There have been new guidance rules posted this week from the OFT (Office of Fair Trading) regarding debt management firms. The guidance has been put together to ensure that the standards are high for companies who offer debt management advice or services of that nature.

These rules from the new guidelines include not:

• Sending any spam text messages, emails or voicemails to customers
• Making claims about their businesses which are untrue or misleading
• Providing inappropriate financial incentives to staff to give debt advice. This is because it may encourage them to promote some products to gain the incentives.

It also mentioned that these companies are expected to refer customers to organisations who offer free advice to those who have emergency debt problems. Or refer those that don’t have enough money to pay off the fees.

There is already a Debt Management Guidance, which was published in 2001, and is continually updated. I

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With the Easter break just around the corner price comparison site Moneysupermarket has given UK consumers top tips on how to find the most convenient travel insurance deals for their holidays.

Baggage cover

As the report pointed out, holidaymakers generally underestimate the real value of their baggage, yet items that everyone takes when going on holiday (such as designer sunglasses, brand name clothing and gadgets) generally add significant value to their baggage.

If you purchase a cheap policy, remember that those tend to have higher excess rates, so ensure you have the necessary funds to meet this cost.

Medical and personal liability cover

European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) will be enough cover if you are travelling to Europe, but travellers should bear in mind that they might need to cover the costs of some treatments depending on the country.

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It has been reported that some Indian call centres are doing a roaring trade in selling the personal and financial details of British credit and debit card users, putting hundreds of thousands of Brits at risk of becoming victims of card fraud and identity theft. The details of more than half a million Brits are thought to have been sold to criminals and marketing firms by Indian call centres.

According to reports, the sensitive data that is included in the information that is being sold includes the person’s date of birth, phone number, address, the start and expiry date of the card and even the last three numbers of the security number on the back of the card. Undercover reporters investigated the scam and found that call centre staff had a huge array of details that are then being sold on to other firms or even criminals for as little as two pence.

The data that the call centres had related to customers of leading High Street banks in the UK such as NatWest and HSBC. S

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It was recently announced that the average cost of a litre of fuel has now risen to 137.44p, whilst diesel stands at 144.6. Two years ago, you could have got pump prices of 113.62 and 112.03p respectively. The 20%+ hike in prices has left many motorists significantly out of pocket, even leading to financial difficulties.

The increases in VAT and taxation have done little to help, particularly as worldwide oil prices are also on the rise. For commuters the cost of owning and running a vehicle is quickly becoming prohibitive, forcing many to adopt alternative forms of transport. This has seen a remarkable increase in the usage of public transport and cheaper, two-wheeled vehicles – especially scooters.

Whilst taxation ensures that the treasury’s coffers remain swollen with funds, there are a number of knock-on effects from transport poverty, not least when it comes to public spending. A number of industries and, consequently, jobs rely on consumers parting with their cash. The

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