The World Cup is nearly upon us and perhaps will give us all a break from the doom and gloom of recent times. Having a good cup run may be exactly what we need to give us all a boost. Focussing on fun times and events does help to push bad things to the back of our mind and that's how life should be. But are there things we could be doing better to make our finances go further? We live in a climate of ever-increasing change, coalition governments, spending cuts and pay freezes. Entering an uncertain economic period where the old adage of ensuring you are 'making the most' of what you have has never been so important. Whilst juggling the family finances is therefore vital to keep on top of things it is often the case that inertia takes over. But in this new electronic world it has never been so easy to change your utility supplier or download discount meal vouchers and that ability to change and get good offers should extend to changing your bank or insurance provider if they are not delivering what you need.

I was recently with a client who had stayed loyal to the same bank for many years and had built up substantial funds in their cash ISAs. This loyalty had been rewarded by continually reducing their interest and in the last year they had received around 0.1% on their hard earned money. This is poor and easily beaten elsewhere. Your current bank, insurance, mortgage and investment products should be regularly stress tested to see if they are still fit for purpose and match your needs. People's lives change perhaps more so now than ever so any account or product should be regularly reviewed. Inertia can be overcome by taking each thing in turn just like a round in the World Cup. The end may seem far away and not worth the effort but who knows how far we can all go to improve things for the future.