Author Profile
Sam Thewlis
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Article History:
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Savings Allowance- problems and pitfalls?
The new savings allowance rules are nearly here, yet a recent study by AA Financial Services, found that 90% of savers still didn’t know what the new allowance was, and after having it explained to them, 49% of respondents said they didn’t know what to do with their money come April. The major problem being…
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New tax-free savings are almost here
With a week to go until the new personal savings allowance kicks in, do you know how it’s going to affect you? Or is the piddly amount of interest you might earn not really worth bothering about? Described as one of the biggest changes in personal finance this year (along with the new dividend taxation rules),…
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Which snack chocolate bars can you own brand? Result of taste tests are in!
It’s the week after Easter bank holiday, so what’s going to be forefront of your mind? Which chocolate bars to buy for packed lunches and general snacking of course. So if you’re not totally sick of the sight of the sweet brown stuff, you might be interested in a new investigation into the tastiness of…
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Keyless cars still at risk of remote stealing
No one bothers using a car key anymore, but following on from reports last year warning how remote-key immobilisers could be fooled into thinking would-be thieves had a key, a new report suggests that anyone with £15 can buy an amplifier enabling a swift steal. German research group ADAC has highlighted a serious security flaw…
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Council tax bills hiked as many struggle to pay
It’s that time of year again when everyone’s favourite household bill- Council Tax- starts landing on the doormat. However, what was missing from George’s budget last week (or the preceding Autumn Statement) was any reference to the coalition’s policy of capping Council Tax increases at 2%. This means that council tax rises are no longer…
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Energy Efficiency Ratings- not worth the sticker they’re printed on?
You know how Energy Efficiency is a buzz word these days? With manufacturers and even comparison sites like Which! offering calculators telling you how much you could save over a product’s lifetime when factoring in the reduced energy usage- thereby justifying a higher purchase price. However, new European figures estimate that nearly one in five…
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New sugar tax not very popular
One of the surprise announcements in the Chancellor's Budget on Wednesday was the introduction of a new sugar tax. The plan is to whack an as-yet undisclosed amount on to sugary drinks containing more than 5g/100ml or 8g/100ml of sugar, excluding milk drinks and pure juices. The Chancellor is going to spend all the cash…
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Budget 2016 roundup
So, gorgeous George delivered another (his 8th) Budget to the house at lunchtime today. It was more interesting than many with a few surprises up his sleeves. Here's a round up of the main points affecting you: Duties and sin taxes Oil prices have fallen so some cynics surmised that George might take advantage of…
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New Help to Save scheme offers free Government money to unlikely savers
We’re in a savings crisis. We told you so last week. Now, in an effort to divert the impending doom, the government has announced a new savings scheme which will bung up to 3.5 million people some free cash if they manage to save their pennies. Described as “part of a drive to improve the…
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We're not saving. It's a crisis.
We’re all doing so much better now aren’t we? We’ve successfully negotiated the financial crisis and we’re cruising down Easy Street… or not. New research suggests that instead we have lurched from one crisis to another, with the country now facing a savings crisis instead. A new financial wellness index, constructed from research conducted by…