THANK THE BANK  LLOYDS TSB has cut its charges for unauthorised overdrafts, the first High Street bank to do so. Instead of £30 per day the bank will charge £15 a month and then between £6 and £20 per day depending on the size of the overdraft. Well played, Lloyds TSB. HIPS IN FOR 3-BED [...]

Right, we have got our heads around the plain fact that one day we will die – and not necessarily as an ancient relic.

Most Brits actually enjoy their jobs, according to a survey carried out by Birmingham Midshires (BM) mortgages.

A fifth of Britain’s savers are ‘saveaholics’ according to the latest National Savings & Investment (NS&I) Quarterly Savings Survey.

A big upturn in the number of Brits buying property overseas is underway and will continue throughout the autumn, according to research from Moneycorp, the foreign exchange operator.

AL’S ALARMING ATTITUDE  Over in the US former Federal Reserve boss Alan Greenspan has talked about the ”fear” driving the currently volatile stock markets and the reluctance of the human race “to confront bubbles” (yeah, OK, Al). I bet current Fed chairman Ben Bernanke wishes his predecessor would put a sock in it and retire gracefully [...]

I know I’m getting off on the wrong foot here but there’s no getting around it – life insurance should really be called death insurance.

SO UK AND European interest rates have been kept on hold again – not surprising given the current jitters in the stock exchanges and the liquidity problems besetting sections of the banking system. When it comes to the UK’s economy, my guess is the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC, the wise heads who set Base Rate) will wait and see how its [...]