Heading abroad? Watch out for hefty fines (or worse) for peeing in the sea, wearing flip-flops or feeding pigeons

You've booked your trip, packed your bags and learned a bit of the lingo... but have you checked up on any local laws or customs that might catch you out on your holiday? While some may seem strange based on the culture here, they may of course be perfectly sensible based on cultures elsewhere – though we're not sure what to make of compulsory 'budgie smugglers' in some swimming pools in France.

The MoneySavingIdiot switches bank after 20 years – here are five things he learned

It's been a while, but I'm back with more tales of mending my MoneyWasting ways. If you're new to MoneySavingIdiot, here's how it works – as a writer at MoneySavingExpert I help people save money, yet I suck at practising what we preach. So I'm sharing my attempts to change that in the hope of encouraging other non-natural MoneySavers. Previously, I've tackled train delaysoverseas travelcredit scores and reclaiming cash from old emails. This week: switching bank.

Why the financial regulator needs more power to properly protect consumers from 'bad people'

An influential group of MPs has called on the Government to fix gaps in the financial regulator's ability to protect consumers, which are caused by limitations in its 'regulatory perimeter'. This is the line between who the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) can and can't regulate – and that line is decided by Government and Parliament. Crucially, this line determines whether or not the regulator can properly see into what financial firms are doing, and act to protect consumers from potential (or real) harm.

Forgotten to apply for an EHIC? There's a way around it

"I should have known better!" That was my first thought when I was handed the bill for my baby boy's medical treatment after he'd ended up in hospital during a trip to Sweden.