A newcraze called 'upcycling' - where worthless junk is given a fresh lease of life by being turned into something of value - is sweeping the nation. The Mail on Sunday joins the growing army of enthusiasts and learns how to turn discarded items into treasure.

Some property commentators are forecasting a mortgage drought for low deposit borrowers - forcing first-timers to rent or stay with parents for longer as they try to build up a decent lump sum for when they finally buy. Here are some of the latest best-buy deals for first-time buyers - and the reasons why they may not be around for long. Nicola Ironside and Devin Gibb qualified for a 95 per cent mortgage for their flat in Forfar

Laura Hamilton is best known for her role as presenter of Channel 4's overseas property series A Place In The Sun. In 2011, she was a runner-up on Dancing On Ice and this year she has joined the presenting team of Cowboy Builders on Channel 5. Now 33, she lives in Purley, Surrey, and is married to Alex, 34, an insurance broker. The couple have a son Rocco, one, and a baby girl, Tahlia. Here she explains how she buys, renovates and sell properties.

Freedoms introduced in April to give pension savers more choice over where they put their money at retirement have resulted in several asset managers claiming they now offer investment funds perfect for the new landscape. And wealth manager Brooks Macdonald is keen to emphasise the pension friendliness of its Defensive Capital Fund, which aims to increase clients' capital by investing in a mix of bonds and low-risk assets.

Ben Page was on air on the BBC on the night and says he knew immediately his business would be in for flak. 'I could immediately see there was going to be a lot of fuss and bother,' he says. But despite some anger and calls for regulation of pollsters from Labour peers, Page says the market research business he runs is unlikely to be hit hard.

Passwords are one of the curses of the 21st Century - but if you are struggling to remember a growing list of secret codes a 'password manager' may help. Research by credit checking agency Experian indicates that people have on average 26 online accounts - embracing everything from banking and social media to online stores and utility bills. Emma Wills changed passwords after her email was hacked

'We are entering the summer months, the Greek debt crisis rumbles on and the US is listless, so I'm holding some cash ready for opportunities', writes our investing columnist. John Rosier reveals how his portfolio fared in May, its winning and losing shares and why he is buying into Tribal Group.

Iconic cars on offer when the Stondon Museum collection was sold ranged from an Aston Martin Lagonda, to a Rover SD1 police car, and Ford Model T. But buyers could also pick up some even more exotic items, including a former Russian Army Soviet 4x4 Amphibious Battle Support Vehicle and a 1948 AEC Regent III RT London bus.

If you are looking for tips on how and where to invest your pension, or what to do to make more of your retirement pot then the free Retirement Money Show on 20 June can help.

Savers have suffered years of cuts and weasel word excuses as banks and building societies have raised margins. To give Nationwide some credit, this little rate hike highlighted in my letter is now a move in the right direction. Could it be a sign we've seen the bottom?

It's one of the classic cases of business taking something that was enjoying a renaissance and marketing it back to us at inflated prices as a lifestyle choice. Except this time in league, ironically, with bearded hipsters on fixed-gear bicycles. In fact they are the marketing executives - as in the case of pretend punks, BrewDog.

Shares leapt 30 per cent higher Thursday to 7p as government officials gave the company's subsidiary, Omagh Minerals, permission to excavate gold, silver and lead for 15 years. The site had been operated as an open pit until 2013, but analysts estimate that work beneath the surface could yield as much 25 thousand ounces of gold alone each year.

People reaching official retirement age before next April get a 10.4 per cent boost to their future income for each year they put off taking the state pension. If you defer for just one year, that works out at £410 extra annually or £10,100 if you live for 24 and a half years beyond your state pension age. If you can afford to postpone for seven years, your state pension will be £1,640 higher a year or £40,300 altogether, according to a study by Fidelity Worldwide Investment.

Savers are baffled by a new tax rule that came into effect in April. This lets you earn up to £5,000 in savings interest without paying any tax. But how much of this allowance you can claim depends on the source of your income - it's the split between your savings and non-savings income that counts.

Value investor Tim Price reveals why he believes buying quality at good prices is the key to investing success, in the latest episode of the Investing Show. We also discuss the shares that have the power to move the FTSE 100 and how the market rates them and their dividends, along with the prospect for supermarkets and a surprise finding on who the best investors are.

Every second, 15 people in the world have their identity or personal details stolen online. The number of these cyber attacks is rising by 47 per cent every year, costing businesses and individuals billions. Firms currently spend £42billion protecting themselves against data theft - and this is set to almost double to £78billion by 2017. So why not join the expert investors making money from this vital industry?

'Salary sacrifice' schemes are a nice little earner for many workers and their employers, but if you aren't already signed up it might soon be too late. Arrangements like this are essentially a legal way to dodge National Insurance payments. Employers allow staff to take a supposed 'pay cut', but the money gets ploughed into their pension or put towards some other benefit like childcare instead, and both sides pay less NI as a result.

A new best buy easy-access savings account has driven to the top of the independent This is Money tables and it comes from French car manufacturer Renault. It has launched a dedicated savings bank in Britain named RCI Bank. It already offers similar accounts in Austria, France and Germany in the last few years.

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.

Figures from the ONS showed negative inflation of 0.1 per cent in April, as the consumer prices index fell slightly year-on-year. A mild dose of deflation is not forecast to change the outlook for rates, however, with inflation expected to soon pick back up again and a late spring 2016 rise on the cards.

For many buy-to-let looks an attractive income investment in a time of low rates and stock market volatility. Climbing house prices, rising rents and improving mortgage deals are tempting investors - although they will need a big deposit. Read This is Money's top ten buy-to-let tips

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.