Money Central - Times Online - WBLG

The 10 richest divorcees in the UK

Divorce is an ugly business. But if you are separating from the super wealthy there are some consolations. We have trawled the Sunday Times Rich List to find the ten people who have made the most money from divorce.

Win £25: How can I stop my flatmates reneging on our deal?

 

Each Saturday as part of Times Money's expanded consumer affairs section, we publish your questions and invite other readers to suggest solutions. 

This week Josie Cousins wrote to us. She says: "I rent a flat with my best friend and her boyfriend. When we first went flat-hunting I put a limit on how much I was prepared to spend, as I earn a bit less then they do. However, they wanted a nicer property. In the end we agreed to split the rent three ways - and I have my own smaller bedroom and they pay to share a bigger room with an ensuite bathroom.

"Now, a couple of months in, they are saying that I should contribute more, as I have a disproportionately good deal. I am not prepared to budge as we made an agreement when we signed the tenancy, but not in writing. How should I proceed?"

A selection of the best responses will be published in Times Money on Saturday July 25 with the star answer receiving £25 of vouchers. 

The 10 most affordable costal towns

There are thousands of towns dotted along Britain's coastline, from picturesque fishing ports to fading Victorian resorts. There is often a costly premium placed on homes with a sea view and some of the most exclusive postcodes in the country, such as Sandbanks, in Dorset, are on the water. However, there are still seaside towns where you can buy a home without breaking the bank. Here are Times Money's ten most affordable coastal towns.

e-Poll: Should the government scrap the retirement age?

 

A Government review of retirement age will take place a year earlier than planned, as pressure mounts to abolish compulsory retirement at 65. Pension experts said the move signals an end to the default retirement age. Ministers said they had brought the review forward to respond to changing demographic and economic circumstances.

The majority of people retire before 65, but 1.3 million people work beyond state pension age. Many more say they would if their employer permitted it. The unions welcomed the decision, with the TUC saying employers should not be able to sack someone simply for being too old. Employer groups were less happy, with the CBI saying default retirement age helps firms plan ahead “with more confidence”. We want to know what you think. Should employers be allowed to force workers to retire at 65 or should you be able to work as long as you want? Vote in our e-Poll below and have your say in the field below that.

Online Surveys & Market Research

Have you had problems with the ICICI website?

A Times Money reader says he is unable to access the Hi Save (ICICI) website. His computer's security certificate says the website is from an unreliable source and recommends that he should not proceed any further.

The reader has tried accessing the site from several PC's and on several occasions - but with no luck.

We would like to know whether this was a one-off incident or if the problem is widespread. So please let us know if you have had problems accessing the ICICI website? Post your comments below or email us at moneyletters@thetimes.co.uk

The 10 regions where house sales are picking up quickest

Two housing surveys this month showed conflicting signs of the market’s health – Halifax said that house prices fell by 0.5 per cent in June, while Nationwide said that prices rose by 0.9 per cent in the same month.

While experts remain divided over whether the market has bottomed out yet, there is little doubt that housing sales are picking up, even if it is from a low base. Completed sales in May were at their highest since October 2008, according to recent figures from HM Revenue & Customs.

Stephen Watson, of Agency Express, the UK’s largest "For sale" board company, said: “Confidence is definitely returning and we have seen a step-change in the number of properties being sold right across the UK.

“But we are not out of the woods yet. The number of properties sold in June is still significantly behind the monthly average we saw in 2007 and it is likely to take a another couple of years for a full recovery to take place.”

Here are the ten places in the UK with the most “Sold” boards outside properties in June – showing the percentage increase from May.

e-Poll: Do you think that the recession is over?

 

Conflicting reports emerged today about the state of the economy. A survey of 5,600 companies by the British Chambers of Commerce indicated that confidence levels were improving and that the worst of the recession is over. But official figures from the Office for National Statistics showed that manufacturing output fell 0.5 per cent in May. Analysts had forecast a rise of 0.2 per cent. So what do you think? Is the recession over or has it some way to run yet? Vote in our e-Poll below and leave your comments in the field below that.

Online Surveys & Market Research

Win £25: How do I stop my future parents-in-law paying for my wedding?

Each Saturday as part of Times Money's expanded consumer affairs section, we publish your questions and invite other readers to suggest solutions. 

This week Dave Brooks wrote to us. He says: "I am due to get married in a few months and my fiancee's  parents are insisting on paying for half of the wedding, even though my partner and I are both 30, on decent salaries and have been living together for several years.

"My future parents-in-law are retired and have a much smaller income than us, so it seems unreasonable that they should have to pay towards our celebration. They are quite traditional and I do not want to seem ungrateful or offend them by suggesting that they cannot afford it. Help!"

A selection of the best responses will be published in Times Money on Saturday July 18 with the star answer receiving £25 of vouchers. 

The 10 dumbest dot.com ideas

  

In the midst of the present technological boom, there are many stories of success, fame and fortune. But there are also stories of total failure, from clearly absurd ideas to websites apparently "worth millions" that do not generate a penny....  

The 10 richest models in the world

 

The age of the supermodel is definitely not over. The world’s top models have proved their earning power this year despite fashion designers downgrading their runway shows because of the recession. For the second year in a row, Gisele Bündchen, the Brazilian model tops Forbes magazine'd richest models list, based on estimated earnings from June 2008 – June 2009.

The top ten buy-to-let hotspots

 

Buy-to-let landlords have been hard hit by the property crash, along with private homeowners. But one small silver lining in the generally gloomy outlook is that, with property prices coming down faster than rental values, yields are actually rising for many purchasers of rental property.

With the help of PropertyEarth.net, Times Money has compiled a list of the ten towns or boroughs with the highest yields for buy-to-let investors.They are spread right aross the country, from Scotland to Shropshire and from Newcastle to Neath, in Wales.

The 10 most extravagant emperors

A dodgy mortgage claim is feeble stuff set against the spending of history's top kleptocrats. Here is Times Money's list of the 10 most extravagant emperors, in chronological order

Pictured left is Joaquin Phoenix as Commodus, see below, the emperor who appeared naked in the arena to slay wild animals

Ten top investment tips from Dr Mark Mobius

 

Dr Mark Mobius is one of the most experienced fund managers in the industry.

He has been managing the Templeton Emerging Markets Investment Trust since its launch 20 years ago. In that time the value of an investment in the trust has multiplied more than eleven times.

Here Dr Mobius draws on his years of experience to offer ten investment tips to Money Central readers.

e-Poll: Do you think public sector pensions are too generous?

Calls for an overhaul of public-sector pensions intensified this week, after a report that argued the cost of public sector pension liabilities now equals  £20,000 for every man, woman and child in Britain. According to the study by the influential British-North American Committee (BNAC) the cost  of pensions for all current public sector workers  is £1.2 trillion — equivalent to 85 per cent of Britain's GDP.

A growing number of pension watchers argue that such huge liabilities are unsustainable and that reform of public-sector pensions is long overdue. But given genuine fears that we could soon face a pensions crisis won't this send out the wrong message? Tell us what you think.

Online Surveys & Market Research

The 10 longest white-collar prison sentences

Bernard Madoff was sentenced today for the largest investment fraud in history, receiving the maximum 150 years in prison for running a $65 billion (£39 billion) ponzi scheme that lost thousands of investors money.

That might sound like a long time behind bars but its not the longest white-collar sentence to be handed down by the courts - not by a long way. Read on to discover who beats Madoff in the sentencing stakes.

Win £25: What can I do to stop my friend taking advantage of me?

Each Saturday as part of Times Money's expanded consumer affairs section, we publish your questions and invite other readers to suggest solutions. 

This week Vanessa Thompson wrote to us. She says: "I have a friend who constantly takes advantage of other people, including me. He takes everything from drinks to chewing gum, and sometimes slips past the barrier at a railway station with me, so that he does not have to buy a ticket. He is a good friend but since we make the same amount of money I don't want to put up with this any more. What should I do?"

A selection of the best responses will be published in Times Money on Saturday July 11 with the star answer receiving £25 of vouchers. 

Gordon Brown's 10 worst financial gaffes

In 2006, an eloquent Gordon Brown, then Chancellor of the Exchequer said that he was "ready to make the decisions for people and to work with other people to make this country the great country it is at all times." A year later he became Prime Minister, and the rest is history. Here is a list of Gordon's worst financial blunders, the screw-ups which have cost us all dearly and left economists, accountants and the rest of us scratching our heads in disbelief. Vote for Gordon's worst gaff in the e-Poll below or make your own suggestions in the comment box.

The ten weirdest things lost in the post

    

Every week about 600,000 pieces of mail are unable to be delivered because they are so badly addressed or packaged, while 25,000 letters posted have only the recipient's name printed on them.

Anything that cannot find its way to the recipient goes to the Royal Mail's National Return Centre in Belfast, where 'address detectives' investigate the origins of the mail and try to track down who the package is for. Unclaimed items of any value are eventually auctioned off.

This is the only place in the country where it is legal to open someone else's mail. And some pretty strange things end up there..

e-Poll: Have you ever been a victim of card fraud?

 

 

On Friday, we revealed how Emma Woolf, had £10,000 fraudulently withdrawn from her bank account. Since running the article, we have been inundated with stories from readers about how they have also been the victims of card fraud. We want to know how widespread the problem is. Please vote in our e-poll below to tell use whether or not you have ever been the victim of any kind of card fraud.

 

Online Surveys & Market Research

Win £25: Is my letting agent ripping me off?

             

Each Saturday as part of Times Money's expanded consumer affairs section, we publish your questions and invite other readers to suggest solutions. 

This week Lauren Greene wrote to us. She says: "I am in the process of renting a new flat and was astonished that my letting agent charged me a £40 "tenancy deposit scheme administration fee". I know that deposits now have to be protected under a new government scheme, but I do not think that the cost should be passed on to the tenant. Is the agent- a member of the Association of Residential Lettings Agents- allowed to do this?"

A selection of the best responses will be published in Times Money on Saturday July 4 with the star answer receiving £25 of vouchers.