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Are you feeling the strain because of the failing economy? Do you struggle to make ends meet each month? But are you adamant you need your annual holiday, just to get away from things?

Over the autumn/winter, one third of Brits are likely to be taking some sort of holiday, collectively spending £8bn. But, as we read in the news of airlines going bust left, right and centre, Abbey are recommending that people protect themselves and pay for their winter breaks on their credit cards.

This method offers immediate protection in case something goes wrong with the airline and can offer more financial security than other payment options.

Also bear in mind any charges that may be incurred by using the credit card abroad. Some cards don't incur these charges, and are well worth a look at.

A house, valued at £11m, has been repossessed in London - one of the most expensive repossessions in history.
The 6 bedroom home belonged to a financier, who became wealthy for setting up Scoot.com in the 1990s. But, after the company collapsed a few years later, and a fine for £290,000 from the FSA in 2004, the entrepreneur began to struggle.

This development just goes to show that shortfalls can happen to the well-off as well.

Tesco health insurance have launched a new plan, for children. Unlike most plans, which cover children as part of an adult policy, the new Tesco plan is available just for kids - parents don't have to insure themselves to benefit from the cover.

The policy offers access to a professional for consultations, tests and diagnosis and private treatment if a child has to go to hospital for an operation or procedure that can't be treated within six weeks on the NHS.

It's nice to know that there is a policy out there which will secure the health of your child, without the need to insure yourselves.

The UK government has today released plans to introduce the slop bucket - the weekly collection of waste food throughout the UK. So, not only have some local councils taken away weekly rubbish collections, they now expect us to live for a week at a time, accumulating waste food in a giant bucket.

A trial of the system cost £1.6m, and now, the authorities have declared that the whole of the UK should introduce these slop buckets to their kitchens. Those who still have the weekly rubbish collections aren't too keen on the idea... it's been noted that many homes reported an increase in vermin after the introduction.

Local authorites have already said that they will need new equipment for the slop bucket collection, which will cost tens, if not hundreds, of millions of pounds - £10 increase in council tax will pay for that... Surely it would be more cost effective to return to the weekly rubbish collections?

It seems people are racking up higher amounts of debt before thinking about IVAs. In August, the average amount of debt accrued by people before they sought aid was £47,000, compared with £35,750 in June and £32,750 in May.

Organisations such as the Citizens Advice Bureau and the CML have advised people to talk to relevant companies as soon as possible about managing their debt, and the solutions that are available to them.

A study by Sainsbury's home insurance has shown that students who have decided to live away from their parent's home are likely not to be covered by their family's home insurance policies. UCAS has revealed that the research showed 25% of home  insurance policies don't cover students while they are away from home, leaving thousands unprotected.

Check the policy before the students move away. Some insurance policies do cover them, so there's no point shedding out for a new one. Insurance is essential for students, as they are prime targets for theft. Many of their homes are left unoccupied for long periods of time during the day, and over vacations, and thieves watch for this.

The number of women in senior posts in politics, the law and the media has dropped compared with last year according to a report by Equality and Human Rights. They said that in 12 of 25 job catergories it studied, there were fewer women holding the top jobs.

Women's representation has however increased in eight areas, including company directors and the civil service.

According to the findings, there are now fewer MPs, cabinet members, national newspaper editors, senior police officers and judges, NHS executives, trade union leaders and heads of professional bodies, compared with 2007.

It blamed Britain's business culture of longer working hours and inflexible working practices for the news, by discouraging women who want to both work and have a family.