money
-
Free banking in the firing line as competition inquiry launchesCompetition and Markets Authority to embark on most detailed analysis of sector for a decade, looking into how banks treat small business and personal customers -
-
Private landlords to own £1tn of property by 2015Figures show sector worth three-and-a-half times more than 2001, with new pension rules likely to see more money flow in -
‘Crash for cash’ incidents hit all-time high, says AvivaInsurer says more than 50% of fraudulent motor injury claims are being made by organised gangs -
Compensation claims for flights delayed by technical problems start being paidEarly Christmas presents for some passengers after supreme court throws out two test cases against Thomson and Jet2 -
Cut pump prices, Danny Alexander urges petrol firmsMinister calls on petrol firms and supermarkets to combat the ‘rocket and feather effect’
-
Missed child maintenance payments will give you a credit black markGovernment says it will share information with credit reference agencies from March 2015
-
-
When it comes to insurance, loyalty only pays the providerI auto renew with Tesco but after going on to a comparison site I found an £83 cheaper quote ... from Tesco
-
More than one fifth of UK workers earn less than living wageBar staff and shop assistants among those most likely to live hand to mouth because of low pay, warns report
-
Sajid Javid brushes aside Theresa May’s fears over ending mobile black spotsCulture secretary says he could force firms to end ‘not-spots’ despite concerns it could make it harder to track terrorists
-
Holiday backpay ruling – what will it mean to you?A historic legal ruling says 5 million people could be eligible for backdated holiday pay, but don’t expect anything yet
-
Nationwide taps into hoped-for smartwatch fever with banking appBuilding society becomes first institution to offer app for smartwatches – but will demand be there?
-
Griff Rhys Jones: I may flee UK over Labour’s mansion taxTV star and owner of ‘gigantic’ house in London says he would face a ‘colossal tax aimed at foreigners’ if levy is introduced
-
I hate my job in finance but I can’t see any way outWork advice: I’ve been offered training to become an accountant, but I hate the industry and want to get out. I have a family to support
-
Should I increase my share of my shared-ownership flat?Property advice: I have saved £40,000 but am not sure whether to repay my mortgage, buy a bigger share or buy a property to let
-
Our consumer and work experts
Got a consumer affairs, property or work issue you just can't crack? Put your problem to our panel of experts
-
Petrol retailers urged to cut prices in line with falling oil costsDanny Alexander says consumers would be justifiably angry if pump prices are not reduced as much as they should be
-
Money talks: millionaire landlords evict families and ‘crash for cash’ incidentsPlus ruling means workers could be eligible for backdated holiday pay and where to get the best Christmas toy deals
-
Government rejects call for student loans reviewMPs requested system review after inquiry revealed ‘persistent miscalculation’ of money paid out in loans that will not be repaid
-
Can the stock market save millennials?‘Depression babies’ must not run away from investing in stocks because it is their safest long-term bet, says Patrick O’Shaughnessy, the author of Millennial Money
-
Kale or fracking? Farmers and corporations fight it out for waterIn California, fracking is taking the water that farmers need – and it’s no anomaly. There is a water conflict looming between industry and agriculture
-
Former Senator Olympia Snowe laments ineffective partisan CongressCongress needs to get back to work, says the former Maine Republican who has set up Olympia’s List to encourage candidates who can put partisanship behind them
-
Christmas top toys list includes first WiFi doll and miniature robotDream Toys list also predicts strong showing for film tie-ins, including Benny’s Spaceship from Lego Movie
-
You can bank on it, this PayPal alert email is a scamIt warned of a problem and then asked me to click the link
-
Protesting too much over tribunal ruling over holiday payFirms will have time to adapt to the ruling around higher holiday pay – just as they got used to a national minimum wage
-
US banks unite to identify hacking threats to global money pipelinesCybersecurity platform Soltra Edge follows hacking attack on JPMorgan Chase that exposed contact details of 73m households and 7m small businesses
-
Unite union: holiday pay ruling 'puts right a wrong' - video
Howard Beckett, the legal director for the Unite union, says an employment appeal tribunal ruling to include overtime in holiday pay will not open the floodgates to historic payments
expert advice
-
When it comes to insurance, loyalty only pays the providerI auto renew with Tesco but after going on to a comparison site I found an £83 cheaper quote ... from Tesco
-
-
You can bank on it, this PayPal alert email is a scamIt warned of a problem and then asked me to click the link
-
There’s nothing compared to getting a baby meerkat!We only used comparethemarket.com so my daughter could claim a free Oleg ... but it never arrived
-
Is the RAC maximising its profits or charging a reasonable rate? You decideIt stands accused of overcharging for batteries and trying to wriggle out of its ‘price promise’
-
-
New EE contract left me having to field a stranger’s callsBoth my original and my new EE number belonged to someone called ‘Denise’
-
EasyJet’s overbooking policy bumped wedding plansMy son couldn’t get on his easyJet flight to Malaga even though he had a boarding pass and seat number
-
Should I increase my share of my shared-ownership flat?Property advice: I have saved £40,000 but am not sure whether to repay my mortgage, buy a bigger share or buy a property to let
-
Alarm bells ring at cost of ADT’s daily call chargesI’m paying an extra £70 a year after ADT switched to a freephone number without letting me know
-
Budget booked a holiday hire car at a pick-up point that didn’t existIt confirmed by email the address in Budva, and Budget even gave us a map and telephone number
-
Relationship with the RAC went flat over the cost of a batteryI felt I was pressurised into buying an expensive replacement
-
Trying to get a refund from Kiddicare is far from child’s playEndless problems contacting Kiddicare when the chain was sold
-
I’m running out of energy just trying to go with the FlowIt’s been seven months since swapping Npower for Flow but I still can’t get an accurate final bill
-
Should we buy our first home or carry on renting?Property advice: We have a fairly small deposit of £15,000 property prices are going up quickly in the centre of Manchester, where we want to buy
-
What’s the score on Co-op’s lower credit limit?The bank tells me that by lowering my available credit it is improving my credit score. But is it correct?
-
EE won’t let me out of my contract – or accept watchdog’s rulingCISAS has ruled that EE should release me – but now says it’s powerless to enforce its decision
-
BT Openreach has kept me on holdReader lives just down the road from the exchange but has been waiting for a phone line since April
-
HolidayAutos and Sixt haven’t refunded all my damage excessI am struggling to get back money owed by car hire firm
-
MadBid comes in for a hammering as bidding credit soon disappearsReader wants a refund after ‘stupid mistake’ of trying to bid on online auction site MadBid.com
-
Travelodge deal turned out to be a costly mistake after website errorConsumer champions: I assumed the transaction had failed, and immediately re-booked. Then I found I had two booking confirmations
in pictures
-
Homes in the most family friendly spots in England and WalesWe looked for family homes from the top 10 places to live according to the 2014 Family Hotspots Report
-
-
These castle homes will let you lord it upFrom a turret in Trowbridge to a fort in France, these castle homes can be yours – if you’re prepared to put the work in
-
Stamp duty free homesFrom a seafront house in Sussex to a countryside retreat in Cumbria, these homes are all under £125,000
-
Houses ideal for entertaining – home and awayFrom a rock star’s retreat in Surrey to a Scottish shooting lodge, these properties will make you the host with the most
-
These houses with orchards could be the apple of your eyeIf you like big gardens with easy access to fruit – or making your own cider – these houses could be right up your street
-
Home and away: houses used for filmsFrom a Regency mansion in Brighton to a former brewery in Wandsworth, these homes are ready for their close-ups
-
Take the plunge with these clifftop housesIt’s only a short trip to the beach from these coastline properties. Vertigo sufferers should probably look elsewhere
-
Home and away: houses in national parksFrom a West Sussex cottage to an Arts and Craft house in the Lake District, you won’t have far to go for stunning views
-
Buildings by famous architects – in picturesSnooping around: From a four-bedroom house by Edwin Lutyens to William Burn’s turreted fantasy, these well-designed properties stand out from the rest
-
Home and away: medieval propertiesFrom King David of Scotland’s Northumbrian prison to a Carmarthenshire stopover for England’s warring Henry VII
-
On top of the world – penthouses in picturesFrom panoramas of Falmouth bay to a view of Newcastle’s famous bridges, here are some penthouse apartments from which to gaze down on your surroundings
-
Homes for first-time buyersGetting on the property ladder can be tough, but here are some options from Powys to Murcia that might not break the bank
-
Homes with great bathrooms – in picturesIf you find the bath is the centre of your existence, you may like some of these palaces (the attached houses aren’t too shabby either)
-
Home and away: art decoFrom the ‘aeroplane house’ in Newby to a revamped grand hotel offering flats on the French Riviera
-
Homes with a poolFrom Merrion in Pembrokeshire to a quirky cottage in Shropshire, it’s not too late to dive in before the end of summer
-
Homes with historyFrom the Magna Carta via Cardinal Wolsey to an assassinated French president, we find some homes for sale that have left their mark
-
A home on an Argyll loch and other propertiesFrom a Georgian townhouse in Lincolnshire and a cottage in the Cheshire countryside, to an entire boarding school up for auction
-
Property gallery: the call of open seasIf you are drawn to things maritime, here are some properties to delight the sailor in you
-
A slice of rural bliss in Devon and other homes
From an ancient longhouse with a spectacular thatch to a converted evangelical mission house in Winchester
work and careers
-
I hate my job in finance but I can’t see any way outWork advice: I’ve been offered training to become an accountant, but I hate the industry and want to get out. I have a family to support
-
Which A-levels would give my daughter the best start in life?Work advice: She has to choose what to take in the next month, is good at maths and enjoys studying both science and humanities
-
-
My job is burning me out and I don’t know what to doWork advice: I’m looking for another job, but in the meantime I’m not sure whether I should sign off sick as I doubt I’ll ever come back
-
I want to go part-time – should I dissolve my business partnership?Work advice: My business partner wants to continue full-time, but my contracts have dried up and I feel guilty he is working and I’m not
-
Should I tell my boss a colleague is stealing?Work advice: We are a not-for-profit organisation and one of the staff has used £50 of services
-
-
Employee benefits – do you have any right to keep them?In many cases, employers can withdraw ‘non-contractual’ benefits, but there are limited options available to you
-
I want to reapply for a job – but there’s bad blood with the companyWork advice: I was previously offered a job but mishandled the negotiations and the offer was withdrawn. Is it worth applying again?
-
I’m being forced to either take a lower wage – or redundancyWork advice: I’m in my mid-50s and have worked here for 20 years. My peers have struggled to find work after changing jobs. What do I do?
-
I want to work a four-day week when I qualify as a solicitorWork advice: I’m a trainee at a City law firm, but I wonder if I’m jeopardising my chances of being kept on by requesting this
-
Mental health problems still a workplace stigmaSurvey finds 40% have experienced problems and not told their employer – but if you have concerns you may have protection
-
Working closely with lawyers is making me want to become one myselfWork advice: I am worried training may be too expensive. Can I use my current position without jeopardising my employment?
-
I want to pursue my dream of being an artist, but how can I be secure?Work advice: I’ve begun to make money through selling my own work and wish I could find a day job that doesn’t require so much of me
-
Open-plan offices can be bad for your healthSurveys find that working cheek-by-jowl with your colleagues is bad for your productivity and well-being
-
Young workers should be aware of their rightsAcas issues new guidance on employment rules for young workers
-
'I promise not to derail the economy': would an oath make you trust bankers?
Stuart Heritage: A thinktank concerned about the behaviour of bankers proposes an oath to remind them of their ethical obligations. But will it work?
-
Writing no longer buys a champagne lifestyle
The time when an author or freelance journalist could earn well are long gone; but many are finding rewards in 'portfolio' careers
-
The new boss didn't like me so I left my job – but now I can't find another one
Work advice: Prosective employers contact my former company, which makes negative remarks. I'm not coping and feel depressed
-
Working up a sweat?If your working conditions are too hot for comfort, there are steps you can take
-
I'm stuck at the bottom of the ladder, although I was promised promotion
Work advice: I was told it would take two years to move up, but it's now three years on and I'm still doing the same job
-
Would Carlos Slim's three-day working week actually be workable?
Billionaire's brainwave would see employees work longer hours and fewer days for more years – but would they gain?
