There has been a stark rise in the number of students working in order to make ends meet, new figures from insurance company Endsleigh show. Eight in ten students now work in order to fund their studies, a dramatic increase from 50 per cent in employment three years ago, the survey of 4,642 university goers revealed.

'I'll get an Uber' trips off the tongue as easily as 'I'll call a cab', confirming how upstart operations are now disrupting traditional businesses. From travel and holidays to property and finance these 'disruptors' threaten the stranglehold of incumbents by smart use of technology. We show how the winners are consumers who enjoy convenience and more competitive prices.

Holidaymakers are vulnerable to rip-offs when picking up keys to a car in a foreign country after a long and tiring flight. Keith Beasant, 79, and his wife Beryl, 72, from Uxbridge, North-West London, discovered they would have to pay more than double the cost of regular car hire for a ten-day holiday in Majorca this autumn because of Keith's age.

Home Leisure Direct struggles with a 0.8mbps connection at its office in Elberton, outside Bristol. It struggles to process payments and even do the accounts. However upgrading would cost nearly £20,000. The government prides itself in a nationwide broadband rollout scheme - but Home Leisure Direct is just one small business that has been left behind.

The stampede for university places will soon be over for this year's school leavers. What follows is often a first taste of financial independence, starting with the choice of a bank account. LAURA SHANNON looks at the best deals for students - based on what type of customer they are. Jessica Nicholson thinks she will benefit most if she has a bigger overdraft.

Among Patrick Bogue's favourites is a 1937 poster of Southport at night depicting wealthy couples in evening wear - complete with top hats and furs - at the Merseyside resort. The Italian artist Fortunino Matania drew the poster - now worth £5,000 - along with others for the London, Midland & Scottish Railway. The aim was to get more people to travel by train.

The wheels that set the banking sector on a collision course with disaster were already well and truly in motion in summer 2007. Yet casino capitalism was about to reach its giddy climax in the UK, with Royal Bank of Scotland taking over Dutch bank ABN AMRO for the princely sum of £49bn. Eight years and one financial crisis later, things are a bit different. RBS is engaged in the banking sector's version of a car-boot sale.

Students moving into their first place may find the scenario daunting. It can be a minefield of hidden costs, dodgy landlords and big bills. This is Money highlights ten easy steps for students in order to make the process as smooth as possible.

LGC - known as the Laboratory of the Government Chemist when it was state-owned - was privatised for just £3million in 1996. Since then it has changed hands several times for increasing amounts. Bridgepoint is expected to make a huge return on its original investment. It bought LGC from smaller rival private equity outfit Legal & General Ventures for £257million in 2010.

Demand for UK-made sailboats is at a record level despite the challenging trading conditions in the eurozone, new figures show. Sales have increased by 7.2 per cent in 2014 and the driving force has been Britain's dominance in the international dinghy market according to research by the British Marine Federation.

I'm new to investing and keen to learn more before making any rookie mistakes. Can you explain how to 'read' the figures on a balance sheet - what am I looking out for, and what criteria do you use to judge the health of a company?

The Kauffmans face losing their home and are part of the collateral damage of a the boom year's mortgage mania and lax lending standards by banks and building societies.

Phoenix Life initially insisted Fred Ford provide proof he had consulted a financial adviser about his pension, which came with a valuable guaranteed annuity rate, but then backed down. Many savers have complained about having to get expensive or unnecessary financial advice to access their own money, among other gripes including red tape and high charges, prompting the Government to review the rules surrounding its flagship pension freedom reforms. Some of these were intended to protect retirees from making bad decisions or being defrauded, but can also mean more hoops to jump through before cash is released.

China's move to devalue its currency by around 4 per cent has caused convulsions on global financial markets. Stock markets around the world have plunged into the red as confidence has been knocked by the sudden move. We look at what's going on and what it means for investors.

The pensioners will be kicked out of the three-bedroom coachhouse they have lived in for 15 years - the victims of a horrifying mis-selling scandal that has left them £376,000 in debt. The Financial Ombudsman Service found in their favour but, as the investment they were duped into taking out is so complicated, nothing can be done to help them.

Built in 1937 in the hamlet of Dunkirk, Kent, the RAF radar tower once provided an early-warning system for incoming German attacks throughout World War II. Today the tower, which was listed in 2002, is at the heart of a new fight - between locals who want to keep the radar station as it is, and high-tech computer firms who want to use it to make billions in the stock market.

I have been toying with the idea of buying an ordinary garden shed and converting it into an old English style pub, complete with beer tap and dartboard. Would creating one in my garden add value to my house or would people be put off by my creation when I come to sell in the future? Steve Worallo (pictured) converted his shed into a complete pub.

The price of oil - which is measured in dollars per barrel - is well down on its peak. Back in 2008 it was around $140, and today it's around the $50 mark. But that doesn't mean it's a good investment -when the price first dipped in February, some people predicted it would bounce back to $100 a barrel, but it hasn't.

Peer-to-peer lenders work a bit like an old-fashioned building society. They get money from savers by offering them a rate of interest, and then use that cash to offer loans to borrowers who pay a rate of interest for it. The difference is your savings go directly to a borrower.

There are some regions where, however, this does not apply, with London's most valuable properties on 'streets' and Scotland's homes in 'closes' carrying the highest prices. Across the UK as a whole, homes on lanes are priced on average at £245,906, which is 22 per cent or £44,600 more than the typical UK house price, at £201,246, according to research for Barclays Mortgages.

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.

Unemployment has increased for the second month in a row, adding weight to the arguments of ratesetters in the lower for longer camp. This follows the outlook for when interest rates will rise shifting forwards slightly to about February 2016 in the recent inflation report.

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.