2006 Archive

How to save money on your mobile

With festive spending running at record levels, experts have given their tips on how to save money on your mobile phone bill.

50 years of tax rises coming

Taxes could rise for the next 50 years, new figures show.

Make the most of the sales

Britons might be forgetting their rights in the sales

Millions of Britons are launching themselves at the bargains on offer in the first day of the sales today, but they might be forgetting their rights in the drive for better value.

High call-out costs see 1 in 10 go without hot water

High call-out charges see one in twenty people putting up with freezing cold conditions at home

One in ten Britons has done without hot water or heating because of the high call-out costs of tradespeople, new research shows.

MPC unanimous on holding interest rates

The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee voted unanimously to keep interest rates at five per cent this month

The interest rate setting Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) was unanimous in its decision to keep base rate at five per cent this month.

First-class stamp prices to rise

Stamp prices will be rising from April 2007

The price of posting items first class is set to rise in April of next year, Royal Mail has announced.

Bonus could cut six years from mortgage

Using Christmas and new year bonuses to pay off mortgages could save thousands

Using Christmas and new year bonuses to pay off your mortgage every year could cut a mortgage term by six years, new research reveals.

Christmas is a taxing time

Brits are using the festive break to complete their self-assessment tax returns

Christmas is officially a taxing time for more than 6,000 people, the government reveals today, as Brits have been using the festive period to file their tax returns online.

Energy prices to rise in the new year

Energy providers are increasing gas and electricity bills in the new year

Major energy providers are set to increase their gas and electricity bills in the new year, hiking prices just as temperatures are at their coldest and finances most stretched.

How to get the cheapest foreign phone calls

By knowing when to call, switching home phone suppliers, and using new services you can save 92 per cent on phone calls abroad over Christmas.

The £28,000 cost of divorce

The cost of getting a divorce has doubled in the last three years and now stands at £28,000.

Wage data and inflation pose interest rate risk

Wage data and CPI inflation figures make an interest rate rise likely

The chances of interest rates rising in the first few months of 2007 have greatly increased, after inflation and earnings figures came in higher than expected.

Men to spend £161 on WAGs

British men are set to spend big on their wives and girlfriends

Wives and girlfriends across the nation can expect a bumper Christmas, as British men look set to lavish them with gifts.

Parents pay £1.8bn for Christmas

On average parents spend £262 on presents for each child

The average parent is set to lavish £262 on presents for each one of their children.

Pensioners cut back on heating to pay for Xmas

Pensioners are planning to cut back on heating to afford Christmas presents

The amount of money Britain's pensioners are spending on Christmas presents for their friends and family means many are planning to cut back on heating.

Bank of England keeps interest rates at 5%

The Bank of England's MPC has kept interest rates at 5% in December

The Bank of England's interest rate setting Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) today said it will keep interest rates on hold at five per cent in December.

Boost for Brits investing in property with Reits

The chancellor relaxed the rules on Reits in the pre-Budget report

There was a further boost for property investors announced in the pre-Budget report yesterday - with the rules for Reits relaxed.

Industry outrage at lack of action on stamp duty

Stamp duty is the chancellor's 'stealth tax of choice'

Stamp duty is now the chancellor's stealth tax of choice, property experts have said.

Grandparents paying for childcare

Grandparents are increasingly paying for childcare

The cost of childcare is increasingly being met by grandparents rather than parents.

Two per cent of population own 50% of wealth

The richest 2% of the world's population own most of the globe's wealth

The richest two per cent of the world's population own more than half of the globe's total wealth.

Pre-Budget report in detail - tax changes

The Treasury has unveiled all of the tax changes included in the pre-Budget report

Following Gordon Brown's pre-Budget report speech, the Treasury has released a full break-down of the tax changes that it involves.

Pre-Budget report - implications

Gordon Brown today gave his pre-Budget report

Gordon Brown today gave his tenth and probably last pre-Budget report as chancellor - announcing tax hikes for millions of Britons.

Babysitters cost more than nights out

Hiring a babysitter now costs more than many nights out

The soaring cost of hiring a babysitter means hiring someone to look after the children for an evening is now more expensive than a typical night out.