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Get the best interest on your savings – we show you how

12 May 2008

THERE has never been a better time to throw any spare cash you have into a savings account. But what is the best way to do it?

Sarah Wray walks you through the various savings options and shows you to get the most interest on your money.

Read the full story...

This Month's Special Offers

All the personal finance offers worth looking at this month

Barclaycard Platinum Cashback credit card

4% Cash Back with Barclaycard

Offer ends: 31/7/2008

Barclaycard's Platinum Cashback credit card is currently offering 4% cash back on all spending until 31st July 2008 (up to £30 cash back earned per month), and then 0.5% cash back on all spending until 1st January 2010 (up to £30 cash back earned per month).

Our review of Barclaycard Platinum Cashback credit card

British Airways Premium Plus credit card

9,000 bonus BA Miles

Offer ends: 30/6/2008

Get your hands on 9,000 bonus BA Miles with the British Airways Premium Plus credit card. You'll get 6,000 BA Miles with your first purchase, and an additional 3,000 when you spend £3,000 within the first 2 months. (£150 annual fee).

Our review of British Airways Premium Plus credit card

British Airways credit card

3,000 bonus BA Miles

Offer ends: 30/6/2008

Get your hands on 3,000 bonus BA Miles with the British Airways credit card. You'll get 1,000 BA Miles with your first purchase, and an additional 2,000 when you spend £2,000 within the first 3 months.

Our review of British Airways credit card

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Money News Roundup

What's going on in the personal finance world this week?

By Julia Kukiewicz Staff Writer Friday, 16 May 2008

THIS week, what the rise in inflation really means, Gordon Brown explains why the economy’s gone to pot and responsible customers get cut off by their card companies.

Inflation…inflates

YES, more depressing credit crunch news this week as the UK’s inflation rate rose to 3% last month, the sharpest increase in the cost of living in almost six years.

It’s the rising price of petrol, food and utility bills have caused the rate rise but the scale of the rise has come as a shock to the City where there has been the expectation of an early cut in interest rates.

If inflation rises and growth falls house prices will continue to get lower and spending in the high street has continue to fall, despite the decline in prices of clothes and shoes.

Brown begs for another chance

GORDON Brown begged the country for another chance to turn around the economy at his monthly press conference. “I can steer this economy through difficult times" he told the BBC before the meeting, "I have done it before and I can do it again."

Although he said that international issues such as the rising price of oil were to blame for the UK’s economic problems he rejected as “defeatist” any suggestion that he would not be able to turn around the nation’s fortunes.

“Good economic decisions can help people through difficult times," he added.

So, it’s not his fault but he can sort it out but when it all goes wrong he’ll have good policies to help people out. Well, that’s clear then.

Responsible Customers cut off by card companies

A survey for uSwitch this week revealed that credit card companies are profit-hunting by forcing out almost 1.8m responsible customers.

The survey of 2,097 card holders found that 8% had been jilted by their providers in the past year. Although some of these had failed to make payments or exceeded their credit limit a staggering 71% - or 1.8m people – had been using their cards responsibly when they were cut off.

Not only do card companies unjustifiably cut off responsible customers, but they did not give a reason to over a quarter of these customers when they introduced fees or withdrew services.

The findings completely contradict the providers’ promises to beat the credit crunch by getting rid of risky customers. The banks are continuing to seek the large interest payments of those who fall into unmanageable debt, the sort of risky and irresponsible which caused the Northern Rock crisis.

And finally, if you only do one thing this week…

AND finally, if you only do one thing this week learn from the terminal 5 fiasco when you look for your insurance.

Troubled travellers attempting to cajole their insurance companies into paying out after buying their travel insurance after the problems had started are finding them less than receptive.

This is yet another case for checking the small print of your policy before you travel and remember that you can’t buy insurance to protect yourself against problems you are already aware of.