Money & Legal Archive

THINK BEFORE YOU POST!

Posted on 09 February 2010 , under Money & Legal

Microsoft research shows that 71pc of Irish teenagers have been contacted by strangers online and 43pc have responded out of curiosity, which should be a cause for serious concern for parents, guardians and teachers. The figures were revealed today, on EU Internet Safety Day, by the Minister for Education and Science Batt O'Keeffe TD. Microsoft Ireland kicked off its campaign both in the Republic of

PATERNITY LEAVE CHANGES

Posted on 28 January 2010 , under Money & Legal

MORE TIME FOR BRITISH DADS: The British government is proposing to allow new fathers to take up to six months paternity leave. The change would make it easier for parents to share childcare responsibilities as it would allow couples to take up to 12 months leave between them. New mothers will effectively be able to transfer to their partner some of the 12 months' maternity

MONEY DOCTOR Q & A

Posted on 15 January 2010 , under Money & Legal

The Money Doctor answers your questions: Peter from Killarney asks... We have just had a baby boy and know we will shortly receive our monthly Child Benefit allowance. We would very much like to invest it for our child’s future? Congratulations! Also delighted to hear you wish to invest your monthly Child Benefit – reduced last month to €150. I can tell you that you’ll need it

CHILDCARE NEEDS DADS

Posted on 08 January 2010 , under Money & Legal

Children bring us all manner of emotions mostly, it has to be said, happiness and pride, and perhaps occasionally anger and sadness too. This is a sentiment universally expressed by mums and dads, regardless of their socio-economic group or family circumstances. Having a child is the ultimate achievement of humanity; it’s what allows us as individuals to live forever because children carry our genes,

VOUCHER RED TAPE

Posted on 16 December 2009 , under Money & Legal

I was given a present of a gift voucher. The voucher has a use-by date of six months, what if I can’t use it by then? Can I receive a refund? Regarding gift vouchers, it is very important to be fully aware of the terms & conditions entered into when purchasing as there is no specific legislation in this area. Sellers and service providers are within

FLOOD COVER

Posted on 11 December 2009 , under Money & Legal

The majority of insurance policies cover flooding, unless there is an ‘exclusion’ clause in the policy (if your area is identified as a risk area). Check the website www.floodmaps.ie – this site will advise you if there have been any previous incidents on record in your area. Also be aware that many insurers will have a comprehensive list of flood risk areas from their

TRANSFORM YOUR FINANCES

Posted on 23 November 2009 , under Money & Legal

A fool and his money, as the saying goes, are soon parted (although I prefer James Van Den Bosch’s quip that ‘a fool and his money are some party’), but fools aren’t the only ones afflicted this way. Many highly intelligent people find themselves with financial problems too. This is because your IQ has absolutely nothing to do with how well you manage your

STAFF FINANCIAL WORRIES

Posted on 11 November 2009 , under Money & Legal

Are your Employees Under-Performing Due to Financial Worries? Insomnia, irritability, depression, lack of concentration, poor performance at work, absenteeism – when someone is seriously worried about money the symptoms can be remarkably serious. And right now a growing number of your employees are likely to be worried about money. They may be in debt, afraid of losing their jobs, concerned about how they will be able

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REDUNDANCY NOTICE

Posted on 23 October 2009 , under Money & Legal

Our employer has given us two weeks’ notice of redundancy. Is this sufficient? If I leave before the agreed date, can I still claim my redundancy payment? The minimum notice required for redundancy is two weeks, and the maximum is eight weeks (if you have greater than fifteen years of service). Also, in the terms and conditions of your employment, the notice period may supersede

FOSTERING

Posted on 01 October 2009 , under Money & Legal

We are interested in fostering a child. What is the procedure and what are our rights in relation to the child regarding travel and responsibility? Fostering involves caring for someone else’s child in your own home. This may be either short-term or long term (this may be agreed in advance with the HSE). Foster parents may be single, married, widowed, or same-sex couples, with the