There is no reason why you should automatically renew your cover with the same insurer; you may well find a better deal if you do some research and check what else is available.Researching the market shouldn't be a problem, particularly if you have access to the internet. The Consumers' Association is running a "Switch with Which?" campaign to encourage customers to make the move. For more details of the process, and to see whether there is a current account offering a better deal for you, go to around for insurance Insurance premiums seem to rise every year but you can bring down the cost by shopping around for cover. Citibank Direct pays this rate, for example, as long as you earn at least £15,000 a year (your salary doesn't have to be paid into the account).It is easier than ever to switch accounts: your new bank will transfer direct debits and standing orders for you. But it is possible to get 3.5 per cent gross interest on your current account if you switch. Each person can save up to £3,000 this tax year (up to 5 April) in a mini cash ISA.Switch current accounts More than 70 per cent of us still bank with one of the "big four" - Barclays, Royal Bank of Scotland/NatWest, HSBC and Lloyds TSB - even though most of us get just 0.1 per cent interest on current account balances, and all of the big four except HSBC charge extortionate overdraft rates.

As a general rule, three months' salary saved in an instant-access account paying the best rate of interest you can find should be enough. There isn't much point keeping more than this on deposit as you'll get better returns elsewhere.In addition to ING Direct's 4.3 per cent, Citibank is paying 4.18 per cent gross on balances of £1 on its instant-access account, while Alliance & Leicester is paying 4.1 per cent.But a better option would be to put the money into an instant-access mini cash individual savings account (ISAs), as interest on these is tax-free. There are no hard and fast rules as to how much this should be - it will vary according to personal circumstances. You might opt to extend your overdraft, shift everything on to a credit card with a low rate of interest, or take out a personal loan (see back page).Start saving Everyone needs a sum of money put by for a rainy day, to cover emergencies such as repairing the car or replacing the boiler, or to tide you over if you lose your job. How you go about consolidating will depend on personal preference, as well as on the size of your debts. Forget giving up smoking or joining the gym: your most important new year's resolutions should be of the financial kind.

Below and on the page opposite, we look at what you might want to consider during a financial wealth check, while our panel of experts review the finances of individual readers and suggest how they can be improved. Consolidate your debts Although you can be charged as little as 6 per cent for an unsecured loan of £1,000 from Northern Rock, if you've got debts to pay and £500 in a savings account, it's a false economy. Even if your savings are achieving the best rate of interest on the market - 4.3 per cent from ING Direct - you would be better off using this cash to reduce your debts, as interest on borrowings is higher than on savings.Consolidation is also useful because it lets you see clearly how much you owe, making it easier to start paying the money back. The company had gone into free-fall in 2002 after profits slumped, and the slide continued in 2003, with shares hitting a low of 33p. The prospect of takeover talks nudged the stock back up but the talks collapsed, the dividend was cut and the shares drifted for the rest of year.Young Jonas may have let the side down, but even with that entirely forgivable slip, the IoS portfolio would still have made you a profit - all but two of the stocks, Christian Salvesen and Scottish Power, outperformed the FTSE All-Share.