There was once a time when the only insurance you could buy was for your car, home, life and maybe a holiday. Policies were supposed to be a lifeline in the event that disaster struck and an unforeseen circumstance left you drastically out of pocket.

Spending on rent, education costs, smartphones and meals out means inflation is running three times higher for under-30s compared to pensioners. With an inflation rate of double the UK average, millennials - those who entered early adulthood in 2000 - suffer most from rising prices than any other generation, according to analysis.

A luxury penthouse with a chef and chauffeur at your disposal, a large double room with en suite and a fridge full of beer sounds too good to be true. MailOnline went to investigate and meet the two men behind the online advert that recently appeared on the flatshare website SpareRoom.co.uk. We met the the live-in landlord Andrew Michael and tenant Kai Feller.

Eight nail biting months and finally, we have moved into our first home. It's been a treacherous journey full of hurdles - here's what I wish we knew when we started. They might not apply to everyone, some of it may seem simplistic and various titbits are unique to our own homebuying nightmare, but I hope it helps those entering the process, or currently enduring their own slice of hell.

Around £270million is wasted annually on legal fees and surveys for failed house purchases in England and Wales. Those left in the lurch face the frustration of losing out on a dream house, huge legal bills and home survey fees which can run into the thousands of pounds. The Government is considering cracking down on those who pull out of buying or selling a house at the last minute.

Ford's new Mustang (right) is available as a fully-fledged UK car for the first time since the original launched some 50 years ago. It comes in right-hand-drive, warranty and all. This means you can pick up an icon that will hit 60 in less than five seconds, for just £35,000. We spent a week with the 5.0 litre V8, to see if it can cut it in Britain.

Challenger banks are offering a raft of best buy savings deals when they first launch only to fade away once they have attracted enough cash from savers, data indicates. Research shows that new small banks who have had a banking licence for under a year have 60 best buy savings rates currently on offer in Britain.

The average cost of renting a property in the UK, excluding London, has increased to £764 a month, it has been revealed. Average rents in London are more than double at £1,543. Rents in the three months to April were on average 5.1 per cent higher than a year earlier, according to the figures from HomeLet. But what does the average rent actually buy a tenant?

Presenter, novelist and small business owner Dawn O'Porter is passionate about vintage clothing, which has exploded in popularity in recent years. She says their timeless quality means the clothes she sells will never go out of fashion.

You do not need to play in a band to be part of the burgeoning 'gig economy'. Nearly everyone has skills or assets they can exploit in their spare time to boost their income - or save money by using one of a new wave of technology-driven services. The Mail on Sunday shows you how to work the gigs.

The Bank of Mum and Dad is officially one of the ten biggest mortgage lenders in the country - set to help more than 300,000 young people raise a deposit for a first home this year. But as it approaches breaking point, here are six key things you need to know about the alternative way to build a deposit for your first home.

In the post-World War II period, each generation was encouraged to expect higher living standards than its predecessor. Steady improvements in living standards were founded upon a good job, a nice home and an early and comfortable retirement. Today, the basic foundation of these expectations, continuous strong economic growth, is under threat, explains finance expert Satyajit Das.

The value of vintage watches is rising as more people seek an alternative to modern, high-tech gadgets. The price of the most collectable second-hand wristwatches is rising by 5 per cent a year thanks to their old-fashioned appeal - telling the time without all the 'extras' that come with internet-enabled devices, such as electronic games, social media apps, news and fitness programmes.

Aramco has a workforce of 61,907, of which 51,653 are Saudis, making it the largest employer of Saudi nationals in the country. It plans to raise its refining capacity to up to 10m barrels a day. It is working with its suppliers and contractors to create 500,000 new jobs over the next decade.

The gap - the amount by which goods imported from the world exceeds goods exported to it by the UK -  widened to £13.3billion from January to March, from £12.2billion in the last three months of 2015. The ONS said the UK trade gap widened over the quarter due to a £1.9billion rise in imports in such as mechanical machinery, cars, clothing and footwear.

A successful pitch could see you share in £1million in prizes, win a trip to Necker, Branson's private Caribbean island, and have an exclusive mentoring session with one of the Prime Minister's business ambassadors in Downing Street.

Buyers of new homes in the popular former fishing village will have to provide evidence such as joining the electoral roll to show that they live there more than half the year, after the locals voted four-to-one in favour of action in a referendum. Cornwall Council has to decide whether to adopt the policy formally for the ban to go ahead.

Our son is currently renting a flat with his girlfriend. We want to transfer him £15,000 for a house deposit so he is not needlessly paying money to a landlord every month. But how do we protect it from his partner in case they break up in the future?

Is a car without a service history worth 20 per cent less when it comes time to sell? Will having your alloy wheels repaired get you a better price? Should you have your car serviced before part exchanging? A former car dealer explains all and reveals what you should do to get more for your motor.

BHS's £571m black hole in its pension fund was far from the only cause of its woes, but the affair has thrown the spotlight on other company schemes. A recent study estimates that one in six final salary schemes in the private sector are at serious risk of falling into the hands of the Pension Protection Fund rescue vehicle, as BHS did last week. So how serious a threat do pension fund deficits pose, and should it affect whether you invest in them or not?

The property, in Abbey Wood, south-east London, features a lounge (bottom right), a kitchen (top right), one bedroom (bottom left) and a shower room (top left) and is on the rental market for £700 a month. These details would pique the attention of many a struggling renter in the capital - particularly given figures published today that showed tenants typically pay almost £1,600 a month. However, there is quite a substantial catch. This property, in zone four, is a converted garage (centre). At just 7ft 5in, the rooms in the property are quite narrow, and having your neighbour drive in on the other side of the wall while you're watching TV might take some getting used to.

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.