Pipe dreams of a quick and easy route to financial freedom are being used to lure a new generation into risky, home-based foreign exchange trading. Those tempted are invited to free workshops or webinars, which are used as a platform to sell expensive training courses. Accompanying software, said to help customers learn strategies to pinpoint profitable trades, is also sold as part of the package. Laura Shannon attends two seminars to find out what is.involved.

The number of first-time buyers has reached 175,000, up from 72,700 in 2009 and only 8 per cent lower than at the peak of the last property boom in 2006 which saw numbers reach 190,900, according to new data published by Halifax. The growth in first-time buyers means they have also increased as a proportion of all buyers purchasing a property with a mortgage, to 51 per cent this year, up from 38 per cent in 2008.

John Haynes has overseen a shift in the company's focus away from the traditional manuals that became a feature of every car glovebox to a digital business with a big focus on data. The firm now has a technical data business called Haynes Pro which is used by professional customers. They include repair centres which use the service to make sure they use the right parts to fix cars - and have enough in stock.

The company's business plan is simple: buy this uranium oxide, store it, and wait for the price to go up. Prior to listing, the firm had struck a deal with the world's largest producer, Kazatomprom, to buy up to $170million (£130million) of uranium oxide at a big discount to its trading price. That's 8 .1million pounds of the stuff, or 5 per cent of global marketed production in 2016.

The Grand California, based on the larger Crafter commercial vehicle, rather than the existing Transporter van, has its world premiere at the Caravan Salon in Dusseldorf later this month ahead of sale early next year. Expect prices from £70,000 and £80,000 compared to the current, but smaller and less equipped, California Ocean costing from £53,267 to £62,829.

Annie is interested in tracker funds and wants to take a punt on cryptocurrency or another high risk investment. The 27-year-old recently received a £10,000 windfall and wants to invest the sum to help buy her first property in three year's time. We explore the benefits of saving through a Lifetime Isa and ask a financial adviser what she should do to achieve her goal.

The latest to swing the axe is Seat, which has dropped the svelte Seat Leon SC (top right) from showrooms with immediate effect, following suit with other car makers. Find out which other car makers have been culling them, including anti-clockwise from top left, the Audi A3, Range Rover Evoque and Astra GTC.

After the rate rise, Governor Mark Carney delivered his sucker punch. The risk of a no-deal Brexit would mean all bets are off - but rates could shoot up rather than be cut as expected. So could a scenario really occur where a chaotic no-deal exit from the EU leads to the Bank of England hiking rates as high as 4 per cent?

Pensioners stuck in a dilapidated house they cannot afford to fix are being offered a new kind of loan by savings firm Legal & General. L&G; has launched a lifetime mortgage for older homeowners to borrow cash against the value of their property to refurbish it. The money will be paid back after the owner has died, with interest, using proceeds from the sale of the house. Bosses have tested the scheme in cities such as London, Oxford and Birmingham, working with charities to identify vulnerable people who need the money urgently to stay in their own home.

Yacht broker tycoon Ian Malouf - who made his fortune through his industrial waste firm Dial A Dump - paid around £45,000 for a berth for his £22million super-yacht Mischief at the 2018 show in September. The organisers confirmed his booking but then cancelled it 'abruptly' and 'without good cause', Malouf claims. He is seeking damages after filing a lawsuit in Monaco.

The Sports Direct billionaire (left) today paid £90million for the department store - just 82 minutes after it was plunged into administration. Today he pledged to make the chain, which employs 17,000 people,the 'Harrods of the high street' (inset) but admitted he is unlikely to keep all 59 stores open. The House of Fraser website was taken offline as the takeover was announced and gift cards were refused in stores (right) all over the UK. Signs were put up at tills apologising to customers for the 'inconvenience' of not accepting vouchers, to which one tweeted: 'It's not a matter of inconvenience, it's straightforward theft'. Linda Curran also wrote: 'Furious - just been to House of Fraser in Glasgow and they refused to take my gift voucher as payment'. A spokesman for the chain has apologised and called the problem 'temporary' and insisted staff have been given the 'green light' to accept them.

Earlier this week, the pound fell to a nine-month low against the euro and is currently flat at around €1.11. Against the US dollar, sterling is down 0.39% to around $1.27. The pound remains under pressure with the threat of a no-deal Brexit and tentative economic growth.

We reveal the key steps that buyers need to follow if they are to make such a renovation project a success, including working out a clear budget before buying a property. Mark Hayward, chief executive of the industry body NAEA Propertymark, said: 'Buying a fixer upper can be attractive, but is a decision not to be taken lightly.'

Cosmetics giant Avon has a new boss in tow, who has ordered it a makeover of its own. Jan Zijderveld says the firm is trying to ride the wave of the burgeoning gig economy, but new recruits have proven hard to come by of late, as it is plagued by a dated image, stiff competition and the belief that, to be an Avon Lady, you have to trudge around town selling door-to-door. That's not true she says, as YouTube-starring Avon ladies like Sammy, pictured, showed.

When I read the latest inheritance tax figures, George Harrison's words echoed down the years: 'Now my advice for those who die, declare the pennies on your eyes.' As the HMRC grim reapers scythe their way through more estates, it's a reminder that we must invest tax-efficiently for both life and death.

After my mother passed away, I noticed large payments from her bank account to Tesco. She employed a cleaner/'carer' who knew the PIN of her debit card. I don't want to think that this person has abused my mother's trust and there may be an innocent explanation. I contacted Tesco to ask if they would release details of my mother's shopping history. At first they were willing to do this, but then did a volte-face.

Under new rules, all new cars sold after 1 September must meet tougher emissions regulations that comply with the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test. That means dealers across the country are desperately trying to offload existing cars that fail to meet these standards ahead of the deadline. All of these models have discounts (from top left to right): Jaguar E-Pace, VW Tiguan, Ford Fiesta, Mini Countryman, Citroen C4 Spacetourer, Mercedes-Benz A-Class.

Last month, we received a 'parking charge' for apparently waiting at a double yellow line in a BP garage outside of Stansted. The charge of £100, would be reduced to £60 if we paid within 14 days to a firm called MET Parking Services, based in London. However, we fought it and won - here's how...

Despite last week's base rate rise, savings rates are still lagging behind and sadly this is unlikely to change in a hurry. Furthermore there few accounts that offer any real-term gains. Currently to beat inflation - at 2.4 per cent - you must commit your cash to a five-year fixed rate bond. Savers could earn far more from an interest-paying current account - as much as 5 per cent.

The average price of a UK home rose by 3.3 per cent to a new record £230,280 in the year to July, according to Britain's biggest mortgage lender Halifax. A bounce in volatile monthly figures added £3,253, or 1.4 per cent, to the cost of the average home and saw annual house price inflation accelerate from the 1.8 per cent seen in June.

The building in Cambridgeshire was bought by an architect more than two decades ago and converted into an innovative house that includes an impressive atrium over a swimming pool, pictured top right. Elements of the original industrial building have been retained, including the large structural roof timbers and polished concrete floors and it is considered one of Britain's first eco homes.

When stock markets see a dramatic fall and your investments start to build losses, it can often feel like you should do something quickly to mitigate your losses. But what? On this episode of the Big Money Questions, cofounder and chief investment officer of Wealthify Michelle Pearce has the answers. She talks through what you should do - and what you shouldn't. She likens it to turbulence on a plane - not comfortable, but just part and parcel of flying.

If you're with Virgin or BT, it may be possible to switch to a different provider without paying a penalty fee - even if you're still within a contract. When you sign up to a broadband, TV or phone contract, you are agreeing to pay for a service for a certain period of time. If the service provided isn't what you agreed upon, the internet speed is far lower than advertised, you're not getting the channels you paid for or the broadband is cutting out, for example, you may be able to leave penalty free.

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.