Property sellers are turning to eccentric gimmicks in a bid to find an edge when selling their homes. Some are raffling their property, others are trying to entice buyers by throwing in an expensive car and even rare shhep have formed part of the bargaining tools

Interest rates will not rise until spring 2016 if the UK economy stays on its current course, the Bank of England has hinted. The Inflation Report delivered an upbeat take on the current low inflation environment, with Mr Carney suggesting this would be 'unambigously good' for the economy. That led economists to caution that a rise may come sooner if the Bank's buoyant outlook for the economy arrived.

In the latest instalment of his Diary of a Private Investor, John Rosier reveals his January moves and why he likes US small companies and Europe through investment trusts. The investor also bought into potentially revolutionary boiler company FlowGroup. He explains his thinking

Package holiday booking are cheaper and Britons are getting 12 per cent more euro at forex bureaux than they were in February 2014. Sterling yesterday hit another new high against the euro, with rate breaching €1.35 - a level not reached since January 2008, when the pound was plunging against the euro during the financial crisis.

The value of money has plummeted by 99 per cent in the last 100 years, new research from Lloyds Bank Private Banking reveals. Just  £1.11 in 1914 would provide the same spending power as £100 today, with the purchasing power of cash falling by an average of 4.7 per cent a year. While the value of money declined through the ages, the price of everyday items has soared, with the cost of a loaf of bread soaring by over 11,000 per cent since 1914.

Economists tell us that deflation is the stuff of nightmares, especially as the West's consumer economies spent all night gorging on debt before heading for a nap. The Bank of England's quarterly inflation report may prove to be a deflation report, with a forecast of negative CPI in the months to come. I'm not so sure we need to worry.

I bought a pair of purple children's welly boots from the Trespass store in Perth last year. They were worn 6-7 times over a month and then developed a hole in the heel allowing water to penetrate. The boots were relatively inexpensive, about £15, but for them to last such a short time and to experience such shoddy after sales service is extremely frustrating.

A £2 coin which commemorates the vital role the Royal Navy played in the First World War is set to become one of the rarest coins in UK circulation. Just 100 of the coins have been issued by the Royal Mint in partnership with the visitors' centre at the iconic HMS Belfast, located near Tower Bridge in London.

There has never been a better time to be a mortgage borrower looking for a cheap fixed rate with home loan costs at record lows according to Bank of England figures. Mortgage pricing has fallen so low that research for This is Money shows there are 25 home loans priced below the best easy access savings deal - and that only pays 1.5 per cent.

Retailers such as BrightHouse, PerfectHome and Buy as you View allow the poorest families to buy goods such as televisions, washing machines and beds and pay in instalments rather than upfront. But the high levels of interest they charge mean the poorest households who tend to buy in this way can end up paying more than triple the cost compared to buying upfront, MPs warned.

Investors are able to pocket an average of 4 per cent on an equity income fund, research from Sanlam shows. It has highlighted its favourite funds. Returns beat what you could get in an annuity or government bond, but only a select few funds make it into the White List of top 14 performers.

Homeowners are being promised fuel bills up to 90 per cent cheaper than in a standard brick-built house and a purchase price below the average cost of a house in Bristol, which is currently £216,500. With over 3.8million tonnes of would-be waste straw going spare in the UK, it is not surprising that a separate straw housing development is currently underway in Cornwall.

BT is introducing new call charges, which will mean it costs 20p per minute to call a landline in Russia or Brazil, or 40p to call a landline in France or Spain. Why does it cost more to phone these countries that are further away? Do the other operators price calls in this way as well?

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.

This has been a big week for monetary policy. The European Central Bank finally announced quantitative easing in the eurozone, with a plan to print 60bn-a-month, while at home in the UK the Bank of England's rate hike hawks backed down. The question now is whether rates will now even rise at all in the UK this year?

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.