Scott Adams, who wrote the Dilbert books in the U.S., once concocted a 9-point plan for sorting out your money, which he called, The Unified Theory of Everything Financial.

Here it is adapted for the UK market :

1. Make sure you have a will.

2. Pay off all your credit cards.

3. If you have a family to support, get term life insurance.

4. Ensure you fund your company pension to the maximum.

5. Buy a house.

6. Put £3000 in a tax-free Isa savings account each year. (£3000 is the current maximum).

7. Any money left over, invest 70 percent in a stock index tracking fund, and 30 percent in a bond fund through any discount broker/fund supermarket. Don’t touch it until retirement.

8. For special cases, or lack of expertise, hire a fee-based financial planner, not one who charges a percentage of your portfolio.

Good advice, so pass it on to anyone you think may need it.