From supermarket price wars and accounting black holes to foreign exchange rate rigging and bumper bank fines, 2014 has been another memorable year in the Square Mile. Test your knowledge of the names and events that shaped the past 12 months of the business landscape in our annual City quiz.

Handing over stock-picking duties to the professionals may take all the fun out of investment, but it has been lucrative for AIM investors. The top two performers on AIM this year were both investment companies: Concha and Emmit.

The way it works is very simple. Someone who wants money brings in an item - which has to be worth at least £3,000 - as collateral. There are no credit checks or long, tedious forms to fill out. Loans are for six months. If the borrower defaults there is no chasing people for payments or sending round the bailiffs - they simply lose their possession. The firm made its first loan in May 2009 - in exchange for a pewter teapot.

While on holiday in Australia, my brother was told he is terminally ill with asbestosis. His hospital care has been paid for, as has my sister's accommodation and taxis to and from the hospital. RBS is sending a UK doctor and nurse to Sydney to accompany my brother on the flight home.The three of them will be flying business class, but RBS says that my sister will have to travel back in economy. Do we have a right to insist on a business class flight for her, too, so she can stay with my brother?

This is Money is urging Orange customers to check their mobile phone bills after a glut of readers have contacted us about sneaky extra charges for a service they never knowingly downloaded or used. Natalie Pearl, a nutritional student from Southend-on-Sea, is one such reader - she has been charged £8.99 a month by the mobile giant since the start of last year.

London's response to America's joy was fairly muted with the Footsie breaching 6600 before drifting on lack of follow through support to close only 21.44 points better at 6598.18. The FTSE 250, however, jumped 102.69 points to 16,094.23. Sold down to 350.8p last week in sympathy with the depressed oil price, Tullow Oil gushed 12.7p further to 419.7p on revived takeover hopes.

The title of the 1971 James Bond movie 'Diamonds are Forever' doesn't really work when you consider many of the world's major mines are in decline. OK, the stones already dug out of the ground will outlive us by a mere two or three million years, which is as close to forever as makes no difference. But that doesn't mean we're going to keep finding new stones.

Households are benefiting from tumbling oil prices feeding through to their pockets - everything from lower prices at the petrol pumps through to reduced shopping bills. But it is not all good news. There are economic dangers, with lower oil prices hitting the value of pensions and investments. The Mail on Sunday looks at how to take advantage of the oil price fall - while protecting your long-term wealth.

I enjoy hanging my Christmas lights on the tree and around the lounge each year, but am worried they are pushing up my electricity bill. Could you tell me how much they are costing me to run? Are energy efficient lights much cheaper to run than the older versions?

The latest Investor Sentiment Index from Lloyds shows investors have become less positive about riskier assets such as shares and property in the past year. The data suggests investors have looked towards traditionally defensive assets, with more backing for gold and bonds as the year draws to a close.

They thought I was odd when I revealed my best money-saving tip involved a cabbage - but it saves me enough each year for a family holiday in the Caribbean

Strengthening economic conditions in Britain have helped the pound outperform the majority of major currencies in the past year, according to research from Lloyds Bank Private Banking. Since last December, the pound has increased in value against 42 of 74 currencies analysed, including major gains on the Russian rouble, Argentinian peso and Japanese yen.

Nestled in the north-east corner of Hampshire, the tranquil district of Hart (centre) has been crowned as the place with the best quality of life in the UK for the fourth year in a row. The district landed first place after being ranked highly on a number of measures. The study revealed Hart residents enjoy more sunshine hours than most of Britain, high wages and life expectancy, and the area boasts vast open spaces of woodland. Elmbridge in Surrey and Winchester, also in Hampshire, came second and third on the annual 'top 50' list compiled by Halifax - which was once again dominated by areas in the South East of England. Other top ranking areas include Warwick, which claimed eleventh place, and Richmond-upon-Thames, which was ranked fifteenth.

Inflation has dropped to just 1 per cent in November, the ONS revealed this week, adding to the Bank of England's case for low interest rates. That was followed by a surprise jump in average wages, which delivered a just above inflation pay rise to workers in October, latest ONS figures showed, with unemployment remaining steady at 6 per cent.

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 dropped to just 1 per cent in November, the ONS revealed this week, adding to the Bank of England's case for low interest rates. That was followed by a surprise jump in average wages, which delivered a just above inflation pay rise to workers in October, latest ONS figures showed, with unemployment remaining steady at 6 per cent.

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.