A profit warning and dividend cut, which comes after a July profit warning that prompted the departure of its chief executive Phil Clarke, sent Tesco shares down 7 per cent. Tesco warned that market conditions remained challenging as it cut its forecast for 2014/15 trading profits to between £2.4billion and £2.5 billion, well below City forecasts and down on the £3.3billion reported the previous year.

Solar power company Belectric has launched a mini- bond called the Big60million, giving every member of the UK population the chance to invest in its site in Willersley, Gloucestershire. It has a minimum investment of just £60 and is offering annual returns of 7 per cent before tax, but is now the time to reach for the sun?

‘Buy land, they’re not making it anymore.’ That classic Mark Twain-attributed quote may often get wheeled out for property-related reasons, but if you are hoping to buy any to build your own home on you’ll find it heavy going. This is where an idea comes in that I like - encouraging councils to free up land for self-builders. It won't solve all our housing problems, but it can make financial sense.

I took out a life insurance policy with Scottish Amicable in 1999, called a Flexible Life Plan. Since then, I have paid in more than £24,000 in monthly premiums. But when I asked about cashing it in, I was told it was only worth around £20,000. This can’t be right, surely? I recently had to stop paying the premiums because of a change in my financial circumstances. I’m in my 60s and it seems an awful lot of money to keep paying in for no return.

Most savers will not even be aware the charges exist as they are buried in the small print. Many will be shocked to discover them for the first time when they try to access their cash - and it may be too late then to change their retirement plans. The exit penalties apply to millions of pensions sold during the 1980s and 1990s. They are largely work pensions as well as individual personal pensions sold to the self-employed.

Global stock markets rallied at the prospect of another injection of cheap money into the financial system, while the euro plunged to a year low against the US dollar, after ECB boss Mario Draghi dropped hints about starting quantitative easing. So why is he considering this now, so long after the Bank of England and US Federal Reserve launched their QE programmes? And can he convince Germany's Angela Merkel it's a good idea?

'I wouldn't see us as a discounter anymore – we are more of a supermarket,’ says Lidl managing director Ronny Gottschlich, words that are certain to send a shiver down the spines of his rivals. The company has taken record market share from its Big Four rivals, 3.6 per cent in the latest figures, and it has turned the grocery shopping market on its head. If it continues to snatch market share from its rivals it will be the wreckage of Britain’s other supermarkets Gottschlich will be surveying.

Savills says property price growth has 'exceeded all expectations' in 2014 and as a result, the firm expects average growth to settle at 9.5 per cent this year. However, the growth won’t remain this strong. It predicts prices will rise by a smaller four per cent next year, 3.5 per cent in 2016 and 2017, and then three per cent in 2018.

In any market sell-off, some decent stocks always get trampled unfairly in the rush for the exit. But that does allow alert stockpickers to cash in, by spotting them before everyone else catches on a recent price fall was overdone. City broker Liberum reckons just such an opportunity has been created by speculation about an early interest rate rise hitting some stocks too hard this year. Here are its top five share picks.

I have a collection of copper coins from 1971, all with 'new pence' on the front, which I have read could be valuable. They all are still in the plastic tubes issued direct from a bank and have never been in circulation, so are in mint condition. I have two tubes of 50 x 2p coins, six tubes of 50 x 1p coins and two tubes of 50 x half penny coins.

The average parent hands over up to £180 when kitting out their child for the new school year. But costs can easily rise above this. Check out our top tips on how to find the best deals on back to school essentials from new uniforms to sports kit and equipment.

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.

Choosing the right DIY platform is crucial but a wealth of choice and changes to charges have left many investors scratching their heads. We pick some of the best. We also highlight why investing in an Isa makes sense, as it should protect your hopefully growing investments from tax forever.

Inflation has dipped again following last week's Inflation Report, which put low wage growth on the table as a reason for keeping rates down for now. Governor Mark Carney admitted there was tremendous uncertainty on slack and the Bank has now placed wage growth on the table as another key decider on when rates should rise. He reiterated: 'Increases in Bank Rate, when they come, are likely to be gradual and limited.'

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.