Each week I write a comment on the week's financial news for the money section of the Saga website. The pieces are brought together here together with three early trial pieces that were not published but which I rather like. Occasional extra pieces written for the Saga website are also here. Go to my page on the saga website Or see what I write in Saga Magazine

JUMP TO 2008 2007 2006 Pre-publication

2008

• 2 July 2008 The price of failure - a top regulator gets seven times as much for missing Northern Rock as he would have got for spotting it.
• 27 June 2008 The Government says it will end age discrimination - but not just yet
• 18 June 2008 Inflation out of control - and no-one is taking it seriously
• 11 June 2008 A tale of two duplicities - mis-sold plots and overcharging
• 10 June 2008 More help for carers - but campaigners ask 'why no cash?'
• 4 June 2008 Another tax grab - Revenue plans to cut the time to claim back overpaid tax
• 28 May 2008 Faster money transfers - but the phased introduction causes confusion
• 21 May 2008 Compensation deal on 10p tax announced - and it's very different.
• 7 May 2008 Government admits it has under paid thousands of women pensioners
• 30 April 2008 Financial sales revolution proposed
• 24 April 2008 Compensation for tax losers agreed but who will get what and when?
• 23 April 2008 Labour MPs can get compensation for tax losers
• 16 April 2008 Fabians say we should love inheritance tax
• 9 April 2008 Whiff of hypocrisy as MPs who voted for a change now complain about it
• 2 April 2008 Will anyone understand the new tax rules for savings interest?
• 26 March 2008 Pension Credit take up effort abandoned
• 19 March 2008 The music stops. But can you hear the crash?
• 12 March 2008 Darling's duds of March
• 5 March 2008 The state pension is one hundred!
• 27 February 2008 Tax clamp down but what about our own tax racket?
• 20 February 2008 Congratulations. You own Northern Rock
• 13 February 2008 Can the Bank control inflation?
• 6 February 2008 Fuel poverty promise may be broken
• 30 January 2008 No time for a pension holiday
• 23 January 2008 Don't Panic! Is Mr Mainwaring really in charge of the banks?
• 16 January 2008 No end to free banking
• 9 January 2008 Top Fear as Clarkson's bank is breached
• 2 January 2008 Shares 4 : cash 4 but where to invest in 2008

JUMP TO 2008 2007 2006 Pre-publication

2007

• 19 December 2007 Christmas pension queues
• 12 December 2007 Decumulation is the name of the game
• The banks still need our money - Interest rates cut but savers may not lose out
• 5 December 2007 Banks support ageism - why did they reject a change to ban age discrimination?
• 28 November 2007 Dear Mark Constantine - why business should be campaigning for the low paid
• 21 November 2007 25 million records lost by the Revenue - what does that mean for online tax filing?
• 14 November 2007 Inflation (Made in China) - why this month's rise to 4.2% may not be the last
• 7 November 2007 No pensions without consensus - Conservatives threaten end of pensions consensus
• 31 October 2007 Supply beats demand - why house prices will continue to rise
• 24 October 2007 Government promises make Northern Rock solid
• 17 October 2007 Council tax will rise faster than pensions.
• 10 October 2007 Tax wars as Labour announces its Inheritance Tax changes
• 3 October 2007 Conservative, not radical. Do the Tory tax plans add up?
• 26 September 2007 R.I.P. PPI? Should the sale of payment protection insurance be banned?
• 19 September 2007 Rock around the block - Northern Rock questions for the FSA and the Chancellor
• 12 September 2007 Libor-rate your savings - Cash savings rates hit new high
• 5 September 2007 Hammer blow - Two auction houses raise the cost of buying
• 29 August 2007 Banks recover lost profits from sneaky credit card charges.
• 22 August 2007 FSA must tell consumers what it knows - unless it appeals.
• 15 August 2007 The end of free banking? I don't think so.
• 8 August 2007 Cash is better than shares - for now
• 18 July 2007 Women's pensions at the cliff edge
• 11 July 2007 Tory tax plans for married couples
• 4 July 2007 As debt grows the Bank of Mum and Dad is under pressure
• 27 June 2007 Floods of tears - should the Government pick up the bill for wrecked homes?
• 20 June 2007 Six appeal - cash savings rates head up but beware the tricks
• 13 June 2007 King's inflation fears - Even the Governor of the Bank of England is worried about inflation
• 7 June 2007 Pensions victory - for now - House of Lords backs more compensation for lost pensions
• 6 June 2007 No tax please we're City-ish - top directors pay lower rate of tax than their cleaning ladies
• 30 May 2007 London borough freezes council tax for over 65s - does Hillingdon show the way?
• 23 May 2007 About turn on HIPs - delayed to August, perhaps forever.
• 16 May 2007 Controlling house prices
• 9 May 2007 Aged debt - serious debt affects more older people
• 2 May 2007 Slim retirement for Michelin Man - Pension scheme closures
• 25 April 2007 Here but invisible - more than 100,000 people live here but pay no tax
• Lifeboat sunk by promises - pensions hopes dashed in Commons defeat
• 18 April 2007 Inflation is back - and yes we should be worried
• 11 April 2007 New rights for borrowers
• 4 April 2007  Brown's pension raid is politics not finance
• 28 March 2007 Council tax rises - what you can do to cut the cost.
• 22 March 2007 Gordon's Tax Grab - the Budget will leave many older people worse off
• Fig leaf for stripped pensioners - Government announces improvements to financial assistance scheme for lost pensions
• 14 March 2007 ISA wars confuse customers
• 7 March 2007 Inflation deflation - is the Government quietly switching to a lower measure of inflation for annual rises?
• 28 February 2007 Shares can go down as well as plummet - that's why they are for the long term.
• High Court defeat for Government over pensions - but will it now pay compensation to 125,000 who lost their pension?
• 21 February 2007 Premier League profits - Barclays makes £7.1 million but still overcharges customers who make mistakes
• 14 February 2007 Pension service doubly stuffed - 26,000 letters with pension and bank details go to wrong people
• 7 February 2007 Banking on complexity - Complex savings accounts should be ditched
• 31 January 2007 End of the unfair exit - mortgage exit fees were unfair and must be changed
• 24 January 2007 Protection Racket - big bank fines on the horizon for mis-selling Payment Protection Insurance
• 17 January 2007 U-turn on NI contributions - Government says it will repay overpaid National Insurance
• 10 January 2007 British Gas fines late paying customers - one more reason to change supplier now!
• 3 January 2007 The haves and the have debts - how to cut the debt mountain

JUMP TO 2008 2007 2006 Pre-publication

2006

• 20 December 2006 Glitch leaves people scratching heads - the hole in your NI record that wasn't there.
• 13 December 2006 Pension Plan flawed - Government plans won't help everyone
• 6 December 2006 Pre-Budget Report - but little for older people
• 29 November 2006 Wish you weren't here - travel insurance warnings
• 22 November 2006 Banking on free banking - First Direct's new current account charges can be avoided
• 15 November 2006 Cash is king as rates rise - but why are cash savings so complex?
• 8 November 2006 Plastic not so fantastic - why won't the banks take fraud more seriously?
• 1 November 2006 Money off council tax - Government fails to get discounts to 2 million.

JUMP TO 2008 2007 2006 Pre-publication

Pre-publication

• Watch your commission - Watchdog chairman warns that commission doesn't work
• Tax efficiency - More pensioners pay tax but not the very wealthy
• Home workers - Prince Charles is one of a growing band