It is probably a symptom of the silly season, but there has been lots of analysis (or ‘analysis of analysis’) done in the last week. First of all, the THE reports that “money may not buy happiness” in the post-2012 HE sector. Why not? The results of last week’s National Student Survey (NSS) were analysed against the 2012 tuition fees that HEIs have announced. This shows that twelve of the universities that will be charging the maximum fee next year delivered below-average student satisfaction scores this year. It also showed that six Russell Group universities were in the bottom half of this new ranking, and the average score for the 1994 Group was higher (by a small margin) than the Russell Group average.

There is also a Value For Money table featured in the THE. This ha

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I hope that my town is inland enough to escape the worst of Hurricane Irene, but living near a canal increases the likelihood of flooding. I live in a second-floor apartment, so I don’t need to worry about a flooded basement. I believe I am stocked for the possibility of power loss, though I ventured out last night for some last-minute errands. The supermarket nearby was packed, and they had run out of many supplies like bottled water. No local store had water in stock last night, and I may go out this morning to see if stores have been restocked. I have water in my home but I figure it can’t hurt to have more.

Several gas stations were out of gasoline, so I needed to travel farther than usual to fill up. At

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TORONTO, Ontario – Travel Gay Canada (TGC) announced today the findings of their second research study of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans-identified (LGBT) travelers, showing a market size of $7 billion annually. An estimated market of 1.8 million gay, bisexual, lesbian and transgender travelers spent on average $1,131 per trip last year.

The gay and lesbian travel market has remained relatively untapped by many of Canada’s destinations and tourism-related businesses and, therefore, represents a lucrative opportunity. As more and more destinations outside of Canada begin to actively target this market, Canadian businesses and destinations need to act now to ensure it captures and maintains market share.

Although the actual size of the population that identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans-identified is unknown, it is estimated that in North America, it’s close to 30 million people (6-8% of the total population). The t

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USDA says that the average live price for 51-52% lean hogs in July was a record $71.65/cwt, up $13.40 (23%) compared to July 2010. Retail pork prices were lower in July. Last month, the average price of pork at retail was $3.466 per pound. That is 1.5 cents lower than in June and 1.8 cents lower than in May. Normally retail pork prices rise from May to June to July. July grocery store prices for pork were 28.1 cents higher than in July 2010, but June retail pork prices were 37.7 cents above a year earlier. This is not a good trend. Our demand calculations indicate domestic demand for pork is still above year-ago, but is not as strong as earlier in 2011. The pork cutout took a big drop this week. USDA’s Thursday afternoon calculated pork cutout value was $102.11/cwt, down $4.82 from the previous Thursday. L

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Some regulars on my Facebook page look forward with glee to my weekly Friday Facebook Funny. It all started in May 2010 and quickly grew into a tradition, so much so if I don’t write one now, complaints come in thick and fast – gluttons for punishment all.

The format’s always the same.  1. Make up or find a pun. 2. Turn it into a semi-plausible story that only reveals the pun at the end.

The jokes themselves are often overshadowed by many of the comments, some of whom miss the fact that it’s the Friday Funny ( the “(sorry)” at the end is the less than subtle clue) and comment on these bizarre events.

For those who aren’t on the page (just click like on the Martin Lewis Facebook page to join) I thought it time to publish the first ten from the early days last year.  Do let me know what you think, and any suggestions for more gratefully received (I must admit to an impending doom every Friday morning, after more than a year to try and come up with more) …

• Been discussing money education policy in prisons today. Was v. surpri

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Your peace of mind will be evaporated from your life if you have a lot of debt and facing financial crises. But that’s your problem that nobody will take your pain and you repay it on your behalf. The situation will become worse when the amount of the debt is to continue to increase with higher interest rates, charged by the credit card company. Such a situation is enough to make a tense and helpless.

Every problem has a solution and even with credit card debt. Debt Relief Program will support you in the consolidation loan payments in a single payment loan. Read all post…

Many individuals nowadays are looking into hiring a financial advisor, but what could the advisor do for you? There is actually quite a few of advantages of hiring a financial advisor. Firstly, you will achieve freedom in the sense of time. It is known that most people have many commitments, from family obligation to occupation, or even a romantic relationship, and there always seems to be not enough time in a day to get everything done.

Depending on how you manage your lifestyle and time, you may not have additional time to plan or even monitor your financial investments properly, or with confidence. By hiring a financial advisor, you are provided with financial security as well as more leisure time for rejuvenating activities- as you are no longer engulfed in planning your financials. Read all post…

If someone has an outstanding credit card debt they can not afford to pay, then there are several options. Borrowers can either let the debt go to collections, to negotiate a settlement with a lender or they can take a consolidation loan to pay their credit accounts in a faster way.

Debt consolidation services have eased the solution of the problem of bad loans, which was a real nightmare in the past. Many companies fraudulently acquired money from people on the promises they never fulfilled. Inability to make payments to credit card companies is the cause why bankruptcy seems the easiest way to many people. In fact, it’s a bad option, because it can ruin the credit history and enable them to acquire new loans from banks.

Most reputable debt consolidation companies should help you find you a route to avoid the potential bankruptcy. Read all post…