With the pound so strong and the euro so weak, 2015 could be the perfect year to take a punt on the French property market - although not many of us will have the cash to match actor Johnny Depp. In 2001, the Pirates of the Caribbean star bought not one property, but a whole village: a 37-acre estate above St Tropez which has now come on the market for £16.5 million.

It is hard to walk down a high street or open the finance pages of a newspaper without seeing big adverts showing the latest mortgage rates on offer. Behind the glossy adverts are a whole raft of hurdles you will have to jump over before getting a mortgage. We explain what you need to know.

3D printing is taking the world by storm. Once securely in the realm of science fiction, printing in three dimensions is well on its way to being a standard household product. British company CEL is at the forefront of delivering 3D printing to the domestic market. The company's website states that their Robox 3D printer is for 'the small start-ups, artists, architects, hackers/makers and especially students and children'.

The Woking-based sports car maker, which has been making vehicles commercially for just four years, said sales grew 67 per cent to £475.5m in 2014, due to strong worldwide demand, especially in the US, China and Europe. McLaren cars were snapped up by buyers in 30 countries through 71 retailers, including 248 of its P1 supercars which have a price tag starting at £1m.

Credit builder cards can help build a record as a reliable borrower for those struggling to get a mortgage or qualify for the most popular financial products, but these cards are worth ditching once your rating improves. The new marbles card offers a market-beating low interest rate of 24.8 per cent to those who apply through a price comparison site

Mum had been a customer at Lloyds Bank for around 25 years, writes VICTORIA BISCHOFF (pictured left with her mother Julie before her death in April). The staff in her local branch in Coventry knew her well, so they had recognised me the moment I came through the door. The woman behind the counter went pale. 'You're Julie's daughter, aren't you?' she said. 'I know what you're here to say.' Victoria is pictured right with her big sister Stephanie who died of skin cancer in May 2014.

The landlord and developer, which dates back to 1066, returns all profits to the Treasury which then dispenses 15 per cent of them to the monarchy through the Sovereign Grant. So a 6.7 per cent rise in annual profits to a record £285.1m for 2014-15 means the Royal Family will get a cut of £42.8m in 2016-17 - up £2.7m on the previous year.

I opened an Isa with Hargreaves Lansdown eight years ago and want to close it. I'm told there is a £30 fee for closing the account, but this wasn't the case when I took it out, so do I have to pay? Holly Black answers a reader's question.

I will reach state pension age in a couple of years but I am worried that I will not have paid enough national insurance contributions to qualify for my state pension. How many years of work do I need to be eligible for the new single-tier state pension and can I buy extra credits?

I bought a ticket through the travel company Expedia for my mother to fly from Denver, Colorado, in the U.S., to visit me in Britain. She was due to fly on June 9. Unfortunately, my grandmother, for whom she is the primary carer, had a heart attack, so my mother was unable to make the journey.

James Knight, head of Bonhams' motoring department, has been auctioning cars since 1984 and says he has never experienced a long-term downturn in the market. Here he passes on some of what he's learned.

Two challenger banks have launched best buy savings deals which fire to the top of the independent This is Money tables. Charter Savings Bank, which opened for business earlier in the year, has fired to the top of the 12-month table with a new two per cent rate.

Not everyone agrees there is a true advantage for landlords. That's because in another important way landlords pay more than the rest of us. Whatever you think, there will be no sudden removal of landlords tax breaks. Why? The answer is revealed in exchanges, conducted over the past year, between Mark Carney and George Osborne.

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.

Britain is out of its short-lived flirtation with deflation, with the consumer prices index up 0.1 per cent in the year to May, according to ONS figures. The news arrived the day before MPC minutes revealed another unanimous hold in June with the course still set for an initial base rate rise in the first half of 2016.

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.