Britons are taking their finances into their own hands as they become fed-up with paying fees for advice or being pushed into poor-value products by financial salesmen.

The recession has helped to give birth to a nation of “new-age money managers”, keen to be financially literate and in control of their outgoings, according to research by Selftrade, the online stockbroker. The study shows that people have become far more self-reliant and are choosing to manage their own finances, possibly because the advice that they received before the recession has done little to protect them from the financial downturn.

In a separate survey, 52 per cent of customers questioned by Aviva, Britain’s biggest insurance company, said that they preferred to make their own financial decisions, using the internet for assistance. If you’re keen to take control of your finances, there are a variety of tools and websites that can help. Here are ten of the best that cover the whole gamut of personal finance, from household spending to investment.

1. All-rounder: Moneydance 2008

Awarded the accolade of best personal finance software by Which? magazine, Moneydance provides a complete overview, from bank accounts to investments. It includes details of the balance of your accounts, a net-worth figure taking into account income and expenses, and a calendar showing bills to pay.

However, there are drawbacks. It is tailored to the US market so products such as Isas are not mentioned and there is no UK tax help. It is also not possible to set up a direct link to your UK bank account enabling you to download transactions and make bill payments. However, it is possible to import data that has already been downloaded as an open financial exchange (OFX) file. Check with your bank to see if it allows links to OFX.

You can buy Moneydance using your credit card or PayPal for $39.99 (£25) and download a free trial to see if you like it at moneydance.com. A cheaper option is to buy this software from tescosoftware.com, where it is branded Tesco Personal Finance and costs £9.97.

2. Tax: Taxcalc

If you don’t want to employ an accountant but your tax affairs are too complex to handle without help, Taxcalc could provide an answer. Winner of numerous awards, it works out your tax rate and guides you through the steps you need to follow to fill in Revenue & Customs’ (HMRC) forms.

The TaxCalc Personal 6 software costs £24.50 so it is worth buying only if you are finding it difficult to navigate the HMRC’s online filing system. You see your tax liability as you move through the program, giving you an idea of where you can make savings in the future.

3. Consumer and legal rights: Advice Guide

The Citizens Advice Bureau’s website — adviceguide.org.uk — is full of excellent information about everything from your rights when you return goods to taking action if you are a victim of sex discrimination.

4. Foreign currency: Xe

The website xe.com lists exchange rates and has a converter so you can find out how many euros, dollars or even Iraq dinars your pound will buy. It uses mid-market rates; a little more than you’ll get when buying and a little less than you’ll get when selling.

5. Mortgages: Moneyfacts

A growing number of brokers have websites that include up-to-date information about mortgage deals but don’t always provide the complete picture. Some lenders, such as HSBC, and First Direct, do not offer deals through brokers, so these are unlikely to appear in their online selections.

However, one site that provides a complete picture of what’s on offer is Moneyfacts.co.uk. Its best-buy tables list the cheapest loans — by interest rates — on the market. The website also offers a mortgage search to finesse the hunt according to your circumstances.

The site makes money each time someone fills in a lead form and submits this to a mortgage company and from paid-for adverts. However, Moneyfacts says that this does not affect its impartiality, which means that it can list every deal on the market. It is also good for savings rates.

6. Property and house prices: Zoopla

Websites such as rightmove.co.uk and propertyfinder.com have made it possible to search the country for properties from the comfort of your home. Zoopla.co.uk does the same, but has one other addictive feature, a tool that estimates how much properties are worth. It may not be completely accurate but it is a great way to check what your own house or flat might fetch — and that of your neighbours, families, friends, enemies, etc.

7. Retirement: Burrowscummins

Choosing an annuity, which provides an income in retirement, is one of the biggest financial decisions most of us make, so it makes sense to be well informed. Lots of websites provide annuity advice, including annuitydirect.co.uk (which provides Times Money’s best-buy tables) and www.h-l.co.uk/pensions. The City regulator, the Financial Services Authority (FSA), also has annuity comparison tables at fsa.gov.uk. However, one of the clearest and most comprehensive is burrowscummins.co.uk.

8. Unit trusts: Hargreaves Landsdown

Packed with information about hundreds of funds, including performance charts, portfolio breakdowns, charges and commentary on the most popular funds. Go to h-l.co.uk/funds.

9. Stock market investment: ShareScope

Anyone who has dabbled in the markets will know that keeping up to date with the latest news and prices is a must.

ShareScope (sharescope.co.uk) has everything that most investors will need: share prices, company financial data, as well as tools to make charts, calculate tax and track investment portfolios. It is not cheap, but it was voted best investment software by readers of Investors Chronicle and Shares magazines. All customers pay a one-off joining fee of £79.95.

The basic package ShareScope Gold, which costs an extra £170 a year, updates UK-listed stock prices daily.

The more advanced ShareScope Plus, at £340 a year, offers 15-minute delayed prices for UK and Nasdaq stocks. The top of the range is ShareScope Pro. For £990 a year you get live prices for UK and US markets and a Dow Jones news service.

10. Advice: Unbiased

If you discover that managing your money is harder than you thought, the easiest way to find an independent financial adviser is to log on to unbiased.co.uk.

It allows you to search by postcode, subject type, IFA qualifications and payment type — fees or commission. It also lists mortgage brokers, solicitors and accountants.