True - but time does tick, and as it looks as though the British economy is turning a corner, that should help.

Although it does strike me as a trifle odd that commentators say the economy is improving BECAUSE WE ARE PAYING MORE TAX!

My husband keeps saying that unused space over town center shops should be turned into housing. I keep telling him it's a nice thought, but there are many logistical reasons why this isn't possible, never mind that creating this 'supply' would not meet (or necessarily be suitable to meet) demand. I hate seeing green space gobbled up by persistent developers, but far too much of the stock of 'empty' houses is not suitable for habitation by anyone, and certainly not for families.

I worked as a planner in the US in the waning days of Urban Renewal, and am very much in favor of housing preservation and adaptive re-use rather than demolition on a massive scale. BUT - the product on offer must be suitable for the intended use.

I am thankful that this house and everything in it is paid for....if the Queen tries to get it when I'm gone, well.....let the grand kids fight her for it :-).

Another energy company has announced a similar increase in prices - this time Scottish Power which is increasing gas by 8.5% and electricity by 9%.

For those wanting something positive, about the news on UK car production continues to strengthen. A lot of us need something to fill up with highly taxed fuel.

well said roaringmouse....and the PM's solution? Just switch suppliers......

But - even with all that, we are still spending less on utilities than we did in the US; the AC in the summertime was as much or more than heating in the winter (total electric, with 3 heat pumps)

Yes we dont spend anymore here than we did in Australia but they have seen massive energy price rises in recent time with more to come. Its tough all round. I am looking to fix our electricity and gas prices until 2017 so we will know exactly what we will be paying for a couple more years.

I suspect there is a global pollyspeak text book that they all refer to for standard statements to save time. Exactly the same is said here! (Aus).

One must show some understanding and compassion though. Polishituns live hand to mouth and must look to lucrative Board positions with power companies for example,-to help their meagre paid for life+Gold Pass incomes go further.

It doesn't behoove them to be too unkind.

Well 3rd quarter GDP figures have just been announced and it shows the UK economy grew at 0.8% which was the absolute top end of predictions. On top of that car production is at record levels and increasing, business confidence is up, retail confidence is up, the housing market is up. The UK economy is now growing at a faster rate than Australia which would have been unthinkable even 12 months ago. Onwards and upwards

Interesting perspective by a seemingly very level-headed economics expert on R5 this morning. He used the analogy of going on a huge bender (i.e., the economic fallout of 2007-2008 has left us with the mother of all hangovers).

You wouldn't expect to have a Bloody Mary next day and be able to go to football practice. So while the slow, steady, weak growth we are seeing is undeniably slow, and weak, it's good, considering, and is what we should expect if we want to get better eventually. Trying to force things will only make matters worse.

The bit I find surprising is that people describe it as weak.
If the trend of the past 6 months (.7% and now .8%) continues that would equate to growth of over 3 percent a year.
Only twice since 2000 has growth equalled or exceeded that. The long run average for the British economy is 2.5 to 3 percent, even including the credit bubble of 2003 to 2008.

Try telling that to Labour.

Yes certainly not weak growth at all, practically any Western economy would be pleased with these figures. Well above expectations and a nice sharp stick in the eye to the doomsayers

As I've been saying for 2 months on this thread, economically for the UK there's probably more negatives than positives on the spectrum at the moment but things will get better.

There are stings in the tail though - e.g. the energy cost increases already mentioned, and that currently the UK has a net public debt of £1,210,000,000,000 - that is 75.9% of GDP. The aim for deficit in 2013 is £120,000,000,000, and it seems the government's promise of balancing the books by 2015 will probably not happen.

As you say it's all about balance - and I'd add recognising that the answer to the question depends on a person's individual circumstances.

I turned on Newsnight last night to find that my pension fund is in deficit to the tune of about £8 bn, and growing ... so it's not all good news. I recently took a loss of £35k on what was supposed to be a responsible BTL investment back in 2004, due largely to economic factors beyond my control, and when my endowment policy matured last year, it was about 40% below the target value I was assured back in the 1980s. All responsible and supposedly conservative investment on my part but it sometimes feels like being fiscally responsible doesn't pay.

But at least I still have a job.

Investing is risky, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. The Prudential pensions we started many years ago are going to give us 20 odd grand each which of course is nothing but we had forgotten about them and havent paid into them for best part of 20 years.

Absolutely, Chris, but the point I was trying to make, perhaps not well, was that the risk "labels" attached by the financial sector to certain investments are sometimes plain dishonest.

I didn't mention the investments I made in 2000, because I felt that they were a punt and I knew they might end in tears - though I wouldn't go so far as to say I deserved what I got (one of the investment trusts was fraudulently stripped of its assets by the two founders, leaving everyone with, literally, nothing. Google Amerindo, Alberto Vilar or Gary Tanaka for more details - the fact they spent a stretch in jail is little compensation.

Some investments are, or should be, barely more risky than putting your money into a bank account. In the case of the three examples I described, it would be disingenuous to suggest the outcome was simply due to risk-taking.