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Britain's 10 worst recessions ever

If the media's constant talk of "recession", "credit crunch" and "downturn" is depressing you, bear in mind that our ancestors have had it much worse. Here Times Money looks at ten of the grimmest decades in British history – when economic troubles often coincided with bloodshed and famine...

The 10 home improvements that add most value

Are you thinking of building an extension or buying a new kitchen to help boost the value of your home? Well, you better think again. Research published this week suggests the vast majority of home improvements are now unlikely to add more value to your home than the cost of the upgrade in the first place. The study by Abbey, which questioned 100 estate agents, indicates that the only financially worthwhile home improvement is a lick of paint.

Here is the cost of 10 common home improvements and the value that they will add.

Type of home improvement	Average value added	Average cost of improvement	Net value added
Extension	£13,568	£33,800	-£23,232
New kitchen	£4,894	£18,700	-£13,806
Conservatory	£6,236	£20,000	-£13,764
Solar panels	£1,028	£12,500	-£11,472
Loft conversion	£13,038	£22,600	-£9,562
Garage	£7,971	£14,000	-£6,029
New bathroom	£2,892	£7,700	-£4,808
New windows	£3,092	£6,700	-£3,608
Lanscape garden	£2,060	£2,500	-£440
Painting and decorating	£3,557	£1,330	+£2,227

25 tips to sell your home in a downturn

Desperate sellers across the land are battling for the attention of an ever-dwindling number of buyers. According to a recent report, there are 15 homes on the market for every buyer. And the headache for homeowners eager to sell up doesn’t stop at finding an interested party. Estate Agents report offers are falling far below asking prices.

To help struggling vendors, Times Money has spoken to five celebrity property experts to build a list of hints and tips to ensure homeowners snag that elusive sale. From new taps to laptops, here are 25 tips to help you sell your home.

10 tips to cut the cost of your holiday

The school holidays are about to begin. Normally this would be the cue for an exodus to foreign climes. But as the cost of food, fuel and mortgages soars many have left it until the last minute to decide what to do.

What age will you live to?

No one knows how long they will live. But actuaries, the clever statisticians employed by pension and insurance companies, know the probalilities of us making it to certain ages. The figures make for surprising reading. For example, someone aged 30 has a two-thirds chance of living to 85. Someone aged 35 has a one in seven chance of living to 100.

But despite these statistics and major advances in healthcare, most people don't think they will live longer than their parents. Sadly, increasing longevity does come at a cost. Anyone who wants a comfortable retirement has to make sure they have adequate pension provision and that means saving a lot more money...

Age	% chance of reaching 85	% chance of reaching 90	% chance of reaching 100	% chance of reaching 100
20	66	42	5	5
25	65	41	4	4
30	65	41	4	4
35	69	50	14	14
40	67	49	12	12
45	66	47	11	11
50	64	45	10	10
55	64	44	9	9
60	63	43	8	8
65	63	42	7	7

Isa delays: have you suffered?

Over recent weeks we have been inundated with letters and e-mails (you can read some of them at Problems with Nationwide Isas?) complaining about delays encountered when readers have tried to switch to a new savings account.

25 reasons to avoid the new iPhone

The wait is over. The iPhone 3G goes on sale today, and no doubt hordes of Apple fans will be queing outside Carphone Warehouse and outlets of O2 mobile - the only supplier - to get their hands on the hugely hyped handset.

Here at Times Money we were pretty scathing of the original iPhone (take a look at 50 reasons not to buy an iPhone), but Apple claims that its new version is a huge improvement. It is being billed as twice as fast and half as expensive as its debut model.

Given that Apple kept the phone under wraps ahead of the launch it's difficult to know whether the new phone is all its cracked up to be. If the hype is true it will certainly be a huge improvement on the original model. But there are downsides. Maybe not 50 this time around, but here are 25 things to consider before parting with your cash.

50 tips to ride out a recession

With the economy teetering on the brink of a nervous breakdown, it is time to prepare for the worst...

Ten ways to save without even noticing

Earlier this month, the Office of National Statistics reported that the savings ratio – the proportion of our income we put aside each month – had fallen to just 1.1 per cent, the lowest level since 1959. No wonder when higher inflation and more expensive mortgages have been eating away at our income. But fear not, there are ways that you can save without even noticing...

The 10 strangest will bequests ever

The last will and testament is most people’s final gesture in this world – and given that they're not going to be around when its contents are revealed some people use it to make the strangest requests. Here is our top ten list of the craziest bequests.

House prices: the latest forecasts, region by region

As the Nationwide announces UK house prices are now 6.3 per cent lower than a year ago, many of us are wondering when the property turmoil will end. The overall picture is bleak, with Savills, the estate agent, predicting a drop of 10 per cent this year and a further 15 per cent drop next year.  But this figure masks widespread regional variations, and it could be higher or lower depending on where you live.

Here are the experts' predictions on how much further prices will fall this year in each region of the UK.

50 great things you can get free

"The best things in life are free", sang the Beatles.

Bitter experience tells us that is rarely the case. The Fab Four admitted as much when they revealed that money was what they really wanted.

But there's no need to be too cynical. There are a surprising range of free things out there, if you know where to look.

Here are 50 fab freebies which were available at the time of writing - enough to make John, Paul, George and Ringo change their tune.

The 10 worst property investments ever

Homeowners across the land are holding their collective breath as daily reports show the housing market threatens all out collapse. The likelihood, however, is that losses over the next year or two will not nearly be enough to reverse the huge gains of the last ten years.

But not every real estate investor is this fortunate. We've put together a list of the ten worst property investments ever. In the unluckiest or most calamitous of cases, the losses run into the millions...

The 10 most extravagant weddings ever

Earlier this month, Wayne Rooney and Colleen McLoughlin were married in a lavish ceremony rumoured to have cost £5 million. But while the wedding was criticised in some quarters for its excess, there are plenty of other contenders for the title of most extravagant marriage ever....

Ten tips to beat the 40 per cent energy price hike

With the wholesale cost of gas marching relentlessly higher, industry experts are now predicting that the cost of the average household bill will rise by up to 40 per cent this year. But there are schemes available to reduce bills and many ways to cut costs and eliminate waste.

The UK's 10 best bargain retailers

As consumers tighten their belts amid the credit crunch, business is booming for many discount shops and businesses. So where is everyone going to snap up bargains? Here is a list of ten increasingly popular places…

Problems with Nationwide Isas?

We have been contacted by a saver who has had difficulty transferring several cash Isas to Nationwide building society.

Have you been unfairly charged?

The top 10 Star Wars collectibles

It's 30 years since the first Star Wars action figures were released – a staple of any happy 1980s childhood. To celebrate, here is our list of the top ten Star Wars collectibles, from the vintage and rare to new items that should climb in value.

Prices are approximate sale values for new or mint objects in their original packaging – "carded" in the case of action figures.

[Pictured is a Lego Darth Vader, see No. 5 below]

20 of the world's most expensive body parts

Whose boobs are worth £350,000? Why did a South African soap manufacturer insure Princess Diana against "death, disability and disgrace" to the tune of £50,000? And whose partying lifestyle has left them virtually uninsurable?

Stars have been insuring bits of themselves since the 1920s. There are now so many people with commoditised appendages that Lloyds of London, the world-famous insurance market, has its own celebrity body part underwriter - Jonathan Thomas.

Water-tight confidentiality agreements mean it is impossible to know with absolute certainty whose assets are worth what, so the below list is based on those most widely reported. And the value is at the time the policy was taken out rather than in today's prices. Here are the top 20.

The 25 riskiest postcodes for ID fraud

Identity fraud has risen by 66 per cent in the last year, Experian says, but in some UK streets, residents are more at risk than the rest of us.

Anyone who is between 25 and 46, earns more than £50,000, is self-employed or a company director or rents their home rather than owning it outright, is at a much higher risk of being targeted by fraudsters.

Experian has also published a breakdown of the most vulnerable postcodes, based on the cases it handled last year. Surprisingly, some of the leafiest parts of London are on the list. Do you live in one of these fraud hotspots? Have you been a victim of ID fraud? Let us know by posting your comments below.