Debt

Yesterday we learnt inflation's hit 0% for the second month running – so little surprise, borrowing costs are hitting all–time lows.

While it's been available to publish since December, today the Treasury has finally released its response to the independent commissioned report by Christine Farnish, who has called for radical changes to the Money Advice Service and for an end to the marketeers gravy train.

As she knelt at my feet I looked down and saw she was about to stick me with a sharp blade. But the next moment saw the podiatrist treating my ingrowing toenail ask the question that prompted me to write about the sheer power of mortgage overpayments.

MoneySavingExpert.com is today calling for the Treasury to publish the independent report it commissioned into the Money Advice Service, authored by Christine Farnish – a report it has delayed and hidden since December in a likely attempt to prevent any pre-election backlash.

A donation from Comic Relief means those attending Tr ussell Trust foodbanks will be able to get debt and money advice there too from September.

A mum-of-two has turned her part-time hobby of posting videos of animals singing Happy Birthday on YouTube into such a lucrative money-making scheme that she hopes to have paid off all of her debts by the end of March.

Hundreds of thousands of cash-strapped customers who buy TVs and washing machines through rent-to-own (RTO) schemes are paying up to three times more than the high street cost, a report published today has found.

More financially vulnerable people will be able to avoid the most drastic formal debt solution after the Government announced plans to increase the minimum level of debt that can force people into bankruptcy to £5,000 later this year.

More than three million people fear they will miss their rent or mortgage payments this month as the cost of Christmas takes its toll, according to a charity.

Vulnerable borrowers will be better protected from spiralling costs as new rules to crack down on payday lenders and brokers come into force today.