doh

Was it 100% guaranteed though?

Sell Sterling. Where do I collect my winnings?

What were they doing in Preston? Are you sure they weren't locals trying to avoid parking tickets and speed camera fines with foreign plates? The mangled choking sound you heard may have been visitors from Wrexham.

Same here. I think it all went wrong when the HPC actually started... then everyone got bored, started fighting amongst themselves and got banned.

Rochdale or Burnley maybe?

At an income of £2 a week pocket money that's an impressive liar loan...

Same feeling here. My job's safe and I have cash to spend but I intend not to. It's a scrooge christmas this year for me. Just need to break it to the family...

I would think the flat rate scheme would need to change. This looks like typical new labour bungling. Something like a vat rate change needs to be planned months in advance to allow all the various computer systems and business processes to accept it. You can't just announce it on Monday, expect it to be implemented on Tuesday then call the heads or British retailers to Downing St on Wednesday to 'order' them to cut prices by 2.17%.

Plus expenses!

This speech is sort of let down by the fact that they are currently trying to re-inflate the current house price bubble as we speak.

Do you never watch Judge Judy? Always pay by cheque or electronic transfer to have a record of the transaction. Never known a bank not offer a receipt though. Did you not complete a paying in slip that got stamped and signed in front of you?

The principle of insurance is that the wider group pay a premium so that if random members of the group have an accident etc that this is covered. It doesn't work if every single member of the group has the 'accident'. Does Hutton think one person's house may lose 20% in value whilst the house next door goes up? For Hutton's idea to work then the premium should reflect the risk. Hutton thinks this would be low billions. I would say 30 million homes at 180k declining at 15% a year puts the figure at something more like £810 trillion. Or to out it in terms that a moron like hutton would understand the premium would basically equal the likely payout plus an extra commision on top for the insurance company.

Can I have my tax cut in Yen?

****s sake! not another company I've got to worry about. maybe i should make sure i'm losing money amongst several spreadbetting companies rather than just one.

Yep, go ahead. Ignore the recession etc. Thats just doom'n'gloom.

Bulls think that when mortgage lending 'gets back to normal' that 'pent up demand' will cause HPs to take off again. However, they fail to remember that prices were coming down before the credit crunch took hold. Call this phase1. Phase2 was the credit crunch when a load of mortgage products were withdrawn and funding became difficult to obtain. Phase 3 will, I think, be the biggest hit on HP. Forced selling into a recession... http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/money/pro...icle5202124.ece

Maybe the bee should assign a unique code to a property which could be linked to if it was relisted? As an aside I've noticed that phrase 'Offers over £x' appear more and more. Is that supposed to make you think you're getting a bargain if you offer just £x?

I tried to move some money from a Santander subsidiary online and it wouldn't let me. Phoned up and got a big talk about how safe my money was and asking me why was I moving my own money. Also received letters telling me how secure santander is and seen various adverts. All this telling me how safe my money is has started to make me feel worried...

Unfortunately, doesn't this exactly describe the government?

Wouldn't disagree with your experience but I think people have stopped spending because of general worries about jobs etc. Not because things might be slightly cheaper in the future do to deflation. True, and I too would not buy a house now as it is likely to be tens of thousands of pounds cheaper in a few months. 1 or 2% off a pair of socks in a year wouldn't keep me hanging on to my money though.

Don't think the cause here is deflation. More to do with credit being unavailable to guarantee payment for the goods.

Sounds like you're right/wrong to me (please delete as applicable).

prices of electronics have been faling for years but it hasn't stopped people buying ipods, mobiles and plasma tvs.

No doubt his opinion will be accompanied by several unnecessary exclamation marks whatever it is.

Is that soiled toilet paper the fat witch is sitting in?