Home insurance can be expensive if you don’t do your research and look in the right place. In the current economic climate it’s more important than ever to make your money go as far as possible and it’s still possible to get some very good deals (companies like Co-Operative Insurance have weathered the storm very well so far).

Home insurance is, however, an extra expense albeit a necessary one. So how do you make sure that you get the best deal that you possibly can?

One thing that you could consider is getting separate buildings and contents insurance policies. Generally speaking the two are sold together under the banner of home insurance and there might some discounts offered accordingly. Nonetheless no two policies are ever quite the same and if you have particularly unique circumstances it might be worth getting separate deals.

The best thing that you can do is to shop around. This means that you will compare a number of different prices and options and go for the one that is best. Different insurance companies will offer different policies and many are aimed towards certain demographics. Many mortgage lenders will recommend insurance companies, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that they will offer the best deal for you.

Comparison websites can be a useful tool but shouldn’t be considered as the be all and end all of the insurance process. Last year the Financial Services Authority declared that some price comparison websites didn’t actually offer the best deal. Still, they do offer quotes from a wide range of companies so you can consider the offer you get through a comparison website as a good marker to try and get under.

Credit repair is not as mysterious as it seems. But you should take the time to understand the process before jumping in. Done right, credit repair can make a world of difference; you can expect major changes in your credit scores within a reasonable amount of time regardless of your starting point. But don’t make the mistake of thinking that the process will be effort free.

If you choose to do it on your own you should plan on investing time and effort in learning the ropes, organizing your effort, and following through with the credit bureaus month after month. Even if you choose to hire a legitimate credit repair service to do the disputing on your behalf, you can expect to be given homework that may include opening new secured credit cards, closing non-beneficial accounts, reducing revolving balances, and managing your debt properly.

The good news is that once your credit repair project is underway you will discover the great satisfaction that comes from getting results from a job well done. But as mentioned, you must do it right; when it comes to credit repair the subtle details can mean the difference between success and failure. Here are a collection of my favorite tips designed to make sure that your hard work pays off.

One of the crucial moments in your credit repair project is at the outset. You must examine your reports and identify all of the issues that could be hurting your credit scores. It is all too easy to skim your reports and pick out only the most obvious problems. This could be a very costly mistake. Take the time to examine your report one line at a time. Plan to look for such potential problems as duplicate accounts, under reported credit limits, questionable collections, and accounts that have been paid in full but still report with a balance.

Do you need less expensive auto insurance? You can get considerable savings with discount auto insurance. Here are some discounts that will lower the cost of your insurance without cutting your coverage:

• Discounts for being a safe driver. If you have had no accidents or moving violations in the last few years, you may be eligible for a safe driver discount. You may also get a discount for taking a defensive driving or accident prevention class. If you qualify for a safe driver discount, but another driver in your household does not, you may need to discuss the possibility of putting them on another policy.

• Safe car discounts. Many insurance companies will give you a significant discount if your car has automatic safety features like anti lock brakes, automatic seatbelts, airbags, and anti theft devices.

• Infrequent driving discounts. The less you drive, the less likely you are to have an accident. If you drive fairly infrequently, adding up to fewer than 5,000 or 7,000 miles per year, you may be eligible for a discount. Driving to work may raise your premium, so if the rate hike is high enough, you may want to consider taking public transportation to work.

• Discounts for taking out multiple policies with the same lender. Bundling your renter’s or homeowner’s insurance with your auto insurance could net you substantial savings. Taking out more than one auto insurance policy with the same agency can also get you a discount on your rates.

• Discounts for club membership. Many clubs and other membership organizations arrange for a discount, often about 3%, with particular agents or agencies. Look through the membership information of all the organizations you belong to to discover whether they have arranged a discount. If not, consider joining AAA. Most agencies offer discount auto insurance for AAA members, and in addition to all the other benefits AAA offers, the annual fee may be less than the money you save at your insurance agency.

• Discounts for loyalty. Many insurance agencies reward customers who stay with them by offering long term policyholder discounts after the customers have been with them for a few years.

Discount auto insurance doesn’t have to mean low coverage auto insurance. You can lower your auto insurance premiums by over 30% if you are a safe driver, drive a safe car, and get all of your insurance policies from the same lender. You can get even lower premiums by getting a membership in AAA and keeping the same insurance company for a few years. As you get quotes for discount auto insurance, make certain the agent signs you up for all the discounts you are eligible for. You may be pleasantly surprised to see how low your premium can be.

The issue of saving is one that has come up time and time again during the current recession, with debt problems and low interest rates discouraging many people from putting anything away. But consumers have been encouraged to save even a small amount if they can, particularly with a view towards retirement.

A study by the Lincoln Financial Group has revealed that 12 million adults in the UK are failing to make pension contributions, with almost half of these saying the need to use spare cash to cover expenses is the main barrier. For a further 23 per cent, outstanding debts are the problem.

However, head of products and marketing at the Lincoln Financial Group Simon O’Connor emphasised the need for investments and for contributions to be made. He explained that although people may be struggling, long-term planning is still required.

“Saving into a pension is still usually the most effective way of generating a retirement income; not only do pensions benefit from tax relief, they also offer a good opportunity for income growth over the long term,” he said.

A similar point was made by Laith Khalaf of Hargreaves Lansdown, who observed that many consumers do not start thinking about
saving for retirement until they are nearing it. He explained that although people often do not put money aside until they are in their 40s or even 50s, the latest contributions should begin is by the age of 30.