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Top Tips

Here are some Top Tips:-

Money Matters - Ten top tips on how to get a better deal

  1. Don't be intimidated by money matters. Take an interest in your finances and keep track of how much money you have coming in, and how much you have to set aside for essential bills. You can become well informed by reading money pages and listening to personal finance programmes.

  2. Do your homework. Spend time shopping around, researching what's on offer and getting advice - the Internet can be a useful resource for this. You may think it will take too much time when you need a loan quickly, but if you skip this vital part of the process, you could be paying the price for years to come.

  3. If you can afford to pay for your goods outright, don't be persuaded to take out credit unless it really does work out cheaper or better meets your financial plans.

  4. Don't make the common mistake of looking only at the monthly payments required under a credit agreement. Work out the total amount payable over the term of the loan - bearing in mind that with some loans you may be paying a variable interest rate.

  5. What seems like a good deal can have hidden costs. For example, reduced monthly minimum payments or 'payment holidays' result in significantly larger total payments. And store cards may seem like a convenient way to pay but some of them charge a rate of interest of over 30% a year.

  6. Interest-free credit may seem like a good idea, but make sure you repay the full amount before the free interest period expires. Even if you are only one day late, you may have to pay interest on the total cost from the very moment you bought the goods.

  7. Make sure you know the difference between secured and unsecured lending, and don't put your home at risk unnecessarily.

  8. Think carefully whether you need the optional insurance to cover your payments and make sure it really is suitable for you, you may already be covered elsewhere. It can be highly expensive and add massively to your loan and may not be worth the paper it's written on.

  9. Extended warranties can be poor value. Research has shown that the cost of a repair is likely to be less than the cost of an extended warranty. You may also be covered under consumer protection legislation.

  10. Think twice before taking out a consolidation loan to manage other debts. You may be able to arrange to pay back existing debts over a longer period of time - at less cost and less risk than a new loan.

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Top ten tips on dealing with racist incidents in your community

Racist incidents can take many forms including verbal abuse, violent assault, graffiti and other types of damage to property, and other acts which are threatening, abusive or annoying. Racist incidents should not be suffered in silence and you should not put up with them hoping they will stop. Racists, and those they influence can and do maintain a reign of terror over other people's lives. The intention may be to drive them out of a neighbourhood, but often there will be no clear motive. There are a number of steps you should take if you or a member of your family is the victim of a racist incident. Since the report of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry all police forces, local authorities and other agencies have agreed that a racist incident is any incident which is perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person.

  1. Report the incident and get advice. You can go straight to the police - dial 999 in an emergency. Or you can go to your local CAB, law centre or race equality council. In many areas you can also report racist incidents to your local council.

  2. If you report a racist incident to the police make sure that that is how it is logged. All police forces are now expected to record an incident as racist, and to investigate it as such, if that is how it is described by the person making the report (or by anyone they subsequently interview). If you are assisting the victim of a racist incident and s/he has difficulty understanding English, then request that the police provide an interpreter. If there is likely to be any major delay, then with the victim's consent, you should report the matter on his or her behalf.

  3. Keep a note of all information that you tell the police and of the time and date and the name and number of the officer dealing with your case. It is advisable to report a racist incident to the police, or to agree that one of the other agencies should do so, so that a formal record is made.

  4. Your harassers want you to feel isolated - don't let them. Talk to your friends and family about what has happened, and find out about other sources of support - the CAB will be able to help. In many areas there are community organizations or monitoring groups that offer support to victims of racist incidents as well as advocating on their behalf with the police and other agencies.

  5. Keep a detailed record of any incidents. This can include photos of people's injuries and damage to property such as broken windows or graffiti. Keep a record of any expenses you incur, for example to repair any damage to your home.

  6. If you are a council tenant and the racist incident occurred at or near your home then contact your neighbourhood office and/or housing department and discuss with them what they intend to do to protect you and your family from further abuse or attack. Most councils' tenancy agreements prohibit racist behaviour by tenants or their visitors. You should let the council know if you would like to be transferred to other accommodation or if you desire greater protection where you are.

  7. If you live in a housing association property and the racist incident occurred at or near your home, then report the incident to your association representative or office. Most housing associations have anti-harassment policies similar to thoseof local councils.

  8. If you live in private rented accommodation and the racist incident occurred at or near your home then contact your landlord, the CAB or a law centre. Some private landlords may have a procedure for dealing with racial harassment and may be sympathetic. However, many may not be supportive.

  9. If you own your own home or if the racist incident occurred at your place of work or at a community centre, religious centre or as you were walking or driving in the area, then you should seek advice from the CAB or a law centre and the community safety section of the local council. There are a number of legal measures that might be possible to protect you from further incidents.

  10. If you find that no one is taking sufficient interest and you are worried about further incidents affecting you and your family then you could contact the chair of the police authority for your area, your local councillor or MP to enlist their support.

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