There is much in the news about Pensions and the cost of living these days, the cost of living is on the up; utility bills, council tax, fuel and the general cost of living are on the up no doubt. Wages have also been much covered in the press and media of late with wage rise demands in both private and public sectors which, generally are failing to meet the rise in inflation.In a recent survey carried out by the University of Newcastle it was suggested that the true cost of living for Pensioners has risen by over 200% over the past few years.The signs are all there, people are finding it harder and harder to get by and it does appear that a period of recession is upon us.As for Gordon Brown, I have been tempted to feel sorry for him upon occasion but it should be remembered that he was Chancellor of the Exchequer for most of the Blair years and, hence, is directly culpable for the mess that we may well discover ourselves in - I believe that the true extent is not yet apparent.

So, it looks like it will be a good year ahead for debt management companies and business insolvency practitioners, the credit crunch is making it more and more difficult to borrow money and traditional large lenders are being far more rigorous in their criteria before lending money.Under this climate many people are looking for ways in which they can release money from previously unfancied sources. There has been a surge in the claimant industry whereby you are encouraged to claim on bank charges, endowment compensation, childrens tax credit and personal injury by the thriving mass of companies offering to guide you through the paperwork for a small fee. Other avenues being explored are Pension Release for the Over 50’s, whereby one can unlock or release funds in a redundant pension scheme to which you no longer contribute. This is also in the same vein as the current malcontent regarding inheritance tax, we all need what we can get..The main issue in these times is to be a bit more frugal, don’t be easily fooled by get rich quick offers. What appears too good to be true generally is.

The Author, Alexis Svenn is a Financial Analyst and an article contributor to many online and offline media sources.