BBC website has a report which outlines Vince Cable’s criticism of banks, in particular misleading interest rates.

With the Credit Union what you see is what you get, the interest rates we advertise are the interest rates you pay.

Some people are lucky enough to get a christmas bonus, and it seems loansharks did very well this year – according to the The Financial Inclusion Centre, 100,000 families had borrowed a total of £29m from illegal moneylenders over Christmas. Get the full story from the BBC.

Moneymadeclear, the personal finance advice site from the Financial Services Authority has a dedicated section for people looking for help with their fuel bills.

The comprehensive page lists a variety of grants, benfits and advice available to people struggling with their bills.

It also has a very useful section detailing action you can take to make dealing with fuel bills easier in the future.

The site as a whole has a wealth of information covering cards and loans, mortgages and homes, insurance, pensions and retirement, savings and investment, tax and benefits and much more.

January brings the winter snow, makes our toes and fingers glow. It also pushes up our energy bills.

If you have an old boiler you could be paying hundreds of pounds a year more than you would with a modern, efficient boiler. To help with the cost of replacing your boiler, the government has launched a scrappage scheme for old G-rated boilers. Find out more from this BBC article on the scrappage scheme, and see this page from the Energy Saving Trust to check if your boiler is G-rated.

Mark Lyonette, chief executive of the Association of British Credit Unions with some seasonal advice on avoiding debt at Christmas.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8340066.stm