Edinburgh rose 97 places since uSwitch's last Quality of Life Index, pushing 2013's winner Solihull into second place. The south of Scotland scored especially well, with three areas also making the top ten, but only Hertfordshire and Berkshire made it from the South East.

When buying insurance, don't just go for the cheapest firm. Many insurers are able to offer cheap deals by cutting cover and adding exclusions which could leave you unprotected. For example, your travel policy may exclude cancellation cover for holidays, while your home insurer might not pay out for accidental damage. Check you have the level of cover you need.

In principle, tax credits were a good idea. Yet, in practice we've ended up with an economy where big business gets away with paying workers less than they need to live on. The problem is that once you get yourself into the kind of mess tax credits have put Britain in, it is very hard to get out of it.

Almost three years on from Abenomics, in which we have seen a massive programme of quantitative easing, sales tax rises and a barrage of government spending, the question over whether Abe's arrows have hit the target, remains.

At the rate Britain's thirtysomethings are saving they likely to end up with a private pension of just £271 a month - barely enough to cover household bills. By contrast the current generation of pensioners is better off than ever because these workers benefited from generous final salary pensions.

Solar panels proved such a wonderful investment and energy saver that Tony Hazell urged everyone to consider them. But the Government plans to bring in such hard-hitting cuts that the case for buying panels has been holed below the waterline. Tony explains why cuts are bad news for panels and the UK.

Our investigation has revealed how hundreds of thousands of motorists with perfect records are being forced to jump through hoops if they want to benefit from a cheap deal. Some obstacles drivers have to overcome are so restrictive that it prevents many from bothering to switch to a cheaper insurer.

I have been trying to sort out my late uncle's Npower account since March 2014. He suffered a stroke/heart attack on March 2, 2014. There appeared to be three bills, totalling £2,092.65 - yet he lived in a small one-bedroom bungalow, went out every day for his meals and took his washing to the launderette.

If you had invested in Apple 10 years ago you would be laughing - but now the firm has grown so big that some question where it can go next. Is it worth opting for another stock that benefits from Apple's success, or should you hold out for the brand?

Post Office has launched a new Matched Credit Card giving spenders a market-leading 27-months of interest-free purchases. The deal also includes 16 months 0 per cent interest on balance transfers but comes with a one-off 2.98 per cent handling fee that would cost a borrower moving a £1,000 balance £29.80. The new offering outstrips the previous best-buy deals from Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks.

The Office for National Statistics said retail sales rose 6.5 per cent in September compared to the same time last year, marking the 29th consecutive month of growth and the biggest rise since last November. On a monthly basis, they rose by 1.9 per cent, the biggest rise in nearly two years. With food sales being a key part of the pickup - up 2.3 per cent on the month in September - the ONS suggested that this could be linked to alcohol promotions around the Rugby World Cup.

The country's largest and oldest brick maker's second dive into public markets represents one of the most audacious private equity flips as Bain Capital Europe only bought the company in December 2014 for £414m from Irish builder CRH, which was desperate to raise cash to help fund its £4.9bn acquisition of Tarmac Lafarge.

A heated argument over the Government's plans to slash tax credits has broken out in Parliament. Credits top-up the pay of the lowest-earning workers and critics warn three million of the poorest families could lose a £1,000 a year if the changes scheduled for April 2016 go ahead. Here's what it means for you.

Cheap steel is not the only thing being dumped on the global markets by the Chinese, a British property expert says. Chinese investors who have property in London are beginning to cash in their gains by selling up.

First-time buyers have to pay an extra £16,000 to buy a home compared to a year ago. Use our handy tips to help combat these rises by wooing the seller and getting the offer on the property accepted. Before you know it, you'll be discussing moving in dates...

Ever wondered if the favourite car you ever owned is still on the road today? A new website designed to provide transparency on the condition of used cars lets you check if it still is. Simply enter the registration number and car make and you can find out how many miles the it has done and if it passed it's latest MOT test.

We live overseas now but we want to our savings in the UK to be safe. Now the compensation limit is being reduced, how do we open a new account as non residents and without having to go into a branch? We're a bit old fashioned and don't really trust online banking.

First-time buyers face having to find an extra £16,000 to get onto the property ladder compared to a year ago. Prices have been pushed up as potential homeowners go head-to-head with buy-to-let landlords for a limited number of suitable properties available, property listing website Rightmove warned.

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.