Superannuation is a method of financially preparing yourself for your retirement Both yourself and your employer can contribute to it over time and this money is then invested into a variety of appropriate investments such as shares, property, savings accounts and government bonds

It is difficult to know where to put your money these days to get the best returns, especially with the way the economy has suffered over recent months, pushing the Bank of England to make a string of cuts to its Base rate which have in turn been passed on to savers rates With the Base rate now down to the lowest level ever recorded, rates on normal savings accounts have been slashed, which has limited our saving options

The government has announced that the nationalised lender Northern Rock is to resume lending in new mortgages with up to £14 billion by 2011 This will made made up from an expected £5 billion this year and a further £9 billion in 2010

Fixed Term bonds are savings accounts with a difference To start with, they are more of an investment than simply somewhere to save your cash, and like most investments, they come with an element of risk