July 2022

First-time buyers planning to use a Help to Buy equity loan to fund a new-build property purchase have until Monday (31 October) to submit their application. Almost 10 years since its original launch, the Government's equity loan scheme will close for good in March 2023, but anyone who wants to take part must apply by the beginning of next week.

Aldi has become the latest supermarket to scrap 'best before' dates on fruit and veg in a bid to cut down on food waste. It joins Asda, M&S, Sainsbury's and Waitrose, which have all recently done similar. Food can still be eaten after its best before date, yet many people throw items away in confusion. 

KFC has launched a new rewards scheme after scrapping its Colonel Club loyalty program in July. The 'Rewards Arcade' allows users to play a game and win awards after placing an order, but you aren't guaranteed a prize every time. 

If you're on a low income and struggling with the cost of school uniform, you could get up to £200 to help in the form of a non-repayable grant. To help, we've searched through council websites to find which offer it – check below to see if you qualify and what you could get.

Asda has teamed up with Jaja Finance to launch the Asda Money Credit Card, which offers cashback on purchases at Asda and elsewhere. The cashback can only be spent at Asda though. Below we explain the pros and cons and compare the new deal to other rewards options – where it's largely beaten.   

If you're one of over 300,000 savers holding NS&I's 'Guaranteed Growth Bonds', you could be missing out on £100s in interest if your bonds have auto-renewed. That's because, until this week, the interest rate you're moved to hadn't risen in line with recent rate rises elsewhere on the market. So check your rate now, as you only have 30 days from renewal to cancel and switch.

The Government has announced details of how the Energy Bills Support Scheme – a £400 payment for all households in Britain to help with energy bills this winter – will work. Most will get the grant automatically from their supplier in six instalments between October and March, but if you've a non-smart prepayment meter you WILL have to take action to get the money. 

From today, all prepaid funeral plans in the UK will be policed by the financial regulator – meaning you'll be protected if you buy a plan from an authorised firm and it later goes bust. But if you're one of an estimated 50,000 people with a plan from an unauthorised provider, your money may be at risk. Here's what you need to know.

Virgin Money has increased its M Plus savings account’s interest rate to a table-topping 1.71%, the highest rate for an easy-access account since September 2013. New and existing savers will automatically get the new rate from today. But you can get a better rate if you lock your money away.

Flat-owners impacted by the cladding crisis are being urged to use a new online tool to check whether they need to pay towards any costs of making their building safe. New legislation means most homeowners won't be responsible for footing the bill for remedial cladding work, so this tool can help reassure those affected by confirming whether they'll be hit with a bill of £1,000s or even £10,000s.