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. 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.
I booked tickets for One Direction at the front of the stadium - so why have I been allocated seats at the back?
I booked tickets for my daughter in the Yellow zone where all her friends planned to be. But when the tickets arrived they were for the Blue zone at the back of the arena. Why has Ticketmaster sent me different tickets to the ones I booked? It doesn't seem fair that my daughter has to sit at the back away from her friends - especially since we booked before some of the others who have been allocated the Yellow zone seats they requested.
What would happen to my dogs if I passed away? How can I make sure they'd be well looked after?
I am a pensioner and live alone with my two lovely dogs. Recently I fell ill, which gave me quite a scare. What would happen to my dogs if anything happened to me and I was no longer able to look after them? How can I make sure they would be looked after? ...read
MONEY MORALS: I'm a student living with working housemates. They want me to pay council tax even though students are exempt. Is this fair?
In our Money Morals series we invite readers to help solve a dilemma. This week we ask, should a student living with professionals have to pay council tax? Students are exempt from paying. But the reader's flatmates say that if her room had been rented to someone in work, they would all have to pay less.
TONY HETHERINGTON: Tesco knew 20,000 shoppers were at risk of points theft - but it didn't sound the alarm
I went to Tesco in Southport before Christmas to take advantage of Clubcard points which I had saved since February last year. After choosing presents, I was told in front of a large queue that my points had already been redeemed, and I had to put back my shopping. I rang Clubcard and was surprised to hear a recorded message about what to do if someone had redeemed your vouchers, which suggests Tesco already knew it was an issue.
I have inherited half my dad's house but I don't want it, can I give it to my children instead without risking inheritance tax?
I live in an expensive area, so my home takes me over the inheritance tax threshold and I do not need the money from my dad's estate. I would rather that my children had it to help them buy their own homes or move. Can I turn down the bequest in the will, or do I have to accept it and pass it on myself?
Metro Bank lost our cash Isas, took eight months to get our statements right and now it's ignoring us...
My wife and I are having problems with Metro Bank regarding one-year cash Isa bonds. We reinvested our money in February 2014. We each received statements, but the amounts invested were not recorded - call centre staff could not tell us why.We each invested more money in April 2014 and, once again, the statements excluded the amounts invested.
ASK TONY: Barclays wants to hike the interest rate on my mortgage for ten buy-to-let properties to 7.55%
I have ten buy-to-let properties using a £600,000 interest-only loan from Barclays. At a meeting I was told the loan was for five years and was overdue - and Barclays did not intend to extend it. During a period of eight months I have had several letters asking me to agree to an increase in interest rate to 7.05 per cent above base rate i.e. 7.55 per cent.
Do we have the right to ask for a dummy CCTV camera or alarm box for our rented home - and would it make it safer?
Last month, I had my car stolen from outside the rental house I live in with my partner. We have asked for our landlord to up security with a dummy camera or alarm - but he isn't keen on the idea. Is it unreasonable to ask a landlord to install one of these? What are the best dummy cameras and alarm boxes available? And are they worth getting?
I made an error while transferring my fixed-rate cash Isa with Halifax and lost my tax-free allowance. Is there anything I can do?
I clicked the box to transfer money from my four-year matured Isa account into my online cash Isa thinking that this was the right way as to not lose my tax free allowance. I have been told by my bank that I have lost my tax free allowance as I should only transferred between Isas via an Isa transfer as this is against HMRC regulations. What can I do?
My bank closed my current account when I moved to Thailand: can I open a new British account without a UK address and manage it from here?
I am an expat living in Thailand and because I have no address in the UK my bank has closed my account. Can you suggest a bank/account in the UK that offers internet banking and a debit card that would be suitable. I intend to open the account with £3,000 and will continue paying in but not every month.
We're mortgage-free but considering getting one to release money to help our son get on the housing ladder - is that a good idea?
We have paid off our mortgage and are now retired, but have watched our son struggle to save for a deposit for his own home as house prices continue to climb almost out of his reach. My wife and I want to help him and have talked about equity release to boost his deposit and lower the amount he would need for a mortgage.
My elderly grandmother may be caught by inheritance tax - can she use the nil rate bands of both her late husbands?
My Grandmother is now quite elderly and, as she owns a reasonably sized house in Surrey, my family and I are beginning to wonder whether her estate will be caught by inheritance tax. I understand that husbands and wives can pass their nil-rate band to their surviving spouses - but can they do this more than once?
I have a lot of Clubcard, Nectar points and airmiles. What will happen to unspent points when I die?
My kids and I had to depend on food banks after Child Support Agency demanded I pay £21k within two years
I received a letter from the Child Support Agency saying I owed almost £21,000, which had to be paid back in two years. I returned to full-time employment in 2008, and at this time the CSA caught up with my ex. I began to receive random sums that they collected from his earnings. Now my CSA payments have stopped, though my ex is still paying them £1,000 a month and I still have two children at home.
MONEY MORALS
Money Morals: Should I take the lousy part-exchange offer on our car or take on the hassle of selling it myself?
I've checked our car's value on a number of websites and the price the dealer has come back with is almost £1,250 below the private selling price they quote. I had been hoping to part-exchange our car to save the hassle of selling it ourselves but I just can't see how I can justify accepting the dealer's low offer.
Money Morals: I lent a girlfriend £600 and now she won't pay it back claiming I gave it to her. What should I do?
Despite the fact that we have fallen out, I still expected her to pay me back as while we had a heated argument about it her last text had said she would. In our Money Morals series we invite readers to help solve a dilemma. This week what should you do if you lent someone money and now they won't return it?
MORE MORTGAGE EXPERTS
If I can repay my mortgage sooner than planned, why does the total I must pay stay the same?
Why is it that, when you pay off your mortgage before the end of its original term, you don't get a reduction in the amount outstanding? Our experts help explain to a reader why paying off your mortgage early may mean that you save on future interest but doesn't mean that you get a discount on your debt.
MORE INSURANCE EXPERTS
We live in a flood risk area and worry we won't get insurance against flooding next year, making our home impossible to sell. Is that the case?
We live in a flood risk part of Sussex in an old Rectory and are concerned that we may not be able to get insurance cover against flooding from next year. This is because only homes in council tax bands A to G will be covered by the new flood cover guarantee, which will come into effect in June 2015.
Money Morals: Should I pay £700 vet fees for my 15-year-old cat?
The vet says our cat's teeth are rotten and will need to be removed - at a cost of £700. If not treated, the condition could become life threatening. Should we pay? She has been part of our family for 15 years - but £700 is a lot of money to us and we know she cannot have many years left to live even if she is treated.
MORE PENSION EXPERTS
Can a company offering to unlock pension cash via an account in Belize solve my son's debt problems?
MORE HOUSEHOLD EXPERTS
I thought my energy tariff with Npower was fixed... so why are my bills going up 14.3%?
I am on a tariff called Energy Online August 2014, which I thought was fixed until this time. But Npower has just told me my bills are going up. If I'm on a variable tariff, why does it have 'August 2014' in the name? If I had realised it was variable I would have switched weeks ago before the best deals were withdrawn from the market.
'EBay have come after my son with the heavy mob for £75 even though we can prove buyer received the item'
My son sold an exhaust system on eBay, but the buyer says he did not receive it and eBay is claiming the £75.71 back. I have supplied all the relevant paperwork from the carrier, Parcel Force, with tracking details and the recipient's signature acknowledging receipt, but eBay is using an aggressive debt collector.
MORE SAVING AND BANKING EXPERTS
MORE INVESTING EXPERTS
My bitcoins have increased in value considerably. Will I have to pay any tax when I sell them?
Since they're a 'virtual currency' are they liable for income tax or capital gains tax when I sell them? Can I shelter them in an Isa? Rachel Rickard Straus of This is Money says: 'The verdict is still out over bitcoins. Are they the latest internet bubble waiting to burst or a new currency that's here to stay?'
ASK TONY: Is our investments adviser bleeding us dry with his £11,500 fee?
We have £300,000 to invest, but this money has to last us for the rest of our lives. A financial adviser has suggested investing in five different funds with a £11,500 initial charge to set up the fund. Our adviser is a very nice man who works for a BS who has said that we can make more than £81,000 in total if we keep the investments for ten years. Can I trust his advice?
MORE CREDIT AND DEBT EXPERTS
Orange charged me £17 a month for FIVE YEARS for a phone line I didn't know I had and never used. How has this happened?
My father went into an Orange store to update his contract in 2007 and walked out with another phone line that he claims he didn't know he had. How can Orange not have noticed the account was dormant for five years? My father just pays by direct debit every month without checking the details of his bill.
My ex loaned me £12,000 before we split up. I have repaid most of it. Am I still liable for the full amount?
Am I still liable for repaying my ex partner the full £18,000 she lent me? I have now paid her back more than both the original sum and more than the £12k is worth at today's index. The extra money was meant to be used a savings tactic for our life together, so do can I stop paying? Our experts answer
MORE TAX EXPERTS
MORE WORK EXPERTS
How can we get our street food business going - can we patent our recipes and which certificates do we need?
My friend and I want to start selling a recipe (which is top secret) at a local food market but have no idea where to start. The recipe has come from his mother and as far as we are aware, nothing like it is currently being sold elsewhere in Britain. She is keen for us to get it out there - we really believe it will be a hit and have tested it on friends who agree.
There are rumours of redundancies at work so I am thinking of getting income insurance - but will the insurer reject a claim because my job was already under threat?
I'm afraid I might get made redundant some time in the next year, as there have been rumours going around our offices. Can I get this insurance if there is already a threat I could lose my job? Nothing is definite yet but will the insurer say I knew about the job cuts before starting the policy, and therefore get out of paying up?
EXPERT ANSWERS BY SECTION
FIX YOUR FINANCES
- This is Money's five favourite cash Isas Essential Isa reading kept up-to-date throughout the year
- Should you fix your mortgage? The latest on the best deals and what next for mortgage rates
- How to plan for a richer retirement Whatever your age, there's a plan for you. Follow our decade-by-decade guide
- How to pick the best DIY investing Isa We explain how to decide and pick five of the best (and cheapest) available
- Energy bills: Is it worth switching? What are the best deals and should you fix?
- How to get out of debt Read our ten-step guide to getting back into the black
ANSWERS FROM THE Experts
- TONY HETHERINGTON: Trust this broker... if you're happy to lose your money
- The taxman is demanding £640 after I forgot to click one box on the online form, can you help?
- Why won't our lender cancel half of the mortgage on our cottage after my partner's death?
- I want to take out a phone contract in the UK after ten years abroad. Will I be declined because I have no credit score or will rating from the US count?
- ASK TONY: I'm paying over £400-a-year for British Gas HomeCare, so why won't they fix my leaking bath pipe?
- TONY HETHERINGTON: I was cold-called about shares in an Oklahoma oil well - is it legal?
- ASK TONY: We found old sweets down the side of our 'new' sofa - but DFS won't give us a decent discount despite admitting it was used for nine months
- I'm thinking about converting my garden shed into a miniature pub – would it add value to my house or put people off?
- I have returned to UK after living abroad for seven years to find my old £7k bank loan written off: now how do I rebuild my credit score?
- My endowment policy is maturing soon and I'll receive a lump sum - will the taxman want a slice?
DON'T MISS
- FTSE 100 stocks that have weathered the market storms Top share risers of the last six months (and one you might not have heard of)
- RUTH SUNDERLAND: Buying shares is for the long term This chart shows why small investors should take a 10-year view and keep calm in the slumps
- From phantom hotels to delayed flights and missing bags How to salvage your holiday from disaster
- Virgin Money credit card lasts longer Launches first-ever 40 MONTH 0% balance transfer card
- Cost of unleaded petrol drops for millions of drivers this weekend as major supermarkets slash 2p off at the pumps - and prices could fall to £1 a litre.
- The Investing Show Ten dividend shares for the next five years
- China triggers market strife Footsie loses £46bn and Wall Street hits six month low
- House prices in UK's largest cities jump Up largest amount in 11 years - with Oxford and Cambridge the biggest risers
- MONEY MORALS: Bride and groom want cash presents but I'm spending a fortune attending the wedding as it is... - how much money should I give?
- Spitfire spirit is still strong at Westland - Britain's oldest aircraft factory Pioneering air firm still flying high after 100 years.
THIS IS MONEY: CALCULATORS
LATEST ON HOUSEHOLD Bills
- From seagulls to wasps, don't get stung in the wallet by pests: Seek expert help - and check your insurance
- MONEY MORALS: Bride and groom want cash presents but I'm spending a fortune attending the wedding as it is - how much money should I give?
- When it pays NOT to shop around: Could you save cash by shunning price comparison and discount websites and go direct?
- Save £105 on power bills if you switch to a cheaper tariff by the end of this month
- Is your dog depressed? Pet owners turn to insurance policies to get psychological help for their poorly pooches
- Pet insurance: How to get the best cover and what you need to know
- 66million reasons why the customer comes first: New consumer ombudsman will help shoppers with a gripe win justice
- 'We were quoted £19,849 to upgrade our broadband': Online retailer struggles to take payments because its internet connection is so slow
- Rail fares have risen THREE TIMES faster than wages - and the only way to stop the squeeze on commuters is nationalisation, campaign group warns
- Be a 'Disruptor' - and save cash with high-tech upstart brands: How to cut your bills...from hailing a taxi to selling a home
BEST CASHBACK CREDIT CARDS
Provider | Cashback |
RBS | to 10% | |
Amex Platinum | to 5% | |
Santander 123 | to 3% | |
Lloyds | to 2% | |
Nationwide | 0.5% |
FIVE TOP CURRENT ACCOUNTS
Provider | Incentive |
First Direct | Free £100 | |
HSBC | Earn £240 | |
Nationwide | Travel cover | |
Santander | 3% cashback | |
Halifax | £5 a month |
Latest on Investing
- MIDAS SHARE TIPS: Tasty prospects at convenience store giant McColl's Retail Group as it boosts takeaway choices
- JPMORGAN EUROPEAN INVESTMENT TRUST: Fund makes waves as it looks to Continent for income investors
- MIDAS SHARE TIPS UPDATE: Lettings agency tip Martin & Co grabs slice of success
- SMALL CAP MOVERS: Punters' favourite oil exploration firm Red Emperor plummets 70% as it pulls the plug on well in Philippines
- Revealed: The 25 top-performing British fund managers over the last ten years (…and Neil Woodford is only number nine)
- Surrey County Cricket Club tempts savers with a 'mini-bond' to help fund a new stand at the Oval - that pays 5.5% a year
- Oh, I do like to be beside a seaside poster worth £5,000: Nostalgia for romantic holiday era creates boom in demand for old posters
- SARACEN GLOBAL INCOME & GROWTH: Fund buys into fitness trackers to help build for the long run
- MIDAS SHARE TIPS: You might loathe lawyers, but Gateley is one worth signing on the line for
- MIDAS SHARE TIPS UPDATE: Investors clean up after our workwear supply tip Johnson Service Group doubles - again
- INVESTMENT EXTRA: Is it time to bank on a rebound in Britain's banking sector stocks?
True Cost Mortgage Calculator
Broadband
Search for the best providers in your area
Insurance
Compare thousands of policies
Energy bills
You could save £££s on your energy bills. Find out in seconds
Credit check
Get a FREE trial credit check today to see what the financial services industry can see about you
GOWarranties
Get cheaper cover on
Car insurance
Compare more than 100 insurers in less than five minutes
GO