With shared ownership you do not have to find a deposit - or get a mortgage - to buy the whole of your home on day one. Instead you buy anything from a 25 to a 75 per cent share of the home at the start and aim to buy more as your income rises. Denise Lawes is a big fan of the scheme. However, while many new shared ownership developments are heavily oversubscribed there are plenty of pitfalls for the unwary. Here are six shared ownership facts that prospective buyers need to know.

Emerging stock markets offer investors the opportunity to earn high returns from some of the world's embryonic and fastest growing economies. But they do not come without risk - financial and political. The Mail on Sunday looks at whether the argument for investing in emerging markets and aspiring 'frontier' economies remains as compelling as ever. Don Kayum likes to invest in Africa.

He says the notion that price comparison websites have not been acting in the best interest of consumers is simply not true. 'They have saved people hundreds of pounds off their household bills and have been a driving force in providing competition in the market - a fact openly acknowledged by the Competition and Markets Authority, as well as personal finance commentators and consumer bodies.'

We're all going up in the world. From simple attic conversions to elaborate roof designs, our desire to extend our homes into the loft remains undiminished. For most people, it's a pragmatic option fuelled by a burgeoning family or the need to work from home. For others, inspired by the industrial earthiness of New York's Meatpacking District or the cavernous spaces of Shoreditch's former factories, it's more of lifestyle choice. An attic conversion adds light, space and value to your home, says Emma Page

'It is no longer the case that the entire onus is on the purchaser to uncover potential problems with a property,' says Jeremy Raj, a partner in residential property at London law firm Wedlake Bell. 'Quite simply, if the seller or selling agent has information that might adversely affect the value of the property or the new owner's enjoyment of it, they are obliged to disclose it.'

Much economic data may show that the economy is heading in the right direction - but it is not just ghouls, goblins and vampires that could send a chill down your spine this Halloween night. Today we publish five sets of statistics, compiled by broker Hargreaves Lansdown, which should be enough to give anyone a sleepless night. They show that while some areas of our finances may be perking up, there are still plenty of hangovers from the banking crisis which the country may still have to deal with.

These new products would allow customers to continue to pay off just the interest on their debts until they die, when the bank would recoup the outstanding amount by selling the property. Properties would be in large part effectively owned by the bank and any beneficiaries in the family would inherit only the remaining proceeds from the sale once the lender recovers what it was owed.

Average UK house prices rose to £189,333, a 0.5% increase on September, when they fell by 0.1% compared to August. But the annual price growth slowed to 9%, from 9.4% last month, marking the second consecutive month of falls, according to the latest Nationwide house price index. The slowdown adds to growing evidence the property market has run out of steam and it comes as mortgage lenders approved the lowest amount of home loans for more than a year last month.

The secret of how criminals are using easy-to-buy electronic scanners to steal some of Britain's most popular executive cars in under 60 seconds - and without a scratch - is to be controversially revealed on screen by investigators at BBC Watchdog. Experts say it highlights a major flaw in the security of leading luxury cars - including BMWs, Audis and Land Rovers.  But the programme has provoked fury even before it has been aired among car-makers who say the problem is not a weakness in car security.

I have just got my new gas and electricity bill and my provider npower wants to put up my monthly payments by £46 - despite me being on a fixed tariff until next April. Can this be right? Do I have to accept this? I am paying £91 a month at the moment and I'm in credit up to £170. Surely with this much on account I would be able to get through the winter. I also now have a wood burner and hope that this 'green fuel will help reduce my winter energy bills. Please could you advise. MJ via email

I was shocked to receive a bill for £7,000 after using my phone while in Australia - and then a letter from a debt collecting firm asking for £8,132.50. My bills keep rising and I cannot afford to pay. I am sure I set a cap for £200, which I put in place when I went to Portugal last year and ran up a £300 bill. But Orange denies this and is asking me to pay up.

Gillian Drakeford claimed that this was 'the largest investment into lowering prices we've ever made in a single year'. An increase in online sales of 26.8 per cent helped overall sales reach £1.4billion at the Swedish-based furniture warehouse group. The business insisted that the uplift in online numbers did not impact on store numbers however, with 5 per cent more visitors than during the previous year.

Gillian Drakeford claimed that this was 'the largest investment into lowering prices we've ever made in a single year'. An increase in online sales of 26.8 per cent helped overall sales reach £1.4billion at the Swedish-based furniture warehouse group. The business insisted that the uplift in online numbers did not impact on store numbers however, with 5 per cent more visitors than during the previous year.

One in ten homeowners plan to pay off their mortgage by dipping into their tax-free pension lump sum when they retire, a survey has found. But for one in 20 that might be insufficient to repay their outstanding balance, leaving them reliant on their wider pension fund to get shot of their mortgage. Some 58 per cent of people expect to settle a home loan by simply sticking to their monthly repayment plan, while some 22 per cent said they would make top-ups, according to the research.

Since Pat and John Lynam retired six years ago they have been spending the British winters in South Africa. But, every October, the break becomes ever more expensive because of the startling rises in their travel insurance. Pat, 66, and John, 68, have seen the cost of their policy increase by 50 per cent this year to £313 through specialist insurer Rias, which is owned by Ageas. Yet the only thing that has changed since their last visit is that they are both one year older.

The UK's most famous entrepreneur says too much of the debate about leaving Europe is 'petty' and says politicians and people are missing the 'bigger picture'. With the Conservatives pledging a referendum on EU membership and relations between the UK and Brussels at rock bottom over a £1.7billion demand, Branson has a clear message: 'If things don't work, let's reform it, not walk away from it.'

It says £3,146,625 worth of prizes remain unclaimed from those who are registered abroad. One of these is for £100,000, which was drawn in February 2007. NS&I; says it has 850,000 customers based overseas holding roughly £750million worth of Premium Bonds. Of these, 30,000 have been flagged as undeliverable to the address provided.

Hunting down travel cover can be both difficult and expensive with older travellers typically paying more for insurance because they are judged more likely to claim.On top of inflated prices, those over 65 also have to contend with age caps which can mean they are turned away by standard providers when they reach certain age brackets.

Thieves broke into my garage and smashed up my new motor scooter. I contacted Aviva with my claim. I sent photos as requested but heard nothing. I sent estimates but they failed to act on them. Aviva then claimed it had not received any photos. I received an apology and £100 compensation for the delay and lack of service. Repairs were eventually authorised and I was given a hire car. However, the car hire was terminated and I had to pay £121 for the last six days' rental. 

I am interested in investing in companies directly through retail corporate bonds but want to make sure I am doing all the research I need to into how likely they are to go bust. Is there a website or place where I can look up individual company's credit ratings? What in a company's accounts or on their market data pages should I be looking for to assess their ability to pay and likelihood of default?

A British company is set to launch the new appliances later this year and claims they will generate around 40 per cent of a household's energy needs. Flow Energy, which has been developing the technology for years, will hand the boilers over to customers with no upfront cost because it says the savings made will easily cover the cost of the boiler.

Many dream of starting a business with a small sum of money and turning it into a million pound juggernaut. Every business has to start somewhere. There are many inspirational British entrepreneurs who have built themselves into household names with relatively small amounts, according to a top 25 list compiled by Start Up Loans. We reveal who has made the cut.

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.

The Bank of England is likely to leave interest rates at rock bottom for some time because of weak wage growth and low inflation. Expectations of a first interest rate rise have dramatically shifted back over the past month to summer 2015 after fears over low inflation and growth escalated.

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.