I’ve been doing my usual reading of the Sunday papers’ money sections, and this week they’re full of the Government’s new plans to help first time buyers and key workers. I’m in two minds about this. Why is there this assumption everyone has a right to own a house? Of course property ownership is desirable, yet it...

Alright, I’m not immune to a bit of Big Brother, and had it on in the background on launch day, but stunned to see Derek Laud on there. Now I don’t know the man particularly well, but when I used to work at Simply Money TV (2000-1) Derek was involved with the company as he was a...

My nightmare question today on Jeremy Vine, “so we’ve had Otis Ferry in, now let’s play his Dad’s song, and Martin that is…..?” Aaarrghh, as I had to admit, I’ve never bought a record, tape or CD in my life. I know less about music than a tone deaf koala bear. Now don’t get me wrong here,...

Do you think screw is a naughty word? I’ve just come off air on BBC London, having had a knackering day doing ITV lunchtime news, a couple of other interviews, whilst trying to write three articles. It’s 6.30pm, and I’ve got a good 5 hours more work to go today. Anyway back to the point. During Beeb...

Having been on hols last week I missed the Tonight with Trevor programme about Rosie Millard. Yet I finally watched the tape tonight. It’s always difficult watching a programme that you’ve played a major part in, but had no control over. As I watched it quickly occured to me the prog was a social look at middle...

It’s interesting to see who reads the site. A huge well done for on-the-ballness today to Ian Barber, the head of PR at Barclaycard. My ‘Barclaycard loophole article’ was published over the weekend in short form in the Sunday Express and in detail here. Then this afternoon, I did what I always do, and checked the ‘feedback’...

It’s my birthday. Sadly I’m feeling old! To celebrate (commiserate) the MoneySaving team from the office and I went for a quick lunch nearby. Walking back through the shopping centre we were accosted, by someone trying to get us all to sign up for a credit card. In the past in that location we’ve had a fee...

Well it’s general election day and I’m about to settle down and watch the coverage with some friends. I’ve always been a bit of a political junky – and let’s be honest the election’s all about numbers and stats – so I love it. During the day I was in Harrogate for the Building Societies Association conference...

Didn’t have a good day today. The site crashed due to server problems. Five minutes after I was due on the Vanessa Feltz show on BBC London radio (on the phone). I was talking about thrift and ‘went off on one’ – having a go at the fact thrift should be secondary to being a sassy consumer....