On Google+
The Independent
 
TheIndyNews
Google+
i Newspaper
 
TheIPaper
The Independent around the web
Sainsbury's 'Feed your family for a fiver' campaign with chef Jamie Oliver was 'fabulous', one debt adviser said

You're not alone: How to ease the pain of debt problems

In these difficult economic times there is no shortage of debt advice out there. One thing the experts seem to agree on is that you should act early.

Simon Read: Pets and sweethearts are this week's payday loan targets

Payday lenders are all set to become more mainstream, if you believe the accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers. The bean counters said in a report published this week that they've seen increasing evidence of consumers seeking alternative finance such as payday loans.

Spotlight On: Halifax clarity credit card

The deal

Five Questions About: Cashback credit cards

How do cashback cards work?

Borrowers pay back £400m in December

Consumers cut their debts at the fastest rate in two decades during December amid signs they dipped into savings to pay for Christmas.

Roll-over loans curb agreed by Wonga

Britain's biggest payday loan company, Wonga, has signed up to a new code of practice being introduced on Wednesday that will restrict the number of times a loan can be extended.

Nathan Finch, 40, owns Pickwick Pawnbrokers, which has six branches in south London and Kent. With more than 20 years in the business, he has also served as secretary general of the National Pawnbrokers Association

Pawn again: The rebirth of the high-street credit merchants

Twenty years ago, the pawnbroking industry had all but shut up shop. Now business is booming as never before. Rhiannon Harries meets the loan arrangers whose value is on the rise.

EU targets payday loan sites that break rules

Payday loan firms which flout European consumer rules will be shut down, the European Union said this week. Its investigations found that four out of five UK online credit companies failed to provide basic information required by law, such as the cost of borrowing.

New regulation 'will hinder lending'

Delays and uncertainty over new financial regulations risk upending long-term investments such as new mining projects or international trade, the head of Barclays' investment bank has warned.

Wonga slammed over student loan information

Online payday loan firm Wonga was forced to remove an article from its website yesterday after it caused outrage by suggesting that students should take out loans that cost up to 4,000 per cent rather than using government-backed Student Loans, which charge around 5 per cent.

EU to shut down 'misleading' loan websites

In the UK, 38 out of 47 loan sites checked failed to provide basic required information

Credit unions to come in from the cold

An overhaul of legislation should offer more people the chance to avoid high-cost payday loans

Online payday loan firms may be guilty of mis-selling, says lawyer

Online payday loans could end up being the next mis-selling scandal, a former lawyer at the Financial Ombudsman Service has warned.

Simon Read: Rogue payday lenders must be closed down to protect the hard-up

Hardships are continuing for families this year. Housing charity Shelter reckons some seven million vulnerable folk have turned to expensive credit just to pay their rent or mortgages.

A million using payday loans to keep homes

Around seven million people are turning to credit to try to keep a roof over their heads, research by housing charity Shelter reveals.

Career Services

Day In a Page

Apple admits it has a human rights problem

Apple admits it has a human rights problem

After years of complaints and workers' suicides in China the technology giant faces up to the human cost of its gadgets
Peter Moore: 'I feel guilty I'm the only one alive'

Peter Moore interview

'I feel guilty I'm the only one alive'
Sellafield faces nuclear option as overspending threatens plant's future

Sellafield faces nuclear option

Overspending threatens plant's future
Israel blames Iran for embassy bomb attacks

Israel blames Iran for embassy bomb attacks

Tehran rejects Netanyahu's 'lies' after diplomats in India and Georgia targeted
Former manager enjoying Apoel crack at the big time

Tommy Cassidy interview

Former manager enjoying Apoel crack at the big time
James Lawton: Patience may not be a virtue this time, Roman – Andre Villas-Boas looks all at sea

James Lawton: AVB looks all at sea

Abramovich's visits to training reinforce the idea of a coach feeling pressure from above and below
The 10 Best sledges

The 10 Best sledges

Not all of them require snow...
Procrastination: Not now  – I'm busy

Procrastination: Not now – I'm busy

Confronting the real reasons for puttting things off can help us beat it
Fun in the sunset years

Fun in the sunset years

A new movie follows retirees moving to India for low-cost care and a culture of respect for the elderly. For many Britons, it's already a reality
Picture preview: Lucian Freud drawings

Lucian Freud drawings

Picture preview
Silent revolution at the Baftas as the French take top awards

Silent revolution at the Baftas

The Artist wins in seven categories, with Meryl Streep the other big success story
Whitney Houston: The diva who had – and lost – it all

The diva who had – and lost – it all

Nick Hasted charts the highs and lows of Whitney Houston's life
How Picasso won over (some of) the British

How Picasso won over (some of) the British

Winston Churchill and Evelyn Waugh hated his work, but Picasso provided inspiration for a whole generation of UK artists
Topshop: A Decade Of Design

Topshop: A Decade Of Design

When London Fashion Week starts on Friday, Topshop will celebrate 10 years backing its brightest young stars
John Prescott: 'My wife thought I'd just retire, but I'm not a slippers man'

'My wife thought I'd just retire, but I'm not a slippers man'

At 73, John Prescott isn't mellowing. In fact he's taking a shot at becoming a police commissioner