Personal Finance

On the second Tuesday of every month, I’ve been locked in the Groundhog Day of journalism. Just like in the Bill Murray classic, the clock hits 9.30am, I can hear the faint sound of I’ve got you babe by Sonny and Cher, a small woodchuck emerges from my desk drawer to announce that winter will last for another three months and I find myself, robotically, writing almost exactly the same story I wrote at the same time the previous month.

Household incomes have been squeezed by the Conservatives, the SNP claimed today as it promised to “stand up for families”.

We’ve all been there: you get to the airport all packed and ready to go, and lo and behold, your flight is delayed.

Consumers have been at the heart of everything we do at Which? for 60 years. Their views and experiences shape all of our activity – from how we test products and campaign for change, to the ratings we give to companies from dozens of sectors.

Summer’s coming, and sadly shorts often have smaller pockets than trousers. The warm weather means most people go out more, socialise more and spend more. So now we’ve finally thrown off our hats and scarves and are preparing for the sun, I wanted to share five tips for bolstering your bank account in time for the (hopefully) hot weather.

We’ve got so used to broadband, mobile phones and new technology that the world of landlines and dial-up connections seems far away.

It makes front page news every few weeks, has politicians falling over themselves committing to it and thousands of people campaigning outside of Westminster about it – yet it’s an investment that takes 35 years to mature and pays out just a few hundred pounds a month.

It’s always been seen as a retirement bonus – a pot of gold at the end of a four-decade career. The opportunity to have tens of thousands of pounds in your pocket on the day you kick off your work shoes. And the best thing about it? You don’t have to pay a single penny of tax.

Have you got a case of the holi-wobbles? The pound is still in the doldrums and many holidaymakers are too. Yet two minutes now can let you relax when you’re abroad, knowing you’re getting the maximum bucks (or euros) for your bang.

Royal Bank of Scotland-owned NatWest has revealed that nearly 7,000 customers have become the victims of fraudsters since the start of 2016.

Spring is finally here and we’re even seeing a bit of sun!

The new tax year, which started on 6 April, has brought with it a bumper ISA allowance.

British funeral planner Avalon has begun tapping the market for expatriate Germans and Italians amid fears of falling revenues from Brexit-hit Brits.

Energy giant EDF is to increase its dual fuel tariff by 7.2% from June, gas prices by 5.5% and electricity by 9%, affecting 1.5 million customers.

Broadband customers are paying a penalty for their ­loyalty, with providers increasing bills by more than £100 a year when initial deals end, a charity has warned.

Money skills are a vital part of everyday life – and new research underlines why it pays to start learning from an early age.

Our love affair with cars is stronger now than it’s ever been. But what we drive (or want to drive) can represent a big expense.

Scrolling through the myriad films on Netflix the other day, I decided to revisit Alien, Ridley Scott’s seminal space terror masterpiece. I’d forgotten just how beautifully crafted a film it was – the sumptuous visuals, the slow-burning tension, the horror of the infamous chest-bursting scene, dripping with the originality that’s made it a timeless classic.

If you’re one of the 60 per cent of people on a standard tariff, including the big six energy firms, you’re being ripped off. And that rip-off is getting bigger. After huge price hike announcements, many are burning £350 per year, yet it takes just five minutes for you to stop it.