Write to: Questions of Cash, The Independent, 191 Marsh Wall, London E14 9RS; cash independent.co.uk.. Royal Mail has now collected the item and redelivered correctly. All this with an urgent package after I paid to have my mail redirected SK, Wolverhampton.A. Halifax's cashier then admitted that she may have also cancelled the card on the old account, but couldn't find out for two days.Amazon and other online retailers then suspended supplies of books that were urgently needed for my daughter's university course because the cards were not valid.
It was only when we chased Halifax for her new card that it was found that no new card had been ordered by the bank's cashier My daughter was then charged for having gone overdrawn DM, Scunthorpe.A Halifax apologises. Not only were there administrative failings, but your daughter should not have been told her old card might have been cancelled and that it would take two days to find out whether it had been - this could have been investigated immediately.Halifax says that the bank charges related to the old account having gone overdrawn in July and were not a result of the problems with the opening of the new account.But it has refunded the charge of £1.13 as a gesture of goodwill. As a more substantial gesture, it has also credited your daughter's account with a sum of £50.The member of staff concerned is being referred for extra training.Q. I began a redirection service with Royal Mail from 4 September. But two days later, it made a special delivery to the old address.I called Royal Mail twice in the two weeks after delivery and made an online complaint. Royal Mail claimed it would collect the package from my old address and redeliver in the week beginning 18 September - but still nothing has happened. The manager advised her to transfer money to her old account as an interim measure so that she could have access to cash.
Q. My student daughter closed her old Halifax bank account to open a new account with the bank in August. But Halifax accidentally cancelled the debit card on her new account instead of her old one. Several of the bigger funds of hedge funds, including Goldman Sachs Dynamic, Man Alternative and Tapestry, were caught napping by the spectacular blow-up of Amaranth Advisors.Amaranth lost more than $6bn in September when its series of bets on future natural gas prices went badly awry.While the fund of hedge fund structure protects investors against the risk of losing their shirt when a single fund blows up, the fact that such experienced hedge fund managers failed to spot the risks in what Amaranth was doing suggests they are hardly earning their added layer of fees.jd intelligent-investor.co.uk. You can be sure many of the property funds being snapped up by hungry private investors will be a sore disappointment (and some may prove to be packs of cards without foundations).As for the case of funds of hedge funds, the jury there is still out. And many of the new trusts that have come to market in the past two to three years are not things that you would catch me owning: an AIM-listed Bulgarian property fund, launched at the top of the market, is not my idea of a sound investment. It seems to be evolving into a gateway to a variety of more specialist investment opportunities.That is one reason why the Association of Investment Trust Companies has recently changed its name to the Association of Investment Companies, so as to be able to include in its membership this new array of funds.Measured against the unit trust and Oeic industry, with £350bn in assets, these sums are still relatively small beer.
If you don't have this option, it is possible to form a community project - a local river might be a possible source of power. Your own hydro system can be set up on a standalone basis, or connected to the mains grid.What you'll need: At the very least, you'll need water. The energy it can generate will depend on how fast it flows and the height it flows at. A small system might be able to capture 50 per cent of this power, with the electricity then used for lighting, power and even heating. You will probably need planning consent.What it costs: The initial capital spend is likely to be high - around £4,000 for each kilowatt of power produced, although costs will vary hugely.
A typical domestic system could cost as much as £25,000.Payback: What you'll make back also varies hugely, but the more powerful systems could cover all your electricity needs. That would substantially reduce your carbon emissions, but there are other environmental issues to consider. A water turbine may be noisy and could affect the ecology of your water source.Five cheaper ways to cut your energy bills and save the environment* Insulate everywhere: Insulating is the most effective way of reducing the amount of heat your home loses. Potential saving: £80 a year (more if your power company offers grants towards the cost of insulation).* Boil carefully: Stop over-filling the kettle each time you make a cup of tea. Potential saving: £5 a year.* Drive efficiently: Turn the engine off if you are stationary for more than a minute, removeroof-racks and accessories, check tyre-pressures, and drive more smoothly. Potential saving: £120 a year.* Wash warmly: Reduce the energy used when doing the laundry by nearly half by turning the dial to 30C.