The All Party Parliamentary Group on Financial Education launches today and MSE and pfeg are the key backers. I’ve been doing interviews and press meetings all morning; now over 140MPs have pledged to join, hoorah! Yet while the rest of the site covers the hardcore news, here’s a quick blog on the morning’s funniest moment. Having come...

I’ve been fed worrying news that the home credit trade body is taking my payday loan comments out of context in a report lobbying MPs against tighter regulation.  Specifically, this is about the proposal being made by Stella Creasy MP (Lab) backed by Justin Tomlinson MP (Cons).  I know MPs will be sent this link so as...

Would you take £500 today or £1,000 in two years? I asked this on my Facebook Page today and the overwhelming majority of the 200+ who responded plumped for the instant £500. Yet how does that stand up to financial scrutiny? Few things could turn £500 into £1,000. OK, here’s the question as it was posed: "If...

Five of the big six energy suppliers have announced 5%-10% price hikes to their standard tariffs (lots of smaller firms have hiked rates too). The only one left is EDF Energy. It has promised a "freeze to keep you warm, until 1 March 2011". So when will EDF join the latest price rise round and boost its...

I just received the following in my personal in-box. Quite incredible, who would believe it, eh? I’m sorely tempted, I am, honest gov… Below is the email I received, and my thoughts as I read each bit. "Hello, please can I have your attention for a moment?" ML – you’ve got it! "Would you like to work...

Why do many feel the need to demonise all politicians? We make them out to be monsters or wimps, overly ideologicial or pragmatically machiavellian. The constant sniping at politicians, knowing they’re easy targets, is worryingly damaging for our democracy. This became evident to me by reading the coverage of Ed ‘Bruiser’ Balls, who I met a good...

The cost of fixed rate mortgages is rising in the short term, anyone considering a fix in the imminent future should get their skates on. Yet that doesn’t mean everyone should fix now… The today’s Metro headline ‘Home loan time bomb as cheap deals go’ made for a very interesting read. I was quoted in the artice...

I’m fuming about EU loan rule changes, they’re massively to consumer’s detriment and could easily have been avoided. In the UK almost every lender advertises ‘typical rate’ loans (e.g. 7.2% typical) meaning 66% of accepted applicants must get it, but from 1 Feb new rules mean we’ll use ‘representative rate’ which means only 51% need get it, so...

Over the years whether it’s friends, siblings, couples splitting up or others, I’m constantly asked, ‘what’s the fair way to split a house’? They feel there should be an official solution, but in truth it’s not my subject and, outside of divorce (which has a host of its own issues), I’m not aware of one. After being...

I often meet people who say “you can’t help me, I’m awful with money”. I find this slightly absurd, as it’s toughest to help those who are really good with money, not bad. Yet what is it that makes some fiscally competent, while others constantly carry metaphorical holes in their pockets? Without doubt, a chunk is to...