August 2016

The Bank of England cut the base rate - which underpins savings and many borrowing rates - from 0.5% to 0.25% last week, after seven years of no change. It also hinted the rate may fall again this year and cut its growth forecast for the UK economy.

The practice of insurance companies stealthily hiking policy prices when customers renew looks set to become a thing of the past, following the introduction of new rules from next April that will force firms to spell out exactly how much a renewed premium costs compared with the previous year.

Around half a million Post Office customers are facing steep home phone and broadband price hikes next month, with the cost of some packages set to increase by up to £36/year. But if you're affected it's possible to leave your contract penalty-free or haggle a better deal.

Tesco has launched a new app which lets shoppers go wallet-free – and early adopters can earn an extra 500 Clubcard points.

American Express has cut the cashback rates on its flagship Platinum and Platinum Everyday credit cards, with the Everyday headline rate slashed from 1.25% to 1%.

Banks have been told they must take part in an "Open Banking revolution" and allow customers to manage their accounts with multiple providers through a single digital app by early 2018, as part of a package of measures designed to "shake up retail banking for years to come".

Millions of London commuters can pocket their share of the quarter of a billion pounds that's sloshing around on unused Oyster cards, after Transport for London's (TfL's) latest figures showed the pot of unclaimed cash increased by more than £50 million over the last 12 months.

Mobile comparison site MobilePhoneChecker has released a first-of-its-kind tool that allows you to compare the cost of different ways of buying a mobile phone – including pairing mix-and-match financing options for a handset with a Sim-only plan.

A grieving widow who had always dreamed of sailing on the QE2 was left "beside herself" after cruise company Cunard billed her £385 to remove her late husband's name from a voyage booked 18 months in advance.

The Bank of England has cut the base rate for the first time in more than seven years, reducing it from 0.5% to a new historic low of 0.25%.