INSIDE

October 2011

REGULARS 5 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 Banks need to change their attitude 33 George Pitcher Isn’t it time the City boys grew up? 35 Jeff Prestridge Directors should be held personally responsible 95 That’s Life with Esther Rantzen We are a caring nation UPFRONT6YourShout 10 Steal of the Month 15 Housing Market Round-Up

SORTED! 26 Money Makeover 28 Your Finances Fixed COMPETITION 32 WIN a two-night city break in London 64 WIN £3,000 to invest in shares

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How to make sure your charity donations make it into the hands of the needy rather than fraudsters

22 All for a good cause? Charity fraud is booming and unscrupulous opportunists are profiting from our generosity scam

36 Reduce your mortgage With interest rates low, it’s not easy to make money from your scam savings. But offsetting can put them to good use 40 Ten credit card tips We’re all familiar with credit cards, but do you fully under-

stand how they work? Get to know your flexible friend scam

46 Home entertainment Getting all your multimedia services from the same provider may well save you cash, but it’s not always plain sailing

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How your savings can reduce your mortgage

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Home selling has had a glamorous makeover and is paying some sellers a handsome income

There’s money to be made in the Wild East – as long as you know where to look

51 Contest your parking ticket Find out how to successfully appeal an unfair motoring fine 54 Are you a shopaholic? Most of us indulge in retail therapy occasionally,

but what happens when it becomes an addiction? 56 Does it really pay to shop around? Searching the market for the best deal can save you money, but do it properly or you’ll just waste time

67 Buy, Hold, Sell

Dunedin’s Ed Beal shares his top picks 68 The Briefing We take a look at the Absolute Return sector 70 First-time investors revisited How have our fund picks for novice investors performed over the year? 74 Still waiting for revolution How Russia and Eastern Europe can provide great investment opportunities

59 Five-minute guide to chasing payment Find the best way to get overdue invoices paid 60 “Ding dong, Avon calling!” How you can make money from direct selling work scam

65 Andrew Pitts

Turning the spotlight on the cost of investing in funds 66 Investment News Market turbulence is good news for gold scam

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79 Planning for later life How your guilty habits could help you boost your retirement income 80 Daylight robbery Are high pension charges plundering your hard-earned retirement savings?

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Retirement

85 The best products at your fingertips

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

OCTOBER 2011 | MONEYWISE 3