NEW While inflation fell again below zero in September, tenants had to fork out £48 extra per month to their private landlords compared to last year - a rise of 6.3%, estate agents Your Move and Reeds Rains said. September and October usually record the biggest rises in rental prices because of students looking for accommodation, but rents have nevertheless been growing steadily over the past years.

Critics of buy-to-let have long been unhappy about the uneven playing field between landlords and homeowners. The current crop of cheap buy-to-let fixes could see a landlord pay £230 a month but a homeowner pay £630. But those barely breaking even should be warned the future may not look like right now.

As families find themselves dragged into the inheritance tax net more are tempted to indulge in a spot of home-spun tax planning to try to dodge a bill. But often some seemingly straightforward arrangements will not always achieve the desired results. Our experts explain why and offer six to

This interactive map by credit rating firm ClearScore allows you to search average credit scores by postcode and how it compared to the national average. It shows that the top two districts by credit score are in Scotland, while the majority of the lowest ranking areas are in London. Those living in Kirkwall in Scotland's Orkney Islands have the best credit rating at an average score of 454, closely followed by Lerwick residents at 453.

The deal It is open to men born before April 6, 1951, and women before April 6, 1953, who live in the UK and already receive a state pension or are entitled to one. You can buy between £1 and £25 extra a week by paying Class 3A voluntary national insurance contributions.

With his first independent fund - Woodford Equity Income - Neil Woodford has turned every £1,000 invested into £1,157 over the past year when his rivals have only managed to make an average £5. Had you put £1,000 into his Invesco Perpetual High Income fund when he took the helm in 1988, you would have had £22,286 by the time he left last year. Holly Black gets his thoughts on the investing world.

I'm a pensioner with a modest bank account held at Barclays. On August 10, I called at my branch to withdraw funds, but was shocked to be told there were none available. After about 15 minutes, the bank clerk told me she had traced the money and discovered the account had been closed because it hadn't been used for the past 15 months.

A new plug-in and play device which slots into the TV and is controlled by a wireless wand with a microphone is aiming to bring 'music streaming to the masses.' Electric Jukebox, which launched this morning at an event in London, has been backed a raft of celebrities including Sheryl Crow, Robbie Williams, Alesha Dixon and Stephen Fry.

Ferrari's latest creation can accelerate from 0-62mph faster than you can tie your shoe laces, has a top speed of 211mph and more power than nine superminis put together. Just 799 F12tdf examples will be built and each one is expected to cost in the region of £275,000.

The company, owned by Spanish giant Iberdrola, is struggling to clear a logjam of complaints triggered by a botched £200 million computer upgrade. More than 18 months after Money Mail revealed it was having problems, complaints are still pouring into Money Mail's postbag. Among the disgruntled customers are Lynne McCaughey and her daughter Cate, 12, (pictured).

Our money gives these fund managers enormous power. For every share they buy, they get a right to vote on that company - and when you buy as many as they do, you have a very loud voice. They could be advocates for social responsibility; keep outrageous executive pay in check; campaign for transparency and better corporate practices.

Last week, This is Money reported that Sky was hiking line rental prices. It follows other telecoms providers who have made similar increases in recent months. It has left us - and many of our readers - asking if Ofcom will look into soaring costs, and do anything about it

Can you explain how bond funds work (I thought they were the 'safer' option) and what effect 'derivatives' might have on the risk now and if I should consider switching out of these old-style investments? I thought derivatives were to blame for the banking crisis that pushed us all into recession!

I bought a home insurance policy a few weeks ago. Today, I received an email warning to say the price will increase next month because of an increase in insurance premium tax laid out by the Government. Is this genuine and what exactly is IPT?

Would you like to set up a business from home and perhaps even turn it into a runaway success? In our new series, we meet people who did just that, starting with Niamh Barker. Eight years ago, she set up the Travelwrap Company in her spare room. Now, it is now an international brand, beloved of celebs and royals alike.

The business owner in Wales gave out an incorrect sort-code to a customer, which meant the payment ended up in the account of another HSBC customer in Bristol. However, because the recipient is not responding to messages from HSBC, the banking giant says it is not able to claw the money back from their account.

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.