After months of wrangling, the government finally announced a new set of guidelines to tackle the unfair practices credit card companies use to take our money.

Moody’s has warned that 80% of UK mortgage holders could face a payment shock if interest rates increase in 2010. In its latest Credit Insights report it compares potential rate shocks in the UK, Netherlands and Spain.

Robert Kelly, than man behind online sourcing system Orbiter has launched a mortgage comparison tool for the iPhone.

The government is launching its free Moneymadeclear service today which provides free financial advice across the country. The service includes a helpline, a website, and face-to-face advice delivered through firms such as the Citizens Advice Bureau and Age Concern.

The key to managing your finances effectively and avoiding debt is to draw up a simple budget – and stick to it. This should not take more than about 20 minutes and you will be well on the way to getting a gold star for money management.

When the new tax year starts on April 6th, a few changes are coming with it that could have more of an impact on your finances than you might think.

A Citigroup economist has warned that a hung parliament or a Labour victory at the next election would add an average of £65 to individual mortgage costs.

Spicerhaart has teamed up with Tesco to launch iSold.com, an online estate agency that offers to market a property for just £999. It describes itself as a “halfway house” between a traditional high street estate agent and an online service and will launch in Bristol before being rolled out across the country.

The CML says that for those in the formerly typical first-time age bracket of 25-34, the likelihood of buying at the moment is around half its level of a decade ago.

The taxman is on the war path for tax dodgers and evaders. Not only that, he’s backdating the rules to catch schemes that worked in the past. Should you be worried?