Men 'better savers than women in 2006'

Men made better savers than women in 2006, according to a new report from Axa.

While men managed to save £15.25 billion last year, earning around £457.6 million in interest, women only managed to put away £9.9 billion for a rainy day.

With men outsaving women by 1.5 times, women only managed to earn £297 million in interest, losing £160.64 million compared to their male counterparts.

The average British saver managed to put £1,003.20 in a savings account in 2006, with men saving £1,206.50 and the average woman saving just £794.89.

Axa's Colin Nelson said that women were falling "some way behind" and that while saving £411 less a year didn't sound like much, after only five years the average woman's savings pot would be more than £2,000 smaller than a man's, not to mention the lost interest.

He advised: "Saving is a good habit to get into if you can afford it. This country's buy now, pay later attitude can't be sustained forever, so if you can save to buy you will be in a far better financial position in the long term."

London 'sees more motorbike commuters'

Motorcycles are becoming more popular with commuters in the city of London, a spokesperson from the British Motorcyclists' Federation (BMF) has claimed.

A combination of people not wanting to pay the congestion charge and endeavouring to make quicker progress in traffic has led to a "high density" of motorcycles in the capital, according to BMF media and public relations manager Jeff Stone.

Indeed, the rising use of this type of vehicle has meant that accidents have actually decreased, which could spell good news for riders' motorbike insurance premiums, he said.

Mr Stone commented: "Because of the increase of people using motorcycles and the decrease in people using cars, the accident rates have actually gone down in London."

This is because drivers of cars are becoming more aware of motorbikes and also because there are fewer commuters using cars since the congestion charge was introduced, he explained.

He added that statistics reveal "in the urban environment, 75 per cent of motorcycle accidents involve another vehicle".

Providers of motorbike insurance take this factor and others into account when determining premiums, Mr Stone remarked.

The BMF was formed in 1960.