay the Scottish Premier League £3 million which it owes them in television rights money. It is estimated that Sentanta is currently losing up to £100 million a year. 

According to this article exports of Champagne have dropped by a third. The news comes as people cut back on luxury products during the recession. Some of the biggest Champagne houses such as Laurent-Perrier have seen a drop of 27 per cent in the 2008/2009 financial year with net profits down by 45 per cent. It’s not just Champagne exports that are suffering it appears that people are buying less high end wines and moving towards more lower priced bottles as they try to save money.

According to this article the recession has seen the number of millionaires in Britain halve. The decline has been put down to a number of factors but mainly the collapse in the property market, the fall in the value of shares and cuts in city bonuses. The number of millionaires in 2007 was estimated at 489,000 but this has now fallen to around 242,000. The rise in the number of millionaires from 2003 to 2007 was mainly attributed to a rise in house prices during that period. With property prices starting to level out I’m sure there will be people waiting to cash in and make their millions once the market improves.

PC maker Dell has seen a decline of 63% in its profits. The decline of almost two-thirds means that they made a net profit of $290m in the three months to 1 May down 63% from $784m a year ago. Although revenues at the firm fell 23% to $12.3bn the results were better than analysts had expected during the current recession. Dell has already cut costs because of falling sales by reducing its global workforce by more than 9,000 people over the past year. Although no further cuts have been announced Dell have said they are continuing cost reduction efforts. The results come a week after Hewlett Packard announced a quarterly profit decline of 17% and that it was cutting 2% per cent of its workforce, a total of 6,000 jobs.

It appears that as the credit crunch starts to make an impact on people’s spending habits they are increasingly turning to hire purchase rather than buying goods. under a hire purchase scheme the customer pays a fee every month with the appliance remaining the property of the lender until the last payment has been made giving the lender extra security. This article reports a ten per cent rise in the value of goods brought on hire purchase in the last 12 months compared with the same period in the previous year.

If there is one thing that Monopoly has taught us its that a bank error in your favour is a good thing. Unfortunately in real life if you find several thousands of pounds in your account then you should tell the bank and give it back or you could be arrested. An Australian couple did just the opposite. On finding that they had received a payment of £4 million from the bank they simply disappeared. The bank has recovered some of the money but the couple still have around £3 million of it. An international search has now been launched for them.

In the current tough economic conditions lasting through the month until payday seems to be getting increasingly difficult for many people. That’s where a Pay Day Loan can come in useful. As the name suggests it is a short term loan designed to help through until you get paid. Unlike other loans payday loans require no credit checks and you can often be approved in a as little as 24 hours. Apex Payday Loans for example provide a service that is available 24 hours a day 7 days a week. You can apply online which takes just a few minutes and in some cases they will approve it within the hour.

There are so many companies offering webhosting that it can be a little daunting deciding which one to choose. We recently switched our hosting to another provider and I spent a lot of time looking around at website like Web Hosting Geeks which offer reviews from people who already use the hosting providers. The website contains useful information such as the top 10 web hosting providers as rated by their users. It also gives awards for categories like the best budget hosting, the best blog hosting and the best multiple domain hosting. This in itself is quite useful especially for someone like me who doesn’t really know much about web hosting but the website also provides lots of other information. The awards not only allow you to see which hosting providers perform best in each of the categories but also provide a useful overview of the service detailing things like how much storage space the provider gives you, how much bandwidth and what level of customer service you are likely to receive. In addition to this you can read the reviews by current customers who are already using the service. All of this makes me feel a little more confident about choosing a hosting provider, after all if a provider has lots of reviews from happy customers then they must be doing something right.

If you are looking for a bargain then you might want to check the Penny Bazaar promotion which starts today at M&S to celebrate their 125th birthday. The promotion runs from today for three days and during that time they are offering a range of products at only a penny each. The promotion runs in store only and customers can choose up to five products each. Every penny donated will go to the M&S 125 charity challenge which aims to raise £125 million for charities between May and September.

If you want to get married but simply don’t have the money then this idea might be for you. Its a scheme being offered by St Hild and St Helen’s church in Dawdon, County Durham. Under the scheme couples are being offered a virtually free wedding including and organist and outfits for the bride, bridesmaid, bridegroom and mother of the bride. The only condition is that couple take four pre-marital lessons prior to the wedding at a cost of £50.

According to this article ministers have backed plans to give restaurant workers fair pay. Under new rules restaurant workers could face jail or a £5,000 fine from October if they use tips to make up staff wages. Currently some restaurants pay workers a low wage but use staff tips to make the wage up to the legal minimum. In some cases waiters are being paid as little at £3 an hour by employers and have to rely upon tips to make up the rest of their salary. It is estimated that around 60,000 staff could see their salaries increase after the new rules come into force.

Sainsbury’s have posted better than expected profits with a 11.3% rise to £543 million. The supermarket has said that like for like sales rose by 4.5% in the year to the 21st of March. The rise is put down to the increasing population of their Basics range and the Jamie Oliver Feed Your Family For a Fiver campaign which has been running on TV. The profits mean that Sainsbury’s staff will share a bonus pot of £60 million, compared to last year’s £47 million.

New guidelines are being brought in to give tenants and home owners who use lettings agencies more protection. The Association of Residential Lettings Agents is introducing a licensing scheme for its UK members and a code of practice for lettings agents. Under the new rules licensed agents will need to hold a professional qualification related to lettings, take part in continuing professional development, have professional indemnity insurance, have plans in place to protect any money they are holding for clients and have an independent audit carried out on clients funds. This would mean that if the licensed agent went out of business any money it owed to its clients would be protected.

Since I heard that the government was introducing a scrappage scheme to encourage people to trade in their old cars for a newer model I have watching with interest. My car has now reached the 20 year old mark and its a miracle every year when it gets through the MOT. I would happily trade my car in a for a newer one, the only thing that is really stopping me is that I simply cannot afford to get a new car. I was hoping that the government scheme might give me an extra little bit of help to be able to purchase something a little newer, perhaps a car that is only five years old rather than twenty. It appears, however, that the scheme only allows you purchase a car that is less than a year old. I have been looking around at the prices of new cars and even if I were to purchase one with finance it is simply too expensive. I don’t want a particularly big car perhaps a Ford Fiesta or similar but prices of these start at around £12,295. It looks as though my car will be on the road for some time yet whilst I continue saving for a newer one.

This article suggests that shoppers are using their debit cards and cash rather than relying on credit cards. Spending on debit cards increased 6.8 per cent last year from £108.7 billion to £116.1 billion whilst spending on credit cards dropped to £61.1 billion. Cash purchases also increased in the same period. The news comes as credit card companies are being accused of making it harder for people to pay back their debts as well as increasing their rates.

In an unusual incentive a Spanish property company is offering customers a free divorce lawyer when they purchase a new home. The offer is open to couples who buy one of their three bedroom houses priced at 68,000 Euros. The company Geimsa realtors are hoping to cash in on those people who are delaying divorce proceedings because they cannot afford to set up a new home in the current difficult economic climate. The same company is also offering brand new apartments for 100,000 Euros which includes an all expenses paid wedding. In other schemes around 30 estate agents in Spain are offering discounts of up to 40 per cent for buyers who are going through a divorce or separation. Some deals also include a years free mortgage.

Rail fares are to rise by up to 11% next month with those customers who book in advance paying the highest increases. National Express East Coast is putting up its prices for the second time in five months. In January it raised unregulated fares by 7.4% and the further increase will mean an extra 11% on some advance purchase tickets. The First Great Western, East Midlands Train, First Capital Connect and CrossCountry companies are also increasing some fares. All of the rises are on unregulated fares which does not include season tickets. The prices of these must be decided linked to the retail price index. It is likely that train companies will not be allowed to increase these regulated fares next year so instead it appears they are increasing the costs of their unregulated fares. The move means that some fares will have jumped 16% in just five months.

It appears that one company at least is still doing well despite the recession. Tesco have recently announced record profits of £3 billion, that’s a rise of 10% since last year. It is estimated that the company currently takes more than £1 billion a weeks and profits are around £8.6 million a day. Tesco bosses say that the company is thriving because Tesco attracts customers with price cuts and discounts. Despite this claim research by mysupermarket.co.uk has shown that a basket of staple food costs 9% more than it did this time last year. As prices go up there appears to be evidence that stores are taking an large percentage of shoppers money. The big supermarkets are also accused of boosting their profits by squeezing suppliers.

Bay Trading has announced that it is to go into administration. The decision was taken after credit insurance was withdrawn following the release of it results last week. The move puts 1,000 jobs in 268 branches at risk. The accountants Deloitte will be the administrators, they intend to keep the chain trading whilst they try to find a buyer. Bay Trading’s parent company Alexon operates two separate businesses Epcoscan which trades as Bay Trading and Alexon Brands which runs Ann Harvey, Kaliko, Eastex and Alex and Co. Alexon has said that Bay Trading has been making a loss and has been relying on the rest of the group to survive. It has also said that its other brands will be unaffected by the administration.

According to this article a £16 hi-fi from Tesco has been voted the best on the market. In the online survey carried our by Reevoo the Tesco hi-fi (pictured left) beat more expensive products made by Roberts and Sony to take the gold award in the hi-fi category. The winners were chosen by half a million consumers who submitted reviews to the website about products they owned. The £16 Tesco stereo came first with the Roberts Sound MP43 which costs £186 coming second and the Sony MHC-EC78PI costing £100 taking the bronze award. For your £16 the Tesco hi-fi has a CD player and two speakers. It was praised for it good sound quality and easy to use controls. At £16 I might just get one.

According to this article wine sales have plummeted as people begin to feel the effect of the recession. The article says that the amount of win brought in pubs and clubs has shrunk by 1%, that's the equivalent of around 12 million bottles. The figures from The Grocer also show that supermarkets, convenience stores and garage forecourts are also selling less wine, whilst off licenses have recorded a drop of 6% in sales value. Personally I haven't been buying less wine to drink at home but I do tend to drink less if I go out to a pub or restaurant as prices are usually overinflated.

It appears that despite the credit crunch some people are still prepared to pay for luxury items. This wedding dress costs $1.5million and is made from peacock feathers. It took eight workers 40 days to sew together. Its certainly interesting but I think it might be a bit too much as a wedding dress.

This is interesting its a suit made from recycled plastic bottles. It has been made by the Designers at Debenhams and costs £55. It is made entirely out of plastic bottles which were destined for landfill sites. The bottles are cleaned, their labels are removed and then they are ground down into chips which are melted down. The mixture is then refined and woven into a type of polyester. Around 50 bottles are used in each suit. The jacket costs £35 and the trousers £20. In contrast to the peacock feather wedding dress it is hoped that it might appeal to people who are seeking a bargain in the current difficult economic conditions. It is available in sizes 10-22 and can be purchased in Debenhams stores countrywide.

I read an article some time ago that suggested one in every 50 pound coins is a fake. This seems a lot but new figures from the Royal Mint suggest the problem is actually much worse and that the figure is more like one in every 20. It appears the current process of finding fake coins is not very accurate and only manages to find between 30 and 40% of the fakes because it errs on the side of caution rather than risk taking real coins out of circulation. Willings a company that tests coins collected from vending machines and car parks found that when they carried out a test on 2000 pounds coins between 3 and 4% were fake. Fake coins can be identified because the lettering on the side if often indistinct or in the wrong typeface.

With people suffering during the credit crunch some firms are coming up with cut price products. This article highlights a bikini that that costs just 99p. It is made by the budget chain the 99p Store who say it can help you to create the Cheryl Cole look. To complete the look you can also get a cowboy hat, aviator sunglasses and flipflops, all for under a fiver.

According to this article credit card rates are the highest they have been for two years despite the fact that interest rates are at a historic low. According to the article a borrower now pays £26.40 more in interest on a £3,000 balance than they would have done two years ago. Although the Government has promised to clamp down on credit card companies which have failed to pass on the interest rate cuts it appears that banks are still able to charge their customers high rates and that charges continue to rise. In some ways you can see why in the current economic situation banks are reluctant to lend and with lending becoming more risky might charge a higher rate. However, that isn’t going to work in the long run if their customers simply can’t afford to pay the charges and the bank does not get their money back.

Virgin America have introduced a charge to check in a single bag. The move brings them in line with other US carriers and means that passengers will now pay a $15 fee to check a single bag. Previously the airline charged nothing for the first bag, $25 for the second and $50 for the third. The airline has also lowered its fee for ticket changes and cancellations from $75 to $50.

The Co-operative Group will complete it's takeover of the grocery chain Somerfield next week. Under the £1.6bn takeover the Co-op will close Somerfield's Bristol head quarters and move the staff to Manchester. The Co-op has said that it hopes to relocate as many as possible of the 750 employees that will be affected by the move. The takeover means that the Co-op will take on more than 650 Somerfield stores across the UK making it the fifth largest food retailer behind Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisions.

I think you will find that's legal tender is a phase usually heard in England when businesses refuse to accept Scottish banknotes. Although the tender is indeed legal, traders south of the border can refuse to accept Scottish banknotes. However, they may soon have to accept them if a private member's bill is successful. The bill is being launched by Shadow Scottish Secretary David Mundell, it would require all providers of goods or services in the UK which accept Bank of England notes to also accept Scottish banknotes on an equal basis.  Three Scottish banks retain the right to print their own money - the Royal Bank of Scotland, the Bank of Scotland and the Clydesdale Bank but currently these notes are not backed by force of law anywhere in the UK.

Iceland have brought 51 of the former Woolworths stores that closed recently after Woolworths went into administration. The announcement comes only a few days after the last 200 Woolworths stores closed. The move will add to Iceland's existing 682 outlets and is likely to create 2,500 new jobs. A full list of the 51 stores is below.

Alton, Barnsley, Belper, Bethnal Green, Bexhill On Sea, Bicester, Billericay, Blandford Forum, Bodmin, Boreham Wood, Bow, Braintree, Broadstairs, Devizes, Exmouth, Fraserburgh, Frome, Greenford, Hackney, Hailsham, Harold Hill, Haverhill, Herne Bay, Hexham, Highgate, Honiton, Kilburn High Road, Leyton, Malvern, Matlock, Mill Hill, Minehead, Monmouth, Morpeth, Morriston, Newtownards, Palmers Green, Pinner (Rayner's Lane), Palmers Green, Plumstead, Pontypool, Poplar, Portslade, Ringwood, St Neots, Stoke Newington, Strood, Sudbury, Swaffham, Wakefield, Wallington, Whitstable

Train passengers should be able to use their Oyster cards on most of the London rail network by the end of 2009. Currently the Oyster card can be used on London Overground, the London underground, buses, trams and the Docklands Light Railway. However, many suburban rail firms do not yet accept the pay as you go card. The London Mayor Boris Johnson has said that an agreement with most rail companies is near. The one exception appears to be South West Trains which currently has no plans to allow customers to use the Oyster card on its service.

This article suggests that car insurance premiums could rise by as much as 20% this year. This would mean that the average premium for a driver with a full no claims bonus would rise from £400 to $380. The rise is due to an increase in fraud and the high cost of personal injury claims. This article suggests that currently for every £100 spent on premiums the insurer pays out as much £105. Around £30 of each policy paid by the UK 33 million insured motorists also goes to cover the costs of accidents involving those with no insurance.

This article suggests that 38% of small business owners do not expect to survive 2009 because of the current economic downturn. Research which was carried out by the Financial Mail and This is Money found that over half of small business owners had cut back on credit and 66% would be making staff redundant. The results show that small business owners are pessimistic about the coming year but it thought that the reality could be much worse. The Forum of Private Business estimates that as many as 200,000 firms could close next year.

Woolworths went into administration yesterday after negotiations to try to avert the collapse failed. The chain which opened its first shop in Britain nearly 100 years ago, now has debts of £385 million. The chain has 800 outlets employing almost 30,000 people, most of whom are likely to lose their jobs. Negotiations are now under way to try and ensure that the stores stay open over the Christmas trading period. The administration of Woolworths includes its shops and EUK a DVD distribution business. Many companies including Asda, Sainsbury's and Zavi rely upon Woolworths' Entertainment arm for stock of CDs, DVDs and games, deliveries of these have now collapsed, hitting the entertainment sector.

Some of the leading supermarkets have announced more petrol cuts in a second week of fuel cuts. Morrisons cut 2p from the price of a litre of unleaded and diesel making the prices 97.9p and 109.9p. Asda introduced the same prices for its fuel yesterday morning. Tesco have cut prices to less than £1 a litre and have said it will knock a further 2p off prices at most of its filling stations. Sainsbury's have said that they will reduce their costs of unleaded petrol to 97.9p a litre and diesel to 109.9p a litre. Total, BP and Shell have also announced cuts.

BHS has reported a fall in pre tax profits for the year end of March. Profits are down from 34% to £32.6m from £49.4m 12 months earlier. Total sales at BHS were down 1.4% to £860m. Mr Green who owns the chain said the results were "a solid performance in an exceptionally challenging market". Other retailers such as Marks and Spencer have also recently reported its worst quarterly sales performance for more than three years.

Gordon Brown intends to increase the Treasury's guarantee to savers from £35,000 to £50,000. He is also considering issuing a blanket guarantee to savers to protect all of their money in the event of their bank failing. Such a guarantee would reassure banks that they could continue to trade without the fear of a sudden collapse. The proposal could insure around £1.9 trillion in deposits.

It seems that everything is getting more and more expensive recently and it can be tough making it through until pay day. That’s where a short term loan like a payday loan can help. Basically a payday loan is a loan that you can get quickly with a short approval process and there are no credit checks involved. You just need to have a regular job and be over 18 years to apply for one. It is designed to as the name suggests help you through until your next pay cheque. You can apply for an Easy Payday Loan online and it often be approved in as little as 24 hours. 

Sales are up at Domino's Pizza as more customers choose to eat in. Sales across 535 UK Domino outlets in the UK and Ireland rose by 17.8% to £83.3m in the last 13 weeks. Over the past 39 weeks sales have increased by 18.9% to £253.5m. During the last recession in the 1990's Dominos eventually saw its sales flatten out but this time the company appears to be showing reliance leading analysts to increase their profit forecasts for the company.

Tesco is planning a move into the mortgage market as loans from traditional lenders become fewer. With the recent mergers of some of the larger banks like Lloyds and HBOS customers now have much fewer choices when looking for a home loan. Tesco will offer mortgages through a Tesco branded retail bank which will be launched after buying the other half of its Tesco Personal Finance venture from the Royal Bank of Scotland. The deal to but out RBS is expected to be completed in November.

According to the Royal Mint there are now around 30 million fake £1 coins in circulation meaning that one in 50 is now counterfeit. The question is, how do spot a fake one? This article should help. It contains this diagram which compares a fake and a real coin. Signs that you have a fake are a poorly defined ribbed edge, the wrong typeface and an indistinct or blurred design.

A rise in the sales of canned food has been put down to the fact that that consumers are looking for cheaper options as food costs go up. Sales of baked beans increased by 12% over the past year with sales of other canned foods also booming. Figures also show that shoppers are starting to buy cheaper cuts of meat such as choosing chicken thighs rather than breast meat.

The Royal Mint has launched a coin to mark the handover of the Olympic Games from Beijing to London. The £2 coin was presented by Boris Johnson to the Mayor of Beijing Guo Jinlong on Sunday. The design shows two hands passing the Olympic flag encircled by the words Beijing 2008 and London 2012. It is the first legal tender UK coin to display the Olympic emblem.

According to this article food prices have risen by 9.5% in the last year. The increase is the highest for 15 years and is despite the fact that the main supermarkets claim they have been making cuts. The figure for fresh food is up by 10.8% for the last year according to the British Retail Consortium. The increasing cost of food, fuel, gas and electricity is currently outpacing salary rises and means that many families are having to cut back just to afford the essentials.

Morrisons have cut the price of petrol by 2p in the latest round of the supermarket price wars. Oil prices have recently fallen but oil giants have been criticised for falling to pass on the savings to the consumer. Price reductions can often take weeks to filter through but any cuts should in the wholesale price should reach the pumps within days. However, it appears only the supermarkets are passing on the bulk of these reductions. Morrisons have cut their price by 2p off a litre of diesel and unleaded with Asda saying it will do the same. Tesco have also said it will match the lowest local petrol price at its forecourts.

The wedding list company Wrapit has called in the administrators leaving 2,000 couples without their wedding gifts. The company which is based in Wandsworth was set up in 2000 and allowed wedding guests to buy presents from an online list. It handled up to 3,000 wedding list a year but has made a loss for the last six years and has failed to honour orders worth £3.5m. HSBC has said it will ensure any guests that used their credit cards will receive a refund but an estimated 20,000 people who brought gifts using switch and Maestro debit or who paid by cheque are unlikely to receive their money back.

If you have a lot of outgoings that need to be settled before you get your pay check, then you might want to look a payday loas The loan as the name suggests is a short team loan designed to give you a bit of extra cash to see you through until you get paid. You can apply for a payday loan online using the three minute application form and it can often be approved within the hour. You just need to have proof of a steady income, proof that you have a bank account and proof of residency. Because Payday Loans are different to personal loans they do not require a credit check so even if you have a poor credit history as long as you meet the criteria you should still be approved.

Sony have announced a fall in profits with the net profit down 66.5bn yen from a year ago. The news comes due a strong yen and price competition and is despite the fact that Playstation sales are still strong. Sony have said that that its net profit in the year to March 31 2009 is likely to total 240bn yen down from an earlier forecast made in May of 290bn.

European scientists are working on an idea that could use solar energy from the Sahara to power parts of Europe. The plan would see vast fields of solar panels set up in the desert and would cost around £35.7bn. Because the sunlight is more intense the solar panels could generate up to three times the electricity compared with similar panels in Europe. Under the plan countries across Europe would also share electricity from green resources such as wind energy in the UK and Denmark and geothermal energy from Iceland and Italy.

Some of the leading supermarkets have recently cut their fuel prices. The cuts are as a result of the recent drop in oil prices. Asda has dropped its prices by 3p a litre, Morrisons cut prices by 4p and Sainsbury's have said they will offer a 5p a litre reduction for customers who spend £50 or more in store.

The government is looking at introducing a rent first buy later scheme to inject some new life into the housing market. Under the scheme people with household earnings under £60,000would be able to rent a property at a discounted rate for two or three years. They would then have the option to buy part of it. The government hopes that the scheme will benefit 75,000 first time buyer households to get on the property ladder.

The Chancellor has scrapped plans for a 2p rise in fuel duty. The rise was meant to take effect in October but the Chancellor has said he will suspend the rise to help motorists and businesses through the difficult economic conditions. The rise has now been put off until next April when it will be dealt with in his next budget. Road user groups have welcomed the announcement but have said more needs to be done to help motorists and hauliers.

Ministers are looking at cutting stamp duty in an effort to boost the housing market. Under the plan first time buyers could be offered stamp duty "holidays" and other home buyers could have tax rates reduced. Ministers are also looking at the possibility of raising the price bands at which stamp duty is charged. Currently stamp duty in charges at 1% on homes between £125,001 to £250,000, 3% between £250,001 and £500,000 and 4% over £500,000. As a result homebuyers have paid a record amount of stamp duty over the last 10 years according to official figures. I certainly think the price bands need looking at, you can't buy much for less than £125,000 these days, perhaps a shed somewhere and for first time buyers finding that extra cash just to line the governments pockets can be really hard.

I was thinking of getting a new car, perhaps something that has a lower fuel consumption to try and cut down on the fuel bills. Before I consider the car itself I thought I would check out an auto loan. Looking around I came across this website called up2drive that specialise in auto loans and say they can lower my payment. They finance all makes and models and have no hidden cost or application fees. You simply complete their secure online credit application and submit it online. The website also has a handy payment estimator so you can input the loan type and amount that you require and get an idea of what the rate will be before you even apply.

Santander have brought Alliance and Leicester for £1.26bn, less than half the UK lender's value at the end of last year. The banks had held talks about a possible deal last December when Santander was prepared to pay nearly 700p a share for the bank. Since then Alliance and Leicester's share price has dropped due to recent market turmoil. Santander will combine Alliance and Leicester with Abbey which it purchased in 2004. It also plans to inject £1bn of capital into Alliance and Leicester to cover rising bad debts and further treasury write downs.

When booking a holiday you might want to check the small print to see what is says about fuel surcharges. This article highlights a case where a couple were hit with a surcharge of £892 a few months before they were due to set off on a cruise holiday. In their case the extra charge was simply too much to afford and they had no choice but to cancel the holiday. Unfortunately because the charges amounted to £8 less than 10% of the total holiday cost they were not entitled to a refund of the £900 deposit they had paid for the £9,000 holiday.

A survey by a rail watchdog has found that only four out of ten passengers feel they get value for money. Its hardly surprisingly when you pay to use a service where you rarely get a seat and in many cases can hardly find standing room on a train. The same report found that people are 5% less satisfied with the service than in 2007 with satisfaction ratings falling for 13 companies since spring 2007. One of the main things that passengers were dissatisfied with was fare increases.

eBay have been ordered to pay 40 million Euros in fines for selling fakes. The company will have to pay the money to LVMH, a French luxury goods group because they have allowed fake versions of their products to be sold on the eBay website. LVMH demanded 50 million Euros in damages after claiming that eBay's French business has not done enough to prevent users selling counterfeit items. LVMH also told the court that in 2006 90% of the LVMH branded goods for sale on eBay were fakes. eBay plans to appeal against the decision and says it quickly removes any goods that are found to be counterfeit.

Tesco is currently having talks about selling its property website. The website was launched in June last year with a view to undercutting traditional home sellers. At the time some estate agents took legal action to stop properties they were marketing appearing on Tesco's website. Now one of those who originally criticised the website are having talks regarding buying the business. Spicerhaart is the UK's largest independently owned estate agency network. They would own and operate the business with Tesco marketing it.

Well, maybe not world domination but lots more coffee shops. Whitbread plans to double the number of Costa coffee shops and increase the number of Premier Inn rooms by 50%. The company announced the plans after it unveiled better than expected profits. There are currently 992 Costa coffee outlets worldwide but Whitbread will increase this to 2,000 in the next five years with half of the new shops being in Britain.

I read this article the other day that suggests its worth shopping around for your car insurance. Apparently lots of people fall into the trap of staying with the same insurer rather than looking for a better rate. The problem is that often the insurance company will only offer its best rate to new customers so people, who stick with the same insurer year after year, tend to lose out and often end up paying more. The only problem I have is finding the time to look around for a better deal. Comparison websites such as www.autoinsurance-4u.com can save quite a lot of time. You just have to enter your zip code and the website brings up a whole list of cheap auto insurance companies in your area. Then you just fill in the online form to complete your quote.

JJB Sports has announced that it is shutting 72 stores with the loss of 800 jobs. JJB currently has around 400 outlets in the UK. The closure plan comes after a business review by the new management which found the stores are unlikely to make a contribution to profits and that many are close to newer and larger stores. The stores will close by the end of this month.

Tesco are due to announce record profits. They have managed to make a £5,300 profit for every minute of last year, a total profit of around £2.8bn. This is 6% more that their profits for the previous year and about the same as the combined profits of Sainsbury’s and Asda. They have benefitted from growth within the UK and the expansion into international businesses in Poland, Hungary and South Korea.

HSBC are latest company to admit to losing customers’ personal data. The information was on a disk that was password protected but was not encrypted. The disk contained the personal details of 370,000 customers including names, dates of birth, policy numbers and details about their insurance cover. The disk was lost after being sent by courier to the groups Southampton office.

BT has been named as the worst landline provider in a customer satisfaction poll. In a survey of 11,000 customers BT got the lowest score for all but two categories for home phones. uSwitch.com claims that around three million of BT’s 10 million landline customers are dissatisfied. Other surveys have found that BT offer poor value fro money and fail to sort out problems. Citizens Advice also found that 89% of all landline complaints are about BT.

The last UK lender to offer a deposit free loan has now withdrawn the deal in a move that appears to signal the end the 100% mortgage. Abbey withdrew its 100% mortgage yesterday making it the last lender to do so. Buyers will now need a deposit of at least 5% before they can purchase a home. The move is likely to make it harder for first time buyers to get a home loan and specialists are predicting that lenders will soon start to drop their 95% mortgages and perhaps even insist on a minimum deposit of 10%.

The high street pub chain which owns the Slug and Lettuce and Litten Tree chain has gone into administration after failing to find a buyer. The group currently has 90 loss making bars within the 330 site group. 239 of the pubs and restaurants were immediately brought from the administrators but 90 sites will remain under their control.

Tesco has launched an inquiry to investigate claims that its overseas workers are paid as little as 8p and hour. There have been reports that job agencies have been charging migrants up to £1,500 in order to place them in a job at Tesco in Malaysia. The agencies also tell the workers that they will earn between £180 and £215 a month. However in practice, they find that they end up working 360 hours a month for only £20 to £50 after various deductions have been made. Tesco have promised to investigate the claims and have said they will make improvements if necessary.

The fashion chain Morgan will close all 40 of its UK stores because of losses. The chain has suffered because of competition from cheaper rivals and the slowdown in consumer spending.

A new biomass power station has just been opened near Lockerbie. The power station which is owned and operated by E.ON is the largest wood fired power station of its kind in the UK. The plant converts waste from the wood industry into energy and will provide enough power to supply up to 70,000 homes. The power station will also create 50 jobs.

I have been aware of payday loans for some time but until now I thought they were only available in the United States. It appears that there are now companies such as Payday UK offering the service within the UK. For those that haven’t heard of the term a payday loan is basically a short term loan that is designed to help you though the month until you get paid, hence the name. The idea is that you can get immediate access to cash and the amount is fully repayable on your next pay day.

To get a payday loan all you need to do is fill in an online application form detailing your income, how long you have been with your company and how often you are paid and within a few minutes you will know whether or not your application has been approved. Then you just enter your bank details and you should receive your money within 48 hours. You can borrow anything from £80 up to £750 for a small charge, just £25 based on a £100 loan. On the agreed pay day your bank account is then debited for the balance of the loan. If you do need to defer the loan then you can also do this but you need to repay the charges on the original loan.

Scottish and Southern Energy will raise its domestic energy prices by an average of 14.2% for electricity and 15.8% for gas. The company is the last of the big energy suppliers to announce a price increase, following announcements by Npower, EDF Energy, Scottish Power, British Gas and E.On. They blame the increases on the rise in wholesale energy prices. The increases mean an average electricity bill will rise by £50 whilst a gas bill will increase by around £85.

If you play a lot of golf you might want to consider getting some golf insurance especially as there are around 12,400 golf related injuries every year. Golf Care offers a package that covers you against damage to property, personal injury and personal liability. It also covers you against the theft, loss or damage of you equipment. The prices start from only £29.99 a year for their bronze package which includes cover for equipment of up to £1,250 and personal accident cover of up to £50,000 as well as cover for third party equipment and dental treatment.

BA shares have fallen after they issued a warning on profits. They have said that its profits could fall by 25% over the next year because of rising oil prices. The price of crude has hit an all time high of $105.97 a barrel meaning that the airline will have to abandon its target of making profit margins of 10%.

Household water bills are set to increase by 5.8% on average across England and Wales. The regulator Ofwat said that the increases will mean the average combined bill will be about £330 a year, a rise of about £18. However, in some areas of the country the combined bill rise is as much as 8% although the increase is actually lower than last years average price increase of 7%. Customers of South West Water will see the smallest rises of 3.7% on their annual water bill meaning and increase of £18. Southern Water customers will see an increase of £26, whilst Wessex Water customers face an increase of £29.

As someone who uses my car rarely I have not really noticed a rise in fuel costs. This article, however, suggests that drivers are now paying around £18.84 a month more for fuel. Petrol now costs 17p a litre more than it did this last year with the average price at £1.04p a litre. This means that a driver with an average 50 litre fuel tank pays £8.79 more every time they fill up with petrol. Diesel is up too, having soared to an average price of £110.3p a litre compared with 91.1p a year ago. The huge rises have been blamed on the weak dollar and unrest in oil producing countries. The situation however, is likely to get worse, if Alistair Darling goes ahead with his plans to add an extra 2p per litre to fuel duty. Business groups and the motoring lobby are currently calling for the government to scrap the planned rise in the light of rising prices.

npower are the latest energy company to report a massive rise in profits. The firm has reported a 41% rise in profits making £724m last year. The news comes after British Gas reported a fivefold increase in profits. The consumer group energywatch have launched an investigation into household bills amid concerns that companies are profiteering at the expense of their customers. News of npower's profits came only weeks after it raised electricity bills by 12.7% and gas bills by 17.2%.

Northern Rock has scrapped its Together home loan which was launched in 1999. The loan was the first of its kind and allowed homeowners to borrow up to 125% of the value of their property. It worked by securing a maximum of 95% on the value of the property and the other 30% on an unsecured loan which was payable at the same rate as the mortgage. Other big lenders have also recently moved away from offering 100% loans with only one in every ten lenders still offering the product.

The cost of driving tests will rise on the 1st of April. The theory test will increase in price by £1.50 to £30 with the practical test rising £8 to £56.50. The fee will also increase for motorcycle riders from £60 to £80.

Vodafone and Orange have announced a plan to share mast sites. The deal will see the two companies working together to ensure better coverage for their customers. Sites across the UK will host both Orange and Vodafone equipment. Both 2G and 3G coverage will be involved in the scheme which is likely to mean that the total site numbers are cut by about 15% meaning 3,000 fewer masts. The move is not a merger and both companies will continue to compete with each other.

British Gas has put up its prices by more than 18% meaning it is no longer the cheapest energy supplier. The British Gas Click Energy 4 tariff was the cheapest tariff for many people in the UK. This will now be replaced with Click Energy 5. This new tariff works out about £138 a year more expensive for the average customer.

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has criticised credit card companies for making their products too complicated. It recommends that a comparison website is launched to make credit cards easier to compare with each other. The OFT found that 70% of customers do not shop around for a credit card and could be wasting money. An investigation was launched last April after it was found that the top 20 card issuers all have different ways of working out their interest charges. This means that cards with a low Annual Percentage Rate (APR) could be more expensive to use than those with a higher APR.

Scottish and Newcastle are to close its largest UK brewery. The Berkshire Brewery in Reading currently employs 360 people and produces Foster’s and Kronenbourg. It is expected the company will save 13 million a year by closing the site and moving capacity to its other UK sites.

T-Mobile and Orange are to launch a new service that will give customers a live TV service on their mobile phone. They aim to start a trial service in west London in the summer. They plan to broadcast 24 TV channels and 10 digital radio stations although have not yet said what sort of tariff customers would pay for the service. The service will offer both conventional TV channels and some premium channels.

A mushroom farm that has been operating for 50 years is due to close because of rising costs and increased competition from abroad. The farm in Godalming Surrey is one of only two left in the South East. When it closes 80 people will lose their jobs.

If you need some extra cash to expand your small business you might want to try ezunsercured.com. They specialise in offering small business lines of credit. They offer loans with no collateral and provide a fast approvals process. In fact you can usually have your small business line of credit approved in just 1-3 days with the money reaching your checking account in 3-14 days. All you need to do to apply is fill in the easy to use online form.

The energy provider E-On has put up its gas prices. The German owned company has said that from tomorrow gas prices will go up by 15% and electricity will go up by 9.7%. The announcement follows price rises from other energy providers including British Gas, Scottish Power, Npower and EDF. The rise means that a customers annual fuel bill will go up from £931 to £1031.

Yell the owner of the Yellow Pages directories has reported an increase of 23% in profits last year. The rise is mainly due to the rising revenue from online advertising. Advertising in the printing directories, however, has declined. Despite this Yell are on track to meet its predictions for its year end results.

The Bank of England has cut interest rates to 5.25% from 5.5% in an attempt to stimulate growth in the UK’s economy. The decision follows a recent cut in the US by the US Federal Reserve which cut rates from 4.25% to 3%. More cuts are expected later this year in the UK.

BA has become the latest sponsor of the 2012 Olympics paying around £40 million for marketing rights. They will also fly British athletes to this years Beijing Olympics and the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver. Other major sponsors of the Olympics include Lloyds TSB, EDF and Adidas.

A new website has been launched to help people claim back money from forgotten bank accounts. The website www.mylostaccount.org.uk will allow users to cash in 52 building societies, 42 banks and National Savings accounts. If you think you might have a bank account you have forgotten about all you need to do is complete an online forms giving details such as any previous addresses. The form is then passed onto the bank or building society. Sadly I don’t think I have any forgotten money hiding anywhere.

BT has announced that it will give all of its customers free weekend calls. Its not all good news for customers though as they plan to raise charges elsewhere. Line rental will go up by £9 a year whilst daytime calls will be 23% more expensive. Customers will pay 4p a minute rather than the current 3.25p per minute. BT have also scrapped its evening price cap meaning an hour long weekday call will cost 90p rather than the previous 4.5p. The changes are likely to mean a huge increase in BT’s income.

Nintendo have sold more then 5 million Wii consoles in Japan. The console has reached the 5 million mark six weeks earlier than it took the PS2 to sell the same amount although surprisingly not as quickly as the Nintendo DS which sold 5 million in just 56 weeks, as opposed to the Wii taking 60 weeks. Figures are currently not available for the PS3 and the Xbox 360

I came across this website that offers small business loans. Called SFS they are based in the US and offer unsecured loans. Unlike most other companies that offer small business loans AFS have no application fees or hidden charges. You can fill in their quick five minute application and one of their advisors will contact you to help you to arrange your small business loan. The process is confidential and secure and your loan will often be approved within 24 to 48 hours so all you have to do is decide how you want to spend it.

A high court test case on overdraft charges started last week with eight of Britain’s leading banks defending allegations of unfair charges. Lawyers for the banks told the court that rules governing what is a fair contract do not apply to bank charges for unauthorised overdrafts. Around 50,000 claims against the banks have been put on hold pending the outcome of this case.

I read this article that suggests millions of BT customers could reclaim charges imposed on them because they do not pay via direct debit. The charges were brought in last year and mean that customers who not pay by direct debit are subject to a £4.50 quarterly fee. However because many of these customers were with BT before it implemented the charges they may be able to reclaim them. The Office of Fair Trading believes customers who were with the company before it brought in the charges have a strong case to argue against paying them.

EDF have announced a 12.9% price rise for gas and a 7.9% increase in electricity prices. They are the second firm to announce they will raise prices, following npower’s announcement that will raise prices by up to 27%. EDF blame the increasing wholesale and distribution costs for the rise which it says will add about £1.92 each week to the average fuel bill. Other energy providers are not expected to follow suit with similar announcements.

EMI have confirmed that thousands of staff will lose their jobs in cuts proposed the new owners. Terra Firma who now own EMI have said that they will cut the worldwide headcount by between 1,500 and 2,000 in a drive to cut costs. EMI have also recently issued a number of profit warnings and have also undergone a management reshuffle.

It can be difficult to know who to turn to if you need a loan but have credit. That’s where websites likes BadCreditOffers.com can help. They specialise in offering bad credit loans from many of the major loans providers. Their website offers a free resource for consumers who have a poor credit rating. It allows you to compare different loans from several different providers so that you easily work out which is the best loan for you. They also cover a range of different types of loan from home and auto loans to loans that can help you repair your credit rating. The website also allows you to apply online for a no obligation assessment.

Land of Leather shares have lost 48% of their value after the retailer’s biggest new year sale failed to tempt customers. The results meant they had to issue a profits warning. Within minutes of issuing the announcement to the London Stock Exchange revealing a 25.5% drop in sales orders shares in the company plummeted by almost 50%.

Marks and Spencer have managed to turn the business around and are now on track to burst though the billion pound profit mark. This is despite recent poor sales. The performance means that the business is likely to announce landmark profit figures when they issue a financial statement in May.

It appears that beer sales have suffered one of the worst months on record. Whilst this is obviously bad news for pubs it could also be a sign that consumer spending is slowing. The statistics which were compiled by the British Beer and Pub Association show that the volume of beer sold fell 9.7% in November. This followed a 7.7% drop in October and an 8.2% decline in September. The BBPA say that volumes in November were at their lowest level since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Other factors such as the smoking ban and people becoming more health conscious have also made life tough for the publican. So the message here, is drink more beer.

If you own a small business and are based in the US, you might want to have a look at Crest Capital. They offer help for small businesses including financing and business equipment leasing. Their aim is to help small companies finance equipment or software that is essential to the growth of their business. They offer a number of solutions including loans and leases, refinances and working capital. The advantage of their solutions is that they can be processed very quickly and can cut out a lot of the red tape which is often associated with getting a loan from a bank.

I went shopping the other day and found that nearly every store I visited offered me a store card. Whilst they advertise the fact that you would save 10% on your shopping none of the stores explained anything more about the card they were offering. Personally I know that store cards are a bad idea because they charge such extortionate interest rates which are often much higher than putting your shopping on an ordinary credit card. This article talks about store cards and claims that shoppers could actually be paying twice as much for their purchases if they put them on a store card. In some cases consumers could end up paying as much in interest as the original cost of their purchase. The article makes interesting reading but it makes it clear that store cards are a bad idea.

If you are purchasing any electrical product it is likely you will be offered an extended warranty but it could just be a waste of money. That’s according to this article. It suggests that in many cases there is no reason to buy an extended warranty and that you are often able to purchase cheaper cover elsewhere. Most goods already come with a years guarantee but extended warranties usually cover you for three to five years. However, it is often cheaper to purchase extended cover from another insurer as the in store policy includes a commission for the shop. In many cases when buying cheaper goods taking out extra insurance proves pointless, as it often works out cheaper to purchase a new product should it go wrong.

If you need a loan you might want to have a look at bestleadinglenders.com. They are one of the largest financial services providers in the US and aim to help you get a fast Loan approval with the best possible rate. They cover a range of products including Personal Loans credit cards, bad credit loans, payday loans and Debt Consolidation. To get a loan approved all you need to do is select the type of loan you require and fill in the form online. All approvals are provided free of charge with no obligation to take out the loan and there are no application fees.

From Friday bank account holders will earn more interest on cheques paid into their account. UK banks and building society will have to pay interest on money paid in by cheque after two working days. Customers will also be able to withdraw money after four days if they are paying into a current account. The cheque will also be guaranteed even if it bounces after six days. Some banks like Lloyds TSB already pay interest on cheques once they have been deposited but the new rules will make the practice common place.

With Christmas only a few weeks away I have been trying to get the last of my Christmas shopping done. So far I have tried to do the bulk of it online and have been taking advantage of some online coupons from coupon chief. They have quite a few new offers including Swiss Army coupons which give you 10% off your order and Staples coupons that give you 20% off, perfect for stocking up on all your Christmas stationary.

With Christmas coming up and finances getting a little tight I have been looking around at Loans. I found this website that offers a good loan comparison service. They have various types of loans including unsecured loans and homeowner loans. Their best buy table shows you the top loans that are available now. They show the amount that you can borrow, the typical Apr and also give you more detailed information. The most useful thing about this website is being able to compare the important things like the loan amount and the Apr across a range of products and companies.

It has emerged that some phone companies are charging customers as much as £195 reconnect their phone when they move house. Previously phone companies could charge people to connect their phone when they moved to a newly built property. Now many customers can sign up for a land line service from a firm who rents the line from BT. The problem with this is that when customers want to switch companies when they move house they are charged £125 to make the switch at the local exchange. Some so called exit fees work out as much as £195.

If you need a loan you might want to check out Complete Loan Source. They offer a range of loans including Car Loans, payday loans and Bad Credit Loans. They offer both personal loans and commercial loans that are ideal for businesses or people who are self employed. They also offer something called a no fax payday loan which means you can complete the whole loan process online with no need to fax any documents. For other loans you can apply also online by completing the no obligation online form and someone will get back to you to discuss what sort of loan they can offer you.

I have always been a bit cautious about taking out loans mainly because I worry about whether I am going to be able to pay money back. Despite that it does seem there are times when taking out a loan or putting something on the credit card is the only option. I found this website that allows you to compare loans online. It looks at various different types of loans including personal loans and secured loans. It has over 500 loans to choose from including loans for those with bad credit and should help you find the best deal to suit your finances.

If you are looking to arrange a mortgage you might want to have a look at Irish Mortgage Brokers. They are a Mortgage Broker that claims to focus on their customers best interests. All of their mortgage brokers hold either a Mortgage Diploma, a Law Degree of a Qualified Financial Advisor Diploma. They cover a range of different mortgage products so whether you are an investor or a first time buyer they should be able to find the mortgage that is best for you.

If you need an Auto Loan you might want to check out autoloansmania.com. They are a US based company and they offer loans for both new and used vehicles. They can offer you a loan no matter what your financial circumstances are and also welcome customers with bad credit. They have bad credit loan specialists who can help you find the right auto loan for you and also guide you in how to restore your credit card rating. You can fill in a form online which is sent to one of their loan experts who will help you find the loan you need. 

I tend to switch credit cards quite frequently in order to take advantage of balance transfers deals that offers 0% interest periods. I tend to look around at comparison websites in order to find the best credit cards rates and current deals. Cardguide.co.uk is quite a useful website because it allows you to compare various types of cards so if for example you are looking for a cards that offer a balance transfer you can view all of the available credit cards and the current rates side by side to see which one offers the best deal for you. It certainly makes comparing the rates a little easier.

I have read a lot of articles recently about Payday Loans but to date in appeared to something of a US trend. I came across this UK payday loan website the other day, the first one I have found so far. They offer payday loans from £80 to £750 depending on your circumstances. All you need to do to get a loan is to fill out the form online to get approved for your loan. You must be over 18 and in employment to qualify. If you are approved you can often receive your money within 24 hours of filling in the application form.

Its bad news for pizza lovers as pizza costs are set to rise. The cost is due to the rising cost of mozzarella which has soared by 50% this year. It is likely to add around 50p to the cost of a standard £10 pizza. The rising cost is not just limited to mozzarella but also affects other cheese including cheddar.

Nintendo has managed to double its profits in six months due to the success of the Wii. The Wii console is still outselling both the Playstation 3 and the Xbox 360. Nintendo are also doing well with sales of the DS console. They are currently expecting to sell around 17.5 million Wii consoles this year.

If you are having trouble being approved for a credit card you might want to check out this website. They have a section that specialises in credit card for people with bad credit who are finding it difficult being approved for a regular card. The website is for US residents and has a credit card application online. The featured cards provide the best chance of being approved if you have a low credit score, limited credit history or even if you are looking to get you credit back on track. Although it takes seven years to remove bad credit marks from your credit history these cards can help you make a start.

Microsoft has recently paid $240m for a 1.6% stake in Facebook. This puts the current value of the website at $15bn. Facebook reportedly turned down an offer from Google before agreeing the Microsoft deal.

This time of year always seems to be really expensive. I find that because I tend to purchase most of my Christmas presents early that it can be a really long month and I just seem to run out of money really fast. That’s where a cash advance or payday loans can help. Basically it is a short term loan that is designed to do what the name suggests and help to get you through to pay day.

This type of cash advance seems to be becoming increasingly popular in the US although I haven’t yet seen it offered in the UK. The loans are aimed at people that are in regular employment are earning at least $1,000 a month and have a valid checking account. Usually you can borrow between $100 and $1500 and the loans are also available for people with poor credit history. At the end of the loan period the lender then withdraws the loan amount and the loan fee. Some lenders also give you the option the roll over the loan until next payday but due to the nature of this type of loan being short term, I am guessing this is where the loan company makes their money in charging extra fees for this service.

If you need a loan you might want to have a look at Magic Loans. They offer Home Loans, consolidation loans and secured loans. You can use the form on the website to see how much you monthly repayments are likely to be on the loan you need. If you are not sure what sort of loan is best for you they you can request a call back and one of their advisors will help you. They will take into account your personal circumstances to find a loan that suits your requirements. You can also used the loan budget calculator on the website to calculate how much you can afford to pay each month.

If you are looking around for van insurance you might want to check out Autonet Insurance Services. They offer van insurance for commercial use meaning you are insured to drive in any EU country up to a 3.5 tonne van. The Autonet Insurance Group has a reputation as a low cost, high quality insurance provider so should be able to give a Cheap Van Insurance quote. The company has formed relationships with many of the UK’s leading insurers so they can offer you the best possible rate. If you do manage to find a cheaper quote elsewhere for the same level of cover they also offer a full money back guarantee.

Barclays may have penalised thousands of students with charges this week by accidentally removing their overdraft facilities. Usually at this time of year any graduates would be moved to a standard Barclays account but a processing error meant that around 20,000 people has the facilities removed by mistake. This could lead to costs of around £35 a day or £175 a week. Barclays have said that all the charges will be refunded but I doubt that any consolation for those graduates that have rent to pay.

We live in a university town so there is usually quite a high demand for properties to let. Despite that I have noticed that recently there seems to be a lot of empty properties and that the market seems to be flooded with properties to let in our area. Just around the corner from where we live, for example four larges houses have just been renovated and converted for letting. They have now been empty for quite some time and it seems the landlord can’t find any tenants. I'm assuming the properties were purchased with buy to let mortgages It makes me wonder whether the bottom has dropped out of the buy to let market. Perhaps, I’m wrong but number of the properties to let in the newspaper currently seems to be unusually high.

If you are looking for a loan but have bad credit you might want to try this US based company that specialise in bad credit loans. The website allows users to compare bad credit offers from a number of different providers so that you can find the one that best suits your needs. The website also includes solutions for people who are trying to repair their credit rating and rebuild their financial future.

Debt experts have said that around one million people use high interest credit cards to cover their mortgage or rent payments. Six per cent of householders have put their mortgage or rent payments on their credit card in the past year according to the housing charity Shelter. Credit card companies often charge interest of around 15 and 18 per cent which is up to three times more then most mortgage rates. The problem seems to be worst among 18 to 24 year olds. It certainly seems like a very risky way of managing your finances.

I’m always looking around for good offers and came across this website that offers Online Coupon Codes. They currently have some Amazon coupons that can save you money on selected products as well as Wine coupons where you can get a discount on gift baskets and some reductions on cases of wine. They also have some 4inkjets coupons which are great for stocking up on ink. The site is updated on a daily basis with offers from hundreds of merchants so it’s really worth checking back to see what new codes are available especially in the run up to Christmas which always seems to be a very expensive time.

I read this article the other day that suggests one in ten British adults has been a victim of mass marketing scams. The most common scams include Nigerian pen scams and notifications of winning a foreign lottery. More than 3.2 million people have been conned out of their hard earned cash by one of these scams according to the Office of Fair Trading. Many of the gangs who run these scams are based in English speaking parts of Nigeria and West Africa and use their profits as funding for drug trafficking, according this article. In a month long investigation in Nigeria investigators seized more than 4,500 fake cheques, postal orders and bank drafts with a value of around £8m. Most of the scams involve the victim having to pay an advance fee to claim a prize or to have a large amount of money transferred to their account. As always if it seems too good to be true, it almost certainly is.

We all have times when we need a little bit of extra of money to get through until payday. Many people in the US take advantage of a short term Payday Loan to help them out. I came across this website that offers payday loans with a fast approval process. You can borrow anything from $100 to $1500 without having to go through any credit checks. You just need to have a regular income of more then $900 a month and a checking or savings account. All you need to do to get your loan approved is fill in the short form online providing your contact details and details of your employment. Someone will then get back to you to let you know if your application has been approved.

If you are looking to further your career in finance, you want to take a look at www.accountancyjobsabroad.com They specialise in placing candidates in lucrative tax free locations such as Bermuda, Dubai and the Cayman Islands. The business is run by two qualified accountants who have extensive contacts in the industry and in particular in dealing with offshore locations. So whether you are newly qualified and looking to gain further experience or have many of years and simply want to relocate, they are sure to be able to help.

I found this website that specialises in loans. They have Payday Loans if you want a short term loan and need the money quickly. They also have a range of cash advance loans and auto loans as well. They provide loans to suit a variety of people and for all credit types. They also have loans that are specifically for individuals that have bad credit or even loans for people who are self employed and may struggle to get a loan elsewhere. You can apply online using their loan application form to take advantage of their fast approval process.

I have heard a lot about cash advance websites recently but not really being sure what that was, thought I would check it out. It seems that it’s basically a short term unsecured loan. They are often called payday loans due to the fact that you are most likely to take them out when it is nearing payday and you are a bit short of cash.

You can apply for a loan through the internet and can borrow anything from $100-$1500 (it appears most of these types of loans are currently US based). Often the loan will be approved straight away and needs no credit check and the money is sent to your account overnight. It seems like an interesting alternative and I can see how it might be useful if you have an unexpected expense come up. It seems to me that if you pay the loan off quickly it could work out quite well, but I think the catch is if you fail to pay the loan off after the agreed time. I could be wrong here but from my reading it looks as though the fees are doubled if you need to roll the loan over until the next payday. Still, its quite an interesting concept.

In the latest news surrounding Northern Rock it has announced a cut back on the range of mortgage products they will offer. Two thirds of its mortgage product range is going to be axed in what seems to be a major product overhaul. This change is unlikely to affect the banks risk profile because it is still prepared to lend up to 125% of a properties value, something which is the root cause of its present problems. Despite the changes rates on their fixed rate and variable mortgages are likely to remain unchanged.

Following the launch of the Barclaycard OnePulse card, other banks are also going to offer tap and go payment cards. The cards allow you pay for cheap items with a tap of a card rather than having to look for loose change. Halifax and Barclays are expected to launch tap and go debit cards next month, followed closely by the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Barclaycard has been reviewing the spending limits for many of their customers. They have also been rejecting more applications for new cards, in what could signal a crackdown on consumer credit. About half of all applications for new Barclaycards are now being rejected. Barclaycard have also seen a 17% fall in profits due to problems with bad debt.

PayPerPost are hosting an event called PostieCon on the 10th of November. It is basically a one of a kind blog conference in Las Vegas Nevada at the Las Vegas Convention Center. It has targeted sessions aimed at helping bloggers to market themselves, as well as how best to use the PayPerPost website to their advantage. The conference will have a host of experienced bloggers who are willing to share their knowledge with you. Topics will includes things issues such as how to build traffic, how to monetise your blog and how to build up readership.

Among the bloggers attending are Shirley Frazier who will talk about building your niche blog; David Ponce who will discuss turning visits into cash; Sherry Heyl who will talk about why you should live your life online and Paul Lewis who will do a session on connecting with advertisers. All of these talks sound like really useful stuff that should help anyone who has a blog make a success of it. The session I think would be of most interest to me is one by Jim Kukral on the secrets to long-term blog success. Registration for PostieCon is free but places are limited so if you want to go, you need to register your place soon. If you are one of the first 100 people to register you can also get into BlogWorld for free.

Unfortunately for me being in the United Kingdom it is a little far to go for the event. I wonder whether PayPerPost might make the main points of the conference sessions available online for people such as myself that are too far away to attend. It would be also be interesting to see if PayPerPost might think about arranging some United Kingdom or European PostieCon events for their international base of bloggers.

Tesco are to launch a comparison website called tescocompare.com. The website will allow users to compare insurance from a range of providers. Whilst initially geared towards car insurance, the website will also cover other financial services such as mortgages, homes loans and credit cards in the future.

A new payment card has been launched that combines an Oyster travel card with a payment card. It is called the Barclaycard OnePulse and can be used to pay for items that cost less than £10 without the need to input a pin number. It can also be used for purchases over £10 but these transactions will require a number or a signature to be authorised.

Lloyds TSB is the first high street bank to introduce plans to cut overdraft charges. The banks will introduce the new charges on the 2nd of November. They plan to cut the interest rates for unauthorised borrowing by a third as well as reducing the charges for going overdrawn. They will also reduce the charges for bounced cheques. Lloyds say they are reducing charges in response to customer feedback. They will still charge customer £15 a month for going overdrawn and then a daily rate of between £6 and £20 depending on the size of the overdraft. I think the fact that they are reducing charges is a positive step, it will be interesting to see if other high street banks follow suit.

Many things affect the cost of your insurance but the main reason you are paying more could be your post code. I was reading this article that suggests residents in South Norwood pay more than three times as much for building and contents insurance as someone who lives in Barnstaple. The website also provides a post code checker so you can see how the area in which you live affects what you pay. The results show you a typical annual premium for a house in your area, as well as where it ranks in the country. My breakdown was as follows:

Your postcode breakdown:  
•    Your league position: 1365 out of 1659
•    Your premium: £190.25
•    The national average is £169.45

Pingo is a company that offers a virtual calling card with really low rates. They have a number of different plans including Pingo Mobile which is designed to save you money on calling international cell phones. They also offer a Pingo Business plan which allows you to buy a long distance service directly from iBasis, one of the largest carriers of international phone calls.

You can currently use Pingo in 35 countries including Australia, the United Kingdom, France and Germany. When you sign up you receive $5 worth of free calls. They currently have a special phone card discount coupon if you quote the code ppp3. This entitles you $3 off at Pingo. They offer come of the best competitive rates worldwide including a cheap calling card to India. Their international calling cards have a small monthly fee of 98 cents a month but no additional fees. Their service also includes Pingo RateWatcher which means they are always looking for ways to reduce their costs and pass these savings onto their customers. In additional if you can receive a $5 bonus for every friend you refer to Pingo, and if you refer three friends they will give you an added $5 bonus, so you get $20 worth of calling time.

It’s getting to that time of year when I start thinking about buying Christmas presents. I usually find it’s less stressful to do all my Christmas shopping online to avoid the crowded shops. I was having a look on the Coupon Chief website the other day to see whether I could save a bit of money on my purchases. I came across some Only Natural Pet Store deals, after all pets’ need Christmas presents too. In their gift range I found a peek and play toy box and some gourmet meals that should  make the cats happy. I also found some My Wines Direct coupons. They do some nice wine baskets which are perfect for Christmas gifts.

I have reading with interest the news surrounding Northern Rock and the fact that is has recently had to ask for the Bank of England for emergency funding. As a result its shares have now fallen by 25%. Customers have also been unable to access their accounts on the website to increased demand. There have been reassurances that the business is stable but in some areas worried customers have been queuing outside branches.

The Royal Bank of Scotland has launched a touch and go payment card. The card can be used for purchases of up to £10 and is designed for customer making small purchases. The card is swiped over a reader for purchased of £10 or less cutting down on the need to carry change. Currently it can only be used in a few outlets but more are planned soon.

If you are thinking of buying a new car you might want to read this article first. It suggests that new cars lose half their value within the first year and that after three years it will only be worth two thirds of the purchase price. A typical example is a Ford Focus Style 1.8 which would lose 48% of its value in the first year, 58% in the first two years and 65% after three years. Personally I think I will save a bit of cash and get a used car that’s a few years old.

If you are looking for a new interest free credit card you might want to look at Mint. They are currently offering 0% on balance transfers until 1 October 2008, as well as 0% on purchases until 1 March 2008. They offer a credit limit of 7,500 and have no annual fee. You can also get a free additional card for a friend or partner. With a Mint card you can also take advantage of a host of additional offers through their Mint+ scheme. This includes saving money on travel and wine as well as other offers.

If you already have a blog and want to start getting paid to blog, then you might want to have a look at Smorty. They are a service that connects advertisers and bloggers. Basically an advertiser can sign up and advertise on blogs by paying bloggers to write a review of their site or a particular products. The advertiser will specify relevant keywords and request a link to their website.

As a blogger you can sign up and submit your blog for approval. There is no limit to the number of blogs you can add, the only specification is that they are at least 30 days old. Once you have added a blog and it has been approved you can start blogging for money. Simply log in to your Smorty account to see what opportunities are available. All you need to do then is to choose which opportunities interest you and write at least 150 words on the subject. Once the post has been approved Smorty pay you by Paypal after seven days.

If you have been looking to build an investment portfolio but it all seems a bit confusing you might want to give giant5.com a try. Their investment portfolio invests in what they call the Giant 5 Funds. The themes are real estate, raw materials, energy, capital markets and bonds. Basically you can own 25 portfolios invested in these five essential themes all in one no-load mutual fund. You can sign up online or if you need some more assistance or have any questions, you can give one of their advisors a call.

Customers using an ATM in Louisiana found the machine was giving out $20 bills instead of $5’s. They could be forgiven for thinking no one would notice. Unfortunately for them the cash machine holds the records of everyone who used it and the authorities plan to track them down and reclaim the money.