January 2024

Interest rates on mainstream five-year fixed mortgage deals are set to drop below 4% this week – the first time in more than six months they've been this low from a high-street lender. Meanwhile, two-year fixes are set to fall below 4.5%. But will they get any cheaper and what, if anything, should you do about it? 

The Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has hinted help could be on the way for first-time buyers who face losing £1,000s of their own savings when withdrawing funds from Lifetime ISAs (LISAs) to buy homes above the scheme's property price limit. MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE) founder Martin Lewis challenged Mr Hunt over the issue during an interview in the latest episode of ITV's The Martin Lewis Money Show Live.

"Terrible" inflation-busting mobile and broadband price hikes are to be probed by the Chancellor after Martin Lewis grilled him on the issue. In an interview with the MoneySavingExpert.com founder, Jeremy Hunt said he would write to the competition and markets watchdog and "get to the bottom of it".

The Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has admitted that there is an "unfairness" in the current Child Benefit system, which means some families get less (or no) support as a result of "overcomplicated" tax rules. Mr Hunt made the comments during a grilling from MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis.

Buy now, pay later (BNPL) regulation has not been shelved, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt claimed in an interview with MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis this week. However, the Government is being careful not to be too "heavy-handed" in its approach to regulating the industry, Mr Hunt said.

Every primary age child in London will get free school meals again from this September, the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has confirmed. Here's what you need to know.

If you're an out-of-contract Sky Mobile customer, you'll see prices rise by £1 to £3 a month – £12 to £36 a year – from Wednesday 14 February. But you don't have to accept the hikes – you can try to haggle or leave penalty-free. If you're still in contract, you won't be affected.

Some British Airways passengers have been mistakenly charged twice after booking flights and holidays through its website this month, the airline has confirmed. It's left some £1,000s out of pocket and pushed others into their overdrafts. If you were overcharged, you'll be refunded automatically – though you'll need to apply to reclaim any extra costs incurred, such as overdraft and credit card fees.

If you sell goods online on sites such as eBay, Etsy or Vinted, rent out your home on Airbnb, or earn extra income from providing services via platforms including Deliveroo or Uber, then these firms will soon start passing on information about you to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). This means it's vital to check if you need to declare your income through self-assessment and possibly pay tax on it.