Consumers are borrowing more money, new figures have indicated.

When it comes to getting the equity out of your home, one of the best tools available may be the home equity line of credit (HELOC). While not for everybody, it can provide you with the equity in your home, access to cash, and a way to choose how much money you use. Not every HELOC plan, however, is equal.

In the run-up to Christmas, cash registers across the country will be ringing as millions of consumers head to the streets and on to the internet to find the perfect Christmas presents for their friends and family.

The publication of a new set of figures has uncovered an increase in the number of Britons becoming insolvent.

Perhaps, you're brother need someone to co-sign for a car loan, or your friend needs you to help him to get a loan for a new business venture. Either way, you find yourself with a serious decision to make: Do you co-sign a loan or not?

As people are more likely to move home during the summer months, taking out a competitively priced secured loan and planning spending wisely has been recommended.

Despite being ranked to the contrary, residents in Dorchester are still struggling to handle their finances, an industry expert from the town has reported. According to Anne Bowen, manager for the Dorset town's Citizens Advice branch, consumers living in the area have problems repaying the millions of pounds they owe via personal loans, credit cards, overdrafts and other forms of borrowing.

An increasing number of people are set to turn to equity release as a means of managing their debts, new figures show.

Now could be the time that many people are looking to get to grips with their spending, it has been suggested.

When a minority of the population receive a new credit card, they often seem to view it as some sort of challenge. If a new card arrives that has a 5,000 spending limit, there seems to be an assumption that they have been given 5,000 to spend as they wish as quickly as possible.