Credit Cards

IF THE £1 trillion UK personal debt mountain wasn’t bad enough, market analyst firm Mintel has just released a report which said we owe collectively “around £100bn more than we realise”. Mintel reckoned “people bury their heads in the sand” when it comes to unsecured debt - so that must be as much sand as the Sahara and a pretty deep hole for each head.

WANT A good saving account? Head for Sainsbury’s Bank, then, which has just been named as the most consistent performer in the field over the past 18 months by Moneyfacts for its Internet Saver product, although Nationwide’s 5.55% e-Savings account pips it over three years. With rising interest rates, insist on a good return on your savings.

HOW DO you fancy saving over £200 a year? This is perfectly possible if you use Direct Debit to pay the biils and Bacs, the body behind Direct Debit, has launched a fun family - the Smarts - to show you how to save the cash. Log on to thesmartwaytopay.co.uk