Childcare costs are soaring – but you can soften the blow.....

Nursery and childminder fees are up £40 a month in some areas but – for now – there are still ways to get help with costs

Childcare costs are soaring, with parents paying an average of £15 more each month than they were a year ago, according to research released this week.

An estimated 1.5 million families currently pay for childcare, which includes everything from nurseries and childminders to after-school clubs, says the study from children's savings specialist Family Investments.

Parents of under-fives account for almost half of those, and they have been hit hardest, with their average monthly bill going up by almost £24 in the past year, it says.

Those with children aged between six and 10 have seen a less dramatic £4-a-month average rise, according to the report.

London has long been the most expensive area of the country for childcare, and parents in the capital have typically seen their monthly bills rise by around £40, says the company.

Earlier this year, a report from the national childcare charity Daycare Trust found there had been "significant" increases across all forms of childcare. It said that in England, the cost of a nursery place for a child aged two or over had increased by 4.8% in 12 months.

"The pressures on family finances are unlikely to ease as further big changes are planned to child-related benefits," says Kate Moore, the head of savings and investments at Family Investments.

"Some families on relatively modest incomes have already lost some or all of their child tax credits, and those households with a higher-rate taxpayer are also facing the prospect of losing child benefit payments next year," Moore adds.

Parents therefore need to make sure that they are aware of – and that they take up – all the help with childcare costs that they are entitled to.

Here is what they should know:

Free childcare places Every three- and four-year-old in England is eligible for a free, part-time early education place with a registered childcare provider, which can include playgroups, nursery schools and childminders. From the term following your child's third birthday, they are entitled to at least 15 hours a week. Some local authorities also provide places for disadvantaged two-year-olds. To find out what is available in your area, contact your local Family Information Service.

Child benefit This is currently paid to all parents, regardless of income or savings, for every child or young person until they turn 16 – although those with youngsters in certain types of full-time education or training can claim until their child is 20. Weekly payments are £20.30 for the eldest child and £13.40 for other children. If you have not yet claimed child benefit, request a claim pack from HM Revenue and Customs on 0845 302 1444.

Child tax credit Families with income of less than £40,000 a year are eligible for CTC, whether or not they are employed. The amount received is related to family income and how many children there are. If your family is in work, you will get CTC at the basic element of £545 a year, and if your income is low you may also receive child elements for each of your children up to a maximum of £2,555 a child.

Working tax credit Financial support is available for those on low incomes with this benefit. Extra help is available for working parents through a childcare element, to help with the cost of registered childcare.

 It offers up to 70% towards the costs of childcare up to a maximum of £175 a week for one child and £300 a week for two or more children. The actual amount you receive depends on your income and childcare costs. To find out about and claim tax credits, contact Revenue and Customs on 0845 300 3900.

Help from employers Many employers support their staff with their childcare needs by providing financial assistance or on-site childcare services, which are exempt from tax and national insurance contributions (NICs). These include vouchers to pay for registered childcare. For basic-rate taxpayers, the first £55 a week or £243 a month of vouchers is exempt from tax and national insurance, and each employed parent can claim the exemptions.

However, you need to choose either the childcare element of working tax credit or employer-supported childcare. Although you may be able to claim both at the same time, you can't generally benefit from both systems, as the amounts will be included in any calculations done, and will reduce the amount for which you are eligible.

In making your choice you need to consider whether you benefit more from tax credits or from employer-supported childcare such as vouchers. The Daycare Trust says you will generally be better off using employer-supported childcare if you are getting less than £545 a year in total from tax credits, and vice versa. Use the childcare "better off calculator" to help you decide.

Detailed information on help with childcare costs is available from the Daycare Trust and from Directgov.

The bank of Nan

As the school summer holidays approach, many families will turn to grandparents for vital support in looking after their children.

This help forms part of the huge contribution grandparents make to their families in unpaid help – valued at up to £5,000 a year in a new study.

"Whether it is babysitting, taking their grandchildren on trips out or DIY, these simple and often overlooked tasks equate to a contribution of up to £4,500 a year to the average family. A potential £500 is also given in direct financial assistance," says Post Office Financial Services, which ran the research.

As parents begin preparing their childcare plans for the summer, a third will turn to grandparents to help out for at least a couple of hours a week. Almost half of younger parents (those aged 18-34) will receive a day's help each week.

The "Nan Estate" study highlights the crucial help grandparents give, and shows their efforts can save parents an average of £86 a week.

It says grandparents "contribute" around £400 annually by doing household chores, and more than £600 with homework assistance. However, most grandparents would not see these things in monetary terms – they simply want to help out. Rupert Jones

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2011/jun/24/childcare-costs-soaring-soften-blow

Boiler room shares scams con UK investors out of £200m a year...

Despite all the warnings about cold callers luring investors into phony get-rich-quick schemes, boiler room scams still spell danger.

Boiler rooms – illegal high-pressure sales operations pushing overpriced and even non-existent shares – rip off UK investors to the tune of around £200m a year, with many victims parting with five-figure sums.

But as many wise up to their tricks, thanks to warnings issued by the Financial Services Authority and other bodies, the fraudsters are changing their tactics in an attempt to stay one step ahead of the authorities.

Boiler rooms usually involve financially astute individuals working in offices set up as call centres either in the UK or abroad – many are in Spain and eastern Europe. Sometimes there is a fake UK address to reassure people. Their modus operandi is to cold-call, often using so-called "suckers lists" of vulnerable individuals, and persuade them to buy shares in companies, sometimes backed by glossy fake websites, spurious press releases and fictitious shareholder meetings.

Last week the FSA secured its first criminal conviction for boiler room fraud, with David Mason jailed for two years after he set up an investment vehicle called EduVest to lure people to buy shares. The City watchdog said boiler room crooks pose a "major menace" to the public.

Their aim is still the same – to steal as much as they can from unsuspecting investors who believe their rapid-route-to-riches routine – but here are three new tricks:

'Cloning' the FSA register

Always check its register before dealing with anyone who is trying to sell you shares, to see if they are authorised to do so. But some boiler room "salespeople" are trying to get round that by claiming they are on the register early on in the call. They are not, but they steal details of legitimate individuals or firms. It's called cloning, and the FSA admits it is a growing problem. Here are some recent examples.

• A boiler room called Worldwide Risk Consultants called investors in April and volunteered its FSA registration number before trying to sell over-priced (and probably non-existent) shares. The name and the number provided are both on the register, which includes EU firms which can operate in the UK via a "passport".

However, they were both stolen from a legitimate German firm involved in re-insurance which has nothing to do with investment.

In April, the FSA issued an alert to warn people about Worldwide Risk Consultants.

• Around the same time, a "Kerry Duffain" phoned investors from Weizmann & Young saying she was based in London. She assured them she was FSA registered and gave her FSA number. The FSA number was that of a Kerry Duffain. Everything checked out – except a deeper reading of the FSA register would have shown that the real Kerry Duffain was a senior person at London hedge fund group, BlueCrest, which has no relationship whatsoever with Weizmann & Young.

The real Duffain, a victim of identity theft, has been made aware of the impersonation and has notified the authorities. Weizmann & Young is on the FSA's warning list of unauthorised overseas firms operating in the UK.

• A few days later, Weizmann & Young called again. This time a "Margaret Johnson" gave an FSA number, telling the investor that "Duffain" is "no longer part of our team" as "she had to go back to the country to look after her mother". The FSA register has a Margaret Mary Johnson with the number quoted. But this Margaret Johnson does not appear to have worked in financial services since 2002. A third Weizmann & Young operative claimed he was Joseph Freeman. A real person of that name worked briefly in financial services at Renaissance Capital in 2007-08; his current status is given as "inactive".

Using real companies

Boiler rooms have started spinning stories involving genuine large companies to persuade you to part with cash. FSA fraud fighters are still scratching their heads over their real goal, but strongly suspect all investors get is a forged share certificate. And by the time they realise it is worthless, the boiler room will have long moved on.

• AZ Markets, which gives an address in London's Canary Wharf and an 0845 phone number, was pushing shares in the recently floated commodity group Glencore in May. It recommended the company in a way that would have reddened the faces of the most optimistic directors – it promised variously that the shares would go quickly from the 530p flotation price to 860p or £10 or £14.

In fact, Glencore shares disappointed on launch, and late this week were at around 470p.

• Gevab Europe gives a false address in Fleet Street, London, and falsely claims a prize in the Daily Telegraph Wealth Management Awards. Along with Sino Trade Europe (which is on the FSA warning list), it has also tried to sell Glencore shares. All these Glencore pushers claim FSA legitimacy via European firms.

• Shares in ITV were pushed by Worldwide Risk Consultants at 95p in April. It claimed the share price would increase rapidly. They are now worth around 66p. ITV said it was aware of the scam. Worldwide Risk Consultants also tried to sell shares in Tullow Oil at £16 in March, promising they would rapidly hit £20. Tullow Oil stock was this week changing hands at just over £12.

The Frankfurt factor

When people buy shares, one of the key bits of information is whether the company is quoted on a reputable stock exchange. New York and London are highly rated for transparency and tough requirements.

Frankfurt is well-regarded, too – it's the home to world majors such as Adidas, Daimler, Deutsche Bank, Munich Re, Siemens and Volkswagen.

So boiler rooms now often say a company is "quoted in Frankfurt" or "about to list in Frankfurt". But while they imply the same standards, they are talking about the Frankfurt Open Market (also known as the regulated unofficial market) – the closest Europe comes to a wild west market.

The Open Market's listing requirements are light touch. There are no asset requirements, so firms can list with little or nothing on the balance sheet, there are no revenue requirements, and there is no need to publish audited accounts or even state how many shares are in issue.

• Pinnacle Financial Group, seemingly based in Berlin but using an 0845 UK number (and no relation to a large number of UK firms with a similar name), has been promoting a firm called Nazca Mining to UK investors. Nazca has a part interest in two Peruvian mines.

In March, Nazca said it was about to list in Frankfurt. In May, Pinnacle said it would list later on that month. It has not yet done so. This week, the Nazca Mining website stated that it was "in the submission process of listing on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange", adding that it "is looking for listing late June".

• Switzer Capital, whose contact details show a Frankfurt address, has been pushing Eldora Gold Resources shares to UK residents, as has Fisher Capital (no relation to the legitimate UK company of the same name) and Shaw Capital, which both operate from South Korea.

Fisher Capital and Shaw Capital are both on the FSA warning list. Eldora says on its website that it is "currently listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange – Open Market".

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2011/jun/24/boiler-room-shares-scams

As predators spiders are beneficial......

Spiders are arachnids, a group of arthropods that also includes scorpions, harvestmen, mites, and ticks. Approximately 3,000 species occur in North America.

Spiders, like insects (another group of arthropods), have jointed legs and a hard external or outer skeleton. Spiders have four pair of legs, with a body divided into two regions (cephalothorax and abdomen), while insects have three pair of legs and the body divided into three regions: head, thorax, and abdomen. Spiders have no wings or antennae, but have enlarged, sharply pointed jaws called fangs (chelicerae).

All spiders are predators. They feed on a wide variety of insects and other soft-bodied invertebrate animals. Spiders attack and subdue their prey by biting with their fangs to inject a poison. As predators spiders are beneficial.

All spiders spin silk, but the silk is used in a wide variety of ways. Most spiders construct a silken case to protect their eggs, but not all spiders make a web. A few use silk threads much like a parachute to aid in dispersal on wind currents, e.g., balloon spiders.

All spiders are poisonous, but fear of all spiders is unwarranted because most are either too small or possess poison that is too weak to harm humans. Only a few have bites that are dangerous to humans. However, the bite of these few species can cause serious medical problems and possible death under certain circumstances.

The most dangerous spiders to humans in North America are the widow spiders (usually known as black widows) (Fig. 1), the brown spiders (also known as the fiddlebacked spiders), the tarantulas, an innocuous-looking sac spider, and a funnel-web spider.

If you have`nt fainted yet, you can read the rest of this article here:
http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/eb1548/eb1548.html

Dads Should Kiss Their Daughters....

"You can't talk about homophobia - because you're not gay!".

It has been one of the most regressive trends within our culture. Identity Politics. It means that victims, or those with personal experience of which they speak, enjoy a privileged status which makes their views more important than others.

However, it has taken Germaine Greer to help me recognise that this rotten unwritten rule of modern life has some worth.

Britain's most famous feminist caused a flurry of calls to the BBC switchboard this week following her appearance on Question Time.

She suggested that young girls could be sexualised by "kissing their fathers goodnight".
Oh dear. As a father of five daughters I am caught between scylla and charybdis.

Feminists want me to play an active parenting role, help emancipate my spouse from the drudgery of child-rearing, deliver sexual equality by sharing the domestic workload.

And I do that stuff. In spades.

But I get the feeling that Germaine, while exhorting me to pick up the marigolds, would rather I had nothing to do with bathtime and bedtime. That, as a man, I am good for mopping the floors, but changing the nappy of my baby daughter? That's intimate stuff and best left to women.

Well, let me lay it on the line. There is no way it is possible to run a busy household without both mum and dad pitching in on all fronts.

I am proud of the role I have played in bringing up my daughters. I love the fact they have grown up with a dad who they see doing as much around the home as their mother. And, in spite of Germaine Greer, I have no sense of awkwardness about kissing my daugthers goodnight.

If Germaine had children, she might understand this.
http://blogs.news.sky.com/familyaffairs/Post:d4047fad-68e6-4c9c-b0b2-783c9ae5dfbf

..Most women diet before a holiday...

Women who diet before a holiday aim to lose an average of more than half a stone in weight, according to a survey.

As many as 67% of women polled said they went on diets before taking a break, the survey by travel agent www.sunshine.co.uk found.

The average amount they aimed to lose was 8lb, with only 9% of the 1,614 females polled saying they did not take any steps to improve or change their appearance before a break.

The poll, involving women over 21 who had been on holiday in the last two years, found 48% had used a fake tan or a sunbed before going away.

Also, 39% had their hair cut or dyed, 24% went in for waxing and 22% had a manicure.

Those who went in for pre-holiday preparations of this kind spent an average of £162 on treatments, the poll found.

Sunshine.co.uk co-founder Chris Brown said: "I was quite surprised that around two-thirds diet before going away. After all, holidays are all about indulgence and you normally put a bit of weight on during your break anyway.

"With this in mind, it could be argued that the dieting is probably best left until after the holiday.

"Getting bronzed and beautified is obviously a very important part of the pre-holiday process for women to feel confident before they get away, and the fact only 9% said they didn't do anything at all before they went away just goes further to strengthen this point."

http://www.sunshine.co.uk(sunshine.co.uk/)

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/most-women-diet-holiday-031334943.html

LFC scoops tourism award..

Liverpool Football Club's Stadium Tours and Museum are celebrating having picked up the Best Large Visitor Attraction title at The Merseyside Partnership Annual Tourism Awards 2011.

The Club's fun and interactive stadium tours have trained guides and LFC football legends who provide fascinating insights into Anfield's celebrated past and takes in rarely seen areas of the stadium. LFC also offers a number of award-winning visitor days that provide a complete Anfield experience suitable for all the family and even allow the 'big kids' to train and play with hand-picked LFC legends. Visitors to Anfield follow in the footsteps of Shankly, Paisley and Dalglish, sit in the same dressing room as Gerrard, Suarez and Carragher and walk down the famous tunnel to emerge to the roar of the Anfield faithful.

The Club's family themed Boot Room restaurant opened last year and welcomes visitors to Anfield with quality, freshly prepared food with unique twists that add a little theatre to the dining experience.

Tom Cassidy, Commercial Tourism Manager at Liverpool Football Club, said: "We are delighted to be recognised with this prestigious award as we've taken a very different approach to the football club as a visitor attraction. Families from all over the world visit us every year and we are determined to continue making improvements and ensure they have an enjoyable experience when visiting Anfield."

The Large Visitor Attraction category was made up of seven finalists, and LFC beat off stiff competition from Albert Dock, Merseyside Maritime Museum, The Beatles Story, Knowsley Safari Park, Spaceport and Mersey Ferries to win the award.

TMP Chief Executive Lorraine Rogers added: "The Annual Tourism Awards event is an opportunity for all of the key organisations in the visitor economy to get together and celebrate the very significant collective progress and success that has been achieved. The winners of the awards go on to represent the city region at a national level and can help attract greater profile for the whole destination by being the best in their category."

Liverpool Football Club will now go forward to represent Liverpool City Region in the Large Visitor Attraction category of the Enjoy England Awards for Excellence next year.

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/latest-news/lfc-scoops-tourism-award

Sunderland's Jordan Henderson shows Liverpool's investment in future....

Liverpool's deal for the Sunderland midfielder, whether for £16m or £20m, shows they are serious about rebuilding

There is no truth in the rumour that Antony Gormley has been commissioned to design a second Angel of the North, to honour the Liverpool director of football Damien Comolli's services to industry in the north-east. Or that the project has been delayed while the sculptor demands a £20m premium, for being English. Such sarcasm is drawn to Liverpool's recent spending. Their willingness to pay unrealistic transfer fees, however, shows where they stand as a club.

A potential £55m has been invested in less than six months to bring Andy Carroll and Jordan Henderson from Newcastle and Sunderland. These are two players of immense promise who, in terms of top-level performance in the Premier League, have produced one full season between them. So much for the end of expensive gambles and the start of unearthing hidden gems under Comolli and the club's new owner, Fenway Sports Group.

Henderson underwent a medical and discussed personal terms on Merseyside on Wednesday before the conclusion of a transfer package that will be worth £20m, according to Sunderland. Liverpool claim they are committed to spending £16m on the once-capped England midfielder, whether or not the French forward David Ngog becomes a makeweight in the deal. What is indisputable is that the fee was one that the Sunderland chairman, Niall Quinn, and manager, Steve Bruce, felt they could not reject.

"Jordan is a credit to himself, his family and Sunderland's academy and everyone here wishes him the very best for the future," Quinn said in a statement that was in keeping with the distinct lack of acrimony over the transfer. "I'm pleased that we got the deal to a level that we felt was right for our club."

The fee was one that Manchester United, Henderson's suitors when a fine start to the season earned him a place in the England team against France in November, were not prepared to pay. But Liverpool had to, as United have demonstrated by beating them to the signature of two of Kenny Dalglish and Comolli's other targets, Phil Jones and, probably, Ashley Young.

Liverpool do not have Champions League football to offer to what is a limited pool of FSG's preferred targets – young, emerging, British players. They cannot provide overwhelming evidence that a Premier League winner's medal is achievable at Anfield.

They can offer good money, as free-transfer arrivals such as Joe Cole (who earns £100,000 a week) and Milan Jovanovic (£120,000 a week) can testify, but Liverpool do not have their pick at the top end of the transfer market and their capacity therein pales in comparison to United's. As Sir Alex Ferguson said recently, it was Liverpool's time in the 1980s and it is United's time now, and that statement applies to transfers as well as trophies. Jones, Blackburn's commanding centre-half, and Young, the Aston Villa forward, who both had the option of Anfield, look set to confirm Ferguson's point.

FSG has a clear strategy for Liverpool's future but it is in no position to bide its time or haggle over fees and wages when talent becomes available. Prevaricating has damaged the club too often in recent years; a point that Rafael Benítez, the former manager who had lined up deals for Nemanja Vidic and Florent Malouda, only to see them join United and Chelsea for larger fees, often used against his employers.

At least, after the final, debt-ridden years of the Tom Hicks and George Gillett era, Liverpool are in a position to invest under FSG's ownership. It is far better to receive an England centre-forward and midfielder with at least a decade ahead of them for £55m than a note of thanks from the money-lenders.

In Henderson, Carroll and the Uruguayan striker Luis Suárez, who appears to be a sound investment at £22.8m after only a half a season at Anfield, Liverpool are showing other young players that they have a coherent policy of rebuilding and challenging for a return to the Champions League. Losing out on Jones and Young will be a setback but Dalglish has alternatives, such as the Birmingham City defender Scott Dann, Aston Villa's Stewart Downing, Connor Wickham of Ipswich Town and Charlie Adam of Blackpool, and Liverpool's owners have shown they are prepared to back him.

FSG is not prepared to harvest players with minimal return, however. Liverpool's central midfield looks overcrowded and that is without the club's interest in Adam being revived. Christian Poulsen has expressed a desire to stay on Merseyside (it is unlikely to be granted), and Juventus's £6m offer for Alberto Aquilani is not being taken seriously at this stage. Aquilani's agent, Franco Zavaglia, has denied that the £20m Italy international has been the subject of an approach from Milan. Liverpool will look to sell both players and many more this summer, as they make their fresh start under Dalglish.

It is a step forward that they can acquire £20m players without having to sell first.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2011/jun/08/sunderland-jordan-henderson-liverpool