It’s against all forms of natural justice and good governance. The Government, without asking Parliament, has changed the terms of student loans, long after many students signed up to them – indeed some had already graduated when they did it. More than 130,000 people signed a petition forcing a parliamentary debate on this hike that will cost...

Two weeks ago I sent the Prime Minister an open letter about the disgraceful retrospective hike in student loans. Those who started university since 2012 currently repay 9% of everything earned above £21,000 – this threshold was supposed to rise annually from 2017, but the Government has now frozen it. The impact of this is substantial. It...

Mental health and debt are a marriage made in hell. Nearly five times as many people with mental health issues have been in debt crisis than everyone else.

Update: 6 July 2015: Sadly, since I first wrote this blog, the likelihood of the Government freezing the student loan repayment threshold – and thus retrospectively increasing the cost of student loans – has increased. There have been more mutterings from policy wonks, plus the former Minister for Universities (though no longer an MP), David Willetts, –...

It starts with something soft. You get 20% off at your favourite shop. It’s so easy, you feel like doing it again, this time perhaps a code-stack or a bit of extreme couponing. Before you know it, you’re hooked and every element of your financial life is being attacked to cut costs – mortgage, credit card, PPI...

It’s university application time. Hundreds of thousands of potential students across the country are deciding on their top pick institutions and courses. Many will have been on open days and been impressed by the facilities of the high powered institutions that could change their lives. I’m a huge fan of university education – I think for many...

Update May 2015: Baby MSE is still my baby, but it’s more accurate to say she’s probably little girl MSE at 2 and a half year’s old. Most of the lessons below are still in the future for her. Though she’s definitely getting the hang of haggling: "Just one Peppa Pig darling". "No daddy, five!" Baby MSE...

Yesterday, it was announced that financial education is to become part of the compulsory national curriculum within citizenship and maths. This is fantastic news, but it only binds maintained schools, which are 50% of secondary schools. Academy schools are free to opt out. While many academies do still follow the national curriculum, it is very important parents...

I still can’t quite believe it. Financial education is going to be part of the national curriculum (see the MSE News story). I found out sitting on a London to Manchester train at 9.58am yesterday – 90 minutes before it happened. I must admit I broke the quiet carriage rules with an involuntary "yessss", to receive a...

On principle I hate the fact 2012 uni starters aren’t just going to pay for their education, but for financing it too. For the first time students will be charged ‘real’ interest rates.  This may seem a contradictory start to a blog promising interest free loans, but that’s because, yet again with student finance, principle and practice...