It is not often you will hear a banker call for the regulator to intervene more, but Les Matheson is doing just that. For Matheson, who heads the RBS and NatWest bank operations, has declared war on price promotions in banking. He is targeting teasers which offer higher savings rates or lower mortgage costs only to revert to less generous terms after a year or so, and mortgage fees which jack up the cost of a home loan but don't show up in the advertised loan rates. All these, he says, must go.

We all know how easy it is to let things slide at home. Good DIY intentions so often begin and end at the checkout of Homebase. Some might get as far as shifting the furniture, laying dust sheets and even taping off the skirting boards. Those who manage to roll on two coats of Elephant's Breath, congratulate themselves with a cuppa, before packing up and moving on to the next project. Weeks or even months pass. That piece of masking tape taunts; splatters of grey on the white ceiling whisper at failure.

The average cost of a home drops from £722,000 in central London to £272,000 in commuter towns an hour away from the capital - like Crawley, Newbury, Colchester and Chatham, Lloyds Bank said. Putting up with a longer commute will save potential buyers a further £100k. The most affordable commuter town in the study is Wellingborough, in Northamptonshire, where the average property price is £160,425 and the train journey to central London takes an hour and 20 minutes.

Twice-a-year investment firm Sanlam selects its14 best performing UK Equity Income funds based on performance, volatility and income over the last five years. You could have earned as much as £36.50 for every £100 invested if you picked the right UK equity income fund, according to the study. We reveal the list.

Although cash Isas don't currently offer fantastic rates, it is still worthwhile opening one to shield money away from the taxman. Our savings correspondent Lee Boyce picks his five favourite cash Isas for savers in 2015 - essential reading to help you choose a top savings account for your money. This page is kept up-to-date throughout the year - bookmark it for the very latest developments.

Lowland and Henderson Opportunities Trust manager James Henderson gives us his tips for picking exciting smaller companies and dividend winners for the long-term in the latest episode of the Investing Show. Also on the agenda is what rising interest rates will mean for investors and what could move shares up as companies report summer results.

My son is a sort of nomad. He works hard, refuses to go on benefits and regularly does his annual tax forms. The tax office says he doesn't earn enough to pay tax, so he gets tax credits. I advised him he should ensure he pays what used to be called a self-employed National Insurance stamp. It has been set up under his tax reference number but is paid through my bank account, as he doesn't have one. It is about £11.13 a month.

Tony Hetherington is Financial Mail on Sunday's ace investigator, fighting readers corners, revealing the truth that lies behind closed doors and winning victories for those who have been left out-of-pocket. Find out how to contact him below. Mrs A.B. writes: I read your recent article about Elite Gems. I too was taken for a ride by this company and its boss Ansar Ali, to the tune of £48,204. I bought six investment diamonds, but when I had them valued for insurance I was told their replacement value was only £21,300, and their wholesale value was just £9,250. I cannot sell them anywhere for a decent price.

Pensions are an essential part of our lives - and they will probably remain so for the foreseeable future despite constant political meddling. But the pensions landscape is changing radically and unless you are prepared to say how you wish the topography to be shaped, it will be determined for you by people (civil servants) who don't necessarily have your best interests at heart. After all, their pensions, like those for Members of Parliament, will remain gold-plated for time immemorial - come hell or high water. Whatever changes are coming our way will make little difference to their future gilded retirements. Damn them.

Community leaders in Alston, the highest market town in England, have accused the new Barclays bank boss of rank hypocrisy following his comment last Wednesday that he was 'particularly hostile to closing the last branch in town'. They have every right to say so because when Barclays' branch in the Cumbrian town shuts in December this year, the 2,000-strong community will be left bankless. Rival bank HSBC only pulled out in June with many of its customers transferring their business to Barclays because of its apparent continued support for the community.

The traditional cash register -in use since the 1880s - could soon ring up its last sale as small business owners lead the revolution to till-free shops. They are embracing apps which allow them to take credit card and Apple Pay payments on the go using a smartphone or tablet and a portable reader such as iZettle. Cloud-based software systems, including Worldpay, PayPal Here and Vend, are allowing start-ups to adopt more advanced payment methods more quickly than larger multi-store rivals.

The Government is expected to announce the winners of a new wave of licences allowing firms to explore fracking opportunities across Britain as early as this week. But business leaders who back the controversial drilling technique said Ministers need to do more to relax planning constraints if Britain is to make the most of fracking. John Longworth, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, said Britain will 'end up a living museum' if nimbyism is not combated and improvements to national infrastructure are not urgently addressed.

Red Letter Days, the firm founded by Dragons' Den entrepreneur Rachel Elnaugh and saved from collapse by her fellow 'Dragons' Peter Jones and Theo Paphitis, saw profits more than double last year. The London-based outfit sells vouchers that can be given as gifts for experiences, from Ferrari-driving and hot-air ballooning to wine tasting and hotel stays. It saw turnover grow from £16.4million to £18.5million in the year to December 31, 2014 and pre-tax profits jump from £561,000 to £1.4million as sales grew in consumer and business markets.

Statistics from the London Business School and Credit Suisse have shown just how rewarding investing in the sin or vice stocks can be, with an investment over 100 years returning 200 times more than the average market return. But a London-based stock exchange is trying to show that backing firms that have a social or green benefit is not the preserve of sandal-wearing vegans.

Numis is acquiring an 8.49 per cent stake in Crowdcube in return for a £6million investment, which values the online group at around £70million. Woodford Patient Capital Trust and RIT Capital Partners, meanwhile, are leading a £10million investment in rival Seedrs. Both are fairly significant 'coming of age' endorsements for the emerging and disruptive businesses, though the influence of Numis is particularly notable.

Holly Black, of Money Mail, replies: It depends what you think is in store for the yellow metal in the long term. The price of gold - which is measured in dollars per ounce - is down 40 per cent on its 2011 high. Today it stands at around $1,100 (£705), compared to a peak of $1,900 (£1,220). The price was driven so high by fear and uncertainty. At that time, the world was in recession and central banks around the globe had dropped their base rate of interest to a record low. Gold, as a physical store of value, became attractive.

Tens of thousands of families are cancelling their private health insurance policies because they can't afford soaring premiums, Money Mail can reveal. Expensive drug treatments and lack of competition between insurers have helped to push up the average annual cost of a policy by £500 to £1,870 over the past decade - a rise of nearly 40 per cent. Today, only 970,000 Six years ago, it stood at well over a million.

On October 2 last year, I complained to Lloyds Bank about being mis-sold payment protection insurance. Two months later Lloyds wrote to say the claim had been upheld and that it would refund my premiums plus interest. Between June 1990 and February 2003 I paid Lloyds 153 premiums, costing £5,016.80. However, because I have bank statements from only April 1995 to February 2003, the bank refunded only the 95 premiums I paid between these dates.

We opened a one-year bond with Highgrove Osprey on 24th February last year for £5,000 - and to date, the money has not been repaid. After at least 150 phone calls and various reasons for the delay given by the firm, no payment has been made. What is the hold up?

House prices In England and Wales have risen 5.4 per cent in the last year to reach £181,619 on average, latest figures from the Land Registry show. The £9,252 boost in values means the index has overtaken the previous peak of £180,983 set in November 2007.

I'm really worried I won't qualify for the new, full flat-rate pension when I retire because I opted out of paying National Insurance contributions for five years back in the 1990s. now I understand the Government is going to reduce my state pension based not just on the years I opted out, but on what it thinks I might have gained in my private pension during that time - and it'll do this even if I manage to make full NI contributions for 35 years.

Greece's embattled economy and the threat of contagion across Europe dominated headlines over recent months, but despite all the negative press UK investors are piling into the continent. They appear to be happy to overlook the worst Europe has to offer in their hunt for returns from its better prospects. We take a look at why.

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.