INSIDE

March 2012

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 The plight of pensioners 31 George Pitcher The poor picking up the tab is shameful 65 Jeff Prestridge Investors could be about to get a better deal 82 That’s Life with Esther Rantzen End this ‘cash for crash’ plague UPFRONT8YourShout 11 Steal of the Month 16 Housing Market Round-Up SORTED! 22 Money Makeover 26 Your Finances Fixed COMPETITION 24 WIN a luxury two-night getaway in the Peak District 46 WIN £3,000 in an ISA

scam

32

The UK’s unfair tax system needs overhauling as families are struggling to survive the recession

32 Fiscal policy that’s anything but family friendly The third part of our series on Defending the British Family 36 Our complete guide to savings bonds scam

The spending power of our savings is dwindling but putting your money away for at least 12 months can give it a boost

40 Britain: the debt-ridden island Every four minutes, someone in the UK is made bankrupt.

It’s time we learn to manage debt responsibly 44 Boost your credit rating If you are looking to borrow money sensibly, don’t be written off as a sinner. Ensure your track record is whiter than white

4 MONEYWISE | MARCH 2012

48

How much would you need to earn before you feel rich?

WWW.MONEYWISE.CO.UK 40

Personal debt is on the up, and more of us are having difficulty repaying it. It’s time for action

47 Five-minute guide to free holidays

Finding the perfect getaway needn’t cost the earth. Why not try a home swap? 48 How much money do you need to be rich?

We’d all like to have the readies to live the high life. But an exact figure is hard to pin down scam 52 Break free from your home jail

Moneywise offers advice to homeowners who have found themselves in negative equity 55 Rent out your home for the Olympics How you can use your property to cash in on the Games 56 Grow your own and cut your bills Avoid the supermarket by living off the land

73

In the battle of tax-planning heroes, who will be crowned champion? Pensions or ISAs?

60 Investment News Don’t get caught out by hidden charges 61 Buy, Hold, Sell

Mark Slater shares his winners and losers 62 The Briefing

This month, we explore Asia excluding Japan 67 What you could do with £20k

Find out whether to invest in cash, shares or property 70 Income boosters

The best income-yielding investments revealed

73 Pensions versus ISAs

We weigh up the pros and cons of both as a means to take control of your investments and battle the taxman

59 Andrew Pitts

The top homes for investment growth

WWW.MONEYWISE.CO.UK

scam scam

75 The best products at your fingertips

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

MARCH 2012 | MONEYWISE 5