Fraud accounts for more than 40% of all crime in England and Wales. On one Monday morning I was contacted by three different people wanting to steal my money.

All of us are vulnerable, especially if you are busy and start the week with hundreds of emails waiting for you.

Every day I hear from intelligent, competent people about the scammers who have tried to defraud them.

If you use email, telephones or social media the fraudsters find out very quickly when you are involved in a new business or activity.

We need to trust no one, secure our devices and beware of any generous offers.

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April is an expensive month. Water, energy, council tax, broadband and mobile bills all increase during the month. But it does not have to be a done deal. You can cut hundreds of pounds from your household budget and may actually be able to get a tax gift if you are one of the two million eligible couples who have not claimed the marriage allowance. It can be worth more than a thousand pounds.

Water bills are going up but about 40% of households can save money by opting for a water meter. If your home has more bedrooms than occupants a water meter is likely to be cheaper than if the water company estimates your bills.

Fixed price energy bills are once again likely to be cheaper than the price cap. Even the energy regulator recommends customers to go for a fix. It takes minutes to check out the market and apply for a better deal.

Look after your money. No one else will.

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It is time to make sure we are not being ripped off by banks and building societies. There is currently around £250 billion sitting in bank and building society accounts paying no interest according to the Bank of England. And the banks use this money to bolster their profits without suggesting to customers how they could be much better off.

Instant access savings accounts pay up to 4% currently and regular savings accounts pay more and help to give customers a savings habit.

A savings habit can start with one penny on day one and give you £667.95 by the end of year one.

Once a saver you can think about avoiding paying unnecessary tax and making sure you get the best deal on your money.

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