Business

Anyone with a bank account has been advised to move anything over £1,000 (Image: Getty)A finance expert has issued a warning to anyone who has more than £1,000 in their bank accounts. The vast majority of Brits have a main current account that they get paid into and from which they spend.These bank accounts are a modern necessity, and anyone with any sort of income needs one. Plus, they are essential when it comes to paying bills such as energy, water and council tax, as well as paying off loans. While these accounts are needed for cash for monthly spending, there are other, better ways to store your money over time. A finance expert has revealed people who have more than £1,000 in their current accounts are essentially "losing cash" as it is gaining no interest. READ MORE: Barclays £4...

Council tax shock as some face hikes of up to 9% (Image: Getty)Households in parts of England are braced for staggering council tax rises of nearly 9% in April, piling new pressure on already stretched budgets.A snapshot of plans for the next financial year from the country’s 153 top-tier local authorities shows a small group set to push through with steep increases, raising bills for thousands of Brits. At the top of the table, North Somerset has confirmed an 8.99% rise, with Shropshire proposing the same jump. Worcestershire County Council is close behind, proposing an 8.98% hike. Elsewhere, Trafford has proposed a 7.49% increase, matched by Windsor and Maidenhead, while Warrington is planning a 7.48% rise. These increases are significantly above the 4.99% threshold that typically tri...

Issabell Livesey has been hit by soaring pet bills (Image: Issabell Livesey)A mum-of-two has spoken about how soaring pet bills have left her struggling to make ends meet. The costs of specialist dog food and other treatment has meant she has had to delay paying other bills and keep the heating off during winter.Issabell Livesey, from Cambridgeshire, gets £1,542 a month in Universal Credit and £180 in Child Benefit. She pays £1,000 on her rent and between £150 and £200 and on her water and energy bills, leaving her with between £522 and £572 to cover her other essentials.She spends around £150 a month on her two presa canarios, a large breed of dog, and these bills have shot up in recent months. She said: "I prioritise my dogs' care above all else. Between insurance, specialist food, fl...

Diesel owners will pay higher Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) rates within weeks as major updates come into effect from April 1, 2026. Experts at AutoTrader have warned that cars which don’t meet strict new diesel emission standards could fall into the highest tax brackets this spring.First-year rates for brand-new cars were doubled last year, with bills for the highest-polluting models emitting over 255g/km rising from £2,745 to £5,490. However, these charges are subject to annual inflationary rises with estimates suggesting a £200 rise, which would push total costs to £5,690 per year.AutoTrader said: “If you drive a diesel car that doesn’t meet the Real Driving Emissions 2 (RDE2) standards, you will have to pay higher first-year VED, which means your tax bracket will fall in one higher Band...

The number of families chased for inheritance tax has sharply risen in recent years, according to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request. According to data obtained through an FOI request by NFU Mutual, the tax office has conducted more than 14,000 investigations since 2022. During these investigations, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) might suspect an estate has underpaid inheritance tax after a person has passed away. These investigations jumped from 3,163 in 2022/2023 to 4,200 in 2024/2025, an increase of 33%.Anything inherited over the £325,000 tax-free threshold faces a 40% levy. However, an additional £175,000 allowance is applied when a home is passed down to children or grandchildren. The latest figures from HMRC show that IHT receipts collected between April 2025 and January 2026 ...

Bank with 12 million UK customers issues warning (Image: Getty)A popular online bank with 12 million customers across the UK has issued a stark warning to users amid a rapid increase in scam attempts. Scammers are always finding new and inventive ways to defraud people of their money, and one of the most recent involves a mobile messaging service that many use on their phones and other devices. Telegram has become the fastest-growing breeding ground for financial scams, Revolut has revealed in its 2026 Consumer Security and Financial Crime Report.It found that fraud cases originating on the messaging app surged by a staggering 233% in the last year. It reports that many users believe the app’s encryption keeps them safe, but the bank warns its customers that criminals are weaponising th...

Fares for tube and rail journeys within London are set to increase next month in a blow to millions of travellers. The change will take effect on March 1, 2026, seeing fares rise for passengers on London Underground, DLR, Elizabeth Line and London Overground. No fare increases between Zones 1 and 6 will exceed 20p, and there will still be daily caps for commuters, Transport for London has confirmed. However, fares beyond that might increase further, as fares differ depending on the zones a passenger is travelling to and from. For example, a fare from Zone 1 to Zone 3 is more expensive than a fare between two Zone 1 stations. Some ticket types will increase by more than 7%, while others will only increase by around 1.7%. Meanwhile, bus and tram fares will remain frozen until July 5, 2026...

Nationwide has reached out to many of its members with a simple question: 'would you like to save money?'The world's largest building society has shared a potential method for reducing debt and spreading the cost of expenditure.Nationwide is promoting its Member Credit Card as a tool to help customers avoid paying interest on existing balances or manage forthcoming expenses. The card, which carries no annual fee, is being marketed as a means for customers to 'pay less'.Members are offered a choice between two separate 0% introductory offers, enabling them to customise the card to their specific financial objectives.For those aiming to address debt, the balance transfer offer provides 30 months of 0% interest on balances transferred from other cards.This option also includes a shorter th...

As the cost of living crisis continues to squeeze households across the UK, energy giant British Gas has revealed a hack it claims could cut your energy bills by up to 10%. And it takes just seconds to do.Experts suggest there's one minor tweak you can make to your property that demands virtually no effort but may deliver significant results.According to British Gas, the answer involves your thermostat.By reducing your thermostat by merely one degree, households could save up to 10% on their yearly heating bills. This takes literally two seconds to complete, and people may not even notice the difference in temperature.The guidance arrives as welcome news for many, particularly as we face a shift in the energy sector. Regulating body Ofgem has confirmed that the energy price cap is sched...

The energy price cap will come down in April (Image: Getty)Martin Lewis has revealed how households paying energy bills can pocket £200 in savings. The money-saving expert discussed utility costs ahead of the price cap adjustment on April 1.Energy regulator Ofgem confirmed on February 25 that the energy price cap would drop by 7 per cent for the period spanning April 1 to June 30, 2026. This adjustment translates to a cut of approximately £10 monthly for the typical household consuming both electricity and gas.Notably, Mr Lewis - while speaking on his BBC podcast - suggested that now presents the ideal moment to 'get off the price cap'. He indicated there was an even more straightforward approach to obtaining lower energy bills.The price cap represents the default tariff imposed when a ...