Student finance: five New Year spending resolutions

Between the Christmas spending spree and the wait for your student loan to appear, the New Year is a perfect time to make some financial resolutions, says David Ellis.
The New Year is a curious beast. While it leaves most buoyed with a renewed, temporary sense of purpose, for students the first days of January are characterised by two things: obsessive checking of the bank balance; and a feeling in the stomach like it’s attempting an escape through the mouth. Waiting for the student loan to appear and guiltily trying to forget that overspend (curses on that generous, present-giving streak you have) means many fall into an unauthorised overdraft – and brutal bank charges which can blight the next few months. David Ellis is editor of studentmoneysaver.co.uk. Read more...