The Government has finally revealed details about the long-awaited 'pensioner bonds', first announced in the Chancellor's Budget in March. These accounts are designed to help retirees whose cash savings have been ravaged by interest rate cuts over several years. We explain what is on offer.

Sweeping changes affecting how people access their pension savings in retirement come into play next year. But many remain unaware or confused about what is happening. To help bring clarity, we identify 12 key things that you need to know about pensions BEFORE you retire. Roy and Jean Bradley rent out their driveway.

Car hire excess insurance is the bugbear of many holidaymakers, who are often forced into buying the policy at the rental desk through fear of facing a high bill following an accident. Excess charges have been rising steadily over the past few years. Drivers hiring in Turin, for example, can expect to pay up to £1,800 towards the bill if they do not have insurance to cover it. Mark Bower has claimed twice for accidentally locking his keys in his hire car boot on a ski trip, something not covered automatically by most car hire firms' basic excess policies.

Soaring heating bills, environmentally-sound and clean fuels, and the return of people wanting more character in their homes have all contributed to a revival of the traditional fireplace and surround. A feature fireplace can add up to 5 per cent to a home's value. And at this time of year, the warm glow and crackle of logs burning in the hearth seem very appealing indeed. Heating just the room that you are in is certainly more cost-effective than centrally heating an entire house. Using wood as your heat source costs 2.5p per kw/h compared with gas at 4p and electricity at 11p, say HETAS, the solid fuels industry body.

The influence of financial services on the economy is spelled out again as City brokers steal top spot in this year's official list of highest earners. According to the detailed 2014 annual salaries survey, brokers pocketed around 40 times more this year than those at the bottom of the list - the people responsible for keeping children safe on the way to school. Lollipop crossing patrols earned around £3,400.

The Footsie closed down 2.49 per cent today at 6,300.6 - just 105 points higher than its 2014 low hit as the October stock market storms raged. This week's 6.6 per cent slide on the leading London stock market index is the worst weekly performance since August 2011. It came as the price of Brent crude dropped another 3 per cent to hit a five-year low of $61.8, alongside worries over the global economy - particularly after disappointing data from China.

The average property has added nearly £30,000 in value over the past 12 months -more than the annual wage of a typical British worker, research claimed today. Workers on average took home an average £27,271 annual salary this year with growth of just 0.6 per cent - or £169 - the study by the Centre for Economics and Business Research for the Post Office found.

Households are spending more money but their incomes have not increased - which means many are just eating into their savings, the government's fiscal watchdog warned. Head of the OBR Robert Chote said it is 'not plausible' that this trend could continue. Households are expected to start curbing their incomes next year until incomes start to rise again. The economists estimate that the huge gap between earning and spending is the second largest since the mid-1990s.

I am a cautious optimist. I like to look at my glass as half full, but expect that whoever is doling the drinks out may give me a half empty one. Yet I think there are reasons to be cheerful for 2015 that mean the glass won't need too much of a top up. From the economy, to low inflation and share prices that look a decent proposition, I think there are some signs that better things may lie ahead.

What do you look for in a turkey? Whether it's simply about getting the cheapest bird you can, one big enough to feed the invading hordes or something of top quality and taste, you can save money by shopping around. And to save you a schlep around the supermarkets, here we've collated prices from the major supermarkets and their rivals up and down the price chain. The three tables below show prices for 'premium' birds - usually free range or organic - standard birds, and frozen. 

The saga of Beacon Hill Resources is filled with as many twists and turns, near-misses and miraculous escapes as EastEnders on a good night. Unfortunately, this is not a soap but a true story. Shareholders have invested hard-earned cash and lost huge amounts along the way. Now they are being asked to help save it but what should they do? Midas updates on a share that has suffered since it was tipped.

HSBC and Barclays are now offering the longest balance transfer deals at 34 months. It marks an earlier than usual start to the balance transfer battle as credit card providers usually wait until nearer the end of December to release deals for those looking to manage their debts in the new year. But what are the fees and how long until we see a 35 month deal?

Buyers are stampeding for homes in the stamp duty 'sweet spot' where stamp duty has dropped by up to £4,500. So how can you benefit? Instead of paying the tax on the whole of the property's price, buyers will now pay only on the chunk of their home's value that falls into each bracket (as illustrated clockwise from top left at homes in Southport, Cumbria, London and Devon). Under the new system, 98 per cent of buyers will pay the same stamp duty or less than under the old system.

Global markets are in turmoil and it's not making life easy for investors trying to predict where the next shock will come from. But are these signs to steer clear of investing - or should you be ready to dip your toe in? Here, we take a look at the economic danger zones.

Wine expert Matthew Jukes has picked his 40 favourite wines from a selection of 2,000 for you to enjoy over the festive period. And with bottles starting from £3.99, price doesn't have to mean a compromise on flavour.

Price isn't everything, but when it comes to investing it can count for a lot. While many professional investors caution against attempts to time the market, they also tend to highlight that - as with most things in life - getting in at a good price is important. We highlight the world's cheapest and most expensive stock markets, measured on three popular valuation tools and with a final score delivered across all three.

Santander accidentally closed my credit card account. For the remainder of the trip, we had to use our debit card. Santander promised to reimburse all expenses, but we were reluctant to do this very much, which led to a pretty miserable holiday and curtailed my shopping. We called when we returned home and spoke to a woman who robotically repeated that there was nothing they could do. I persisted and, eventually, they offered £761 compensation. But they insist they cannot issue me with a new card because it is no longer available.

New car sales are set to hit their highest level for almost ten years in 2014. Five of the 10 best selling cars from 2004 have been replaced with their corresponding 2014 models - while the top three sellers are the same, albeit in a different order. But French cars have fallen distinctly out of favour with British buyers and Mondeo Man has drifted out of the top ten - replaced by Qashqai dad perhaps.

Scouring the stock market for undervalued shares that might bounce in price is a well trodden path for many investors. But not everyone wants to spend their days digging around among basket cases and 50/50 recovery plays. How can you find go-go growth stocks that can shake off economic worries and muted markets to massively outperform? Ben Hobson of Stockopedia reveals the strategies of growth company investors.

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.

A warning of a global slowdown has underlined fears over growth, expected to keep interest rates down. Interest rates may remain stuck at 0.5 per cent until next autumn and inflation could fall below 1%, according to the latest Bank of England Inflation Report. Market expectations highlighted in the Bank's report are that rates will start to rise in late 2015, moving gradually up to 1.75 per cent in three years' time.

The influence of financial services on the economy is spelled out again as City brokers steal top spot in this year's official list of highest earners. According to the detailed 2014 annual salaries survey, brokers pocketed around 40 times more this year than those at the bottom of the list - the people responsible for keeping children safe on the way to school. Lollipop crossing patrols earned around £3,400.