Cladding is the housing subject no-one wants to resolve, due to the potentially eye-watering costs involved. But it’s slowly suffocating those affected, namely flat owners living in blocks covered in cladding, who want to sell and move on with their lives. The issue is that the owners are unable to sell the properties until the … Read more

Why must I pay tax on my pension AND savings? Steve Webb explains the tax breaks that can leave savings income mostly intact By Steve Webb for This Is Money Published: 07:48 GMT, 17 February 2020 | Updated: 10:05 GMT, 17 February 2020 I pay tax on my pension, should I pay tax on my … Read more

Confident house sellers are attempting to reap the rewards of a ‘Boris Bounce’ as they push average property asking prices back to near their all-time high. The average newly-listed home price rose £2,589 in the month to mid-February, or 0.8 per cent, to £309,399 – just £40 below the previous record high reached in June 2018. … Read more

MIDAS SHARE TIPS: BP’s green future is a bright prospect – but only for the bravest investors By Rosie Murray-west, Financial Mail on Sunday Published: 21:49 GMT, 15 February 2020 | Updated: 10:40 GMT, 17 February 2020 It is not a good time to be Big Oil. Your share price is at the mercy of … Read more

British Gas reduces the minimum top-up for prepayment energy customers back to £1 after backlash British Gas initially changed the minimum top up limit to £5 from £1  Customers complained about this and the change to Payzone terminals   The change back to a £1 minimum top up is expected to be in place by March  … Read more

PICTET GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL OPPORTUNITIES: The £2bn fund that helps to save the planet By Jeff Prestridge, Financial Mail on Sunday Published: 21:49 GMT, 15 February 2020 | Updated: 11:00 GMT, 17 February 2020 Over the past quarter of a century, Swiss-based Pictet Asset Management has built a reputation for ‘thematic’ investing – identifying key long-term … Read more

Fund firm Jupiter proposes takeover of rival Merian Global Investors to create a £67billion British investment giant Jupiter has announced plans to acquire Merian Global Investors for £370million Tie-up would create a £67bn fund house – making it one of the biggest in the UK Would also mean filling several gaps in Jupiter’s current product … Read more

Revealed: How 10,000 cheques were digitally cashed every day over the peak festive period with banking giant HSBC Number of cheques digitally cashed by customers surged 250% Between 23 December and 30 December more than 50,000 were cashed Big banks increasingly offer cheque deposit scanners in their apps Still use cheques regularly, or never used … Read more

Thousands of buy-to-let landlords are poised to throw in the towel and sell their properties in the coming months as they lose yet more generous tax breaks. The scrapping of tax relief on mortgage interest payments, that kicks in from the start of the new tax year in April, will be the final straw for … Read more

Economists bump up house price forecasts but expected gains for the year are still modest at just 3% By Dan Atkinson, Financial Mail on Sunday Published: 21:46 GMT, 15 February 2020 | Updated: 12:21 GMT, 17 February 2020 Economists are bumping up their house price forecasts with the average home now expected to rise by … Read more