Due on Wednesday, the figures are expected to show a fall of almost 50,000 in the number out of work. Unemployment, as measured by the broad Labour Force Survey, could drop to 7.5 per cent say City economists, edging closer to the 7 per cent level at which the Bank has said it will consider raising interest rates from their current historic lows.
The latest spate of fraud aims not to sell new holiday timeshares but to sting existing owners. The industry is fighting back with the creation of the Timeshare Taskforce.
Ofgem has overhauled the charges paid by companies that use the National Grid, but critics say consumers face an extra £20 a year on the average bill as costs are passed on.
Millions of households face soaring insurance premiums as their homes are sucked into postcode blackspots – created by a new flood map highlighting properties at peril. The key feature of the new map unveiled by the Environment Agency last week is that it will, for the first time, show homes at risk of surface water flooding, instead of just from rivers or the sea. Insurers will be able to use this intelligence to reassess a home’s likelihood of being flooded and increase premiums.
The proposal would mean parents with three children, who would currently be entitled to child benefit because their annual income is less than £50,000, would lose out on £696 a year.
Cold callers have changed their tactics and are enticing pension holders with promises of cash if they switch their pension pots to other investments.
House prices in Britain's capital have soared by more than 40 per cent, while the cost of living in Wales, the Midlands and the north has plummeted.
A group representing more than 700 brewers has told the regulator that the advert is ‘extremely misleading’ in implying that drinking a glass of beer would give you cancer.
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TONY HETHERINGTON: 'Legal firm' steals award from furious top lawyer
Hulsmann & Miller said they could reclaim my investment if I would send a deposit of £1,500
MIDAS SHARE TIPS: Venture capital trust Albion offers pension boost and extra income
Albion Ventures has just launched a £15million fundraising.
'I got a free two-year extended warranty with my camera'
Why buying a long warranty is just a waste of money
SALLY HAMILTON: Share bargains will be tougher to find in 2014
When it comes to equities, there are some lessons to be learnt from what's gone before
'I'm living at home with my parents to try and save up enough money for a deposit'
How to make sure your mortgage is approved
Best investment trusts of 2013
Bold bet on China's gambling capital Macau tops the charts with an 85% return - and we tipped it last year!
Check your area on the interactive UK pay map
Women, Londoners and shelf fillers among the wage fall losers - but the Welsh have more luck.
Revealed: UK's 1,000 most exciting and inspirational companies
LSE survey of companies providing the fresh ideas that could underpin Britain's growth prospects.
'Savers have heads in sand when it comes to rates'
We're more likely to switch energy or broadband than find better savings, says research.
'I'm a Celebrity' fans duped into thinking they had voted
Scammers registered bogus premium lines with one digit wrong.
'The small print on our cruise booking says we have to pay $12 a day for tips'
Is it legal? The experts step in
Pay for UK professionals is second from bottom in European league
Only Portugal has lower salaries.
Venture capital can sound rather frightening. It involves financing small firms that are often involved in riskier sectors of the market. Their future is unpredictable and they can collapse completely. Albion Ventures tries to reduce the risks and boost returns, providing investors with a steady stream of dividends, significant tax breaks and long-term capital growth. The group has been involved in venture capital for 17 years and has just launched a £15million fundraising.
It follows chief executive Simon Lee’s resignation on Thursday ahead of a third disastrous profits warning in six weeks.
Adidas, listed on the Deutsche Boerse with a market value of £15billion, said the request did not fit with its new distribution strategy.
It's going to be a nail-biting ten days for battered Tesco as Christmas approaches, admits the UK stores boss Chris Bush.
True economic independence means having an independent central bank and your own currency and being outside the EU, says Neil MacKinnon, economist with VTB Capital.
Shoppers are set to buy up to three million tablets at various retailers this Christmas.
BALANCE TRANSFERS
FIVE FAVOURITE ISAS
BEST BANK ACCOUNTS
TOP CREDIT CARDS
CUT ENERGY BILLS
CHEAP MORTGAGES
CAR INSURANCE
HOLIDAY SPENDING
BALANCE TRANSFERS
FIVE FAVOURITE ISAS
Despite a blizzard of adverts for low-deposit mortgages, experts say increasing numbers of applications are being turned down because of overspending or other bad debts on a credit record. Here are the two key ways to get a New Year head-start. Carly Wright has spent almost 18 months putting money aside through Nationwide's Save to Buy scheme.
Villa-owning Britons, such as Philip Edwardes-Ker and Nina Bailey pictured, may not be able to rent properties to travelers under controversial new laws.
Ex-chief executive Eric Daniels and retail bank boss Helen Weir are each due almost £350,000 in shares early next year as the final portion of 2010 bonuses.
A tribunal last week ruled against 350 contractors who used an offshore loan set-up put together by a company called Sandfield Consultants.
The RBS Shareholder Action Group claims the bank's £12billion rights issue prospectus in 2008 was billed as a cautious exercise in strengthening the balance sheet.
Shareholder perks are back in fashion. Rewards including rollercoaster rides, pub food discounts, money off books and cut-price bubbly are up for grabs when you buy shares in a company. The Mail on Sunday examines whether these extras are good value or just a gimmick to lure investors. Nick Baldwin, 53, has leased a small plot on a vineyard and stocked up his drinks cabinet for Christmas – all thanks to his share perks.
Albion Ventures has been involved in venture capital for 17 years and has just launched a £15million fundraising.
Record sums are pouring in to ETFs as investors seek out cheaper alternatives to conventional funds. Marie-Louise Papworth invests with online ETF specialist Nutmeg.
Shares in Bank of Georgia Holdings have had an impressive run. But director Ian Hague sold 1.08million shares. Should investors follow his lead?
Witan’s Jump plan can be started with £50 for monthly savings or a £250 lump sum. Savers’ cash goes into the £1.22billion Witan investment trust.
About £1billion a year is spent on insurance policies for electronic products – from computer tablets to washing machines. But it’s usually a waste of money because the law, manufacturer guarantees and home insurance can give enough cover. But Jenny Sneyd bought a camera for her boyfriend and received a free extended warranty.
Andy Street has bemoaned the slow start to the festive season, but hopes shoppers are waiting until the last minute to make their purchases.
The pound rose against 53 of the 74 currencies analysed, with fourteen of the 74 currencies having declined in value by over 10% against sterling.
Debenhams, House of Fraser, Boots, H&M; and Gap were all offering huge discounts in an attempt to attract customers over the penultimate weekend before Christmas.
Labour claimed the figures means there will be 'real worry' about the cost of celebrating this year, and accused the government of failing to boost wages as the economy recovers.
Buying life cover – which pays out a lump sum if you die – from a bank or direct from an insurer could cost you much more than exactly the same policy from an independent financial adviser, comparison website or supermarket, according to discount broker Cavendish Online. This is because, while the ‘factory-gate’ price for life cover is the same, companies selling it can add commission and costs. Beverley and Jimmy Waterhouse took out a new life insurance policy and saved £86.
I received a cold call from an Anna Whittingham at law firm Hulsmann & Miller. She said Spanish authorities had traced a ‘slush fund’ holding a large amount of money. Her firm could reclaim my original investment if I would send the contract notes and a refundable deposit of £1,500. Is this an elaborate scam?
You may be able to get a free current account, but behind the scenes the banks have been selling any and every extra product they can to make up for this loss leader.
Despite the adage that past performance is no guarantee of what will happen in the future when it comes to equities, there are some lessons to be learnt from what’s gone before.
Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted are all understood to be in line for at least one extra runway – with Heathrow hoping for two.
Friends Betty Hill and Deb Goldsbury have gone from selling their handmade scarves in local markets to a worldwide audience. The pair, who set up Hilburyhouse Design six months ago, both have fine arts degrees and design the scarves themselves.
A report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research, due to be published tomorrow, will underline hopes that the economy is finally beginning to turn a corner.
Figures show the value of loans has dropped from a peak of £221 billion at the end of 2008 to £137 billion today.
See at a glance the full list of small and medium-sized companies providing the fresh ideas and practices that could underpin Britain's growth prospects. Household names that made the top 1,000 include: Aardman Animations, Jack Wills, Addison Lee, Cath Kidston, Naked Wines, Moonpig and Brewdog.
Lloyds is converting 1,300 of its 6,300 ATMs and joins Barclays, which already has 3,000 talking cash machines, and the Co-op with 2,000.
Weekly earnings shifted up by just 2.2 per cent to £517 – lower than the rate of inflation over the same period and therefore resulting in a fall in real terms.
Fortune favoured brave investors in 2013 with Macau Property Opportunities the top performing investment trust and Japan trusts scoring a pair of top five spots. The top performing sectors in 2013 were European Smaller Companies, Japan and in joint third Property Direct-Asia Pacific, UK Smaller Companies and Japanese Smaller Companies. We reveal the best trusts of 2013.
The subsiding euro crisis means Europe has been back in favour among investment experts for some time - but their change of heart over the UK's fortunes is striking.
All three firms have seen their share prices perform strongly since their floats in the past quarter.
The Footsie has been lagging main international rivals but with things picking up, should investors buy into a market that doesn't look expensive?
Can you trust your bank? If you had asked someone that question 20 years ago, it's likely their bank or building society’s advice would have been held in similar esteem to a doctor or solicitor's. Fast forward through two decades of 'improved customer service' and you would get a very different answer.
Pay for professionals starting out in Britain is nearly three times lower than equivalent salaries in Switzerland, according to professional services firm Towers Watson’s.
The decision - which is forecast to save the Treasury £414million - has left many local authorities unable to protect vulnerable people, the Association added.
Spencer Dale reassured businesses they can ‘plan for the future’ in the knowledge that interest rates will remain low for some time to come.
Complaints about BT TV peaked in August – and almost half were about BT Sport, which was launched on August 1.
Calls to 0800, 0808 or 116 numbers are currently free to call from landlines but cost of up to 40p a minute for mobile users. This will change from June 2015. Confusion around call charges to 0845 numbers will also be addressed as part of the major overhaul of call charging rules by the watchdog Ofcom.
Call charges are set to fall even further as freephone numbers become free from all mobiles and landlines, Ofcom announced today.
Only one in ten savers have - or have thought about - switching to a different savings account even if they are earning a paltry rate according to a survey by Zopa.
Last week the Chancellor, George Osborne said in his Autumn Statement that Britain's economy had turned a corner and was now the fastest growing economy among the developed nations.
Around 85,000 people who have reached the state pension age of 65 this year can expect to live to 100 - with 111,000 centenarians living in the UK in 2037. The Office of National Statistics has said a third of babies born in 2013 are expected to live to a century old, while average life expectancy will reach 100 in just 50 years time
The Money Advice Trust said its helpline debt with 20,000 calls between January and October this year from people who had fallen behind with their rent.
The value of an average property has risen by an astonishing £10,329 in the last year - the equivalent of £28.30 a day, according to research.
Don't settle for the same old Christmas repeats - This is Money takes a look at the cheapest places to stream movies over the holidays, which provider offers the best selection and where to grab a free trial.
Social issues such as domestic violence, drugs and loneliness are a constant theme in Trevor Hardy's adult animations.
Subhan Universal ran ten 090 numbers that, except for one digit, were identical to the numbers used as voting lines by Britain's Got Talent and I'm a Celebrity.
Traditionally gold has been a way to protect your wealth. But the recent economic upswing and rising stock markets in the US and Europe means demand has fallen for such security. The price now sits at $1,245 an ounce - down from a record high of above $1,900 in the summer of 2011, amid a debt crisis in the US.
Even though zero per cent interest periods of up to 29 months are being offered on balance transfers, 34 per cent don't clear their card debts in time.
Business savers have seen rates fall by nearly a third in year – equivalent to a loss of nearly £931 million in interest on spare cash.
Skipton Building Society has launched a low rate two-year fix mortgage but it comes with a massive £1,995 fee attached.
Ourl investigation has discovered how overworked, underpaid and untrained delivery men are simply abandoning presents at addresses in order to meet onerous targets. They are expected to deliver 100 packages in a day — and will get between 80p to £1 for each one successfully left
The contented pensioners also spend 21 days on holiday abroad, and live in a detached house with a garden in the country.
One third of renters are planning to buy their first home in 2014, a 6% increase compared with 2012, a Rightmove survey found.
The age at which you can claim the state pension is rising - and twenty-somethings face working until they are 70. It is part of the most radical overhaul of the state pension ever. Ruth Lythe explains, among other things, why retirees in Dorset may be £67,000 better off...
Fancy a fun-filled retirement or would you just settle for a comfortable one? Unfortunately, with more of us left to take responsibility for our own pension investments that means putting plenty more aside. We have crunched the numbers on what you need and you can use our quiz to tell you how big a pot that will be.
When it comes to bagging a luxury bird, Morrisons has the best value. It also ranks as having the cheapest, per kg, turkey in the luxury range. It's M Signature Free Range British Bronze Turkey is £7.17 per kg, which will feed up to eight people, costs £33.
Just days after its first Flash sale ended, Santander has launched another loan sale slashing rates to just 4.5 per cent - but is it actually a winning offer
Cash-strapped families have suffered six years of falling spending power, with average household spending dropping to £489 a week.
The competition is hotting up to be crowned winner of Money Mail's 2013 Wooden Spoon for rotten customer service. Last week saw the launch of voting for our sixth annual awards — and already our mailbag is filling up. Today we give each of the ten firms who made it to our shortlist an opportunity to defend their record.
Tesco Bank has announced that it will be hiring 300 extra staff as it gears up to complete its hand by launching its own current account.
Some pay less to those who are willing to tie their money up in return for a better deal than the best easy access account with other providers.
The best buy rates that savers can now grab on cash Isas have fallen to record lows as they plummeted like a stone throughout the year, research has found. Rate checking website Savings Champion has looked through historical data to conclude that current best buy deals are the lowest they have ever seen.
The industry watchdog will be able to order firms to pay back the money they have taken from customers.
Halifax, Bank of Scotland, Lloyds and TSB all pay 3% on their accounts for youngsters available to those up to age 16.
The National Housing Federation said surging prices would put property out reach of an entire generation forcing them to rent for life. Rents currently take up half of average tenant households' disposable income but this is expected to reach 57 per cent within the next 10 years, said the NHF, leaving more households with less spending power.
Last week This is Money revealed that EON and EDF will not pass on the full saving to its fixed tariff customers. Today Moneysupermarket called it 'green murder'.
New figures show 80 per cent of men getting the full basic state pension of £107.45-a-week, compared to just 46 per cent of women.
Thousands of people invest in the wrong kind of renewable energy, be it solar or wind, Graham Brant reckons his Power Predictor can solve the problem. He reckons anyone from homeowners, to small businesses and even big companies can use it to see if they can tap into green energy, cut costs and save more money long-term.
Motorists will no longer need to show their car insurance certificate when taxing their vehicle under yet more new plans to cut red tape for drivers.
The controversial excess baggage fee, used to be a hefty €20 (£16) per kilo of luggage over the allotted weight limit, but it has now been reduced to €10.
Accounts just filed for the Specsavers UK stores for the year to February 28, 2013 show the dividend was paid to the Guernsey-based parent company, jointly owned by Doug and Dame Mary. The couple's three children also work at the firm. Accounts for the British retail business show profits dipped from £21.3million to £15.3million.
A well-known figure in the City, Myners has collected a string of boardroom positions in his career and is a former chairman of M&S;, LandSec and Guardian Media Group.
Royal Bank of Scotland’s aggressive tactics in dealing with struggling firms could have cost the Treasury millions in lost taxes, MPs will hear this week.
A report today predicts gross domestic product – the broadest measure of the size of the economy – will reach its early 2008 peak in the second half of next year.
The quarterly review of the FTSE 100 index spawned more interest than usual this week because it raised the prospect of two recent high-profile floats making it into the blue-chip list.
The fashion-to-furnishings chain managed to achieve the rare feat of growing its online sales by just 1 per cent while others have been posting double digit updates.
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To clear the average national household debt of £13,000 at 6% interest with a monthly repayment of £100 will take around 17 years. There are, however, plenty of simple ways to make significant savings on your regular spending that could clear your debt - or boost your savings - in less than a year. This is Money's top 50 – updated – money-saving tips may appear light-hearted but are deadly serious.
A new tax year means a fresh Isa allowance to save. We pick our five favourite cash Isas for savers, don't miss this essential Isa reading that is kept up-to-date throughout the year.
The Association of Investment Companies has analysed all investment trusts to find the 20 strongest and most consistent performers of the last decade.
Royal Mail investors were attracted by the lure of a bumper dividend of 6 per cent or higher. But there are lots of household names with a good dividend yield.
Neil Woodford is stepping down from his funds where he is Britain's favourite manager. We pick five alternative income funds and trusts worth a look.
The bank rate is at a rock bottom 0.5%, and one day it must rise. The big question is when? We explain the factors that will decide when interest rates rise and how quickly, including the latest forecasts from markets and economists. The Bank of England now says the stronger than expected recovery could see the 7 per cent unemployment benchmark arrive sooner.
For many buy-to-let looks an attractive income investment in a time of low rates and stock market volatility. Read our top ten buy-to-let tips
The Bank of England will dramatically scale back the Funding for Lending scheme, but lenders still have some astonishingly low rates on offer.
As house price inflation picks up, Savills has released its forecast for areas across Britain. We analyse the latest figures and the prediction for where you live.
Midwives in the UK get paid on average £29,248: so where does your salary fit into the national league table, and how does it compare to the average in your profession? Our table lists hundreds of Britain's jobs from company executives and doctors to van drivers, waiters and textile machine operators.
| Prize value | Winning bond No. | Area |
|---|---|---|
| £1,000,000 | 194NG757751 | Leicestershire |
| £100,000 | 195GC315228 | Barnet |
| £100,000 | 15ZA606741 | Kent |
| £100,000 | 149AS524840 | Dorset |
| £50,000 | 184BF854282 | Kent |
| £50,000 | 129VF152496 | Lincolnshire |
| £50,000 | 171DR090685 | Tyne and Wear |
| £50,000 | 200DV686109 | Greater Manchester |
| £50,000 | 185MV145988 | Oxfordshire |
| £50,000 | 205AV138315 | Wiltshire |
Millions WILL NOT see £50 cut to energy
Firms refuse to pass on full savings of green levy roll back to fixed tariff customers
Six of the most economical family cars money can buy:
True MPG figures reveal Seat Leon is cheapest to run
'I took 25 per cent as a tax-free lump sum and used some of it to buy a kayak'
How to make years of work pay off in retirement you can really enjoy
'I decided that if properties were selling themselves I didn't need an estate agent'
Save thousands by selling your house
Is it time to buy British?
The FTSE 100 has fallen behind but investors could now profit from recovery
50 ways to save money
Simple steps to cut what you spend
Don't get caught out by the investing conmen
Four ways fraudsters try to get hold of your savings
Can a bad borrowing history REALLY put you on the lending blacklist?
Credit rating facts and fiction
Crashing computer systems at Britain's top banks
Could see industry hit with massive fines and an exodus of customers
MIDAS SHARE TIPS: Greenko's eco power revolution
India venture could bring you big profits
'It's awful that people can be lured into using these websites
Online sting that charges up to £1,000 for service you can get FREE
State pension age rises will see youngest working into their 70s
And millions in their 40s waiting an extra year to retire
Can you still get a Playstation4?
Retailers no longer guarantee Christmas delivery.
New state pension age:
As we're all told to work longer, when will you be able to retire?
NS&I; given green light to take in more cash from savers as target is raised
But don't think that means higher rates
After five years, an end to cheap cash for mortgages could finally force banks to pay higher savings rates
The end of rock-bottom savings deals?
Don't get mad about RBS IT meltdown - just get even
Claim compensation... then ditch them!
Time to cap pension charges?
You might pay less than you think
WOODEN SPOON AWARDS 2013:
The terrible ten who had you howling with rage this year?
| Prize value | Winning bond No. | Area |
|---|---|---|
| £1,000,000 | 194NG757751 | Leicestershire |
| £100,000 | 195GC315228 | Barnet |
| £100,000 | 15ZA606741 | Kent |
| £100,000 | 149AS524840 | Dorset |
| £50,000 | 184BF854282 | Kent |
| £50,000 | 129VF152496 | Lincolnshire |
| £50,000 | 171DR090685 | Tyne and Wear |
| £50,000 | 200DV686109 | Greater Manchester |
| £50,000 | 185MV145988 | Oxfordshire |
| £50,000 | 205AV138315 | Wiltshire |
| Currency | Rate | Buy now |
|---|---|---|
| Updated 16 Dec 2013. | ||
| Euro | 1.1636 | Buy Now |
| US Dollar | 1.6025 | Buy Now |
| Australian Dollar | 1.7709 | Buy Now |
| Canadian Dollar | 1.691 | Buy Now |
| Chinese Yuan | 9.514 | Buy Now |
| Croatian Kuna | 8.7438 | Buy Now |
| Czech Koruna | 31.443 | Buy Now |
| Danish Kroner | 8.554 | Buy Now |
| Egyptian Pound | 10.622 | Buy Now |
| Euro | 1.1636 | Buy Now |
| Hong Kong Dollar | 12.292 | Buy Now |
| Hungarian Forint | 343.66 | Buy Now |
| Japanese Yen | 165.22 | Buy Now |
| Malaysian Ringgit | 5.0702 | Buy Now |
| New Turkish Lire | 3.2404 | Buy Now |
| New Zealand Dollar | 1.9316 | Buy Now |
| Norwegian Kroner | 9.7698 | Buy Now |
| Polish Zloty | 4.7521 | Buy Now |
| Singapore Dollar | 1.9913 | Buy Now |
| South African Rand | 16.442 | Buy Now |
| Sterling | 1.0 | Buy Now |
| Swedish Kroner | 10.425 | Buy Now |
| Swiss Franc | 1.416 | Buy Now |
| Thai Baht | 50.045 | Buy Now |
| UAE Dirham | 5.8297 | Buy Now |
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Easy switching has arrived
Tony Hetherington
Tony Hazell