Steph McGovern, the BBC Breakfast presenter, says the worst financial decision she ever made was investing in property. McGovern, who bought a three-bedroom terrace house in Middlesbrough just before the 2008 financial crash, estimates the home is worth 15 per cent less than she paid for it. In hindsight, she wishes she had never been tempted to sink her money into bricks and mortar.

The Chancellor last night said households would 'pay the price' of a Brexit in the form of higher mortgage rates as lenders react to financial instability. British borrowers have enjoyed record low interest rates on mortgages and personal loans in recent years as the prospect of a Bank of England base rate hike has persistently remained beyond the horizon.

The simple pleasures of 'the good life' often get lost in the frantic pace of the modern world. Here, The Mail on Sunday shows you how an enjoyable lifestyle surrounded by livestock can save you money - without needing to live on a farm. A hive of bees can produce 60lbs of honey in a good year - easily enough to keep a sweet-toothed family stocked up with this tasty substitute for sugar.

The Royal Mint is marking the Queen's 90th birthday on Thursday with a brand new £5 coin - offering a great souvenir but not an opportunity for investors. In general, collectors should not buy such modern commemorative coins as investments but instead view them as mementos. The pieces are not expected to rise in value over time and, despite being deemed legal tender, are rarely accepted by shops or banks.

Chief operating officer Patrick Magee said: 'There's good news in the bank lending market and the flow of finance is up. The bank market is beginning to recover and the credit appetite is coming back. The asset finance market has been doing really well. It was just under £13billion in 2012 and was more than £16 billion in 2015. Then the alternative finance peer-to-peer lending market is growing and there's more equity out there.'

The world of motoring isn't all about glamour, speed and sharp handling - some cars are just disappointing. Experts at motoring magazine and website Autocar are regularly left infuriated and irked by certain models. The list includes (left to right above) the Toyota Avensis, Proton Gen 2, Vauxhall Adam, Nissan Micra, Mini Paceman, Fiat 500L, BMW X4, Mitsubishi Mirage, Ford Ecosport and DS4. They aren't necessarily the worst cars on the market, but they managed to annoy Autocar testers...

A recovery in commodity prices has boosted investment trusts specialising in the sector and regions heavily exposed to it, according to performance tables for the past three months from QuotedData. But investment trusts focused on the formerly popular biotech and healthcare sector took a hit due to an anticipated squeeze on drug prices if, as widely predicted, the Democrats win the US election this November.

Prudential asked pensioners retired for five years or less about their switch from work to leisure, and whether they regretted anything and would do it differently. The good news is that the overwhelming majority of pensioners are relishing their retirement years, but nearly a third admit they are leading a less comfortable lifestyle.

Even by the standards of Britain's increasingly muddled taxes, inheritance tax is a mess. So it should perhaps come as little surprise that the Prime Minister managed to find himself lambasted for doing nothing wrong this week. So what do we do about an unpopular and complicated tax?

A 'climate of uncertainty' is brewing across Britain's housing market, as the looming prospect of a potential Brexit, buy-to-let investor jitters and a weaker pound take their toll. For the first time since 2008, expectations for house sales have dipped into negative territory. Nearly 40% of surveyors told RICS they expect London property prices to fall over the next three months.

Former Pensions Minister Steve Webb is This Is Money's Agony Uncle. He is ready to answer your questions, whether you are still saving, in the process of stopping work, or juggling your finances in retirement. Read Steve's answer to a saver who has 30 qualifying years of NI paid towards a state pension, and is due to retire in 2020.

Loopeeze, the developer of an environment-friendly bag for sanitary products, is raising £600,000 through new crowdfunding site Growthdeck. The biodegradeable FabLittleBag, which is patented, can be opened with one hand and is designed as a hygienic and convenient means of disposal. It is already sold through Waitrose, Ocado and Whole Foods Market.

City of London investment trust has raised its dividend payout for 50 years in a row, Job Curtis - the trust's manager for the past 25 years - discusses income investing and his best ideas.

They say an Englishman's home is his castle, but this one looks more like his dessert. The four bedroom home's 58ft living area wraps around a circular courtyard with decking and a hot tub. TV show Grand Design's presenter Kevin McCloud described the property as 'magnificent'.

An economist has claimed that gold will soar in value in the coming years labelling cyber warfare as the number one reason people will pile into the commodity. James Rickards, chief global strategist at West Shore Funds, told Bloomberg Markets that the 21st century digital age poses risk to digital money and wealth to all investors and savers.

More than seven in ten victims are being told it's their fault after falling for sophisticated confidence tricks. Others are being blamed for giving passwords to devious conmen or using out-of-date antivirus software on their computers.

Celia Burnett, pictured with husband Brian when his career was in full flow, planned to rely on his NI to give her a state pension. But instead of a boost from the increased amount, 62-year-old Celia has had her retirement plans turned upside down by catches in the small print of the reforms.

Increasingly popular trackers and ETFs, run by computers rather than humans, now hold huge amounts of savers' cash. Their annual charges are as little as 0.06 per cent. And these tracker funds - which account for £1 in every £8 invested by savers - are becoming more sophisticated.

After my mother died last August, I phoned Sainsbury's Bank to request that a new direct debit be set up so that my father could continue making repayments on a loan. They would not discuss details with me because I was not the account holder, even though my father, who is hard of hearing, had given permission for me to act on his behalf.

From payments during cold spells to free eye tests there are a plethora of benefits and pots of cash available to Britons aged over 65. Although some could add up to thousands of pounds every year, not everyone who is eligible claims them. Here we run through ten payments available and how to go about claiming them.

A study published yesterday, ahead of the IMF's spring meeting in Washington DC this week, has concluded that on balance, negative interest rates 'help deliver additional monetary stimulus and easier financial conditions, which support demand and price stability.' But the IMF's backing will come as a shock to critics who view the move to negative interest rates by the Bank of Japan and the European Central Bank in recent months as desperate. In total six of the world's central banks now have negative interest rates in place.

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.

George Osborne's continued austerity revealed in his 2016 Budget is likely to keep rates on hold for longer. Inflation expectations have been revised down for 2016 to 0.7 per cent, while Brexit uncertainty and slow global growth are also playing on rate-setters' minds.

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

Musicians have seen pay rises averaging nearly 20 per cent in 2015, while cleaners are getting 17.8 per cent more, and window cleaners 12.3 per cent. Artists in general are earning 14.6 per cent more in 2015 than 2014, according to the huge annual data dump of pay scales by the Office For National Statistics highlights.