NowMyNews

6 shares 3 View comments You’ll probably end up in the red… but be clever and ease the financial pain. Nerves will be jangling this week as hundreds of thousands of students prepare to collect their A-level results on Thursday. For those who make the grade, university places await. But going away to study also means financial independence, with many young people managing a budget and paying bills for the first time. So if you are about to get an account or buy insurance, read our vital guide on student finances to make sure you get the best deals. Solid support: Tilly Parke's bank, HSBC, helps graduates until they are on their feet BANK ACCOUNTS As most students spend university life in the red, getting a bank account with a generous overdraft is a priority, so it’s worth finding out which bank can give you the most generous interest-free borrowing. Halifax and HSBC offer the biggest interest and fee-free overdraft for students in their first year at up to £

13 View comments Students in the South are paying twice as much in rent as those in the North as the average weekly rent bill for British undergraduates hits £70, a new study has showed. London students are faced with the highest rents, paying an average £107.29 per week, slightly down from £108.03 in 2011, while Pontypridd, in Wales, is the cheapest city for renting, with an average £45.94 a week, according to a study by Accommodation for Students website. The study, which took into consideration rents on over 100,000 properties in 77 cities, has showed the cost of student accommodation has increased by about 2.4 per cent this year to £68.70 - from £67.11 in 2011. Fourth most expensive: Student rent in Cambridge costs an average £92.70 per week Cheaper rents: Stoke-on-Trent students pay an average £49.20 per week Some cities saw steep increases this year, such as Hull and Lancaster, which recorded a 25 per cent and a 24 per cent increase in rental costs res

0 View comments   var crsLngth; var fees; var termSpnd; var monthSpnd; var dailySpnd; var annualSpnd; var annualSpndRnd; var stuLoan; var savings; var trmWrk; var sumWork; var totalSpnd; var totalSpndRnd; var totalTermSpnd; var totalTermSpndRnd; var totalMonthSpnd; var totalMonthSpndRnd; var totalTermSpnd; var totalTermSpndRnd; var totalIncome; var annualExShrt; var annualExShrtRnd; var totalExShrt; var totalExShrtRnd; var termExShrt; var termExShrtRnd; var monthExShrt; var monthExShrtRnd; function round(number, plcs) { plcs = (!plcs ? 2 : plcs); return Math.round(number * Math.pow(10, plcs)) / Math.pow(10, plcs); } function invalChkr(Numtochk){ var ok = false; if ( !isNaN(Numtochk) && Numtochk != "" && Numtochk != undefined){ ok = true; } return ok; } function gtvls(){ fees = new Number(document.frmSF.fees.value); crsLngth = new Number(document.frmSF.crsLngth.value); stuLoan = new Number(document.frmSF.stuLoan.value); savings = new Number(doc

68 View comments For today’s students, having fast, reliable internet access is vital. But hundreds of thousands of them face being trapped in long contracts or unable to find a deal to suit their needs. Take BT’s television adverts, which feature students being shown around a flat which luxuriates in its superfast Infinity broadband: if you believe the hype, BT’s Infinity is the perfect broadband choice for technology-savvy flat-sharers. In the real world, students — and their parents, who often foot the bill — might find it difficult to fulfil this utopian dream — and that’s because the minimum contract term for Infinity is 18 months. Internet trouble: Hazel Needham (second from left) with her family And for unlimited broadband — which is what most student households will need — it is hardly cheap, costing £36.75 a month, including line rental, after the initial three-month discount. Peter Needham is one parent who has been frustrated in his search for broadband for

30 shares 159 View comments There are some habits you can never kick — so get one for saving and you’ll be set for life. Putting money aside on a regular basis isn’t the easiest knack to pick up. With soaring household bills, strained budgets and inflation at 2.8 per cent, it can be tricky to free up any spare cash at all. But even from as little as £10 a month, a regular sum saved into an account for years can reap huge rewards. Nifty savings: Just cutting back on your morning coffee could net you £30 a month Save £10 a month for a decade and even at just a 2 per cent average over this time, you’ll have built up £1,329.41. Do it for 30 years and you’ll have £4,935.47; manage to save £50 a month for 30 years and you’ll build a £25,000 treasure chest. That’s some rainy-day money, be it for a wedding, a holiday, home improvements, a deposit or your retirement. The secret is compound interest — something Albert Einstein branded the most powerful force in the univer

38 shares 22 View comments The clock is ticking and you have just over six weeks to make the most of your vital annual tax allowances. In a climate of low interest rates and modest returns from many investments, minimising the tax you pay on your savings is even more important. Should scarce money be used for pensions or Isas? What about more adventurous options such as venture capital trusts? Is there scope to reorganise existing savings to reduce  your overall tax burden? And should families be thinking about helping out the next generation through investments such as Junior Isas or through gifting to reduce their inheritance  tax liability? In this special report, we look at your options for  end-of-year financial planning. Going for growth: Sophie Blythe, with Fin, left, and Harriet, puts any spare cash into equity Isas at this time of year OUR SPARE CASH GOES IN AN ISA Sophie and Adrian Blythe have got into the habit of putting any spare cash into Isas at t

9 shares 14 View comments There is no time like the present if you have made a resolution to start saving. But, with interest rates tumbling, savers have to become even smarter if they are to get the most out of their money. Using our guide, first-time savers and those looking to understand how to build up a nest egg with the best return, can navigate the savings minefield, locate the best individual option and ultimately end up richer. Small steps: This Is Money's tips on the best ways to save Save regularly and save often Even if you only have a small amount to save, it is worth getting into the habit of putting aside something every week - or after every time you get paid. Once you get into a good savings routine you will notice that every little bit adds up! It may sound simple, but one of the best savings tricks is to set up a regular direct debit from your current account as soon as you get paid. Not only does this mean you will be putting aside somet