With many young drivers’ car insurance policies, there may be a level of basic cover, but with a number of optional extras. Not every young driver will place importance on the same things, but the optional cover for the things mentioned below could prove invaluable.

• Breakdown cover

Typically, insurance quotes for young drivers won’t come with breakdown cover as standard. Given the cost of buying a reliable car, many new drivers choose older vehicles which are more prone to breakdowns.

If you’re planning to use your vehicle for longer journeys i.e. travelling to/from University to home, taking out optional breakdown cover on your young drivers insurance could prove useful.

• Gadget cover

In this digital age, more and more young drivers have electronic gadgets in their cars. If you take your mobile phone, laptop or MP3 player in your car, you might want this extra cover.

It doesn’t cover you if you leave your car with something lying out for potential thieves to see. However, if something is stolen from your glove box for example, you will be able to make a claim for its value.

• Key cover

Modern cars are more secure than ever so it could be worthwhile having key cover on your young drivers’ car insurance policy.

If you lose a key or it’s stolen, the costs can be considerable, especially if you have a programmable fob, rather than an old fashioned key.

Of course it’s not just young drivers who are prone to losing car keys, it can happen to anyone. Some key cover polices also include car hire costs if you have to wait a few days for your car to be usable again.

• Legal Expenses

For a small additional cost, having legal expenses cover on your young drivers’ insurance can give you peace of mind.

If you’re involved in an accident that wasn’t your fault and want to make a claim for expenses against the other party involved, legal expenses cover can help.

For example, if you are badly injured in an accident and have ongoing medical bills or/and have suffered a loss of earnings, having legal expenses cover on your young driver policy could help you make a claim. After all, why should you suffer if you’ve been hurt in a road accident that was someone else’s fault?

Author Bio: The Co-operative Insurance has a number of optional extras for young drivers’ car insurance policies. If you’re a young driver, make sure you have all the cover you need – visit http://www.co-operativeinsurance.co.uk/servlet/Satellite/1228203835143,CFSweb/Page/Insurance-Car for your quote today.

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There’s no denying that things are tough right now for graduates. Many are finding it hard to get the jobs they want or even placements that would give them valuable experience. However, all is not lost. If you are ‘hungry like the wolf’ and eager for a fulfilling and successful career, there are still some great new ways to go about achieving this.

Starting from 7^th-10^th November 2011, the vacancies website Total Jobs will be hosting GradU8. This is an online event that aims to bring together students, graduates and some top graduate recruitment employers. It offers a chance for young jobseekers to chat directly with some of the people in the know about issues relating to graduate recruitment – with some of the biggest names in the business exhibiting at GradU8, these are the people you really need to talk to if you want to get ahead.

Getting a career off the ground takes work and effort and, yes, a little bit of luck. You can help to boost your own luck, by making the most of opportunities such as GradU8. As well as being able to chat to graduate recruitment specialists, you’ll also be able to browse Total Jobs’ 7000+ graduate vacancies and even attend online seminars, hosted by a range of high quality exhibitors.

This is a great way to learn more about the graduate jobs market and how you can make your applications stand out from the crowd. What are these employers looking for? How can you go about getting the experience they want? How can you convince them that you’re the one they want? These are just some of the topics on the agenda at the upcoming GradU8 careers fair.

If you’re looking to get ahead in your career, you certainly shouldn’t miss out.

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Before you arrive

Research more than just the course before you arrive

Perusing your educational establishment’s website is a great way to prepare for your course as it offers vital information about the educational aspect of your trip. That said, learning about British culture is equally important and you should take time to discover more about the local area in which you plan to stay, as well as a little more generalised information about the quirky customs and foibles of the UK.

Work out your finances beforehand, once you know how much money you have available, you are going to need to work out a sustainable budget for the duration of your course. Running short of cash is one of the major causes of student stress; so working out a sustainable budget and sticking to it, is a great idea.

When you arrive in the UK

Remember your TV Licence

In the UK, the law regarding TV Licensing means that if you watch or record television programmes as they’re being shown on TV – online, on a TV, or on any device (even a laptop), you require to be covered with a TV Licence. You can pay for your TV Licence monthly, quarterly or annually. You can buy online, by phone or from one of 23,000 UK Paypoint outlets in convenience stores, newsagents, supermarkets and petrol stations. It’s important to get this sorted as soon as you know the address of your chosen accommodation. It is also worth remembering that if you move away at the end of the course, you can receive a refund for any unused quarter on your valid TV Licence.

Use modern technology to stay in touch with family back home, cheaply It is only natural for an international student to miss their family at times, but now you do not need to rack up expensive phone bills to stay in touch. Many students now opt to buy a laptop or personal computer to help them with their studies. This technology can be used with services from providers such as Skype, Rebtel and many others to keep in contact with friends and family at a fraction of the cost by making free PC-to-PC calls over the Internet.

Join a library

A great way to save money is to head down to the local library and become a member. Even if they do not have your specific book in stock, you can order books to be delivered and borrow them from the library completely free of charge, which is a great way to save money.

Become an active part of your university

It may be tempting to join university societies for international students and this is a great way to meet others in a similar position, but don’t limit yourself to this small group. Extend your horizons by becoming involved in other groups that interest you. Making friends with students from the UK, as well as from other parts of the world, will not only enrich your experience studying in the UK, but also strengthen your linguistic skills and your appreciation of others cultures which will help you greatly when settling in.

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Capital One have picked up on this and have launched a campaign aimed particularly at travellers and giving them hints and tips on how to save money while on their travels. They have videos on their websites for anyone to view which get the points across in a light hearted manner.

Their first tip is to always use cash to purchase your currency, and to do in the high street not at the airport. This saves you money in two ways; there will be no fee on your card for buying the currency and you will get a much better exchange rate. Another biggie to always inform your credit card company that you are going away Tell them where you are going, when, an also make sure they have an up to date contact number.

Check that the card you are intending to take with you is one intended for use abroad, this way you will save yourself a bundle of fees and charges. Foreign cash machines are another minefield as far as charges are concerned; you will get charged for every single withdrawal, so plan them carefully. One or two large ones will save you a lot of money on your next statement.

The sole of aim of the campaign is to make us aware of the different ways that we can get ripped off while on holiday, and the tips are all to help us become more savvy travellers as far as our money is concerned.

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Leeds Trinity University College is an independent higher education institution offering a wide range of subjects at undergraduate, postgraduate and foundation degree level. The institution became a University College in September 2009, following the granting by the Privy Council of Taught Degree Awarding Powers.

With around 3,000 students studying for full and part-time degrees Leeds Trinity retains a community atmosphere which provides a supportive and friendly environment to help people realise their full potential.

Deciding to go to university is a big decision, more so than ever with the proposed changes to fees and funding. But at Leeds Trinity we believe it’s important to think about the long-term benefits that higher education offers, and we’re very proud of the fact that 93% of our graduates go on to employment or further study within six months of graduation*. Most of our degree courses include professional work placements, and our well-established links with local business, industry and schools offer opportunities for you to gain relevant experience and get a head start in the job market.

Our highly-qualified and experienced teaching staff are passionate about their subjects, and committed to delivering a stimulating learning experience to enable you to reach your full potential. The quality of our university courses are consistently recognised by professional bodies, and students regularly give us a vote of confidence, giving us consistently good feedback in the National Student Survey. In 2010 we jumped 30 places in the rankings to top the second quartile of institutions.

Two of our 2009 graduates explain how their Leeds Trinity degree has led to career success.

Richie Anderson is now a broadcast journalist with the BBC. He says, “Immediately after graduating, I started my job with the BBC as a broadcast journalist for BBC Radio West Midlands in Birmingham. I love my job as it’s incredibly varied and fast-paced, and I’m using all the skills I learnt during my degree course. The teaching was very hands-on and challenging which means that when you go out into the world of journalism you have a good sense of editorial judgement. The skills I learnt in radio broadcasting, as well as the advice from my lecturer were a massive factor in me landing my job. She gave me the confidence to go out and get into the media during the recession.”

Primary school teacher, Laura Kirsten Taylor, says, “My Primary Education degree at Leeds Trinity gave me the academic knowledge I needed as well as extensive opportunities to practise and develop my teaching and interactive skills in the classroom as part of the course. As a result, upon graduation, I secured a permanent position as a teacher at a thriving primary school in Halifax. My experience here has been fantastic as it’s a large, multi-cultural school and I continue to build upon the great foundation that Leeds Trinity gave me to develop my professional skills. I would say if you want to become a school teacher, apply to Leeds Trinity!”

Leeds Trinity University College is an independent higher education institution offering foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in a range of subjects including Business, Education, Humanities, Journalism, Media, Psychology and Sport. Formerly Leeds Trinity & All Saints, the institution attained University College status in September 2009, following the granting by the Privy Council of Taught Degree Awarding Powers.

For more information visit: http://www.leedstrinity.ac.uk

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The simplest kind of credit, and one of the most popular is the bank overdraft. This allows you to spend money even if you have none in your account. An authorised overdraft will tell you how much you can spend up to and how it will be repaid. Fees and charges are normally applicable for this facility.

Courtesy of Capital One

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A managed bank account is a current account designed to take away much of the worry of managing your money. thinkbanking offer this kind of bank account. It is similar to other current accounts, only it is designed to help people avoid debt – and avoid the need to get into debt. Rather than an overdraft facility, it comes with a system designed to help ensure customers never miss essential bill payments, or receive unexpected bank charges.

You could get a UK student account with an overdraft, but you should consider whether you really need this credit and whether you will be able to pay that money back. Bear in mind that some overdrafts also charge interest.

thinkbanking charge a monthly fee, which can work out cheaper than unexpected bank charges, depending on how often you get them and how much they cost. (There’s a set-up cost of £25 then a monthly fee of £14.50 – or £30 and £19.50 for a joint account.)

Another major difference to a standard current account is that this bank account is split in two. A team of Money Managers ensure all essential bills (rent, utilities, etc.) are paid from the ‘Salaries’ account before transferring the rest to the ‘Card’ account, for worry-free spending. Students who would rather spend time studying, or at the Student Union, can take advantage of an account that is managed for them.

Online banking is another benefit, as well as SMS services such as updates and balance enquiries. The only criteria to open this current account are that you are over 18 and can prove your address. Overseas students who would like this UK current account will be approved on a case-by-case basis – generally it is necessary to be resident in the UK for 6 months out of every year.

According to the NUS, one in five students leave university because of reasons including debt . It’s a good idea to get into good habits and avoid debt with the help of a Money Manager, at a time when you’re probably more concerned about meeting people, meeting deadlines and perhaps juggling part-time work and the demands of your course.

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Over two thirds of the 10,000 teenagers surveyed by NatWest said that their money management skills have improved during the recession, suggesting that the lessons learnt from the downturn have affected younger as well as older members of society.

NatWest said the recession “has exposed many young people to ‘adult’ money issues”, with things like a tighter household budget increasing financial awareness in this age group.

However, the research also revealed some unrealistic expectations amongst teenagers. More than a third (38%) of those planning to go into higher education said they expect to owe up to £10,000 by the end of their education. In reality, the average is closer to £20,000, according to the bank.

Similarly, many teenagers have optimistic expectations for their future salary. The average expectation for a starting salary was £11,600, followed by £31,000 at age 25 and £51,800 at age 35. The reality, according to NatWest, is an average of £10,195, £20,962 and £28,933 respectively.

A spokesperson for the IVA Advisory Centre said:

“It’s hard for younger generations to have a good grasp of what their finances will be like in the future, so it’s no wonder that salary expectations are a little optimistic. What is encouraging, however, is that more young people are thinking about their finances, which will hopefully lead to responsible financial decisions in the future.

“Inevitably, some people will find themselves struggling at one point or another – and then it’s a matter of knowing when to get debt help. There is help available for all levels of debt, and it’s important that anyone having problems with their repayments seeks independent advice at the first sign of trouble.”

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