With the recession hitting British families hard, a new study has unveiled that funding spare time activities is also adding to consumers’ financial burden. Price increases for leisure activities have reached their highest point in a decade. Travelling around, eating out and going to the pub have always incurred a cost, but these activities are putting the most significant drain on expenditure since 2002. After looking at the most common leisure activities, the study found that ten out of eleven activities have increased ahead of the 29% average rise in consumer price inflation over the last... 

A new study released by Oxfam Scotland has analysed Scots’ happiness levels and wellbeing, revealing that levels of financial stability have fallen in the last three years. The new The Oxfam Humankind Index for Scotland has revealed that most people find the quality of their lives and work more important than material wealth and success. Although Scots don’t need to be rich to be happy; they need to have enough income to feel financially secure on a daily basis. In comparison to 2009-2010 figures, the Oxfam report found that people’s financial security dropped by 43%, the number of people... 

Audi unveils its A6 L e-tron concept car in Beijing Audi has become the latest manufacturer to unveil a luxury model at the Beijing Motor Show, releasing its A6 L e-tron concept car. It is the first luxury-class e-tron concept vehicle that Audi has released and includes a plug-in hybrid boasting an electric-only driving range of 80 km (49.71 miles) while also being lighter and more efficient. The luxury aspect of the vehicle hasn’t been left wanting either, with A6 luxury-class features such as seat ventilation and massage functions both being included. Add to that the Bose surround... 

Van-tastic – luxury JetVan unveiled with a £280,000 price tag Vans may not always be considered the most luxurious of vehicles but that could be set to change, after Becker Automotive released its JetVan. Costing as much as a Rolls Royce Phantom, the £280,000 JetVan comes with a multitude of luxuries including 40 inch TV and an on-board computer with the company having the wealthy business elite firmly in mind. On top of these luxuries, owners can add that personal touch by choosing their own decor and floor plan as well as enjoying further features like the fully-reclining heated... 

Luxury SUVs unveiled at Beijing International Motor Show A series of luxury sports utility vehicles (SUVs) have been unveiled at the 2012 Beijing International Motor Show recently. The show is one of the highlights of the automotive world and this year’s event will see a number of new SUV concepts from motoring heavyweights such as Bentley, Maserati and Lamborghini. CBS News reports that Lamborghini’s offering, the Urus, will include a 600-horsepower engine and will be sleek, light and fast, in line with its range of high-end sports cars. Bentley has showed off its latest concept... 

Unwanted pearl earrings to sell for half a million pounds A pair of unwanted pearl earrings kept in a desk drawer for 35 years could raise as much as £500,000 when they are sold at auction, according to experts. The earrings were originally given as a gift from King Carol II of Romania to his mistress who left them to her British friend. The friend felt they were too flashy for her to wear and essentially forgot about them. They were then inherited by the British woman’s nephew who created great excitement when he showed them to an auctioneer from Woolley and Wallis auction rooms... 

Warning: Be on your guard against telephone fraudsters Posted by admin – April 25, 2012 We are today issuing a warning to UK residents to be on the guard against fraudsters purporting to represent loan companies. Posing as legitimate staff who represent various UK loan companies, scammers are reportedly calling random UK families and offering loans of up to £5,000 – but in order to ‘qualify’ they demand personal bank details. To help counter this criminal activity, we’ve put together the following guidelines to ensure more people do not fall victim to these scams: 1.... 

Abraham Lincoln binoculars look set to command a big price tag The binoculars used by Abraham Lincoln on the fateful night when he was assassinated 147 years ago at Ford’s Theatre, Washington, are due to go up for sale at an L.A auction this week. President Lincoln was taking in a performance of ‘Our American Cousin’ with the binoculars when he was shot, leading to one of the major historic moments in American history. This is why the binoculars are believed to be valued at anywhere between $500,000 (£309,000) and $700,000. Laura Yntema, auction manager at Nate D. Sanders auctioneers,... 

Income protection is a type of insurance that covers your expenses in case you lose your main source of income. Aviva has released its 2011 figures on income insurance, revealing what the most common trends are. Currently, psychiatric conditions make up to 28% of all claims, 44 is the average age to start claiming for income protection and the average length of time Brits claim for is 9 years. Of the 28% of claims for psychiatric conditions anxiety makes up 15% while stress makes up 12%. Aviva also paid for orthopaedic conditions for 21% of their clients. Neurological conditions were the third... 

Madonna image to be sold at auction A black and white photograph of Madonna, which dates back to 1990, is to be put up for auction with a predicted price tag of $8,000 (£5,000). Taken by Steven Meisel, the snap shows a nude Madonna in bed smoking a cigarette, with one Bonhams representative describing the picture as an “absolutely stunning image”. When the photo was taken, Madonna was in her early 30s and is believed to have been photographed by a number of different artists at the time. The image shows a blonde Queen of Pop with heavy, dark eye make-up. Judith Eurich, from Bonhams,...