Making money online isn't magic. You need to have the knowledge, skills, and product or service that will provide a way for you to build wealth. There are countless online opportunities to from home. Even if you are a beginner, the internet can provide a way for you to from home. However, there is so much information available it is easy to be become confused and overwhelmed by the possibilities. Therefore, it is very important to take the time to research the opportunities available and the skills you need to be a successful online entrepreneur. The two primary ways to from home online is to sell products (either your own or someone else's) or services. If you have skills or products that are in demand and can be marketed online, you still need to be able to attract targeted visitors to your website and convert them to clients. This is far easier said than done. If you want to successfully from home, you will need to prepare for your success. Preparation is necessary for any business success. This means you should do a feasibility study and develop a business plan just as if you were running a bricks and mortar business. A lot of people make good money at home; you can be one of them if you are prepared to do the hard yards of gaining the knowledge and skills you need to succeed. To be truly successful you can multiply your efforts by using other people as subcontractors or sell products, particularly those that are consumed and need to be replaced regularly.
High return options like digital information products are also popular choices to make money.
Digital products, such as eBooks, are not difficult to create and you can make one hundred percent profit from every download. The key to designing a successful information product is to make sure that there is a demand for the information you are offering.
For physical products, the easiest way to get up and running is to join an affiliate program. When you become an affiliate for someone else's business you by earning commission on every product sold from your website or blog. Another advantage of a well structured affiliate program is that you can link to a persuasive sales page that is usually tried and tested. A beneficial affiliate program will offer long term tracking so your referrals take a while to purchase, sales tools and a good commission structure.
When you become an affiliate you partner with another business to from home. The key to affiliate success is to join different affiliate programs that fit with your website theme. However, it is important to research the companies you will be involved with first and choose only those businesses with a successful long term internet presence.
The key to making money at home online is to do the market research first and then lay a solid foundation for your business. Making money online isn't magic. You need to have the knowledge, skills, and product or service that will provide a way for you to build wealth. If you are prepared to put in the time and effort, making sure that you are offering something that is demanded by a particular niche and a way of marketing to them, you too can at home in an internet based business.
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Make Money Online? Get Real!
If you are promoting any affiliate program you should have onepriority. BUILD YOUR BUSINESS! If you aren't building your opt-inlist in your promotions you aren't building your business. Read more...
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Top Up With Affiliate Marketing Ideas
Affiliate marketing ideas is one of the most popular online business ideas. Find out the benefits of making money online with affiliate marketing programs and why it has become so Read more...
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The Top 4 Reasons You Must Consider When Choosing An Affiliate Program
Choosing the right affiliate program is vital for your success in making a successful career of affiliate marketing.Time is precious and you do not want to invest too much of it on programs Read more...
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Make Money Online For Free: Great Free Traffic Building Tools
By David
One thing you will quickly understand when it comes to making money on the Internet is you must have traffic coming to a website. In this article we Read more...
Taxpayers targeted by email scam
<div><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.15.1/17924?ns=guardian&pageName=Money%3A+Taxpayers+targeted+by+email+scam&ch=Money&c3=guardian.co.uk&c4=Scams+%28Money%29%2CIncome+tax%2CTax+%28Money%29%2CConsumer+affairs+%28Money%29%2CMoney%2CEmail+%28Technology%29%2CSpam%2CComputer+security%2CInternet%2CTechnology%2CUK+news&c5=Personal+Finance%2CNot+commercially+useful%2CTechnology+Gadgets%2CCorporate+IT%2CConsumer+Electronics&c6=Harriet+Meyer&c7=2009_01_08&c8=1144154&c9=article&c10=GU&c11=Money&c12=Scams&c13=&c14=&h2=GU%2FMoney%2FScams" width="1" height="1" /></div><p>Taxpayers are being targeted by thousands of fraudulent emails claiming to come from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) as the self-assessment deadline draws closer.</p><p>Small business owners and the self-employed are being sent fake "phishing" emails to try to trick them into handing over their bank or credit card details, claiming they are owed a tax rebate, in what HMRC is describing as "the most sophisticated and prolific scam" it has dealt with.</p><p>Taxpayers who fall for the fraud risk having their financial details sold to organised criminal gangs and the possibility of having money stolen from their bank accounts.</p><p>HMRC said it was receiving around 500 of these emails each day, which had been forwarded by consumers. The messages are being sent out by fraudsters in the run up to the 31 January deadline for self-assessment forms, at a time when many taxpayers will be due a rebate. Taxpayers are also being asked to call a phone line to leave their details. Those who do so will hear a ringing tone, but are being charged up to £6 a minute as they hold for a reply.</p><p>HMRC urged people to be on guard for scam emails trying to gather personal information and bank details, and said consumers should regard with suspicion any email claiming to offer them a tax refund.</p><p>"We only ever contact customers who are due a refund in writing by post," said a spokesman for HMRC. "We never use emails, telephone calls or external companies in these circumstances, and it is very important that anyone receiving it does not reply or provide any personal details whatsoever."</p><p>Since last April HMRC has been forwarded 11,000 fake emails received by taxpayers, but the problem has grown significantly this month. The message typically tells the recipient they are due a tax refund and asks for their details so a refund can be paid. They are sent from false addresses such as refundtax@hmrc.gov.co.uk and TaxRefund@hmrc.gov.uk.</p><p>HMRC has so far had fake websites taken down in Austria, Mexico, the US, Thailand and Japan as it attempts to stamp out the fraud.</p><p>"We are liaising closely with those agencies working to close down and prosecute those behind the scams," said a spokesman. "We have an <a href="http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/security/fraud-attempts.htm" title="">address on our website to which such attempted frauds should be reported</a> - if you are in any doubt about a communication claiming to be from HMRC please contact us."</p><div style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/scamsandfraud">Scams</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/incometax">Income tax</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/tax">Tax</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/consumeraffairs">Consumer affairs</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/email">Email</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/spam">Spam</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/security">Computer security</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/internet">Internet</a></li></ul></div><div class="guRssAdvert"><a href="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/click.ng/richmedia=yes&site=Money&country=usa&spacedesc=rss&system=rss&transactionID=1231413673498010811284729650"><img src="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/image.ng/richmedia=yes&site=Money&country=usa&spacedesc=rss&system=rss&transactionID=1231413673498010811284729650" border="0" /></a></div><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds/1,,1309488,00.html">More Feeds</a><p style="clear:both" />
Before you sell your computer, smash the hard drive, says Which?
<div><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.15.1/69623?ns=guardian&pageName=Technology%3A+Before+you+sell+your+computer%2C+smash+the+hard+drive%2C+says+Which%3F&ch=Technology&c3=guardian.co.uk&c4=Computer+security%2CTechnology%2CeBay+%28Technology%29%2CComputing+%28Technology%29%2CMoney&c5=Personal+Finance%2CCorporate+IT%2CConsumer+Electronics&c6=Charles+Arthur&c7=2009_01_08&c8=1144093&c9=article&c10=GU&c11=Technology&c12=Computer+security&c13=&c14=&h2=GU%2FTechnology%2FComputer+security" width="1" height="1" /></div><p>The only surefire way to stop criminals stealing data from secondhand computers is to destroy the hard drive, a study by Which? Computing magazine has warned.</p><p>Even though people think they have wiped data from machines before they sell them on auction sites or put them onto rubbish tips, the files remain on the hard drives ? and can contain vital information such as bank details and other personal data sufficient for identity theft. They can be recovered using specialist software that is widely available.</p><p>The magazine <a href="http://www.which.co.uk/news/2009/01-jan/smash-up-your-hard-drive-to-avoid-id-theft-166079.jsp">recovered</a> 22,000 "deleted" files from eight computers which it bought from the auction site eBay ? demonstrating that normal deletion is insufficient to remove the data.</p><p>Criminals source used computers in order to find such useful data, the magazine warned. "PCs contain more valuable personal information than ever as people increasingly shop online, use social networking sites and take digital photos," said Sarah Kidner, editor of Which? Computing. "Such information could bring identity thieves a hefty payday."</p><p>One Which? reader, Alexander Skipwith, had to pay £100 to get his hard drive back from a man purporting to be in Latvia: he emailed Skipwith with a personal photo to show that he had access to his hard drive, which contained bank statements and a mortgage application. Skipwith had previously been told that his faulty hard drive would be wiped of personal information when it was replaced by a computer manufacturer.</p><p>The problem was <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2008/aug/26/consumeraffairs.banks">highlighted last August</a> when a computer with bank account numbers, mothers' maiden names and signatures of 1 million American Express, NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland customers that previously belong to Mail Source, a data processing company, was sold on eBay. The account details were discovered by the buyer, an IT manager from Oxford. Two days later police made an arrest in a separate case over <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/story/0,,-7759707,00.html">individuals' details from Charnwood Borough Council</a> sold on a computer on eBay.</p><p>The problem lies in the way that hard drives store information. An index file on the hard drive, written by the computer processor, stores and updates a listing of where on the physical hard drive each file is located. When the user "deletes" a file on their system, the index entry is removed ? but the file itself, with its data, remains. Sophisticated tools are able to find the files themselves and recover that data ? which can be incredibly detailed, <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/aug/14/security.computerforensics">including a user's browsing and email history</a>.</p><p>While that can be useful in situations where there is a hard drive "crash" ? allowing the recovery of some or all files ? it can be disastrous if the drive falls into the wrong hands.</p><p>Dr Andrew Jones, head of computer security at BT Exact, told the Guardian last August that the process bypasses the normal checks on what you can view: "It's like [computer game] The Sims: instead of going through the front door, you take the roof off and you look down on the drive from above." Encrypting the drive during use can offer some protection.</p><p>Which? Computing recommends using a hammer to be absolutely certain of destroying the data. (The US Pentagon recommends shredding them, although this is requires specialist equipment.) But there is also software available online which will overwrite the entire hard drive with 0s. This does have the advantage that the computer will retain some of its value ? while not being quite as valuable to villains.</p><p><strong>HOW TO SECURE YOUR DISK</strong><br /><strong>1</strong> Use encryption. Vista Ultimate has BitLocker; Mac OSX has FileVault. There is also TrueCrypt, which is free and cross-platform.</p><p><strong>2</strong> Use secure erase programs such as blancco; for a list, see <a href="http://www.howtowipeyourdrive.com/">howtowipeyourdrive.com</a>.</p><p><strong>3</strong> When you've finished with your computer, securely wipe it and then reinstall the operating system from scratch. Or remove the hard drive and smash it with a hammer.</p><div style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/security">Computer security</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/ebay">eBay</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/computing">Computing</a></li></ul></div><div class="guRssAdvert"><a href="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/click.ng/richmedia=yes&site=Technology&country=usa&spacedesc=rss&system=rss&transactionID=1231413673529010811284729650"><img src="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/image.ng/richmedia=yes&site=Technology&country=usa&spacedesc=rss&system=rss&transactionID=1231413673529010811284729650" border="0" /></a></div><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds/1,,1309488,00.html">More Feeds</a><p style="clear:both" />
Ed Miliband plays down impact on UK of Russia-Ukraine gas dispute
<div><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.15.1/64902?ns=guardian&pageName=Politics%3A+Ed+Miliband+plays+down+impact+on+UK+of+Russia-Ukraine+gas+dispute&ch=Politics&c3=guardian.co.uk&c4=Ed+Miliband%2CPolitics%2CForeign+policy%2CUK+news%2CBusiness%2COil+and+gas+companies+%28Business%29%2CUtilities+sector+%28Business%29%2CMoney%2CHousehold+bills%2CConsumer+affairs+%28Money%29%2CEnergy+bills%2CWorld+news%2CRussia+%28News%29%2CUkraine+%28News%29&c5=Personal+Finance%2CBusiness+Markets%2CPolicy+Society%2CNot+commercially+useful%2CEnergy%2CEthical+Living&c6=Terry+Macalister%2CAndrew+Sparrow&c7=2009_01_08&c8=1144139&c9=article&c10=GU&c11=Politics&c12=Ed+Miliband&c13=&c14=&h2=GU%2FPolitics%2FEd+Miliband" width="1" height="1" /></div><p>Hopes of big cuts in household energy bills faded yesterday as traders drove up UK prices by exporting gas to fill a growing shortage across Europe.</p><p>Despite freezing temperatures and rising demand in Britain, traders switched from importing to exporting gas through an interconnector pipeline to continental Europe as a growing row between Russia and Ukraine left many countries short of supplies.</p><p>British wholesale prices have leapt in recent days due to the crisis, leading to warnings that UK householders could be denied long-awaited cuts in fuel prices. The price of gas hit 73p a therm ? up 26% in three days.</p><p>Government sources warned UK energy companies not to use the Ukraine crisis as an excuse to delay passing on the benefits of otherwise lower world energy prices. One senior Whitehall figure said: "We would expect the energy companies to be responsible and not use this dispute as an excuse to hold off on the price reductions they have talked about which customers are expecting in the spring."</p><p>British Gas and others indicated late last year they would cut domestic gas bills early this year amid growing anger from consumers, but made clear this would only happen if there was a sustained fall in the price of wholesale power.</p><p>Hopes of that fall in domestic gas bills are now dwindling, said energy consultants Inenco, who count Marks & Spencer and John Lewis among their customers.</p><p>"We are not experiencing supply shortfalls in the UK but the markets are already responding [with higher prices]. With future dependence on imported gas, Britain needs to make energy security a key priority or risk being held to ransom," said Ian Parrett of Inenco.</p><p>In an interview on BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning, Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, said it was important for the crisis between Russia and the Ukraine to be resolved "as quickly as possible", but he played down the impact it was having on British consumers.</p><p>"The point I would make is that a small proportion of gas is going through the interconnector to continental Europe because prices have gone up, but in terms of the companies that have ownership in Britain, they have legal obligations that will have to be met, and are being met, to supply UK customers," he said.</p><p>"So I don't think people should be alarmed about this dispute for whether they are going to be able to use their gas in the months ahead."</p><p>But the crisis will reignite concerns that the UK has left itself open to exploitation by foreign companies who came in and bought up major UK utilities, leaving British Gas as one of the few locally owned entities. EDF of France and E.ON and RWE of Germany are among the continental groups that dominate the sector.</p><p>There was particular concern that the huge foreign-owned utilities that dominate power supply in the UK are putting their continental customers ahead of UK energy users, although they denied this.</p><p>These companies ? some of which have part-government ownership ? have used a free market to buy British assets in a way that is considered unlikely to occur on mainland Europe. They are also able to use the more liberalised gas market to fill up their storage facilities during the summer and autumn.</p><p>"Even in winter, if they can get hold of UK gas via the interconnector they will use that instead of dipping into their storage facilities. By contrast, UK players can't access gas from the European market as there is no liquid market to buy from ... Also there is no third party access to European gas storage facilities, again in contrast to the UK," said one frustrated British gas trader.</p><p>E.ON, which has nearly 3 million gas customers in Britain and is a part-owner of the interconnector pipeline, confirmed that the fixed link had turned from being a net importer to net exporter of gas, because of shortages throughout parts of continental Europe.</p><p>The company admitted its gas traders might themselves be exporting gas from the UK but this was not at the expense of the UK consumer or unexpected. "It's a fairly normal time in the UK ... Southern Germany has got a problem and is being largely supplied by northern Germany, but it's certainly possible our traders [are exporting from Britain]. They are always looking for opportunities. But it is only if the situation goes completely pear-shaped that France and Germany will come looking for Norwegian gas in Britain," said a spokesman for E.ON UK.</p><p>The National Grid, which operates the gas and electricity transmission network in Britain, confirmed that 10m cubic metres of gas a day were moving though the interconnector between the UK and Belgium. But he said that this was more than made up for by imports from the continent via the BBL pipeline and Norwegian energy arriving through the Langeled link.</p><p>Mounting concerns about Britain's energy security came after Russia finally halted all shipments to Ukraine, accusing its neighbour of holding up all transit gas bound for continental Europe.</p><p>The European commission described the behaviour of Russia and Ukraine as "completely unacceptable", while the problems rekindled a long-running debate in the UK about the vulnerability of the country now that North Sea gas and oil supplies are running out fast.</p><p>John Cridland, the deputy director-general of the CBI, said that the disruption underlined the importance of the British government taking urgent action on a wider UK energy agenda.</p><p>"Ministers now need to agree an early deadline for publishing national planning statements for nuclear power, gas storage and offshore wind and tidal power as a matter of urgency so the UK can move towards achieving much greater energy security and reducing our dependence on imported gas," he said.</p><p>And David Porter, the chief executive of the Association of Electricity Producers, said it underlined the need for new coal-fired stations to keep the lights on. "New coal-fired stations can be built much sooner than new nuclear and they can help us to avoid power shortages as our ageing power stations close in the next few years," he said.</p><p>In his interview this morning, Miliband said that Britain only got 2% of its gas from Russia. "We have got a diverse range of sources where our gas comes from, which is the most important thing this dispute teaches us for all countries," he said.</p><p>Miliband said that, although the majority of Britain's gas still came from the North Sea, Britain also had long-term supply contracts with countries such as Norway (which now supplies about 20% of Britain's gas), and some storage capacity.</p><p>He acknowledged that more storage capacity would be needed in the future. But he said there were 18 different projects due to be built between now and 2020. "I feel confident that we are making the right decisions," he said.</p><div style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/edmiliband">Ed Miliband</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/foreignpolicy">Foreign policy</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/oilandgascompanies">Oil and gas companies</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/utilities">Utilities</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/householdbills">Household bills</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/consumeraffairs">Consumer affairs</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/energy">Energy bills</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/russia">Russia</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/ukraine">Ukraine</a></li></ul></div><div class="guRssAdvert"><a href="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/click.ng/richmedia=yes&site=Politics&country=usa&spacedesc=rss&system=rss&transactionID=1231413673569010811284729650"><img src="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/image.ng/richmedia=yes&site=Politics&country=usa&spacedesc=rss&system=rss&transactionID=1231413673569010811284729650" border="0" /></a></div><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds/1,,1309488,00.html">More Feeds</a><p style="clear:both" />
Bank of England expected to cut interest rates to 1.5% or less
<div><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.15.1/83885?ns=guardian&pageName=Business%3A+Bank+of+England+expected+to+cut+interest+rates+to+1.5%25+or+less&ch=Business&c3=guardian.co.uk&c4=Interest+rates+%28Business%29%2CBank+of+England+%28Business%29%2CBusiness%2CInterest+rates+%28Money%29%2CMoney&c5=Personal+Finance%2CCredit+Crunch%2CBusiness+Markets%2CProperty+Mortgages+and+Interest+Rates&c6=Julia+Kollewe&c7=2009_01_08&c8=1143989&c9=article&c10=GU&c11=Business&c12=Interest+rates&c13=&c14=&h2=GU%2FBusiness%2FInterest+rates" width="1" height="1" /></div><p></p><p></p><p>The Bank of England's <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/interactive/2008/jul/22/monetarypolicy" title="">monetary policy committee</a> is expected to chop at least half a percentage point off interest rates today, which would take borrowing costs to their <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/interactive/2008/nov/05/interest-rates-history" title="">lowest in more than 300 years</a>.</p><p></p><p>Having voted unanimously for three consecutive cuts in October, November and December, which took rates from 5% to 2%, the MPC is widely expected to lower them again at the end of its monthly meeting at noon today. One-in-two economists expect a half-point cut while nearly one-in-three predict a full-point reduction, according to a Market News International poll of 40 analysts conducted this week.</p><p></p><p>Any reduction would take rates to the lowest since the Bank was founded in 1694 and move Threadneedle Street closer to the point where radical action such as <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/dec/18/useconomy-economics" title="">quantitative easing</a> - pumping money into the economy in a bid to get people and businesses spending again - becomes the only option to prevent deflation.</p><p></p><p>The Treasury denied reports today that it was about to inject more money into the economy, although it did not rule out such a move in the future.</p><p></p><p>The <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/dec/23/bank-england-recession" title="">Bank's deputy governor Sir John Gieve has admitted</a> that the central bank previously severely underestimated the severity of the economic slump, and the bad news keeps coming.</p><p></p><p>Unemployment has shot up, the economic slump has spread from manufacturing and construction to services, and the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/dec/29/high-street-retailers-administration" title="">number of business failures on the high street is growing by the day</a>, including well-known names like Woolworths. Car sales have dived and house prices have fallen 20% from their peak.</p><p></p><p>The chancellor, Alistair Darling, admitted yesterday that the UK recession is deeper than the government had expected.</p><p></p><p>If interest rates are cut further, <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2009/jan/08/mortgages-housing-interest-rates-cuts" title="">lenders may soon have to cope with zero interest rates</a>. If the Bank reduces rates by a full percentage point to just 1% today, people with mortgages that track a point below base rate will find themselves paying no interest.</p><p></p><p>The minutes of last month's meeting revealed that while the MPC voted unanimously for a reduction of a full percentage point, it considered the case for a larger reduction.</p><p></p><p>The committee may struggle to preserve its unity this time as some members are known to be very concerned about the economic outlook and may push for a bigger reduction than the rest.</p><p></p><p>David Blanchflower has repeatedly highlighted the bleak outlook for the labour market. <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/dec/17/unemployment-rates-recession-david-blanchflower" title="">In a Royal Economic Society paper</a>, the labour market expert said he expected unemployment to keep going up this year and into 2010, probably rising over 3 million.</p><p></p><p>"Where is the light at the end of the tunnel? I can't see any," he said.</p><div style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/interestrates">Interest rates</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/bankofenglandgovernor">Bank of England</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/interestrates">Interest rates</a></li></ul></div><div class="guRssAdvert"><a href="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/click.ng/richmedia=yes&site=Business&country=usa&spacedesc=rss&system=rss&transactionID=1231413673596010811284729650"><img src="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/image.ng/richmedia=yes&site=Business&country=usa&spacedesc=rss&system=rss&transactionID=1231413673596010811284729650" border="0" /></a></div><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds/1,,1309488,00.html">More Feeds</a><p style="clear:both" />
Sandra Kerr: There is still a colour bar to jobs in the UK
Sandra Kerr: Without publicly monitoring the proportion of ethnic minorities in our workforce, we won't tackle the problem of racism
Interest rate change: How would it affect you?
<div><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.15.1/28803?ns=guardian&pageName=Money%3A+Q%26amp%3BA%3A+A+rate+cut+and+you&ch=Money&c3=guardian.co.uk&c4=Interest+rates+%28Money%29%2CMoney%2CMortgages+%28Money%29%2CSavings+%28Money%29%2CBanks+and+building+societies%2CInterest+rates+%28Business%29%2CBusiness%2CUK+news&c5=Personal+Finance%2CInvestments%2CNot+commercially+useful%2CBusiness+Markets%2CProperty+Mortgages+and+Interest+Rates&c6=Sandra+Haurant&c7=2009_01_08&c8=1143757&c9=article&c10=GU&c11=Money&c12=Interest+rates&c13=&c14=&h2=GU%2FMoney%2FInterest+rates" width="1" height="1" /></div><p>At 2% the Bank of England base rate is already at its lowest since 1951 following a series of swingeing cuts, and if a widely anticipated cut materialises today, it will reach a low not seen in the bank's 315-year history. Some experts are predicting a cut of 0.5%, some expect rates to fall as low as 1%. But if commentators have it right, it will not be a case of if but by how much the Bank of England will slash interest rates.</p><p>A big cut should make life easier for mortgage borrowers, at least in theory. Ray Boulger, senior technical manager at mortgage broker John Charcol, says: "The sooner they [interest rates] get down to whatever level they need to get to, the better." However, the UK's savers could be left feeling rather despondent as interest paid on their cash plummets.</p><h2>I have a tracker mortgage - will my repayments fall?</h2><p><strong></p><p></strong></p><p>"Many borrowers on tracker rates are likely to benefit from a reduction in Bank rate," says the Council of Mortgage Lenders. "However, as the Bank rate is already very low, some trackers will be reaching their floors."</p><p>These floors ? or collars as they are usually referred to ? are in the terms and conditions of some tracker mortgages and <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2009/jan/07/tracker-mortgage-collar" title="">set a lower limit on a borrower's pay rate</a>. For some borrowers, such as those with Norwich & Peterborough where the collar is 3%, rates have already gone as low as they will get.</p><p>Nationwide has a collar of 2.75% on mortgages taken out before 1 December last year. It waived it last month and reduced the rates paid by tracker customers in line with the base rate cut, but it has said it will not pass on further cuts. For customers with loans taken out since 1 December 2008 the collar is set at 1%.</p><p>Most other lenders do not include a collar in their terms and conditions, which mean rates will carry on going down as long as the base rate falls, even if it reaches 0%.</p><h2>What if my loan is linked to my lender's standard variable rate?</h2><p><strong></p><p></strong></p><p>While lenders can usually choose whether or not to pass on cuts in SVRs, in this instance some will have to do so. This is because some lenders' terms and conditions state that the difference between their SVR and the base rate cannot exceed a certain level.</p><p>For example, under Nationwide's SVR terms and conditions the difference between the base rate and the SVR cannot exceed 2%. And since the SVR is now at 4%, and the base rate 2%, the lender will have to pass on any cut tomorrow in full. This means that, unusually, SVR customers will benefit from a cut in rates tomorrow while tracker customers will not.</p><p>Cheltenham & Gloucester and Lloyds TSB, too, will pass on any cut with effect from 1 February. If the base rate is cut by half a percentage point, Lloyds TSB and C&G variable rate customers will make a saving of £40.82. If rates are cut by a full point, the monthly saving will be £80.44.</p><p>Other lenders are not contractually obliged to pass on the cut.</p><h2>I have a fixed-rate mortgage ? will my repayments change?</h2><p><strong></p><p></strong></p><p>For around half of borrowers the base rate change will have no impact because they are on fixed-rate mortgages.</p><p>For new customers looking for a fixed-rate loan, the future is uncertain. Some lenders have announced lower rates, but these often come hand in hand with the need for a big deposit. Britannia building society has announced a range of two-year fixed rate deals with rates with an arrangement fee of £549, starting at 4.74%, but you would need a 40% deposit to qualify, and with a minimum 15% deposit you could pay 5.74%.</p><p>Alliance & Leicester has also launched new fixed-rate deals, including one at 3.49%, although this comes with a 2% fee and is only available if you have a 40% deposit.</p><h2>I am a saver - should I expect bad news?</h2><p><strong></p><p></strong></p><p>Times are already tough for savers who are watching <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2009/jan/05/savings-tax" title="">pitifully low interest rates</a> allow inflation to nibble away at their nest eggs, and a further cut will not help matters. A number of savings providers pulled their fixed-rate accounts or dropped the rates on variable accounts, and cuts are still filtering through even from December's cut.</p><p>This week Anglo Irish announced it was cutting rates on its five-year fixed-rate bond by 0.5% to 4%, while the rate on its one-year bond has dropped from 5% to 4.6%. Nationwide cut savings rates by an average 0.87%, although many saw much greater drops than that.</p><p>The days of headline-grabbing savings accounts are all but gone, and those that do pop up come with strings attached. Abbey has launched an account for monthly savings with a headline rate of 7%, fixed for 12 months, but this rate only applies if you take out a regular investment, pension or personal protection plan with the bank, and only if you make no withdrawals for 12 months. The rate drops to 4.59% if you make one withdrawal.</p><div style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/interestrates">Interest rates</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/mortgages">Mortgages</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/savings">Savings</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/banks">Banks and building societies</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/interestrates">Interest rates</a></li></ul></div><div class="guRssAdvert"><a href="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/click.ng/richmedia=yes&site=Money&country=usa&spacedesc=rss&system=rss&transactionID=1231413673664010811284729650"><img src="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/image.ng/richmedia=yes&site=Money&country=usa&spacedesc=rss&system=rss&transactionID=1231413673664010811284729650" border="0" /></a></div><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds/1,,1309488,00.html">More Feeds</a><p style="clear:both" />
Premium bonds reveal 600,000 fewer winners
<div><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.15.1/6790?ns=guardian&pageName=Money%3A+Premium+bonds+reveal+600%2C000+fewer+winners&ch=Money&c3=guardian.co.uk&c4=Savings+%28Money%29%2CMoney%2CBusiness%2CConsumer+affairs+%28Money%29&c5=Personal+Finance%2CBusiness+Markets&c6=Stephen+Bates&c7=2009_01_08&c8=1143951&c9=article&c10=GU&c11=Money&c12=Savings&c13=&c14=&h2=GU%2FMoney%2FSavings" width="1" height="1" /></div><p><strong></strong>The chance of winning prize money with premium bonds has plummeted in the last year, following cuts in the Bank of England's base rate, figures revealed last night.</p><p>The prize fund has been halved from £114m a year ago to £57m for the 20 million people who own the tax-free, but non-interest paying bonds, and over the past year the total number of winners has dropped 600,000 to 1.1million. The amount in the prizefund is based on the equivalent of a month's interest on the value of the bonds invested, and the Bank's base rate has been cut three times, from 5% to 2%, since the start of October. Monthly prizes range from £50 to £1m. Starkly, whereas last January 531 people won prizes of more than £1,000, last month only 26 did. A year ago 29 people won £50,000 prizes and 14 won £100,000, but this month there will be only one award for each amount, as well as two £1m prizes. Those with £1,000 in bonds this time last year had a 43% chance of winning, now reduced to 28%.</p><p>Angela Mason, spokeswoman for National Savings and Investments which runs the scheme, said: "The rate of return on premium bonds, as with other savings products, is influenced by economic circumstances. Given the historically low levels base rate has now reached, we are looking closely at all the options available to us so that we can make the right decision for all premium bond holders.</p><p>"People invest in premium bonds for different reasons. This may be for the chance and excitement of winning large prizes, or many regular tax free prizes or because premium bonds are simple to manage and can offer easy access to their investment."</p><div style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/savings">Savings</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/consumeraffairs">Consumer affairs</a></li></ul></div><div class="guRssAdvert"><a href="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/click.ng/richmedia=yes&site=Money&country=usa&spacedesc=rss&system=rss&transactionID=1231413673688010811284729650"><img src="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/image.ng/richmedia=yes&site=Money&country=usa&spacedesc=rss&system=rss&transactionID=1231413673688" border="0" /></a></div><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds/1,,1309488,00.html">More Feeds</a><p style="clear:both" />
Record levels of unpaid overtime saves employers £26.9bn, says TUC
<div><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.15.1/71796?ns=guardian&pageName=Society%3A+Record+levels+of+unpaid+overtime&ch=Society&c3=guardian.co.uk&c4=Society%2CUK+news%2CUnions+%28UK%29%2CWork-life+balance%2CWork+and+careers%2CMoney&c5=Society+Weekly%2CPersonal+Finance%2CNot+commercially+useful%2CFamily+and+Relationships&c6=John+Carvel&c7=2009_01_08&c8=1143772&c9=article&c10=GU&c11=Society&c12=Trade+unions&c13=&c14=&h2=GU%2FSociety%2FTrade+unions" width="1" height="1" /></div><p>Employers had benefited from record levels of unpaid overtime provided by their workers last year in a further extension of the long-hours culture that has characterised the British workplace, the TUC said today.</p><p>More than five million people gave free overtime worth £26.9bn by staying at work longer than their contracted hours ? the highest number since records began in 1992.</p><p>The TUC, whose figures were based on analysis of official statistics, said the previous record was in 2001, when five million employees worked unpaid overtime.</p><p>The statistics measured hours worked in the 12 months to mid-2008, before the economic recession took hold. Officials said unpaid overtime was likely to increase this year among workers who were feeling increasingly insecure about keeping their jobs. But the trend will not apply in companies that are facing contracting order books and have had to impose a shorter working we on staff.</p><p>The TUC said the average amount of unpaid overtime last year was seven hours and six minutes a week, or an extra £5,139 a year to workers if they had been properly remunerated.</p><p>The biggest increases in unpaid overtime were in London, the East Midlands and Eastern England.</p><p>TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: "After years of progress, the numbers doing unpaid overtime has increased for the second year in a row. This is disappointing.</p><p>"But while some of this is due to the long-hours culture that still dogs too many British workplaces, the recession will now be making many people scared of losing their job in the year ahead and joining the ever-growing dole queue. Inevitably, people will be putting in extra hours if they think it can help protect against redundancy or keep their employer in business."</p><p>The TUC calculated that if those who worked extra hours for free put all their overtime together at the start of the year, they would not get paid until 27 February.</p><div style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/tradeunions">Trade unions</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/worklifebalance">Work-life balance</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/workandcareers">Work & careers</a></li></ul></div><div class="guRssAdvert"><a href="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/click.ng/richmedia=yes&site=Society&country=usa&spacedesc=rss&system=rss&transactionID=1231413673722010811284729650"><img src="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/image.ng/richmedia=yes&site=Society&country=usa&spacedesc=rss&system=rss&transactionID=1231413673722010811284729650" border="0" /></a></div><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds/1,,1309488,00.html">More Feeds</a><p style="clear:both" />
Abusive behaviour against public sector staff is on the rise
<div><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.15.1/79353?ns=guardian&pageName=Society%3A+An+unacceptable+occupational+hazard&ch=Society&c3=guardian.co.uk&c4=Public+sector+careers+%28Society%29%2CNHS+%28Society%29%2CEmergency+services+%28Society%29%2CSocial+care+%28Society%29%2CSociety%2CWork+and+careers%2CUK+news%2CMoney&c5=Society+Weekly%2CPersonal+Finance%2CNot+commercially+useful%2CPolicy+Society%2CHealth+Society&c6=Anna+Bawden&c7=2009_01_08&c8=1143708&c9=article&c10=GU&c11=Society&c12=Public+sector+careers&c13=&c14=&h2=GU%2FSociety%2FPublic+sector+careers" width="1" height="1" /></div><p>Many public sector workers will be relieved the festive season is over ? far from being a time of goodwill to all, for those working in the NHS, the police and social services, it is a time of heightened danger of assault by inebriated clients or members of the public.</p><p>As drunkenness increases during the Christmas and New Year celebrations, so too does the risk of violence against public workers. According to the British Crime Survey, victims believe that in 40% of assaults and 31% of threats at work, the attack was alcohol-fuelled.</p><p>But December is not the only dangerous time. In fact, violence is an occupational hazard for large swaths of the public sector. According to figures from the Health and Safety Executive, public sector workers are the most likely to be victims of serious violence. As the graph shows, six out of the 10 sectors with the highest rates of violence were in the public sector.</p><p>Of the more than 6,000 incidents reported to the HSE, almost 1,468 were against care assistants and home carers, 731 were against police officers, 627 were against nurses and 467 were against prison officers (see chart). Proportionally, staff in the Prison Service, the police and the NHS are in most danger (bus and coach drivers are also at risk but are mainly private sector employees).</p><p>The HSE's figures are based on incidents reported through the regulations on reporting injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences, so they only include cases where the victim needed at least three days off work. The data does not capture minor assaults and many cases are not reported. The frequency of violence is actually much, much higher.</p><p>The Prison Service's own figures show that for the year to April 2008, 12,773 staff were assaulted, while the latest data from the NHS Security Management Service (SMS) reveals that there were 55,993 reported assaults against NHS staff. Recent research by Incomes Data Services for public sector union Unison found 71.5% of custody staff had been threatened with physical violence, more than 60% had been victims of minor assault and one fifth had been so badly attacked as to need medical treatment. Police community support officers, forensic services, traffic wardens, police station receptionists and security staff are also at particular risk of assault.</p><p>In local government, social workers, residential care assistants, library staff and day care workers are most likely to have experienced threatening or violent behaviour. Data from 2005 surveys found 3% of respondents reported having been victims of violence requiring medical assistance or first aid, while 14% said they had been physically threatened.</p><p>Tough measures</p><p>While some public sector professions do involve an element of risk, unions and other commentators feel much more could be done to mitigate the danger to staff and pose the question of why public employers have made so little headway in tackling the problem.</p><p>Dave Prentis, the general secretary of Unison, says: "It's disgraceful that violence against nurses, paramedics, social workers and other public sector workers is on the increase and we need tough measures to deal with it. No one should have to put up with violence and abuse just for doing their job."</p><p>Part of the problem is the perception by some staff that their employers do not take violence seriously enough. Around a third of victims of workplace violence or abuse do not report it. While in some cases, the individual may feel the incident was too trivial, 14% said they did not believe management would have done anything even if they had reported it.</p><p>The public sector also has a patchy record in terms of monitoring the extent of the problem. While the NHS collates data centrally, there are no comparable figures for local government or the civil service. "If we are going to stop the violence we must have accurate, up-to-date information about the number, nature and where these attacks are happening," says Prentis. "A national database is a vital first step towards knowing the extent of the problem and how to better protect the workforce."</p><p>Preventative action is also piecemeal. The exception is the NHS. Following concern that hospital staff were being subjected to excessive danger, the Department of Health established the NHS SMS five years ago. As well as monitoring and collating data, it also promotes conflict resolution training, which is mandatory for all frontline staff in the NHS. Around 90% of trusts now have a dedicated local security management specialist who is on the frontline to deal with issues as they arise. The SMS provides them with support and guidance.</p><p>Taking action</p><p>Next year, the health department is paying for 30,000 personal alarms to be issued to frontline staff in trusts. Although that is just a drop in the ocean, given that there are 750,000 frontline workers in the NHS, it is better than nothing.</p><p>The NHS is also getting tougher with those who attack staff. Criminal sanctions have risen from 51 in 2003-04 to almost 1,000 in the past year and a total of nearly 3,500 since the SMS started work. It has brought 29 private prosecutions against individuals who have assaulted NHS staff, where the police haven't taken the matter further. "If the police won't take action we will consider bringing a private prosecution with the health body. It is important to send out a message that we won't tolerate violence," says Richard Hampton, head of security at the SMS.</p><p>"Clearly it is unacceptable that any public sector worker should face abuse or violence while they are doing their job. It is important that where at all possible, incidents are prevented rather than relying on action after the event. The responsibility lies with both employers and staff to ensure that risks are identified, action agreed and importantly taken to ensure that staff can carry out their duties free from fear of abuse."</p><p>Ultimately, while prevention is always the best option, there may be a case for giving all public employees the same legal protection as police officers by making it an offence to assault a public sector worker.</p><p>? This article appears in January's edition of <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/public" title="">Public</a> magazine</p><div style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/publicsectorcareers">Public sector careers</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/nhs">NHS</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/emergency-services">Emergency services</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/socialcare">Social care</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/workandcareers">Work & careers</a></li></ul></div><div class="guRssAdvert"><a href="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/click.ng/richmedia=yes&site=Society&country=usa&spacedesc=rss&system=rss&transactionID=1231413673764010811284729650"><img src="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/image.ng/richmedia=yes&site=Society&country=usa&spacedesc=rss&system=rss&transactionID=1231413673764010811284729650" border="0" /></a></div><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds/1,,1309488,00.html">More Feeds</a><p style="clear:both" />
Russian gas crisis to keep bills high as firms divert UK stocks
<div><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.15.1/21900?ns=guardian&pageName=Business%3A+Russian+gas+crisis+to+keep+bills+high+as+firms+divert+UK+stocks&ch=Business&c3=The+Guardian&c4=Oil+and+gas+companies+%28Business%29%2CHousehold+bills%2CUtilities+sector+%28Business%29%2CWorld+news%2CConsumer+affairs+%28Money%29%2CRussia+%28News%29%2CUkraine+%28News%29%2CBusiness%2CMoney%2CEnergy+bills&c5=Personal+Finance%2CNot+commercially+useful%2CBusiness+Markets%2CEnergy%2CEthical+Living&c6=Terry+Macalister&c7=2009_01_08&c8=1143919&c9=article&c10=GU&c11=Business&c12=Oil+and+gas+companies&c13=&c14=&h2=GU%2FBusiness%2FOil+and+gas+companies" width="1" height="1" /></div><p>Hopes of big cuts in household energy bills faded yesterday as traders drove up UK prices by exporting gas to fill a growing shortage across Europe.</p><p>Despite freezing temperatures and rising demand in Britain, traders switched from importing to exporting gas through an interconnector pipeline to continental Europe as a growing row between Russia and Ukraine left many countries short of supplies.</p><p>British wholesale prices have leapt in recent days due to the crisis, leading to warnings that UK householders could be denied long-awaited cuts in fuel prices. The price of gas hit 73p a therm - up 26% in three days.<br /><br />Government sources warned UK energy companies not to use the Ukraine crisis as an excuse to delay passing on the benefits of otherwise lower world energy prices. One senior Whitehall figure said: "We would expect the energy companies to be responsible and not use this dispute as an excuse to hold off on the price reductions they have talked about which customers are expecting in the spring."</p><p>British Gas and others indicated late last year they would cut domestic gas bills early this year amid growing anger from consumers, but made clear this would only happen if there was a sustained fall in the price of wholesale power.</p><p>Hopes of that fall in domestic gas bills are now dwindling, said energy consultants, Inenco, which counts M&S and John Lewis among its customers.</p><p>"We are not experiencing supply shortfalls in the UK but the markets are already responding [with higher prices]. With future dependence on imported gas, Britain needs to make energy security a key priority or risk being held to ransom," said Ian Parrett of Inenco.</p><p>The crisis will reignite concerns that the UK has left itself open to exploitation by foreign companies who came in and bought up major UK utilities leaving British Gas as one of the few locally owned entities. EDF of France and E.ON and RWE of Germany are among the continental groups that dominate the sector.</p><p>There was particular concern that the huge foreign-owned utilities that dominate power supply in the UK are putting their continental customers ahead of UK energy users, although they denied this.</p><p>These companies - some of which have part-government ownership - have used a free market to buy British assets in a way that is considered unlikely to occur on mainland Europe. They are also able to use the more liberalised gas market to fill up their storage facilities during the summer and autumn.</p><p>"Even in winter, if they can get hold of UK gas via the interconnector they will use that instead of dipping into their storage facilities. By contrast, UK players can't access gas from the European market as there is no liquid market to buy from ... also there is no third party access to European gas storage facilities, again in contrast to the UK," said one frustrated British gas trader.</p><p>E.ON, which has nearly 3 million gas customers in Britain and is a part-owner of the interconnector pipeline, confirmed that the fixed link had turned from being a net importer to net exporter of gas, because of shortages throughout parts of continental Europe.</p><p>The company admitted its gas traders might themselves be exporting gas from the UK but this was not at the expense of the UK consumer or unexpected. "It's a fairly normal time in the UK ... southern Germany has got a problem and is being largely supplied by northern Germany but it's certainly possible our traders [are exporting from Britain]. They are always looking for opportunities. But it is only if the situation goes completely pear-shaped that France and Germany will come looking for Norwegian gas in Britain," said a spokesman for E.ON UK.</p><p>The National Grid, which operates the gas and electricity transmission network in Britain confirmed that 10m cubic metres of gas a day was moving though the interconnector between the UK and Belgium. But he said this was more than made up for by imports from the continent via the BBL pipeline and Norwegian energy arriving through the Langeled link.</p><p>Mounting concerns about Britain's energy security came after Russia finally halted all shipments to Ukraine, accusing its neighbour of holding up all transit gas bound for continental Europe.</p><p>The European commission described the behaviour of Russia and Ukraine as "completely unacceptable" while the problems rekindled a long-running debate in the UK about the vulnerability of the country now that North Sea gas and oil supplies are running down fast.</p><p>John Cridland, deputy director-general of the CBI, said the disruption underlined the importance of the British government taking urgent action on a wider UK energy agenda.</p><p>"Ministers now need to agree an early deadline for publishing national planning statements for nuclear power, gas storage and offshore wind and tidal power as a matter of urgency so the UK can move towards achieving much greater energy security and reducing our dependence on imported gas," he said.</p><p>And David Porter, chief executive of the Association of Electricity Producers, said it underlined the need for new coal-fired stations to keep the lights on. "New coal-fired stations can be built much sooner than new nuclear and they can help us to avoid power shortages as our ageing power stations close in the next few years," he said.</p><div style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/oilandgascompanies">Oil and gas companies</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/householdbills">Household bills</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/utilities">Utilities</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/consumeraffairs">Consumer affairs</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/russia">Russia</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/ukraine">Ukraine</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/energy">Energy bills</a></li></ul></div><div class="guRssAdvert"><a href="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/click.ng/richmedia=yes&site=Business&country=usa&spacedesc=rss&system=rss&transactionID=1231413673798010811284729650"><img src="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/image.ng/richmedia=yes&site=Business&country=usa&spacedesc=rss&system=rss&transactionID=1231413673798010811284729650" border="0" /></a></div><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds/1,,1309488,00.html">More Feeds</a><p style="clear:both" />
Charity accounts chief stole nearly £300,000
<div><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.15.1/79332?ns=guardian&pageName=Money%3A+Charity+accounts+chief+stole+nearly+%26pound%3B300%2C000&ch=Money&c3=The+Guardian&c4=Scams+%28Money%29%2CMoney%2CVoluntary+sector+%28Society%29%2CSociety%2CUK+news%2CCharitable+giving+%28Money%29&c5=Society+Weekly%2CPersonal+Finance%2CNot+commercially+useful%2CSocial+Care+Society%2CCharities&c6=Steven+Morris&c7=2009_01_08&c8=1143908&c9=article&c10=GU&c11=Money&c12=Scams&c13=&c14=&h2=GU%2FMoney%2FScams" width="1" height="1" /></div><p>A finance manager swindled nearly £300,000 from the charity that employed him and spent it on fast cars, a motorbike, flying lessons and on renting an apartment in a millionaire's playground, it emerged yesterday. John Cunningham siphoned off up to £4,000 a week from Dorset Scope, which works with people with cerebral palsy, by using blank cheques signed by colleagues that he paid into his personal bank account. </p><p>Cunningham is serving a jail sentence after admitting stealing £150,000 from the Poole-based charity. But at a confiscation hearing at Bournemouth crown court it emerged that he had actually made £290,000 out of the swindle. The hearing was told he had only managed to pay back £49,362, by selling his share of his former marital home and his luxury cars. </p><p>Judge John Dixon ordered that the sum be paid to Dorset Scope as compensation and ruled that Cunningham, 35, must return to court if he comes into any more money.</p><p>Paul Barnard, the chief executive of the charity, said: "The loss of the money has slowed down the charity's programme of providing accommodation for adults with learning disabilities. If it is repaid in full we would use the funds to help adults with profound physical and learning disabilities, or to provide respite places for similarly affected children. We trust that Mr Cunningham will make every effort to pay a lot more of his unlawful gains."</p><p>Cunningham became finance manager at Dorset Scope in October 2003 and within six months began using blank cheques that had been pre-signed by colleagues to pay into his bank. He started off by stealing £1,000 a month, but was soon pocketing up to £4,000 a month. </p><p>Cunningham, who had lived in a modest flat near Wimborne, Dorset, used the money to rent and furnish a two-bedroom flat with sea views in the exclusive area of Sandbanks in Poole. </p><p>He left his wife for a younger work colleague and splashed out £28,000 on a Lotus Elise convertible, a Lexus saloon and a BMW. He also bought a Mitsubishi pick-up truck, a Harley Davidson Fat Boy motorbike and flying lessons. He did not need to touch his own salary, and if anyone questioned his new wealth Cunningham claimed he had business interests abroad. He hid his scam by producing fake invoices. </p><p>Elaine Jones, prosecuting, had previously told Bournemouth crown court that his conscience got the better of him in January 2007. He sat outside a police station all night before plucking up courage to go in. She said: "The defendant surrendered to police. In interview he admitted he had stolen from the charity on a regular basis. The defendant told police that during this time he had matrimonial problems, which had led to an increase in living expenses. He admitted some of the money was used to purchase cars and motorbikes."</p><p>Cunningham, a father of two, was jailed for two years and nine months in March last year. Sentencing him, Judge John Beashel said: "People trusted you and you betrayed such trust."</p><p>Outside the court Detective Constable Michael Garrett, of Dorset police, described Cunningham as "a Walter Mitty" character. He said: "Stealing from a charity is a despicable crime."</p><div style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/scamsandfraud">Scams</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/voluntarysector">Voluntary sector</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/charitablegiving">Charitable giving</a></li></ul></div><div class="guRssAdvert"><a href="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/click.ng/richmedia=yes&site=Money&country=usa&spacedesc=rss&system=rss&transactionID=1231413673825010811284729650"><img src="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/image.ng/richmedia=yes&site=Money&country=usa&spacedesc=rss&system=rss&transactionID=1231413673825010811284729650" border="0" /></a></div><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds/1,,1309488,00.html">More Feeds</a><p style="clear:both" />
Mortgage lenders could owe borrowers money as Bank of England nears zero interest-rate policy
<div><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.15.1/98557?ns=guardian&pageName=Money%3A+Soon+mortgage+lenders+could+owe+%3Cem%3Eus%3C%2Fem%3E+money&ch=Money&c3=The+Guardian&c4=Mortgages+%28Money%29%2CInterest+rates+%28Business%29%2CHousing+market+%28Business%29%2CBusiness%2CProperty%2CMoney%2CBank+of+England+%28Business%29%2CBanks+and+building+societies&c5=Personal+Finance%2CInvestments%2CCredit+Crunch%2CBusiness+Markets%2CProperty+Mortgages+and+Interest+Rates&c6=Heather+Stewart%2CJill+Treanor&c7=2009_01_08&c8=1143884&c9=article&c10=GU&c11=Money&c12=Mortgages&c13=&c14=&h2=GU%2FMoney%2FMortgages" width="1" height="1" /></div><p>Most of Britain's homeowners would never have dreamed that they could be paid for taking out a mortgage, but with the Bank of England preparing to cut borrowing costs today to their lowest level ever, lenders may have to cope with zero interest rates.</p><p>If, as many analysts expect, the Bank of England cuts rates by a full percentage point to just 1%, those with loans that track a point below base rate will find themselves paying no interest. Several thousand who took out a two-year tracker in 2007 with Cheltenham & Gloucester, an arm of Lloyds TSB, set at 1.01 points below base rate will, in theory at least, be owed money.</p><p>While C&G does not have restrictions on the tracker product, it says it will not allow the interest rate to sink below 0%, citing documentation accompanying the mortgage which only mentions interest paid by the customer.</p><p>The Financial Services Authority has warned lenders about the fairness of their mortgages as interest rates plunged. Ray Boulger, of mortgage broker John Charcol, said the FSA's stance on the C&G product would be a test case which could affect hundreds of thousands more borrowers who have trackers set below the base rate.</p><p>A spokesman for the FSA said: "We do require firms to make their terms clear and unambiguous to the customer." By the end of next week, Lloyds is due to take over HBOS and in turn be 44% owned by the taxpayer. It can expect little sympathy from its new part-owner. One Whitehall source said: "If they've made a contract, they'll have to pay up."</p><p>The low interest rates pose challenges for the already embattled banking sector, eating into the profits banks can make on the difference between the savings rate paid to customers and the return they get on investing the funds. </p><p>C&G's dilemma is just the first of the tough decisions facing savers, consumers and policymakers. As the Bank nears what economists call "Zirp" - a zero interest-rate policy - the boundaries between monetary policy and fiscal policy, and the roles of the Bank and the Treasury, become blurred.</p><p>If the Bank moves, as many expect, to "quantitative easing" - increasing the amount of cash in circulation - it is likely to mean putting large amounts of taxpayers' money at risk, and that requires Alistair Darling's agreement.</p><p>In the United States, where the Federal Reserve has slashed borrowing costs to an unprecedented 0-0.25%, Fed chairman Ben Bernanke is spending billions of dollars of public money buying up unwanted corporate debt.</p><div style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/mortgages">Mortgages</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/interestrates">Interest rates</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/housingmarket">Housing market</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/property">Property</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/bankofenglandgovernor">Bank of England</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/banks">Banks and building societies</a></li></ul></div><div class="guRssAdvert"><a href="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/click.ng/richmedia=yes&site=Money&country=usa&spacedesc=rss&system=rss&transactionID=1231413673867010811284729650"><img src="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/image.ng/richmedia=yes&site=Money&country=usa&spacedesc=rss&system=rss&transactionID=1231413673867010811284729650" border="0" /></a></div><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds/1,,1309488,00.html">More Feeds</a><p style="clear:both" />
Gordon Brown's £140m plan for 35,000 apprenticeships
<div><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.15.1/58605?ns=guardian&pageName=Money%3A+Brown%27s+%26pound%3B140m+plan+for+35%2C000+apprenticeships&ch=Money&c3=The+Guardian&c4=Redundancy%2CRecession+%28UK%29%2CSocial+exclusion+%28Society%29%2CSociety%2CWork+and+careers%2CUK+news%2CEconomic+policy%2CEconomics+%28Business%29%2CBusiness%2CGordon+Brown%2CPolitics%2CMoney&c5=Society+Weekly%2CPersonal+Finance%2CCredit+Crunch%2CBusiness+Markets%2CNot+commercially+useful%2CSocial+Care+Society&c6=Patrick+Wintour%2CEsther+Addley&c7=2009_01_08&c8=1143881&c9=article&c10=GU&c11=Money&c12=Redundancy&c13=&c14=&h2=GU%2FMoney%2FRedundancy" width="1" height="1" /></div><p>Ministers are increasingly concerned that the recession is going to lock young people out of the labour market and see a return to the levels of youth unemployment that afflicted Britain in the 1980s.</p><p>They have been told there is a serious danger that as companies tighten their belts they will not be taking on new recruits, leaving younger entrants to the labour market unable to get on the jobs ladder. According to some predictions, up to 3 million will be out of work by the end of this year and at least 40% (1.25m) will be under 25.</p><p>Gordon Brown moved to counter the trend yesterday as he began what is being billed as a fact-finding regional tour ahead of a jobs summit at Downing Street next Monday.</p><p>On a visit to the Rolls Royce plant in Derby yesterday Brown and the skills secretary, John Denham, announced that the number of apprentices in the public and private sector will be increased by 35,000 at a cost of £140m.</p><p>The government is already committed to increasing spending on apprentices in the next year to just under £1bn. Nearly half of apprentices are aged 16 and 17, although many are already in work.</p><p>The government's long-term goal is that 250,000 people start an apprenticeship. Denham said that to increase provision by 35,000 places, from last year's total of 224,000, would be ambitious "at any time", let alone under current economic circumstances.</p><p>The initiative is the latest piece of government activism designed to show Brown is combating the recession. It has been reported that Brown was concerned by the recent youth riots in Greece, and feared something similar could develop in Britain.</p><p>The prime minister's three-day tour of recession-ravaged Britain today moves on to Liverpool, where a full meeting of the cabinet will be preceded by a session with an invited public audience of 200.</p><p>Other initiatives could be unveiled, but government sources said there was no plan to bring forward plans to raise the school leaving age.</p><p>The Conservatives claimed that the chancellor, Alistair Darling, has effectively admitted that the recession is going to be deeper and longer than he forecast at the time of the pre-budget report last November. The shadow chancellor, George Osborne, said on the basis of independent forecasts ministers were now likely to borrow an extra £80bn over the next two years. The pre-budget report had predicted borrowing of £118bn in the next financial year and £105bn in 2010.</p><p>Osborne based his estimates on projections from Capital Economics that Britain this year will suffer a contraction of 2.5%, as opposed to the 1% predicted by the Treasury.</p><p>Capital Economics predicts a further 1% contraction in 2010 as opposed to a pre-budget report forecast of 1.75%.</p><p>Osborne said: "Independent estimates show borrowing could be almost £70bn higher from the already terrible levels the government has owned up to - that's £1,000 more debt for every person in the UK. The government cannot escape the truth: the recession is getting worse, national debt is out of control and Labour is bankrupting Britain again."</p><p>The business secretary Lord Mandelson will, at a Manchester business breakfast today, defend the principle of extra borrowing, saying: "It would be easy but incredibly misguided to assume that the right response to this crisis was general retrenchment.</p><p>He will say: "Government has made that mistake again and again over the last 50 years. In previous recessions it has cost us more because short-term unemployment has been allowed to become long-term unemployment."</p><p>He will argue that "stop-go" in public infrastructure investment and public services has blighted competitiveness. He will admit retrenchment sounded right for thrift and austerity to go with tough economic conditions.</p><p>But in a rebuttal of the economic policy advanced by David Cameron, he will say "that principle of personal economy just doesn't translate to public economy in the current circumstances. It misses a basic reality about the role of demand in the economy and the role of investment for our future.</p><p>"When private sector demand falls this sharply the only pockets deep enough to make any difference belong to government. That applies in the UK. It's going to apply in President Obama's America. It is applying across Europe and around the world."</p><p>Mandelson will insist the spending does not represent a "splurge", saying: "The government belt will tighten with everyone else's. Additional borrowing means public spending growth will slow to little more than 1% after 2011. The obligation to improve efficiency and productivity in the public sector is stronger and more important than ever."</p><div style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/redundancy">Redundancy</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/recession">Recession</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/socialexclusion">Social exclusion</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/workandcareers">Work & careers</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/economy">Economic policy</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/economics">Economics</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/gordon-brown">Gordon Brown</a></li></ul></div><div class="guRssAdvert"><a href="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/click.ng/richmedia=yes&site=Money&country=usa&spacedesc=rss&system=rss&transactionID=1231413673910010811284729650"><img src="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/image.ng/richmedia=yes&site=Money&country=usa&spacedesc=rss&system=rss&transactionID=1231413673910010811284729650" border="0" /></a></div><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds/1,,1309488,00.html">More Feeds</a><p style="clear:both" />
McDonald's to offer up to 10,000 apprenticeship places a year
<div><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.15.1/70355?ns=guardian&pageName=Business%3A+McJobs+for+the+boys+and+girls%3A+thousands+to+get+qualifications&ch=Business&c3=The+Guardian&c4=McDonald%27s+%28business%29%2CBusiness%2CWork+and+careers%2CMoney%2CUK+news%2CSocial+exclusion+%28Society%29%2CSociety&c5=Society+Weekly%2CPersonal+Finance%2CNot+commercially+useful%2CBusiness+Markets%2CSocial+Care+Society&c6=James+Meikle&c7=2009_01_08&c8=1143874&c9=article&c10=GU&c11=Business&c12=McDonald%27s&c13=&c14=&h2=GU%2FBusiness%2FMcDonald%27s" width="1" height="1" /></div><p>McDonald's aims to become the UK's largest apprenticeship provider within two years with the promise of up to 10,000 places a year from 2010.</p><p>The fast-food chain said it hoped nearly one in seven of its workforce would soon be involved in preparing for an on-the-job qualification through "shoulder-to-shoulder" coaching, some classroom learning and online study. It will be equivalent to achieving five A-C grades at GCSE and will include developing young people's maths and English ability, teamwork and involvement in community projects, as well as training people how to cook burgers.<br /><br />A trial at 80 restaurants is to be extended across all 1,200 in the UK - half of them franchises. Six thousand places will be available this year, with a big expansion soon after. McDonald's believes that as the apprenticeships in multi-skilled hospitality will be externally accredited by national awarding body City and Guilds, it will give the initiative credibility. The courses will also be checked by the Ofsted inspectorate.</p><p>David Fairhurst, senior vice-president and chief people officer for McDonald's in the UK, said he had no problem with the term McJob provided that it did not mean low-paid, low-dignity employment with no opportunities. "There is still the perception there but the gap [from reality] is not as big as it was. For many young people we are a stepping stone on to other things."</p><p>The apprenticeships would include working in the kitchens and at counters, writing reports, studying hygiene and nutrition and might typically last a year.</p><p>The company's restaurants employ 10,000 people a year who had never worked before. "Apprenticeships will help give our employees the confidence and competence to do their jobs to the best of their ability ... It is not just our people and our business that will benefit. Apprenticeships are also good news for the wider economy," Fairhurst said.</p><p>One of those involved in the trial, Alix Potts, has had three pay rises and two promotions in a year. Her success on the pilot scheme has landed her a trainee managership at the McDonald's in Sleaford, Lincolnshire.</p><p>After six years with the company, five as a part-timer working on the front or drive-through counters, she said: "I am happy where I am and will try to make the best of things while I am at McDonald's. I am not sure what I want to do at the end of the day, but I have always been involved with the public." Ms Potts, 22, admitted: "I didn't do very well at school and messed around in the fourth year. When I was taking GCSEs I did not do as much work as I should. I couldn't get higher than Cs."</p><p>While at McDonald's, she studied hairdressing at college and joined a local salon. "I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would."</p><p>She left, went full-time with McDonald's last February and was soon on her apprenticeship, which she completed in about six months - quicker than average. She has since been helping induct new recruits to the restaurant.</p><p>"My friends think McDonald's is really good," she said. "They don't have a low perception. No one realised how far you could go."</p><div style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/mcdonalds">McDonald's</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/workandcareers">Work & careers</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/socialexclusion">Social exclusion</a></li></ul></div><div class="guRssAdvert"><a href="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/click.ng/richmedia=yes&site=Business&country=usa&spacedesc=rss&system=rss&transactionID=1231413673939010811284729650"><img src="http://ads.guardian.co.uk/image.ng/richmedia=yes&site=Business&country=usa&spacedesc=rss&system=rss&transactionID=1231413673939010811284729650" border="0" /></a></div><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds/1,,1309488,00.html">More Feeds</a><p style="clear:both" />
Editorial: Beyond retail therapy
Editorial: The health and happiness of our society depends on the levelling of wealth and incomes
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