The Mail on Sunday's personal finance team reveal how they scored on discounts, savings and tax relief from cheaper travel and entertainment and support for much need childcare, but also forgot their currency card and were badly affected by the collapse of Neil Woodford's investment empire.

JLEN Environmental Assets now has a near £600million portfolio in 30 projects with an environmental bent. Most are in the UK - big wind or solar farms for example - and produce a steady stream of revenue from the energy generated. LEN's investment record is notable. Over the past three years, it has produced a total return (capital gain plus income) for shareholders in excess of the FTSE All-Share Index - 39 per cent compared to 24 per cent.

Books  will be at the top of many Santa wish lists this Wednesday, but few will have put them there seeking a shrewd investment. For book collectors, first editions - usually of classics - are the most sought after and valuable. This is because initial print-runs were usually limited. There is no official measurement for the value of first edition books, but a 'Rare Book Index' compiled by stamp and coin specialist Stanley Gibbons found that first editions of the most valuable 20th Century classics have risen in value by almost 400 per cent over the past decade.

All five of the most unique homes for sale on the property website were picked by the Rightmove team for their stand out features. Pictured (clockwise from top left) are a five-bed house in Skegness, Lincolnshire for £475,000, a ten-bed castle in Devizes, Wiltshire for £3.25m, a two-bed penthouse in East London for £2m and a six-bed house in Malta for £5.52m - while, pictured centre, is a four-bed house in St Leonards-on Sea, East Sussex for £1.5m.

House prices in Hartlepool, Redcar & Cleveland and Blackpool are lower than they were ten years ago. The average home in Hartlepool was £115,350 ten years ago, but now it's 8 per cent cheaper at £106,381. Redcar & Cleveland and Blackpool have seen prices fall too over the decade, although by a smaller 1 per cent and 0.4 per cent respectively to £120,489 and £105,322.

Research showed that the price of a new model would be slashed on average by 11.6%, or £4,102, if a driver took out a finance package. If a customer wanted to buy with cash the discount was just 8% - or £2,881. By encouraging people to take out finance deals - namely Personal Contract Purchases - salesmen have a higher chance of the customer returning at the end of the agreement when the car can be bought or replaced with another model on a fresh finance package.

This is the time when we are all out shopping for the perfect present for our friends, families or even ourselves. But the gift that keeps on giving is to turn yourself into a more successful investor in 2020.

Sir Donald Brydon says putting together his radical review of the way companies are audited in the wake of a string of scandals at some of Britain's best-known companies has been one of the hardest jobs he's done. 'A lot of this was done in the early hours of the morning,' he explains, the evening after the 135-page Government-commissioned report was unveiled last week.

I'm in my mid-twenties and have just started a new job and joined the company pension plan. I'd like to take a more active role including making sure my pension only invests in ethical companies. But I don't know the best way of doing this or if it is even possible through my scheme. How do I found out what I can and can't do and where should I go from there?

For all the confidence-boosting talk of a Boris bounce for the economy, shares, and the property market, it is the pound that tells the real story. What we are seeing is that businesses and investors like the certainty that a government with an 80 seat majority and (in theory) no election due for another five years brings. However, they also recognise that Britain isn't out of the woods yet.

Households with Amazon Echo's, a Google Home or any other smart devices need to be aware that they could be compromised, leaving their personal data and privacy at risk, according to Action Fraud. The fear of having their data stolen is already an obstacle to the market with 22 per cent of people saying privacy concerns is one reason they have not got a smart device, according to a study by Pricewaterhousecooper (PWC).

A review of new vehicle prices and other driving-related charges suggests that political uncertainty and a weakened pound have resulted in motoring  costs rising higher than the rate of inflation since Britain voted in favour of leaving the EU in June 2016. And, as the country prepares for Brexit at the end of January 2020, the report warns that further increased car ownership costs are a 'very real possibility'.

There are a whole host of savings accounts out there making picking the right one for you a confusing task. In our guide to the best savings account for you, we help you narrow down your choices and teach you the tricks of the trade to getting the best rate to grow your nest egg.

Prior to the EU referendum, the annual growth rate of property prices was more than 8 per cent. It has steadily declined ever since: the latest figures show prices rose by just 1.3 per cent in the year to September. Both buyers and sellers have been reluctant to make a move and homes for sale have dwindled. It is hoped the emphatic Conservative general election majority could now herald a clear path forward, whether you like its direction or not. Estate agents have certainly tried to whip up some excitement, but others suggest they are getting ahead of themselves.

On September 5, I tried to buy Premium Bonds for my new granddaughter. I went online, filled out the forms and paid by debit card. I was then asked to upload documents relating to the child's birth, which obviously I did not have. My son and his wife, who have the documents, both live an hour's drive away. In addition, I am 76 and, while I have some computer skills, I have no idea how to 'upload' anything.

Savers will be rewarded with just 20p for every £100 they put into a cash Isa in 2019, our research shows. The worst offenders are the Halifax Instant Isa Saver and Santander Easy Isa accounts which both pay paltry interest of 0.2 per cent. Those savers who diligently put aside the full annual cash Isa allowance of £20,000 over the past 12 months will be paid just £40 interest.

The department store launched the service in 2017 and it is now available in locations across the South East including Hampshire, Surrey, Kent and East and West Sussex after previously being available in Essex, London, Berkshire and Hertfordshire. However, John Lewis isn't stopping there and has said it is hoping to expand to even more locations across the country.

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.