Force property developers who are sat on land to build homes or get out, says Rics

NEW 'Speculators who are sitting on land only to sell at a profit' are clogging up much-needed space for new homes, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors said. More brownfield sites and unused land should be freed up to create affordable homes and councils need to speed up planning applications, the findings added.

A sell-off of UK gilts and US treasuries was already under way but has accelerated since last week's US election, leaving holders sitting on capital losses as prices fall.

Oxford, Cambridge and Richmond-upon-Thames are England's most 'vibrant' towns, research

Healthy lifestyles and social cohesion are as important as economic prosperity in determining how happy and vibrant a place is to live in, a study suggests. Across the country, urban areas with decent economic scores often scored worst for health, well-being and happiness levels, with parts of London, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool all performing poorly.

The FCA says fund managers should publish an 'all-in fee' so investors can see what they are paying after uncovering devastating evidence of rip-off charges and weak price competition.

Alex Klein's mission to demystify computers led to the creation of Kano - a £149 do-it-yourself kit that claims to be as fun to make as Lego and so simple a child as young as six can do it.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling suggested that steel used in the £55.7bn scheme will be sourced from the UK, which will protect thousands of jobs and ensure the future of the crisis-hit industry.

This is Money was named Financial Consumer Website of the Year at the highly-regarded Santander Media Awards, last night.

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FTSE LIVE: Footsie weak with mixed global markets, lower oil price, US rate hike soon

UPDATED In opening deals, the FTSE 100 Index was down 12.0 points, or 0.2 per cent at 6,782.8, having closed 44.99 points higher yesterday. US stocks closed higher overnight, with the broad S&P; 500 benchmark pushing to within a hair's breadth of its record high, as the prospect of higher interest rates boosted bank stocks. But Asia markets were mostly lower as the dollar sprinted to a more than 13-1/2 year peak and US debt yields hit near one-year highs.

It is the latest twist in a High Court drama, which could eventually see top executives forced to testify about the bank's collapse - including ex-boss Fred Goodwin (pictured).

Rio Tinto sacked its energy and minerals chief executive Alan Davies and legal and regulatory group executive Debra Valentine amid a probe over an alleged £8.4m payment.

Dart Group, which owns the holiday operator as well as its logistics arm Fowler Welch, said revenue was up 21 per cent to £1.2bn. Pre-tax profit climbed 12 per cent to £163.7m.

The chain has been sold to turnaround firm Hilco Capital, which plans to wind down Staples' UK business after latest pre-tax losses of £5m for the year to the end of January 2015.

A Lazard spokesman says Mandelson, 63, will remain a paid adviser to the bank, remarking: 'He provides advice and assistance to the leadership team and our clients in London.'

Santander limits cashback for 123 credit cardholders to £9 per month and ramps up interest

From next year Santander will place a cap on the amount of cashback customers with its 123 credit card earn make per month while increasing the interest rate it charges to 15.9 per cent from 12.7 per cent. It come after the Spanish bank scrapped the card for new users last month, replacing it with three new cards.

Aston Martin reveals Vanquish S packing near 600bhp

One thing the 6.0-litre V12 Vanquish really didn't need was more power, but Aston Martin has loaded it with some extra boot anyway.The £200,000 beast revealed at the LA Auto Show delivers a monstrous 595bhp - enough grunt to complete a 0 to 62mph sprint in 3.5 seconds.

The threshold at which personal injury lawyers can take cases to the small claims court would be raised from £1,000 to £5,000 - meaning legal costs are reduced.

Called the Stelvio, Alfa's SUV is named after the famous Alpine pass and is set to get head-to-head with the Jaguar F Pace and Porsche Macan when it goes on sale in the UK next year.

ASK TONY: Thomson won't give back money I lost when its website crashed

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.

National Savings & Investments now top for income and cash Isas as banks slash rates

Accounts from National Savings & Investments are currently market leading with its Income Bonds paying 1 per cent. These bonds are aimed at those who want to take their interest each month. But even with £10,000 of savings you will still receive only £8.33 interest a month.

With prices for standard variable tariffs varying by postcode, millions are languishing on expensive plans with the country's Big Six suppliers, Moneysupermarket said.

Lifetime Isas have provoked a barrage of criticism amid fears younger people will make poor decisions that leave them out of pocket in the long run.

Hargreaves Lansdown launches low-cost stock market fund

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.

Some 31 per cent have nothing left to put in the bank when the month is over, while 4 per cent save less than £10. Overall, half of the population save £100 or less (file image).

Sources at the Big Six power giants claim they will have to raise prices to cover extra energy taxes being imposed by the Government, but wholesale prices are also on the rise.

Don’t buy car insurance on Saturday and other ways to cut costs

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.

The over 50s insurer has pulled its 'guaranteed' no-claims discount offer, which meant that motorists could make an unlimited number of claims in a year without the no-claims discount being hit.

In the past 12 months, around 29,000 second mortgage customers have borrowed £890 million, with rates typically starting at 3.88 per cent. But some lenders are charging four times as high as this.

Money Mail launch major campaign to help savers cash in their rip-off pensions

Under laws introduced last year, everyone aged over 55 should be able to withdraw as much as they want from their pensions. But five million pensioners who have already turned their pots into a retirement income have been denied these freedoms. The Government had promised reforms next April to allow retirees to sell their so-called annuities for a lump sum.

Tesco Bank refuses to explain what happened while the National Crime Agency investigates. But it does say customers do not need to change their passwords as their data was not 'compromised'.

Our wonderful NHS gives us free healthcare in our working lives - but, as soon as our mental and physical powers start to diminish, the state washes its hands of us.

The rate came down to 0.9 per cent from 1 per cent in September, defying expectations that it would increase to a two-year high of 1.2 per cent.

The crackdown on rip-off penalties follows an outcry from savers aged over 55, who faced shelling out thousands of pounds to access or move their money using pension freedoms.

How the big names of luxury fell out of fashion

A year after the Bataclan terrorist outrage, wealthy tourists are reluctant to visit the French capital and its grand couture houses. But it's not just Paris. Other leading global luxury businesses, including Prada and Ralph Lauren, have also been facing difficult times. The market is so tough for top-end fashion retailers that industry commentators have called it 'luxury Armageddon'.

Twitter may be a popular place to exchange insults but has been a poor investment with the
shares soaring to $70 before collapsing to $18. And Facebook is currently eating humble pie.

The social media giant, which lets users send pictures and video clips to friends via a mobile phone app, is preparing for parent company Snap to go public as early as March.

The insurance and pensions firm will up payouts to shareholders by 5 per cent a year. Gains were driven by growth in Asia, where it is seeking customers among the emerging middle classes.

Ted Baker shares boosted as sales rise but boss warns of crucial Christmas trading

Total sales rose 14.8 per cent in the three months to November 12, with retail and wholesale sales rising 15.4 per cent and 13.2 per cent respectively.

It is alleged the lender's staff argued complex loans left it exposed to a collapse in US property prices. But papers filed in a lawsuit by shareholders claim managers turned a blind eye.

The tool rental company said the loss of its heavy plant business and improvements to customer service, boosted profits.

UK car dealer will only sell matching white Ferrari and McLaren together

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.

Amazon Prime is available at a £20 discount, giving former Top Gear viewers the chance to watch Jeremy Clarkson and chums in action once again.

Jaguar will today release details of its all-knew electric sports car, the I-Pace which will have a 200mph top speed and 0-60 time of just four seconds with a range of 310 miles.

Taunton schoolboy nets £2m after a property developer offered him money for land he bought

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.

Audi cars with automatic transmissions have technology capable of distorting emissions when they are tested, reports in Germany have claimed.

With an annual rise of 8.3 per cent, homes in England saw the biggest price jump, while those in Scotland saw prices rise a more modest 3.4 per cent.

Fix your mortgage now? Brokers say Trump win will help raise rates

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. 

The shake-up would leave three million earning over £35,000 a year worse off, experts warned, and would also hit millions of workers juggling a number of low-paid jobs (file image).

Calls are being made for a new 'referencing passport' that tenants can transfer between letting agents, meaning an end to paying for a new reference each time they seek to rent a home

Europe manager on why you should diversify away from the UK for income

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 investors have been warned not to take out any financial services with Bolivian bank Seedoro after the City watchdog said it had faked its authorisation.

Virgin's new 0% credit card offer beats the previous best-buy deals from Tesco Bank and Sainsbury's Bank with two additional months interest-free on purchases.

Why every £1 spent on Christmas adverts turns into £24 profit

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.

First-time buyers see house prices jump £3,300 in a month, says Rightmove

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.

Student debt is leaving a generation saddled with average debts of £44,000 before they even begin working - now mortgage lenders have signalled it could harm them when buying a home.

I left my job just over two years ago to start my own business. Now my wife is expecting and we need to move, but will we get a mortgage?

Porsche now has a limo for diplomats and execs

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.

Barclaycard customers worried about binge spending would be encouraged to sign up. They could block a card between certain times or set up a maximum transaction limit

Shoppers hunting bargains are primed for a Black Friday frenzy with the number of orders expected to hit a record of almost ten million on the day.

How to make your finances fit for the new Trump world

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.

Play your cards right: We pick the best credit cards for spending, rewards, travel and clearing debt.

Whatever you are thinking of doing with your finances in 2015, if it is going to involve a credit card, then it is essential that you get the right one.

Former Pensions Minister Steve Webb is This Is Money's Agony Uncle. This week, he replies to a reader who wants to know what happens about her pension while she's on maternity leave.

How do you get cheap tickets to a blockbuster show?

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.

TONY HETHERINGTON: Sitting comfortably? How a firm ripped off a woman of 95

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.

Cyber-criminals broke into Tesco Bank's computer system last weekend and stole £2.5million from the current accounts of 9,000 customers.

It seems that in the industry's mad rush to get us all to do our banking through apps, iPads and personal computers, it is failing to protect customers from cyber criminals.

Lasting power of attorney: Why you need this and how to set it up

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

50 ways to save money....

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.

Pick the best (and cheapest) investment Isa platform

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.

L Board sign on the rear of a blue saloon car , UK

If you are new to investing then the huge number of funds and investment trusts on offer can be confusing. Fortunately, This is Money's experts have some ideas to get you started.

On the up: Emerging markets such as Brazil are where much of the world's growth is expected to be over future years.

If you're looking to add some flair to your investing Isa with emerging markets, This is Money's experts have some ideas to get you started

Income investing: Dividends can deliver both a healthy boost to long-term growth and a way to earn from your investments.

Income investing can let you draw on your portfolio or reinvest dividends to build solid growth over time. Our experts give their fund and investment trust recommendations.

In this low-income world it can be hard to find mainstream investments paying a significant yield. Stifel has compiled a list of 19 investment trusts with a yield of more than 4 per cent.

Handy Brexit table explains the options for the UK's exit from the EU

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.

It would have been nice to have a plan. Instead, after the Brexit vote we were left scratching our heads. But now it's time for some answers on trade and what we mean to the EU.

Pensions Road Sign against threatening clouds

We tend to put ambitious targets on our hoped-for income in retirement and then underestimate how much we will need to set aside to achieve that. So how much should you save?

When will UK interest rates rise?

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.

What next for mortgage rates?

Several months after the Bank of England slashed the base rate to 0.25 per cent and lenders are still cutting mortgage rates on almost a weekly basis - but how low can they really go? The experts say not a lot lower and it's likely that if you get a mortgage at the moment, it's going to be a pretty cracking deal. 

Ten tips for buy-to-let

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

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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.

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