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.

What are the best strategies for saving money on mortgages? Here Seymore Hennigan gives us the lowdown.

We all like to save money. Why pay more for something, when you can pay less? We could all use an extra few dollars in our pockets, couldn’t we? Most people don’t realize that there are a number of ways to save money on their mortgage. If you were to take out a mortgage on a 25 year term, chances are that by the time you repay the entire loan you will have paid the bank double the amount you borrowed. And you wonder how the banks are making record profits?

One of the best ways to save money on your mortgage is to put down the biggest down payment you possibly can. This way, the initial amount you are borrowing from the bank is lower and the interest you are paying back will be less than if you borrowed a larger amount. Most of us do not have tens of thousands of dollars sitting around. If possible, why not consider borrowing your down payment from a family member? The banks are not particularly keen on this practice, but if someone in your family can afford to loan you the money without interest it can be very helpful in the long run.

Another thing to consider, once you have been approved for a mortgage, is your repayment frequency. Most people opt for a simple monthly payment. There are other ways, however, to approach this. Why not increase the rate of repayment? If you can manage making a mortgage payment either weekly or bi-weekly, you will save thousands of dollars over the term of your mortgage. Many banks will also allow you to make an annual lump sum payment on the principle of your mortgage. It is wise to take advantage of this opportunity, as you are paying directly on the principle amount of your loan.

For most people, purchasing a home is the single greatest investment they make in their lifetime. Owning a home provides stability for your family, and in time you will have a significant amount of equity tied up. Buying a house can be considered an investment, and you should look at ways to maximize your investment. There are ways to save money on your mortgage, and you would be wise to consider all of your options. Wouldn’t you rather make your money work for you, than to always work for your money? Short term compromises can lead to long term savings. Think ahead!

Our guest author, Seymore Hennigan, has worked in finance for many years. When he is not crunching numbers or advising his family and friends on investments, he writes freelance articles for mortgageguide101.com – an independent mortgage guide filled with extensive information about buying a new home - http://www.mortgageguide101.com/buying-a-house.aspx, home buying tips - http://www.mortgageguide101.com/articles/when-you-shouldn’t-buy-a-house.aspx, first time home buying - http://www.mortgageguide101.com/first-time-home-buyers.aspx and more.

The Money Blog has no financial connection with the above websites and businesses.

When signing up to a franchise deal, there are a few details you should get clear first:

1. Make sure your contract mentions the period of the agreement. This is often five years, but it can vary. It should also specify a renewal option. Check any small print in the renewal terms in case they involve much greater expense or other prohibitions.

2. Nail down the exact location you’re getting and your rights to exclusivity within it.

3. All fees and costs, plus calculation formulas, should be presented to you. You also need to know if you can sell the business on for a profit.

4. A clause specifying that you can leave the business to next of kin in the event of your decease is also important, if a little gruesome to the squeamish.

5. Costs of training of you and your staff should be met from the fees you pay to the franchisor. Hidden costs for training can be large and sometimes disabling.

6. If you think you know enough to set up on your own after a few years, talk to the franchisor. Enlightened businesses will provide opportunities for you to expand with greater input to the business as a whole.

Above all, make sure you are aware of all the subtleties of the business before signing away your cash.

If you are buying an existing business as a way to avoid the uncertainties of the startup phase, you’ll need to do “due diligence” on it before committing yourself and your investors to the deal. So, what is due diligence?

Essentially it’s the process of going through the books, examining current trading information, details of investment plans, commitments and liabilities. It should give an indication of any flaws in the setup, any skeletons in the cupboard.

For a listed company, it can ensure that shareholders receive the highest price and set off an auction process. It is disruptive to the target company which has no certainty that anything at all will come of the process.

Most companies like to keep closed books so that sensitive information doesn’t fall into the hands of rival firms who may just be fishing for confidential data.

The system isn’t foolproof either, in that investigating lawyers and accountants can run up huge bills without guarantee of accuracy.

Additionally, in the new world order, after Enron, we know that some companies have kept a second, secret set of accounts.

But for buying small-to-medium businesses, it would be unthinkable to go ahead without some form of due diligence, if only by the prospective buyers themselves.