INSIDE

December 2011

REGULARS 7 Welcome 17 Savings Watch The best deals on the market this month 18 Fight for Your Rights Got a financial problem? We take up the fight

COLUMNISTS 21 Editor’s letter Coming to terms with the realities of inflation 37 George Pitcher Do as the Romans do for a more pleasant life 83 Jeff Prestridge There’s light beyond the pension misery 98 That’s Life with Esther Rantzen Present-giving is an exercise in telepathy UPFRONT8YourShout 12 Steal of the Month 16 Housing Market Round-Up SORTED! 28 Money Makeover 32 Your Finances Fixed COMPETITION 30 WIN a two-night stay in a country cottage in County Durham

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Beware festive rip-offs and avoid a financial hangover in the New Year

22 The 12 cons of Christmas

Make sure your hard-earned cash goes exactly where you want it to this year by avoiding these Yuletide rip-offs scam scam

39 Inflation woes for savers Find out how to protect your savings from rising inflation 40 All under one roof With the economic climate affecting more and more families,

many of us are deciding to live together to ease the burden 45 Can you afford to spend ethically? Many of us would prefer to buy ethical goods and services,

but do we have to pay over the odds to go green?

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Should you believe the supermarket price cut hype?

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Family get-togethers aren’t just for Christmas – many of us are pooling resources all year round

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Working after retirement age is being welcomed by employees and employers alike

49 Keeping tabs on your outgoings Pre-paid cards are a good way of keeping an eye on what you’re spending over Christmas 52 The battle of the supermarkets The supermarkets are all promising to slash prices to win our custom. But are we any better off?

56 Is boiler insurance worth it? Moneywise explores whether costly cover is necessary 58 Paying the pet premium Is your furry friend protected should it get ill?

68 Investment News Protect yourself from the eurozone storm 69 Buy, Hold, Sell

Jupiter’s Philip Matthews shares his top picks 70 The Briefing We take a look at the UK Equity Income sector 73 Moneywise Fund Awards 2011 Here’s our guide to this year’s best performers 79 10 ways to invest on the cheap How to keep costs down – and boost returns in the process work work

61 Know your rights, whatever the weather What happens if you can’t get to work this winter? 62 Earning after retirement Working after 65 is proving increasingly popular

84 How to solve the pensions gap Would allowing people access to their pension funds early solve the problem?

67 Andrew Pitts scam scam

Why trust investors are better off with tough love

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87 The best products at your fingertips

Our pick of the top products and investments for consumers and investors

DECEMBER 2011 | MONEYWISE 5