Money

During the divorce the assets except his pension were amicably split 50/50. As this was his only income my wife agreed that he could keep the pension. But this was a private agreement and was made without any expectation that he would be diagnosed with cancer and die only a few years later. Does my wife have a legal claim on the pension?

Everyone remembers their first motor - they're usually old, well used and flirting with the big scrapyard in the sky. These are the 10 models you're most likely to find if you are searching for a car for less than £1k. From top, left to right: Ford Fiesta, Renault Clio, Nissan Micra, Vauxhall Corsa, Renault Megane, Ford Ka.

A single first-time buyer who started saving up for a deposit earlier this year will not be able to buy a home until 2028 in certain parts of England and Wales. To raise enough money for a 15 per cent deposit on a first home, a single first-time buyer will need to save for just over 10 and a half years, new figures by Hamptons International show. With pay packets gradually creeping up and house prices cooling off in areas like London, the amount of time it takes for a single first-time buyer saving up for a deposit to get on the housing ladder has dipped slightly from the 11 year mark seen a year ago.

Millions of households are routinely overpaying or losing out by hundreds of pounds a year by falling victim to the 'default penalty' sting - one that shunts people into poor financial deals and costs £8 billion a year. Households are being caught in four key areas - energy, mortgages, savings and home communications. Here we show how you can escape these traps - and boost your annual household budget by £2,000 by switching deals.

On a brutal day for investors, Countrywide stock fell 30 per cent, meaning it has lost 54 per cent of its value so far this year and more than 90 per cent since its peak in 2014. The group, which owns brands including Hamptons, Bairstow Eves, Beresford Adams and Gascoigne-Pees, was worth £1.6 billion four years ago but is now valued at £131m.

Scorching temperatures of up to 90F have been predicted this week, which will see Britons bathed in hotter conditions than Tahiti. And this poses a risk to motorists who don't consume enough water, studies have shown. A Loughborough University study showed a similar decline in reactions to being over the drink drive limit.

The National Health Service is 70 years old this year and most of us are proud of the British institution, leaning on it in our times of need. However, we're living longer with more complex problems and the service keeps crying out that it needs more money. Should we pay more tax for it?

Thousands of pet owners are being forced to ditch insurance for their dogs and cats because of rocketing premiums. Around 12 million households have a pet but as many as eight million are uninsured, leaving them at risk of hefty bills should they have to visit a vet. Here we look at the options available, how to keep costs down and the key facts pet owners need to know about their insurance cover.

Customers of Nationwide are being urged to vote against the fat-cat pay being enjoyed by the board's 'gang of four' executives at next month's annual general meeting. The call to action has been made by the Building Societies Members Association, a longstanding organisation that passionately believes mutuals such as Nationwide should be run primarily for the benefit of those who own them - savers and borrowers - and not for the personal gain of top executives.

We round up the Sunday newspaper share tips. Joanne Hart and her Midas column in the Financial Mail on Sunday takes a look at PTSG, a company that provides specialist services for buildings across the UK and updates on mineral firm Sirius. Meanwhile, the Sunday Telegraph runs the rule over the Bank of Georgia while the Sunday Times delves into outsourcing giant Serco.

There's nobody better to ask for advice if you want to sell your home - now or in the future - and would like to get the best possible price than Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer (inset). Allsopp and her co-host on Location, Location, Location have been helping people move since 2000. They give us their tips and Kirstie casts her eye over a selection of houses pictured.

There are so many ways to make it work to your advantage through buying property, whether it be a holiday home for you and your family, a house or flat you can rent out, or somewhere for one of your children to live, possibly when they are a student. A holiday home in the sun is possibly the most immediately appealing option, with many places in the Mediterranean still surprisingly inexpensive. Pictured left: This three bedroom semi-deteached villa in Davutlar, Turkey, is £99,950. Bottom right: Various flats are for sale at Bath's Riverside development. Top right: A three-bedroom apartment in this block in Ibiza is selling for £481,000.

The average discount on the list price of vehicles between March and May was £2,581. However, of the 7,500 purchases reviewed, 218 customers couldn't get a single penny off the retail price of a new car. These are the brands providing the most wiggle room and the ones who don't want to haggle on price at all.

Sandbanks in Poole has been named as the most expensive seaside town in the country, with an average house price of £626,553. The top 10 most expensive seaside towns also include Salcombe in Devon and Aldeburgh in Suffolk.

Woodford, founder and head of investment at Woodford Investment Management, has suffered a rocky 18 months as the value of his flagship fund has plummeted. But in an interview with leading City research firm Square Mile, he told how speculators were causing wild swings in stock prices that were destroying faith in the stock market.

My ex-husband and I divorced in June 2006 and I was awarded a pension sharing order for one of his final salary pensions. I have recently discovered that the order was never passed to the pension company. The fund has since merged with that of the parent company and the administrator says the order would no longer apply as it is out of date and also for an invalid named scheme. My ex says he cannot be held liable for the failure to transfer as he fully complied with the court order. What can I do? Lawyer Jane Keir replies.

The Ferrari 250 GTO is the third example built by the Italian factory in 1962 and is just one of 36 in existence. Take a guided tour around the $45m beauty in this selection of stunning images.

The Lifetime Isa's 25% bonus is a level of a return you would need to wait 25 years to achieve on money paid into a standard savings account paying 1.5 per cent interest. So, while it is a bit of a duff product, it can also be a great deal. If you are saving for a first home then get one (or tell your children or grandchildren to open one if they are).

Ultra-rich investors are piling cash into fine art and wine as returns soar. A boom in demand for modern art and classy bottles of vino is pushing up prices - and making profits for investors. It's a classic symptom of a bull - and, many believe, overinflated -market, where wealthier investors seek different assets to jump on.

Buy-to-let landlords squeezed by recent tax changes may find better returns by targeting towns with strong student populations, research suggests. University towns and cities where housing is cheap, such as Liverpool and Middlesbrough, provide rental yields up to seven times higher than in London, a study by credit specialists Totally Money found. Its report compared average rents to house prices to highlight the most profitable places for buy-to-let and named a pair of postcodes close to two of Liverpool's three universities as a hotspot for property investment - with rental yields of almost 12 per cent.

My youngest son has been abusive and, at times, even violent towards me. In view of his behaviour, I drafted a new will over 10 years ago leaving everything to my eldest son. I've seen various press articles suggesting that disaffected family members are achieving more success in challenging wills which do not make any provision for them. My youngest son has stated that 'when I'm dead he'll be back for his share' and I'm concerned that he may still inherit despite my wishes. Could he challenge my will? Lawyer Daniel Winter (pictured) replies.

The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee kept interest rates on hold at 0.5 per cent, in spite of forecasts of a 90 per cent chance of a rise just three weeks ago. Policymakers voted 7-2 for a hold, with the two members who called for a rise saying that they believed there were 'upside risks' for inflation.

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.