Caroline Poynton

While many of us take pains to choose the right insurance for our homes and vehicles in the UK, there is far more confusion as to what happens when we travel abroad.

These summer months may be a time for holidays accessorised with jugs of Pimms, but a day or two of sunshine can also be enough to turn our thoughts to a life-changing venture. Maybe you've decided you're not going another summer without that conservatory or garden summer house. Whatever your motivation, such purchases/investments often require the support of a loan so that you can spread the cost over time.

Moving home has typically been rated second only to divorce in terms of stress. To ensure that you can put your feet up in your new home as quickly as possible, it's worth thinking about your utilities - including gas, electricity, water, telephone and internet connection - sooner rather than later.

According to the Financial Services Authority (FSA), about 120,000 people may have been wrongly advised to opt out of their S2Ps to invest in alternative private pensions. Concerns over such miss-selling led to 115 compliants by savers in 2005-6.

In a capitalist market seemingly obsessed with profit, the green bandwagon suddenly appears rather ironically overloaded with corporates. Whether it be big brand retailers, such as Tesco, or technology giants, such as BSkyB, business now seems intent on winning the hearts and pockets of the environmentally-conscious consumer.c