Are you throwing £££s down the drain?Does your money disappear so fast it sometimes seems as if someone else isdipping into your bank account? Well, maybe someone is…

Millions of pounds are squandered each year by peoplepaying for goods and services they don’t want andhaven’t received. Why? Simply because they forget tocancel their direct debits (DDs). Research by onlinebank Cahoot revealed that over three quarters of peoplepaying for a magazine by DD kept on paying for acouple of months after they’d cancelled thesubscription before they remembered. Others left iteven longer to cancel and some (6%) forgot to stop theDD altogether.

The same applies to those paying for mobile phonecontracts they no longer need. According to Cahoot 5%of people paying by DD forget to cancel, throwingaway hundreds of pounds a year. Forgetful gymmembers find themselves shedding the wrong kind ofpounds when they stop going but carry on paying theirsubscription by DD.

DD is of course a very convenient way of paying billsand, since you can stop it at any time; you remain incontrol of your finances. But this means that you areresponsible for stopping the DD when you cancel aservice! In fact it’s very easy to keep track of your DDpayments.

Dig out those DDsYour bank can provide you with a list of DDs, toenable you to check that they are all still needed.Cancel any that you no longer require and tell theservice provider.

Keep tabs on themFamiliarise yourself with the abbreviations used for your

DDs so you will recognise them in future. Check yourstatements regularly to ensure the right amount is beingdebited. Important - make sure that you’re not beingcharged for any extra services (such as insurance) you’renot using within the DD amount (these can be thehardest to spot).

Make them work for youWhen you set up a DD make sure it leaves on a day ofthe month that suits your cash flow.

Don’t sign up unawaresCompanies are getting sneakier about signing peopleup for DDs over the phone. If a cold caller asks foryour bank details(even if ‘just fortheir records’)NEVER give themover the phone.And if it’s acompany youalready do businesswith who calls youtrying to sell youa d d i t i o n a lproducts, makesure they don’toffer it to you on a‘trial’ basis and addthe new charge onto your existing DDto them.

M&S mouthful… Marks andSpencer a 'food to go' salad label:The label said 'roast chicken salad',but had a special flash on it saying'now with roast chicken'. So whatwas in it before?

Meaning?… Extract from the SocialFund maternity and funeral expenses(general) regulations:

'For the purposes of theseRegulations, a person shall be treatedas a member of a polygamousrelationship where, but for the factthat the relationship includes morethan two persons, he would be one ofa married or unmarried couple.'

Can’t say ‘no’… When askedwhether they still sold blank CDs,

Jungle.com replied: 'We are currentlyin the process of consolidating ourproduct range to ensure that theproducts that we stock are indicativeof our brand aspirations. As part ofour range consolidation we have alsodecided to revisit our supplier list andemploy a more intelligent system forstock acquisition. As a result of theabove certain product lines are now

Not making senseDid you know that local authorities are among the worst offenders when it comes to usingimpenetrable jargon? The Plain English Campaign’s annual Golden Bull awards are for examples ofunclear public information. Government departments and agencies have the dubious honour ofreceiving the greatest number of awards. Local authorities come second, followed by banks andbuilding societies, insurance firms and solicitors, among others. Here are a few recent awards:

While the odd burst of adrenaline is stimulating, theeffect of being in a constant state of ‘fright or flight’ hasharmful effects on the body. It causes an increase inheart rate and blood pressure, various metabolicchanges and the secretion of cortisol, anotherhormone, which depresses the immune system.

Make yourself stress-proofStart the day with a good breakfast such as porridge ormuesli which will keep you going all morning. Oatscontain slow release carbohydrate which keeps bloodsugar levels stable and herbalists also believe theyhave a calming effect. Avoid ‘running on empty’ andeat healthy snacks such as fruit (containing vitaminswhich help convert sugar from other foods into energy)and nuts and seeds (rich in stress-beating magnesium).

Eat a good range of foods to ensure you get thevitamins and minerals you need. Some good anti-stressfoods are wholemeal bread, potatoes, green peppersand oysters which contain chromium – a substancewhich helps to stabilise blood sugar levels. Onionsand garlic contain a substance called gammaaminobutyric acid, vital for the correct function of thebrain and nervous system. Oysters are a particularlygood ‘stress busting’ package as they also contain lotsof zinc, useful in warding off anxiety and depression.

Avoid junk foods which fill you up without providingany nutrients. Caffeine, sugary drinks and sweets over-stimulate the adrenal glands – try to cut them out.Dehydration aggravates stress so drink water or herbaltea throughout the day. Reduce your intake of alcoholand nicotine as they ultimately worsen the symptomsof stress despite providing momentary relief.

Regular exercise works wonders; it floods your brainwith ‘feelgood’ endorphins and puts you back on aneven keel. Practise deep slow breathing exercises forrelaxation. Yoga or Tai chi is particularly effective at

combating stress when practised regularly. Having agood laugh helps too!

Wind down in the evening before you go to sleep.Many people swear by a cup of chamomile tea!Make sure you’re getting enough sleep to feel restedthe next day (seven or eight hours for most people).

You can help matters further by taking a long hardlook at your home and work schedules. Learn todelegate and say 'no' and practise time managementskills.

Complementary medical techniques that can help:

● Aromatherapy: a few drops of lavender oil on atissue, in a room burner or in bathwater relaxes thebody and mind. Rose, German chamomile,geranium and frankincense are also soothing.

● Herbal remedies such as valerian andpassionflower aid relaxation and sleep. Consult aherbalist for advice.

● Massage relieves stress and muscle tension.

● Shiatsu, reflexology and cranial osteopathy canhelp relieve stress and stress-related aches andpains.

● Alexander technique helps improve stress-relatedpostural problems.

● Acupressure/acupuncture can relieve stress andstress related conditions such as insomnia andheadaches.

● Homeopathic remedies such as aconite can relievestress-induced palpitations and anxiety or sepia fortearfulness and inability to cope.

Get stress symptoms on the runStress has now overtaken the bad back and become the number one reason whypeople take sick days off work. Here’s a guide to seeing off stress… naturally.

unavailable through jungle.com, whilstpotentially remaining available from moremainstream suppliers.'

Sorry is the hardest word…Lloyds Pharmacy’s letter of apology when anassistant dispensed the wrong strength of tablet:'The cognitive process that staff will go throughwhen interpreting prescriptions and selectingdrugs is almost intuitive in that the prescriptionwill be read, a decision is then made in the mind

of the individual concerned, they will then makea selection based on what they have decided…When an error is made either mentally or in thephysical selection process it is difficult for theindividual concerned to detect their own errorbecause in their own mind they have made thecorrect selection.'

Marketing-speak gone mad… WarburtonsBakers’ advertisement in 'The Grocer' -

'With a launch burst of 550 TVRs - and £34m in

'premiumisation' opportunities - we're confidentyou'll rise to the challenge.'

An unnamed lawyer's suggestedreplacement for the word 'container' in apatent application… 'a receptacle having atleast one exterior surface and a plurality of wallsdefining a discrete object receiving volume’

Council confusion… (The beginning of aletter from a local council to a member of the

One man who has made it his business to studythe workings of ‘luck’ is Professor Richard

Wiseman. As a boy he became fascinated by magictricks. He grew up to become a psychologist, one with apenchant for the more unusual challenges of the subject.Having talked to hundreds of people about whether they

consider themselves lucky or unlucky henoticed that individuals tend to considerthemselves as consistently ‘lucky’ or‘unlucky’ as people, with this applyingacross all areas of their life. This was notthe workings of pure chance, he

concluded. So-called lucky people must bedoing something to achieve their consistentgood fortune – something which the generally‘unlucky’ people were not doing…

Professor Wiseman and his colleagues havemade some observations about the behaviour of lucky

people and believe that anyone can use thesetechniques to bring ‘good luck’ their way.

Spot your opportunities Lucky people are good at recognising those chancesituations which may be turned to their advantage. Theyneed to have a relaxed attitude to life and to be open tonew experiences. They even help to create theseopportunities by maintaining a wide network of friendsand acquaintances.

Going with ‘gut instinct’Lucky people have the confidence to trust their intuitionwhen they are making a decision. They actively try toboost their intuitive abilities through meditation andclearing their mind of other thoughts.

Think positivelyLucky people have an optimistic outlook whichbecomes self-fulfilling as it helps them to persist withtheir goals despite setbacks and ensures that they giveout positive messages to the people around them. Luckypeople use setbacks to spur them on to greater things. Ifsomething goes wrong they dwell on the positive, not the

negative aspects of the situation and try to move on assoon as possible.

Self-help writer Mark Myers bases his philosophy onOprah Winfrey’s dictum “Luck is a matter of preparationmeeting opportunity”. We all know people who workhard but never seem to get anywhere. Equally justrelying on a lucky break and doing nothing doesn’t tendto yield results. Myers points out in his book ‘How toMake Luck’ the importance of identifying the “gatekeepers of opportunity”, that is the people who can helpyou achieve your goals. But meeting the right people isonly half the story – you need to be prepared when youdo. “All lucky people have two things in common: first,they are constantly thinking up creative ways to improvethe odds that more in life will go their way. Second,when they get what they want, they act as baffled asothers are by their good fortune.”

More about lucky peopleKnowing lots of people – this is one of the characteristicfeatures of ‘lucky’ people according to journalistMalcolm Gladwell. In a study, thousands of people wereshown a list of 15 common British surnames and askedto tick the names when they were on first name termswith at least one person of that surname. The samepeople were asked to characterise themselves as ‘lucky’,‘unlucky’ or ‘neutral’. Nearly 50% of the lucky peopleticked eight or more of the names, compared to 35% ofneutral people and 25% of unlucky people.

Touching wood, carrying a lucky charm, crossing theirfingers: lucky people believe all these will bring themgood luck. However they are less concerned about thenumber 13, walking under a ladder or breaking a mirror– unlucky people tend to become much more anxiousabout these portents of bad luck, apparently!

Find out how lucky you are. Go to www.luck-factor.co.uk where you can do an online instantassessment.

Luck – it’s more than mere chance Some psychologists now believe that ‘good luck’ is due as much to state of mind asit is to the random twists of fate. What can you do to ‘get lucky’?

public)… I thank you for your letter dated…Under Rule 312 of the Land Registration Rules1925 every notice issued or sent by the LandRegistry must fix a time within which any act orstep required by such notice to be done or takenthereunder is to be done or taken, and shall statewhat will be the consequence of any omission tocomply therewith. The notice period is thereforediscretionary and fixed by the Land Registry. Inthis particular case the Registry have allowed fora notice period of twenty one days plus a further

period of seven clear days for the delivery of thenotice to ourselves which is allowed by Rule 313of the Land Registration Rules 1925.

Finally – and hot off the press… Point of no returnCurrently exercising their minds at the PlainEnglish Campaign is the wording often includedon parking notices: ‘Maximum parking 2 hours.No return within 1 hour.’

They ask: When does the ‘no return’ period (the

‘1 hour) start? Is it: * at the end of the this

example), regardless of when you actually drive

away; * when you drive away (even if you leave

'early'); or * some other time?

If you can shed any light on this matter you may

wish to contact the PEC at pecampaign@aol.com

www.plainenglish.co.uk

Contact usFor general enquiries telephone:

01642 727777

e-mail us at:

pensions@middlesbrough.gov.uk

Web:

www.teespen.org.uk

Write to:

Mike Hopwood

Pensions Manager

HBS Pensions Unit

PO Box 340

Middlesbrough

TS1 2XP

Alternatively you could visit us at:

HBS Pensions Unit

Rede House

Corporation Road

Middlesbrough

PLEASE DO NOT SEND

CORRESPONDENCE TO THIS ADDRESS

The Consumers’ Association

www.endowmentaction.co.uk

The Child Tax Credit

Tel: 0845 300 3900

outlook is published for Teesside

Pension Fund by Evolve. Neither the

publishers nor the Teesside Pension

Fund can accept responsibility for

the views of this newsletter’s

contributions and, although every

effort is made to ensure the accuracy

of the contents, readers are advised

to take appropriate professional

advice before acting on the

information or advice in these pages.

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email: richard.g@evolve-print.com

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Angela Maxwell, State Benefits & RetirementConsultant, gives us a legal update

All contact numbers are shown in the column opposite.

Pension Green Paper detailsThe government recently announced someof its proposed changes to pensions for thefuture.

● The minimum age at which you cantake an occupational pension will rise from 50 to 55 in 2010.

● From April 2005, the government willoffer those who defer their state pensiona lump sum for the first time. Someonewho delays taking their state pensionfor five years might get £30,000.

● Employees will no longer have to leavetheir job to take a company pension.

● You will be able to contribute to acompany pension and a personalpension at the same time, as long asyou do not invest more than yourannual limit.

● If you are in a money purchase scheme,you will be able to use part of your fundto buy an annuity which lasts for nomore than 5 years. You could then passon most of your pension fund to yourchildren if you died within the 5 years.You will not be able to hold a short termannuity after 75.

● The government will allow savers tocontinue with some kind of incomedrawdown plan beyond the age of 75.You could then rely on your investedpension to generate an income. If anycapital remains in the pension fundwhen you die, it must be used to buy anannuity for your dependants. If youhave a drawdown plan and die before75, you can pass on any remainingcapital minus a 35% tax charge. Saverswithout dependants will lose their fundentirely.

Mortgage MissellingWere you mis-sold an endowmentmortgage? If so, even if you are unsure, awebsite is at hand to help. Set up by theConsumers’ Association, it aims to alertthose who have been let down by badadvice and are expected to make mortgagepayments they never accounted for. Thesite has advice on how to complain,deadlines for complaining, case studies,contacts for making your complaint knownand a useful fact sheet. If you do notunderstand the issue, but know there issomething amiss with your mortgage, thisis the site to visit.www.endowmentaction.co.uk

What’s new?

By the time you read this newsletter, our newwebsite should have been up and running for afew weeks providing you with some interesting,useful and interactive information about yourpension fund.

We will update the site regularly so that you canread about important changes as they happen,while the design will help you quickly find theinformation that you are looking for.

Key features of the site: -

● Up to date information

● Contribution calculator

● Pension Calculator

● Scheme documentation downloads

● Links to other useful sites

● Link to your own personal details

To access the website, visitwww.teespen.org.uk

Legal Look Angela Maxwell