Money

Investors have placed bets worth more than £1billion against the three ‘unicorn’ companies that have floated in the past month – prompting fears of another tech bubble. Hedge funds and other investors are betting on share price falls for taxi app Lyft, social media company Pinterest and video conferencing firm Zoom – all start-ups which have just listed on Wall Street.

In the eyes of Prince Charles and his other well-to-do fans, Sanjeev Gupta is Britain's saviour of steel – an entrepreneur whose investments will revitalise swathes of the nation and put us back on the global metals map. To his critics, Gupta's belief in British industry is too good to be true – and they fear his complex, hastily assembled business empire could turn out to be a house of cards.

Insurers were rated by customers about their experience during the claims process and how likely they would be to recommend their provider among other factors in a survey by Which? The AA finished at the bottom of the table for car insurance after receiving a customer score of just 55% with 31% of respondents saying they felt their claims were handled more slowly than anticipated.

Since Fever-Tree listed in 2014, its shares have shot up by a massive 1,780 per cent. It is just one of AIM's big risers, but there have been plenty that have fallen by the wayside too. Early stage companies are attracted to AIM because they don't need such a long track record as if they were applying to the main market. Governance and reporting requirements are also less stringent.

Nationwide has become the first major lender to launch a 'retirement interest-only mortgage', allowing mortgage holders to borrow into retirement on an interest-only basis. Retirement interest-only mortgages are aimed at those who have failed to clear their debt before stopping work and those who would like to cash in on their home's value. While currently a niche product, their popularity is expected to grow substantially in years to come.

We haven't glued ourselves to train carriages – instead, we dish out useful tips and tricks that are good for the planet as well as your wallet. We also reveal why the Toyota Prius topped a satisfaction survey - and the majority of the cars in top 10 list are eco-friendly.

The number of London-based landlords buying in the capital has dropped by 34 per cent since 2010, and 17 per cent since 2015, before the stamp duty surcharge was introduced. By contrast, 34 per cent of London-based investors bought buy-to-lets in the Midlands and North during the past 12 months, up from just 14 per cent in 2015 and 4 per cent in 2010.

British investors piled money into long-term growth funds and investment trusts as the tax year drew to a close at the start of April, new analysis shows.  Fundsmith Equity and Lindsell Train Global Equity funds topped the bestsellers list at DIY investor platforms Hargreaves Lansdown, Interactive Investor and AJ Bell in the first quarter of 2019, having tempted investors with their stellar returns. 

Although modular homes need the same groundwork to connect to gas, electricity and water as traditional homes, they can be put together in a week, saving a third of the build time overall. They cost £50,000 for the most basic property and on up to £5million. Far from being an interesting 'niche' idea on the periphery of the mainstream construction industry, many believe modular homes will be the industry's future, not least because traditional construction is facing a skills shortage.

After crunching the numbers, Volkswagen said that, when you take into account the entire lifespan of a car, electric vehicles produce less CO2 than petrol or diesel-engined rivals. The company pitted the stats for a pure electric e-Golf against a diesel-powered Golf TDI to illustrate the differences in carbon footprint for electric and diesel when comparing manufacturing, energy-supply and exhaust outputs.

I am being encouraged to have a smart water meter fitted by Thames Water who tell me it is required but I don't want one. I have been informed that if I don't consent to one, my bills will be estimated. Thames Water say they base water estimates on information from the Inland Revenue regarding the value of my home but this seems to have nothing to do with water usage. Is it compulsory to have a water meter fitted? If one isn't installed, how do they estimate my water bill?

Martin Binks became chief financial officer of LCF in 2015. Binks is currently chief financial officer at Vox Markets, which is set to join AIM – London’s junior stock market – in a deal thought to value it at £10million. It is happening through a reverse takeover by a listed company called PCG Entertainment.

Dara Khosrowshahi said the firm was the dominant player for smartphone taxi apps and is still just 'scratching the surface' with its fast-growing businesses in food delivery and freight. His upbeat comments were in marked contrast to more sombre proposals published by the firm earlier this month, when it admitted it might never turn a profit.

Just Eat shares slumped into the red in early trading on Friday after the online takeaway firm served up lacklustre UK growth. The company, which just made it back into the FTSE 100 after a short-lived relegation, said unusually warm weather in February was partially to blame for a significant slowdown in the UK. UK orders grew by 7.4 per cent growth to 32 million in the first three months of 2019, compared with a 24 per cent spike in the same period last year.

Investors are fleeing after the UK competition watchdog - the CMA - slammed the door on the retailer's vision of merging with its closest rival Asda in a £12billion 'transformative' deal. The draconian decision was widely expected as the watchdog all but blocked the grocers' plans back in February, but more shareholders fled today amid growing concern over Sainsbury's future. With at least a year and millions of pounds already wasted on plans that have come to dust, it's time for Sainsbury's to move on and carve out a future... without Asda. But does it have a plan B?

The search for Mark Carney's replacement was launched by Chancellor Philip Hammond, although unfortunately a CV and covering letter were invited rather than a call to audition for Britain's Got Central Bankers. Nonetheless, whoever takes over from in February 2020 will need to be happy in the spotlight - and have a thick skin, as over the next eight years independence is likely to be threatened

On average, the warning light will illuminate on the dashboard when the there's less than 10% of fuel remaining in the tank. Using miles per gallon and fuel tank capacities, Compare the Market estimated how far 96 popular model can keep going with the fuel warning light on. We reveal which cars can keep going the longest - including (clockwise from top left) the VW Passat, Volvo V40, Ford Mondeo and BMW 5 Series - and which will run out quickest.

Manor houses top the list of most expensive village homes at an average price of £1,431,944, according to research by estate agents Jackson-Stops. It is followed by farmhouses at £1,144,348 and old rectories at £1,075,889. However, it is still possible to get a property for less than £1million, with mill conversions typically costing £959,929 - although this is still 4.16 times the cost of an average British home.

Of the 45 UK police forces contacted, 33 responded - though 9 refused to disclose the tolerances they set. In most cases, the activation figure is 10 per cent plus 2mph over the limit. However, Auto Express - which conducted the research - warned motorists that car speedo inaccuracies make it difficult to measure how close to the threshold they are travelling.

The big three mobile firms, Vodafone, O2 and EE, racked up low customer satisfaction scores, while also charging more than smaller companies that often piggy back on bigger networks, consumer group Which? said. Vodafone was rated the worst network in the UK after collecting a number of one-star ratings for its customer service, value for money and technical support.

We've all imagined the moment. The lottery numbers are in and one by one you check them off. Eureka! You've only gone and scooped the jackpot! But after you've cracked open the bubbly, what happens next? Sports cars, luxury homes and lavish holidays are now within reach, but what is the smart way to handle such a life-changing windfall? That's where Camelot's team of financial gurus step in to help.

I would like to transfer my defined benefit local government pension to a self-invested personal pension (Sipp). This is about flexibility, rather than whether I will make more or less money by doing so. My pension either dies with me after being paid for a guaranteed five years, or, if I do not make it to retirement, three times my salary will be paid to my estate.

More than half a million 'accidental' landlords have less than a year to sell up before they could be hit with new tax bills for thousands of pounds. Earlier this month, the Government put forward plans to scrap two types of tax relief from April 2020 for landlords who sell a property that was once their main home.

There is a misconception that 'going green' is expensive. But you don't need to spend thousands on solar panels or buy only pricey organic food to save the planet. There are lots of simple ways to help the environment while also putting money back in your pocket. We explain how you could save nearly £2,500 with our top 20 eco-friendly lifestyle swaps.

Ged and Jo live in York and own a welding firm. They want to start pensions with £50k each to start with, then pay £40k each a year into them, but want to know how and where best to invest. Ged says he considered purchasing a buy to let property, but was deterred by new rules and tax changes. He and Jo have decided instead to put their money in self-invested personal pensions to grow their wealth, with the aim of retiring when he reaches 65. Our Money Pit Stop expert, Joe Roxborough (pictured), of financial adviser firm Ascot Lloyd, helps them out.

The Toyota Prius is a firm favourite among eco-conscious celebrities and cabbies - but a new report suggests more of us should be considering the hybrid-powered Japanese model. That's because it has been voted the most satisfying new vehicle to own in an industry-leading survey of 14,000 UK car drivers. Prius drivers gave the motor a 93.22 per cent rating in the latest edition of Auto Express' Driver Power study - more than any other new car reported on. Vauxhall's Astra had the lowest rating of all new models

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.

Lower than expected inflation figures have added weight to expectations that interest rate rises will remain on hold throughout most of 2019. This combined with the Brexit extension is forecast to keep monetary policy steady, with rates held at 0.75 per cent. While unemployment is low and wages are rising, there are still concerns over Britain's consumer economy and business investment being stalled by continuing Brexit uncertainty.