Money
Getting the best deal
Save £100s...with free advice
There is so much professional advice you can get free on the net. Consumer finance writer Teena Lyons gives you a breakdown of ten top online locations where you can grab a wealth of useful information:
One. Benefit search. People are missing out on benefits and tax credits worth more than £5 billion a year according to www.entitledto.co.uk. Find out if that includes you.
Two. Taxing taxation. Who really understands their tax code? Find out if you are paying the right amount of tax and national insurance on www.taxcentral.co.uk
Three. Legal information. Advice on topics such as accident claims, consumer and employment law is available for free at www.compactlaw.co.uk. Small claims advice is available from law.freeadvice.com/small_claims.
Four. Moving house? Do some of the leg work yourself and find out about where you are moving, if you are paying a fair price and whether it is a good deal. www.nethouseprices.com will show you the price other properties sold for in the same street, while www.upmystreet.com will tell you everything you need to know about the area and local facilities.
Five. Navigating the planning minefield? Try www.planning-applications.co.uk for advice on subjects from development rights to listed buildings and conservation areas.
Six. Don’t get stuck for words. For online dictionary and translations, try www.babylon.com where you will need to download a trial version.
Seven. Fancy a pint and a pub quiz? Don’t go out until you’ve checked out www.fancyapint.com, the internet movie database at uk.imdb.com, and then www.psr.keele.ac.uk/area/uk.htm for everything you ever needed to know about politics. That should ensure you get maximum points for a few rounds.
Eight. Lost an instructional manual? Don’t throw that appliance away – give it one more chance by logging on to www.instruction-manuals.co.uk to find out what went wrong in the first place.
Nine. Don’t put up with bad products or shoddy service. Contact www.consumerdirect.gov.uk a government funded free consumer advice service which offers clear practical advice on everything from returning unwanted goods to making a complaint.
Ten. And finally, for clear instructions on how to do just about anything from writing a Valentines Day love letter to dressing to look slimmer, try www.ehow.com.
* Written by Teena Lyons. Teena's views are her own and for general information only. Always seek independent financial advice.
