Nearly half of UK households say that they would struggle to cope if their monthly outgoings rose by £99. We look at how you can create some financial 'breathing space' to help you out if you lose your job or become ill.
Pay rises close in on inflation

A study of recent pay deals has found median rises of two and a half per cent in the three months to July
Pay rises are lagging inflation by less than 1%, the closest the two measures have been since wage rises first fell behind in December 2009, according to research.
A study of recent deals showed median rises of 2.5% in the three months to July, up by 0.5% from the previous quarter.
Pay information firm XpertHR said the headline figure had lifted because there were few public sector deals in the quarter.
Headline pay awards are 0.7% behind July's RPI inflation figure of 3.2%, said the report.
One in six of the 83 settlements studied involved a pay freeze, while around one in eight were worth 4% or more.
Sheila Attwood of XpertHR said: "Although private sector pay settlements are holding steady at a median of 2.5%, there is little evidence of upward pressure, with two-thirds of awards in the matched sample worth the same as, or less than, the award in the previous year.
"Even outside the public sector, we are still seeing one settlement in six resulting in a pay freeze."
related stories on msn
Too true , what a disgrace , I think again the contributors on this site have shown that they have the brains and insight to really solve most problems in the UK or maybe the world , three cheers to you all. When most people are wasting their time , the real thinkers here at MSN are getting on with the problems in hand and really making a difference , next global warming or parking tickets I hope.
latest money videos
more on msn money

Avoid these mistakes if you want to lead a richer life!

Save regularly to nab a leading easy access ISA rate from Newcastle Building Society and the chance to earn up to £1,000 cashback.

Barclaycard is now offering a record 27 interest-free months to pay off your debts.

The taxman says three and a half million people are due a refund, but two million will have to fork out for underpaid tax.

Fed up with low savings rates and high borrowing rates? As Dave Fishwick and his Bank of Dave has demonstrated, there are other options out there.

If you want to find a unique property bargain, there is plenty of help available online - you just need to know where to look.

US couple have found an innovative solution to the problem of sky-high house prices.

The two banks have now joined the Post Office's banking network, meaning customers can make withdrawals and deposits at branches around the UK.

Get 5p off per litre of fuel at Shell, broadband from £2 a month and more in our latest discount and freebie round-up.

Lifestyling is supposed to mean that your pension pot becomes more secure the nearer you get to retirement. Yet your pension provider might be switching you to overpriced and therefore riskier investments.

If you want to borrow a larger sum of money and repay it over time, a conventional personal loan is not always your best option.




