Clare's consumer finance advice - Clare Francis

Clare's consumer finance advice

Every week Clare Francis, financial journalist and editor of comparison site moneysupermarket.com will offer tips and advice on all things money-related to help iVillagers make the most of their hard-earned cash. From energy bills to car insurance; credit cards to children’s savings accounts; mortgages to discount vouchers Clare will show you how to make sure you’re getting the best deal

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Be a savvy borrower

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Recent blog posts

Jan 02

Financial resolutions 2012

It’s that time of year when financial journalists like myself will be writing about the savings you could make by taking some time to review your finances and ensure your money is working as hard as it can for you. This isn’t meant to sound patronising or preachy but chances are...

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Dec 07

Thinking of taking out a payday loan? Read this first...

You’ve probably seen adverts for payday loans from companies such as Wonga. They’re promoted as a quick way to get emergency cash - many firms advertise the fact decisions are instant and the money can be in your bank account that day. With many people struggling to make ends meet it...

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Dec 05

Shop, shop, shop...from home

If you woke up this morning with sudden urge to get your Christmas shopping done, you were definitely not alone. In fact, Monday 5 December has been hailed ‘Cyber Monday’, with online retailing giant Amazon forecasting that shopping will peak at 9pm this evening – no...

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Nov 18

Top tips for an affordable Christmas

Christmas is just around the corner but with money tight, this year is set to be the year of ‘Thriftmas’. A survey out this week from West Bromwich Building Society found that 60% of people will be cutting back this year. And in a separate poll that we carried out on MoneySupermarket...

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Nov 02

Junior ISAs - a new way to save for your child

A new savings scheme for children was launched November 1st 2011. Junior ISAs enable parents (grandparents and other friends or relatives) to save up to £3,600 a year for a child’s future, tax-free. With university costs on the up and high property prices making it harder to get onto...

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Oct 20

How to switch energy provider

High energy costs have dominated the headlines recently. Households are facing an increase of around £150 a year to their gas and electricity bills on the back of the latest price hikes. The energy regulator Ofgem claims that providers are now making annual profits of £125 per...

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Oct 13

The arrival of the iPhone 4S – will you be joining the party?

Firstly I must confess that I don’t own an iPhone but despite being rubbish with gadgets and technology I am a smartphone addict. I have a Blackberry, two in fact, one work and one personal. It’s not been great over the last few days, in fact it’s been rubbish because of the IT...

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Oct 04

How is your postcode affecting your bills?

Why does your postcode matter? It can affect where your children go to school; which doctor you can sign up for; what direct mail marketing literature you receive; the amount you pay for Council Tax... And when it comes to insurance premiums your postcode is key. If you make a claim on...

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Sep 27

Why the stock market turmoil affects you

Heard the story about volatile stock markets and falling share prices? Probably, as concerns about the state of the global economy and warnings that the Euro is at risk of collapse have been headline news over recent days and we’ve seen billions of pounds wiped of share prices...

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Sep 19

Get your home ready for winter

The weather is definitely on the turn so now’s the time to make sure your home is ready for the elements. Last winter 35% of all home insurance claims were weather-related according to MoneySupermarket’s Home Insurance Monitor but many problems can be avoided if you give your home a...

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