Money

The Bank of England’s inflation-stifling quarter point interest rate rise to 0.75 per cent is designed to discourage the nation’s dependence on borrowing over saving. As interest rates lift off for the second time in 10 months The Mail on Sunday suggests five financial steps to avoid a bumpy ride ahead.

Singer Eve Graham earned just £80 a week when she was belting out massive global hits such as I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing with The New Seekers in the early 1970s. The 75-year-old Scot remains bitterly disappointed that she never earned 'silly money' as a pop star due to the poor deal she struck with her record company. Graham was lead singer of the group whose song Beg Steal Or Borrow came second in the 1972 Eurovision Song Contest. She later went on to record the American cult classic Free To Be... You And Me'.

Five years before he died, Thailand's former deputy prime minister, Boonchu Rojanastien, gave his son Krip (pictured) a job that reshaped the course of his life – and his waistline. Boonchu recuperated from the strains of high office by running and doing yoga at his beach house at Hua Hin, south of Bangkok. Over time, he turned that private retreat for friends and family into Asia's first wellness resort, Chiva-Som (pictured inset), and he wanted Krip to continue the family business. The resort now boasts a number of celebrity fans, including David and Victoria Beckham, Serena Williams, Kate Moss and Liz Hurley.

In the not-so-distant days of a frothy property market, estate agents used to joke that there were more of their offices on the high street than houses. But now, the jest is wearing thin. Foxtons, worth more than £1 billion four years ago, last week ran up a £2.5 million loss for the first half of the year as sales in Central London collapsed. Days later, Countrywide – which owns Hamptons International as well as 50 smaller brands including Bairstow Eves and Gascoigne-Pees – launched an £140 million emergency fundraising in a desperate bid to stay afloat.

These contributions, which amounts to £2,880 a year, could result in a nest egg of £1,021,837 by 2061 after investment fees have been deducted, the study by wealth manager Brewin Dolphin found. The calculation is based a total contribution of £51,840 and the assumption that the pension pot will grow by a hefty 8 per cent a year.

This week, This is Money columnist Steve Webb explains the 'emergency' tax people are often forced to pay on pension withdrawals and how to reclaim it. Those taking out a lump sum are judged as if this is the start of a series of monthly withdrawals, and taxed accordingly. They then either have to ask for the overpaid tax to be returned, or wait for HMRC to give it back.

While deals directly tied to the base rate will change, several providers have said they are still mulling over how they plan to apply the base rate increase to other products - leaving many savers holding their breath. Here is what the major providers have said so far.

Today, after nearly a decade of interest rates being 0.5% or lower, they were raised to 0.75%. It could mean better rates for savers, but is likely to add to the cost of millions of homeowners. This is Money takes a look at what it means for your personal finances and speak to the experts for their views.

Watchdogs have raised the alarm amid fears people are taking what they perceive as the 'safe' option of cash without realising the pitfalls or missed investment opportunities. They are now floating the idea of making pension firms send regular alerts to anyone who keeps a pot in a cash fund for a long time.

Breakdown recovery providers have received record levels of pothole-related call-outs already this year and there have been 22 known deaths and 368 serious injuries to cyclists caused by cratered English routes since 2007. Announcing the new investigations, MPs vowed to examine the current funding constraints that have seen local roads fall into a state of disrepair.

We were initially told BA would cover the cost of anything we would need to buy and as we were on a 10-day road trip including camping in the mountains and a change in temperatures of between zero and thirty, we needed to buy quite a lot of items. But since then BA has said they won't cover the cost of the things we had to buy. This is because we were told the baggage was loaded onto the plane and is therefore not BA's responsibility.

Ever since the queues formed outside Northern Rock more than a decade ago, we have had keeping our savings safe drummed into us. But how often do you think about how safe the rest of your money is? Losing your investments or pension may pose a risk to your wealth, but they are protected nowhere near as well as cash savings and far less work has gone into making you consider this.

Four out of the 10 most viewed overseas properties for sale are fit for a king and queen, according to the list compiled by property website Zoopla. For A-listers who prefer not to travel too far each year for the international film festival, there is a nine-bedroom chateau in Cannes. The property is also the most expensive in the list, with an eye-watering asking price of £50million.

Like many of you, I have saved diligently into pensions and investment funds, in my case for around 30 years. Yet the harder I have saved, the more I have helped to line the pockets of others. Without giving too much away, I can reveal that the Hazell household has paid well over £100,000 in charges to have our money invested and administered over the past decade or so.

A new study has reviewed properties across the country to determine which areas have the most homes with off-street and private parking - allowing home charge points to be installed. Poole is the most electric car-friendly town in the UK, with 92% of homes on the market having off-street parking suitable for installing a charge point for a plug-in vehicle. That compares to just 49% in London.

I'm a grandmother aged 70. I booked a holiday for myself, my daughter and her five children under ten to Corfu with TUI, leaving on Friday, July 20. I received an email saying that if I wanted us all to sit together I would have to pay to reserve seats. I panicked at this and booked the seats at a cost of £85, which I thought outrageous, but I paid it anyway.

Natacha Petajamaa and her mother Mirva (main picture) have converted a room in her home from where her they sell vintage clothes. Seven-year-old Oberta  Vodenicharova (inset) models clothes for her sister Kristina. Daniel Wilmot and his grandad Brian, 81, (top right) team up to sell rare trainers while Jordan Weller (bottom right) rakes in around £500-a-day selling vintage clothes with a little help from his motherJulie.

The impressive seven-bedroom property is in a conservation area in Calverdon, Warwickshire, and is on the market via estate agents Yopa for £1.95m. The sensitive 18-month renovation project included a new roof, new wall insulation, new plumbing and heating, and new electrics. New landscaping completed the overhaul.

The amount you can save into a pension ultimately depends on what you can afford - but the longer you leave it the more you will need to save. 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?

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.