Posts Tagged ‘mind’
The Government wants to know about your financial wellbeing
May 20th, 2013 • 1 Comment
a worried man, yesterday
On Friday, the Money Advice Service (you know, that annoying ‘Ask Ma’ advert) asked for “evidence to help draw up a new national strategy to help improve the UK’s financial wellbeing.” Basically, they are going to ask everyone, including charity organisations to tell them about projects and initiatives which have successfully improved people’s financial wellbeing.
Most people would probably argue that having a job, more money or a lower cost of living would improve their financial wellbeing, but the Government, in its infinite wisdom, thinks that instead, people need a “blueprint” to help them manage their money. The survey will also find out whether people have got any better with money since the last survey was produced by the FSA (now the FCA) back in 2006. And perhaps they will find that people have got better with money, after all it’s a case of needs must for many.
But perhaps Ma could just ask MoneySupermarket.com how people are feeling about their money (or lack thereof). In conjunction with mental health charity Mind, Moneysupermarket have found that, somewhat unsurprisingly, our current or future financial situation is the thing that causes the biggest stress for almost a third of us (31%).
The research showed that 18% say it is their current financial situation which causes them the most stress, and a further 13% are most worried about their future financial situation. Third up is health worries, also at 13%. To make matters worse, 72% of people worried about their finances think Professor Brian Cox is talking out of his behind and that things can only get worse, with half of these people blaming the rising cost of living for ever-increasing money worries. Ten per cent of people think uncertainty over their benefits will add to their financial stress- probably those middle class couples worrying if one of their earnings is going to tip over the £50,000 threshold so they will lose their child benefit.
Almost half of all respondents (48%) claim they are either frequently or occasionally worried about their financial situation, with 18 to 34 year olds (62% of the relatively-young) being worst affected.
The Ma final report is due out in 2014.
Bah, humbug! Mystery man plans end to Christmas in Summer
August 29th, 2009 • 10 Comments
If we were 87 year-old Denis Norden, we’d say that next is a story to file under “about bastard time, too” – although Norden wouldn’t say bastard, unless he’d had a very large glass of gin: a shadowy organisation named the Movement for the Containment of Christmas is threatening shopkeepers who dare to slip into the Yuletide spirit too early.
Four businesses in Leeds have received letters warning them not to sell Christmas cards before November and a charity shop in Headingly has had its locks glued. Police have confirmed they are investigating the letters as well as mysterious phonecalls received by staff and hooded characters caught on CCTV posting the letters, which read:
MOVEMENT FOR THE CONTAINMENT OF XMAS
This is a very polite but very serious reminder not to display Xmas cards until 1st Nov.
We will put superglue in your locks if you do.
Peace and goodwill
(The MIND shop got done on Sunday)
Genius. Either it’s an individual concerned at the continued commercialisation of Christ’s birth, an outraged Bitterwallet reader or a just a regular mentalist. Either way, we’re secretly with them on this one, aren’t we? If it’s you, get in touch and tell us whether you’re likely to start scooping the organs out of prostitutes next. We’d quite like the scoop if you are.
