Our report last month on mystery shopping - people going undercover to check on the quality of the service offered by retailers - provoked a huge response from readers. TOBY WALNE, an erstwhile 'mystery shopper', shares their experiences, good and bad.

Despite Government promises to make fast broadband a legal right, many families are still waiting weeks for internet access when they move home - or for repairs when there is disruption to their service. Former Prime Minister David Cameron said last year that access to the internet 'should be a right absolutely fundamental to life in 21st Century Britain'. But despite this pledge, hundreds of people are left waiting for internet access in their homes more than a month after they have requested it. Lucy Sims waited seven weeks to have broadband installed in her new home - despite informing provider BT well in advance.

Although man-caves are considered a modern phenomenon, Tom Williams of YOUhome estate agency in Bournemouth believes they're nothing but a new spin on an old theme. 'In Edwardian times, the head of the household would have retired to the drawing room with a cigar and brandy,' he says. 'Today's stressed dads go to their man-cave with their iPads.'

The report said small businesses affected by closures received limited communication from their bank with regard to support and signposting towards alternative services. It also said awareness of consultation or engagement exercises on behalf of banks is 'effectively zero amongst the small business community'.

The classic car market is now attracting younger, financially savvy women defying falling savings rates and plummeting annuity rates on their pension pots. Over the past two years, the number of female classic car owners has risen by 40 per cent, with female customers now accounting for 11 per cent of the market, says new research by classic car insurance broker Footman James.

My eldest brother wants to see our parents' wills and mine to see what is left to him so he can plan for his future and make sure his children are ok. Both our parents are poorly and I'm their main carer. I still live at home and dropped my hours so I can do more for them. I do not have a pension so mum and dad have made sure that the house comes to me.My other brother is all for it but the other thinks he should get his share and if he didn't like what's in the will he wants to change it.

Would you invest in Sports Direct in the current environment, or buy into a company with a significant pension deficit? Many would steer clear of these scenarios for fear of getting their fingers burnt, but fund manager Alex Wright purposely looks for companies going through a tough time

I have received a £100 fine for not having insurance on a motorhome I'm currently not using. I've been storing the vehicle on my property, in an off-road parking space with no intention to drive it for six months. I understood that human rights give you the right to enjoy your property without harassment, so why am I being fined for keeping a vehicle on my own land?

Homeowners and prospective buyers are being warned not to be seduced by eye-wateringly low two-year mortgage rates as they might not turn out best in the long run. Mortgage rates have fallen to their lowest ever level since the UK voted to leave the European Union in June, with the cheapest deal available now fixed at less than 1 per cent for two years. But after months of lenders slicing their rates to entice homeowners to remortgage, a mortgage broker is warning that unless there is a good reason to take a short-term deal, borrowers could be much safer fixing for longer.

The past few years have been awful for savers and unfortunately the crunch is about to get worse. Bad as things may seem, savers haven't suffered as much as they might have done, at least over the past two years. Unfortunately, with rates headed down and inflation going up, the near future doesn't look bright.

The UK is one of the world's leading games-producing nations and the fall in sterling is delivering a cash boost to the companies behind the sector, according to industry bosses. Jason Kingsley, co-founder of Rebellion - the games developer behind the Sniper Elite series - and chairman of The Independent Games Developers Association (Tiga), said: 'The pound getting weaker has been good for us because our revenues are mostly in dollars.'

We have teamed up with comparison service Fundshare to make searching the market for the best peer-to-peer investments easier. Compare the best rates and providers here.

You have to hand it to 'Big' Sam Allardyce - he knows how to lose 'Big' Money. The former England football manager ignominiously exited his £3million a year job after just 67 days in a farcical newspaper sting. Incidentally, he also missed out on the £400,000 he had hoped to pocket from the dire circumstances of said sting.

Savings rates are at an all-time low, so it's worth looking at alternative ways to make your money work harder. An interest-paying current account could do the trick for at least some of your cash - you could be earning as much as 5 per cent interest. We round-up the best.

The use of British steel would provide a lifeline for an industry that has been ravaged by a crisis claiming thousands of jobs and devastating communities. The plea comes after last week's revelation that a deal to supply steel for the next generation of nuclear submarines had been awarded to the French.

Brexit, extra stamp duty, the prospect of less tax relief and tougher mortgage lending criteria have all failed to deter landlords from investing in buy-to-let. Industry figures released today show that landlords flooded back to the market in September, looking for and snapping up properties despite the tide of Government measures brought in to subdue buy-to-let.

I joined the BBC Club Lottery in the Nineties, and won two prizes in two years. Since then, I have not won once. I contacted the BBC Club Lottery - only to be told I was not in it. I have paid £4.33 a month by standing order from my Lloyds Bank account, but the Club Lottery said it did not accept money by standing order and, as it had not received my money, I was not a member.

Last week, a flash crash in the value of the pound pushed the exchange rate to lows not seen since the financial crisis. Yesterday, exchange rates settled at €1.10 to the pound and $1.21 to the pound. But bureaux de change at airports have taken the chance to slash rates to new lows. Figures collected by Money Mail yesterday showed that at Southampton Airport holidaymakers were being offered just €0.88 to the pound.

Charleh Dickinson is one of a growing number of students are trying to pay their way through university. She founded food firm Designed2Eat making speciality cakes and snacks.
Rising course fees and soaring inflation on student loans mean the typical graduate now faces leaving university owing up to £50,000.

Investors who backed Neil Woodford at the turn of the millennium could have turned £10,000 into £45,000 today. But to really rake in the returns you needed to get on board early. If you'd spotted Mr Woodford's potential when he started out at Invesco Perpetual in 1988, you could have £299,000 by now. We reveal future stars.

The increase in popularity in property as an investment reflects rising confidence in house prices, the ONS said. The figures will add to the growing debate about the place of property in retirement planning.

Savings providers are continuing to hack away at easy-access rates with RCI Bank slashing its best buy deal for the third time this year. At the start of 2016, its freedom saver offered 1.65%. This fell to 1.45% at the start of the summer followed by another cut of 0.25 percentage points in August in the aftermath of the base rate cut.

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.

Despite endless media coverage of the political wrangling and financial speculation, the average Briton can be forgiven for remaining confused about what 'soft' and 'hard' Brexit really mean. About the difference between the 'Norway model' for the UK's post-Brexit relationship with the UK and the 'Swiss solution'. But a clever table put together by HSBC in a report called 'Is Brexit Getting Harder?' cleaves some clarity from the murk.

An interest rate cut before the end of the year looks less likely following the plunge in the pound. However, the Bank of England has indicated that higher inflation driven by rising import costs won't make it lift rates.

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.