What the experts say: HOW TO FINANCE OUR KIDS' FUTURE

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'HELP CHILDREN LEARN SMART MONEY BASICS, WITH SAVE SPEND & SHARE' (September 2009)

Does your child spend, spend, spend or do they save? Teaching children how to save and budget is fun and educational and will benefit them too as they become older. The Save, Spend and Share philosophy introduced by www.myeggnest.com is an excellent system to demonstrate to kids how to get the things they may want or need immediately and how to save for items they'd like to buy in the future. Using this method, you'll teach children good money management and more importantly how at the same time they can help others less fortunate than themselves.

It's so simple! Make it fun and accessible and you'll see how quickly children develop a basic understanding of good money habits. Just get three separate money boxes that you can label up, Save, Spend and Share. The Save box should be used for a longer term large item, like a snooker table. The Spend box could be used for something more immediate like a CD or a new football, something they can buy right now. The Share box is to encourage them to make charitable contributions for others less fortunate than themselves. Every year for example, Children in Need has shown that children love to get involved in charitable events and it demonstrates how relatively young children can learn compassion and reach out to others.

www.myeggnest.com suggests giving children an amount to start with and teaching them how to divide the money up between the three boxes. Saving in this way will connect children's hopes and dreams with conscientious decision-making and financial values. Take a look at 'Teaching your child the value of money' www.myeggnest.com for further ideas on how to cultivate a generation that is generous, responsible and compassionate to others.

Using the practical method of Save, Spend and Share www.myeggnest.com has teamed up with several companies who over the next few months will be running some joint promotions to show that kids can balance saving and spending in a fun and enjoyable way. Starting with www.myeggnest.com there's a chance to win money boxes from www.freyadesign.co.uk.

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'PARENTS SHARE SECOND CHILD TRUST FUND WINDFALL' (September 2009)

The first parents who opened Child Trust Funds are set to share a second £150million windfall when their children turn seven in a few weeks' time. About 600,000 children will reach that milestone soon, with the money being paid directly into their CTF fund.

The Child Trust Fund (CTF) was officially launched in April 2005 giving all babies born in the UK a free £250 voucher from the government for investment. With an additional £250 contribution when the child turned seven. There are three types of CTF account. Investment and stakeholder CTFs put the money in stocks and shares, while ordinary savings accounts are for cash deposits. All CTF savings are tax-free and cannot be accessed until the child is 18, at which point the fund is theirs to keep.

'After seven years many children will now have a sizeable nest-egg,' says Joe Luong of Joe Luong of www.myeggnest.com, the independent children's savings website, 'Now is a really good time for parents to check the performance of their CTF and, if it's not performing brilliantly, think about making a switch. Providers usually send out an annual statement so it's easy to see how well the fund is doing. You're of course free to move the cash around and certainly don't have to stay with the same provider you started with.' At a time when parents are facing economic challenges, Steve Weisner, Senior Independent Financial Advisor at Radcliffe and Newlands added 'Parents should certainly take advantage of this important initiative but it will not be enough in itself. They should also consider topping up the child trust fund to the annual maximum to give their children the best start in life." CTF's can be topped up each year by £1,200 which will grow tax-free.

As Child Trust Funds www.myeggnest.com approach their seventh anniversary, new figures released by HM Revenue & Customs show that there are now 4.4 million accounts in place. The continued enthusiasm of parents through the recession has been confirmed by Trust Fund provider, The Children's Mutual, who saw a 16% rise in the number of new Child Trust Funds opened in 2008 compared with the previous year.

MyEggNest.com is a great resource for parents, providing full information on CTFs and other children's savings accounts. Whether you already have a CTF and want to monitor its performance, top it up, or start a new one for another child, it's a great place to research the market. The site includes performance comparison tables and parent's reviews which can help you make an informed decision about where to put your child's money.

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'HEALTH IN PREGNANCY GRANT' (May 2009)

From this month onwards 64,000 expectant women per month will be eligible to benefit from a new, one-off, tax-free payment being introduced by the Government as part of its ongoing plans to improve the well-being of mums and their children.

This Health in Pregnancy Grant of £190 will encourage pregnant women to improve their fitness levels and stay healthy in their final weeks before delivery. To be eligible for the £190 Health and Pregnancy Grant, they need to visit their midwife or doctor to obtain a claim form which when completed should be sent to HM Revenue and Customs who will make the £190 deposit into a nominated account. Forms have to be returned within 31 days to be eligible. This single requirement is designed to encourage even those small numbers of women who wouldn't ordinarily seek final health advice prior to birth, to do so.

Joe Luong of www.myeggnest.com says, 'The good news is that the money can be spent on anything at all! All pregnant women are eligible for the grant. They just need to make an antenatal appointment with their doctor or midwife as soon as possible after the 25th week of pregnancy. This way they'll get the claim form completed, which means they will they be £190 better off and they'll be rest assured that they've had their final health check prior to birth.

Health in Pregnancy Grant - Who is eligible?

In order to qualify for the Health in Pregnancy Grant, you must be at least 25 weeks pregnant and the baby's due date must be on or after 6th April 2009. A further condition of the grant stipulates that you have been provided with professional health advice from either a midwife or a doctor - this is simply to reinforce the scheme's raison d'etre, which is to aid the health and wellbeing of both you and your unborn child.

To qualify, you must also be "present, 'ordinarily resident' and have a 'right to reside' in the UK". In respect to 'ordinarily resident', this is wholly dependent on the circumstances of each individual case but in general terms it will usually require that your main home is in the UK. Precisely what constitutes the 'main home' is open to further interpretation, but it is contended that you ought to reside in the UK permanently.

Health in Pregnancy Grant - How much is the Health in Pregnancy Grant?

The Health in Pregnancy Grant provides a one-off payment of £190 per pregnancy - so, if you have twins, triplets or more are expected, the grant will still only pay out £190. Nevertheless, the grant is made irrespective of financial circumstances so all eligible claimants receive the same amount. Furthermore, it is paid in addition to any other benefits received, such as Child Benefit, Child Trust Funds and Child or Working Tax Credits.

For reasons of financial security, the grant will be paid directly into your (the expectant mother's) bank or building society account. The account nominated on the Health in Pregnancy Grant claim form must be in your or your appointee's name. The £190 one-off payment will not be made by any alternative arrangement, so you must ensure that a valid bank or building society account has been set up to receive the grant.

Health in Pregnancy Grant - When does it Start?

April 2009 is the earliest time for payment of claims made between January and March 2009, and if by May, you haven't heard from them, you can start chasing up missing payments.

Health in Pregnancy Grant - How do I Claim?

Once it is determined that you qualify for the Health in Pregnancy Grant, a claim must be made for the grant. To do this, a claim form should be filled out as soon as you are 25 weeks pregnant. As any mother will be aware, it is not always possible to keep track of matters like this whilst pregnant. Therefore, the Government has introduced a confidential reminder service to which you can sign up. If you choose to use this service, a reminder will be sent to her via e-mail or text when you reach week 25 to fill out the claim form.

Health in Pregnancy Grant claim forms are available at ante-natal appointments on or after the 25th week of pregnancy and are provided by a midwife or doctor. Alternatively, a claim form can be obtained by calling the Health in Pregnancy Grant Helpline on 0845 366 7885, which can also assist with sending larger print claim forms. Applicants working overseas should call 0292 050 1178 for further guidance.

Health in Pregnancy Grant - Important Information

After you have completed the claim form, you must ensure that the midwife or doctor looking after you fills in the necessary boxes and signs the form. Crucially, you must then ensure that the claim is received by the Health in Pregnancy Grant office within 31 days of the midwife or doctor signing the form. Failure to do this may result in you losing out on your entitlement to the grant, so it is advised that all details are completed and sent off as soon as possible.

Health in Pregnancy Grant - Contacting the Helpline

If you experience any problems in completing the claim form, you should call the Health in Pregnancy Grant Helpline on 0845 366 7885 (or ++44 292 050 1178 if you live outside of the UK) for guidance as soon as possible. Lines are open between 8am and 8pm seven days a week, except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. Once all relevant parts of the form have been completed and the declaration is signed, it should be sent to the following address:

HM Revenue & Customs Health in Pregnancy Grant - Comben House - Farriers Way - Liverpool - L75 1AX - Website : http://www.campaigns.direct.gov.uk/money4mum2be/. Helpline on 0845 366 7885