My wife and I tried to book flights to Menorca online with Thomson, but experienced problems with its website - it kept telling us we had been unsuccessful. So, later that day, we decided to book with another operator. Three days later, we noticed Thomson had taken £438 from our bank account.

DIY investing platform Hargreaves Lansdown has moved into equity management with the launch of a low-cost fund. With an ongoing charge figure of 0.6% , the fund is cheaper to invest in than 90% of the active funds in the IA All Companies Sector, it says.

As a young and fairly new driver, Alicia Rouse expected to pay a little extra for her ten-year-old Vauxhall Corsa. But when it came time to renew her policy, it had increased by £58 despite a flawless driving record - and her mission to find cheaper car insurance unearthed insurers' tricks.

Imagine your dream car garage and there's a very good chance that it may feature both of these stunners. For one lucky buyer that fantasy could soon become a reality. But they'll need £700,000 to spare and enough room to store two ultra-collectible supercars, in the form of the Ferrari 458 Speciale (left) and McLaren 675LT (right). And the dealer has said the cars come strictly as a pair.

Harvey Millington (pictured), bought up three acres of land for £40,000 after making £100,000 from his road tax reminder business - he has now sold it for a fortune. The schoolboy, from Taunton, Somerset, was going to start his own glamping business. But the pocket of land was surrounded by fields bought up by a developer, who knocked on his door and offered him a fortune to buy it. He said: 'I wasn't sure how much they were going to offer for the land, but they came up with £2million. It was too good to turn down. It's a massive amount, especially for someone at my age.' Harvey has already made thousands from his online tax disc reminder company set up when he was 13. The reminder discs (bottom right) cost £4 a time and his online business (inset) became one of the fastest-growing in the country.

Britain's long-term mortgage rates are likely to rise in just days following a surge in the cost of borrowing for lenders, aided by Donald Trump's shock win in last week's US election. Mortgage broker firm John Charcol is predicting that five-year and 10-year fixed rates will be the first to see prices go up, with lenders expected to start hiking costs later this week. 

Many income investors worry about the absence of British-style 'blue chips' in Europe - big, multinational companies that can weather all markets to grow their share price and maintain their dividends. But Liontrust's Olly Russ argues that post-financial crisis, these stocks have evaporated and investors should diversify into European income

British firms are expected to spend about £5.6bn on marketing in the run-up to Christmas this year, £300m more than in 2015, according to the Advertising Association. Prime-time television spots are expected to attract a spend of £1.3bn as advertisers are prepared to pay bigger sums to get noticed at a time of year when viewing figures climb.

Cineworld has reported a surge in revenues following a series of hits this summer including The BFG, Finding Dory and Bridget Jones's Baby (starring Renée Zellweger, pictured).

Sales grew by 4.4 per cent in the nine months to October 31, the company said. It's almost half the 7.9 per cent growth recorded in the same period last year - despite the group opening 46 stores. Card Factory, which now has 860 stores, said average spend at its personalised gift website had increased but that was being offset by lower visitor numbers.

First-time buyers are facing a struggle to get their feet on a housing ladder that's being pulled further away, as asking prices for their typical homes continue to spiral higher. House-hunters taking their first steps into the market must stomach an average price hike of £3,256 on a two-bed property this month, according to figures from property listing website Rightmove.

Porsche's are famed for being some of the best drivers' cars on the planet, but this new model could tempt you to sit in the back with reclining seats, private--jet-style tables and 10.1-inch screens. Find out more about the new Panamera Executive range.

Donald Trump's triumphant march on the White House has ramifications across the globe, not just in the US. It also has implications for our finances. We look at what we should do to make our household finances fit for the new Trump world.

A trip to the theatre can be a costly treat - one that many of us will consider in the run-up to Christmas and the New Year. But there are ways to step out into the bright lights of London's West End and get seats for a sell-out show - without the drama of breaking the bank. Toby Walne paid just £10 to see No Man's Land.

My 95-year-old mother ordered a fitted chair from Westminster Recliners Limited on July 7, for delivery in August. The chair has still not arrived. We have tried to contact the firm several times but were fobbed off with a mobile number that does not work, or told we cannot speak to the manager. My mother has asked for the contract to be cancelled and her money refunded, but she has received neither the chair nor a refund.

One vital document gives family members authority to handle the financial affairs of a loved one in need - meaning they can stay on top of household bills. It is known as a lasting power of attorney. But 44million people do not have this document - 85 per cent of the UK adult population. And two-fifths of adults do not know what one is. James Ashwell set up the firm Unforgettable after caring for his mother Fay

I've inherited £52,000 and have decided I want to invest it in a buy-to-let. I live and work in London but I grew up in Manchester, so know that part of the country well. I am not sure whether I should buy a place to rent out in London or go for something bigger up north? 

Landlords with four or more buy-to-let mortgages have been warned to prepare for a major headache as new rules force lenders into much tougher mortgage assessments. From 30 September 2017, rules laid out by the Bank of England's Prudential Regulation Authority mean any landlord who owns four or more mortgaged buy-to-let properties will have to submit income and mortgage details on all of them every time they refinance one, or purchase a new property.

The top 20 towns to turn a profit on self-build have been revealed by a developer - but there's one slight catch. Those aspiring to build their own grand design in these hotspots will need a couple of million pounds to splash out on bringing it to fruition. Harpenden, pictured, was named top and those following this method there would need £2million.

Sainsbury's Bank has once again trimmed its personal loan rate, dropping the best buy rate to a new historic low of 3 per cent. The new best-buy rate beats previous best-buy deal from Swedish challenger, Ikano Bank, by 0.1 percentage point, saving £15.44 in interest on a £10,000 loan repaid over 3 years.

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.