http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-financePersonal Finance News | Herald ScotlandenCopyright 2012 Herald & Times Group all rights reservedMon, 28 May 2012 06:10:03 PDTCopyright 2012 Herald & Times Group all rights reservednoPersonal Finance News | Herald Scotlandhttp://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/john-phelps-portfolio.17692326http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/john-phelps-portfolio.17692326We took the opportunity to refresh our investment portfolios with three new selections on Wednesday morning after our existing share tips turned in another sturdy performance.http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/energy-price-fix-deals-a-no-brainer.17665960http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/energy-price-fix-deals-a-no-brainer.17665960The UK Government this week published its plans for reform of the electricity market, but was accused of doing little to lower household bills.http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/financial-product-complaints-on-the-increase.17665958http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/financial-product-complaints-on-the-increase.17665958Watch out, there's a financial product about.http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/tense-wait-for-investors-as-greeks-face-euro-vote-tense-wait-for-investors-as-greeks-face-euro-vote.17http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/tense-wait-for-investors-as-greeks-face-euro-vote-tense-wait-for-investors-as-greeks-face-euro-vote.17FORMER British prime minister Harold Wilson once said "a week is a long time in politics", but for Europe and global investors generally, the next four weeks are going to seem like an eternity.http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/switch-simplified-managing-my-energy-bill.17699364http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/switch-simplified-managing-my-energy-bill.17699364MARGARET Kane, 52, recently switched from ScottishPower to First Utility, one of the smaller energy companies.http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/bid-for-more-transparency-on-funds-will-reduce-costs.17599837http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/bid-for-more-transparency-on-funds-will-reduce-costs.17599837Investors are driving a new transparency in fund management which should see costs coming down and poor-value funds disappearing.http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/claim-tax-bills-wiped-out-by-clever-advice.17599858http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/claim-tax-bills-wiped-out-by-clever-advice.17599858The chancellor may be on the warpath, but business owners can still wipe out their tax bill using clever advice, according to the sponsors of a seminar in Edinburgh this week.http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/lowering-the-property-ladder.17599709http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/lowering-the-property-ladder.17599709The mortgage squeeze is gripping tighter, with banks less willing than ever to help homebuyers who only have small deposits, according to a new survey.http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/john-phelpss-portfolio.17611025http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/john-phelpss-portfolio.17611025We were reluctant sellers of another three of our share tips last week as the stock market fell to fresh 2012 lows on the continuing concerns over the future of the euro.http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/is-it-wise-to-invest-in-a-property-in-europe-now.17622256http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/is-it-wise-to-invest-in-a-property-in-europe-now.17622256As the eurozone crisis goes from bad to worse, UK owners of property on the Continent are putting them up for sale so they can bring their money back to the UK.http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/investors-flock-to-safe-stocks-on-eurozone-and-china-fears.17599849http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/investors-flock-to-safe-stocks-on-eurozone-and-china-fears.17599849Online stockbrokers TD Direct this week reported a 50% increase in trading of its 10 most popular stocks as investors responded to the intensifying crisis in the eurozone.http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/funds-in-need-of-clearer-pricing.17599741http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/funds-in-need-of-clearer-pricing.17599741Actively managed investment funds need transparent, consumer-friendly pricing to survive pressure from low-cost indexed funds and savvy investors, leading fund industry players said in Edinburgh yesterday.http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/uk-savers-miss-out-on-240bn-isa-allowance.2012059332http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/uk-savers-miss-out-on-240bn-isa-allowance.2012059332UK taxpayers missed out on tax-free savings worth a potential £240 billion, official figures show.http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/invest-when-the-going-gets-tough.17546844http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/invest-when-the-going-gets-tough.17546844Is it time to sell shares or buy some more?http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/is-facebook-an-investors-friend-or-foe.17561726http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/is-facebook-an-investors-friend-or-foe.17561726You cannot doubt the success of Facebook.http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/workplace-pensions-targeted-by-advisers-before-commission-ban.17546734http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/workplace-pensions-targeted-by-advisers-before-commission-ban.17546734Workplace pension schemes are the target of increased activity by advisers and providers ahead of the ban on commissions next year.http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/low-interest-hits-rainy-day-funds.17459619http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/low-interest-hits-rainy-day-funds.17459619In the current low-interest, high-inflation environment, it is tempting to conclude that saving is a waste of money and you might as well spend everything you have.http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/cyberpreneur-anyone-can-start-a-business.17451155http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/cyberpreneur-anyone-can-start-a-business.17451155The power of the internet to harness freelance workers from around the globe is creating opportunities for the web-savvy young generation to escape the jobs crisis, says pioneering cyberpreneur Matt Barrie.http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/debt-fears-as-mortgage-costs-climb.17451292http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/debt-fears-as-mortgage-costs-climb.17451292Rising mortgage costs will be "the last straw" for many Scottish homeowners, pushing them into debt problems and into the arms of unscrupulous, fee-charging debt advice services, according to a leading charity.http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/fixed-income-tops-popular-march-investments.17451379http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/fixed-income-tops-popular-march-investments.17451379Investors fought shy of the markets in the first quarter of 2012, with net retail sales down by more than a third compared with the first quarters of 2010 and 2011, and equity funds getting the cold shoulder.http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/one-in-three-employers-is-unaware-of-pension-reform.17451051http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/one-in-three-employers-is-unaware-of-pension-reform.17451051Almost one-third of employers are unaware that they will soon have to enrol employees into a pension, according to a survey published today, while more than two-thirds of employees are in the dark about automatic enrolment.http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/decision-time-in-the-mortgage-game.17425790http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/decision-time-in-the-mortgage-game.17425790Borrowers beware – mortgage rates are on the rise.http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/time-to-make-the-most-of-current-euro-rate.17403298http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/time-to-make-the-most-of-current-euro-rate.17403298The pound this week hit its highest level against the euro since late 2009, which is good news for anyone planning a holiday in Europe in the coming months.http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/investment-funds-found-to-be-seriously-underperforming.17402750http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/investment-funds-found-to-be-seriously-underperforming.17402750THE average investment fund has seriously under-performed its market index over the past 10 years, despite the far higher costs of active funds over trackers, new research has found.http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/comment-its-time-for-a-radical-overhaul-of-pensions.2012046764http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/comment-its-time-for-a-radical-overhaul-of-pensions.2012046764Pensions expert JOHN FINNIGAN says action is needed to ensure that the mass population is able to enjoy a comfortable retirementhttp://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/the-new-kid-on-the-savings-block.17317995http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/the-new-kid-on-the-savings-block.17317995Individual Savings Accounts (Isas) are the financial industry's biggest sell, and the focus is now on attracting customers early in the new tax year.http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/how-to-make-charity-gifts-go-further-without-georges-help.17355789http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/personal-finance/how-to-make-charity-gifts-go-further-without-georges-help.17355789More than 3000 charities have signed up to the Give it Back George campaign, urging the Chancellor to reconsider the controversial tax on wealthy donors that could cost them millions of pounds in lost donations.nonadult