2021

Homeowners with Taylor Wimpey leases still managed by the firm will have costly clauses that see their ground rent double every 10 years removed following action from the competition watchdog. Affected leaseholders’ ground rents will now remain at the amount charged when they first bought their home. Doubling ground rent clauses will also be left out of any future Taylor Wimpey leases. 

Certain Post Office savings accounts will no longer accept payments into them from 1 March 2022 unless they're from a linked current account (or if they're via cheque or cash). MoneySavingExpert.com has learnt that 150,000 Post Office savers still need to set-up a linked account before the deadline. 

Universal credit claimants and those in receipt of certain means-tested benefits will get £100 towards their energy bills this winter, the Welsh Government has announced. It comes as part of a new £51 million support package designed to help around 350,000 people with the cost of living. 

Tens of thousands of borrowers with high interest loans are set to see their remaining debts cleared as doorstep lender Provident and short-term lender Satsuma officially shut shop and stop collecting payments. Borrowers can still submit claims for mis-sold loans though, but you'll need to be quick. 

Households on a low income and in receipt of certain benefits may be able to get £140 off their energy bill under the Warm Home Discount scheme. But many major suppliers have now closed their schemes for 2021/22 and only Bulb, E.on, E.on Next, and So Energy are still accepting applications – so apply as soon as possible to ensure you don't miss out.  

The Bank of England has increased base rates to 0.25% from 0.1% after the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted in favour of the first rise in more than three years. The base rate is used by the central bank to charge other banks and lenders when they borrow money – and influences what borrowers pay and savers earn.  

Shoppers have just one week to go before Amazon stops accepting Visa credit cards to purchase items on 19 January. However, those with a Visa credit card set as their default payment, or those who only have a Visa credit card in their Amazon wallet, may be able to get a free £10 or £20 account credit if they update their details now.

Train passengers in England, Scotland and Wales will be hit with the largest fare rise in nearly a decade, with ticket prices increasing by up to 3.8%. It is the biggest jump since 2013. 

From the reintroduction of costly European roaming charges to new rules around car and home insurance - here's a quick breakdown of five key events and changes that are set to impact your finances in early 2022 and, more importantly, what to do about them.

Vodafone is to start charging new and upgrading customers roaming fees of £2 a day to use their monthly allowance in Europe from 31 January 2022 – though some will be able to cut the cost to £1 a day by paying for a multi-day pass. Vodafone is the second mobile firm to scrap free roaming in the EU following Brexit, after EE announced similar changes in June.