Helen Nugent

First-time buyers need more help to put an end to the decline in home ownership, according to a report from the chief executive of one of Britain’s largest housebuilders. Long-term building targets were also needed to avoid ‘kneejerk’ policy moves, the Redfern Review said. According to the BBC, the study found home ownership rates in

When I was at school in the, er, 1980s, there was no such thing as financial education. Yes, we had maths lessons but they focused on the hypotenuse and mastering scientific calculators. I still break out in a sweat at the thought of trigonometry. Since my day (when all this was fields etc etc), the

Bicycle prices could rise following the Brexit vote, because the cost of importing bikes from Asia has increased. The head of Halfords Jill McDonald said the retailer was in talks with its suppliers following the pound’s fall. ‘For bikes bought in Asia in US dollars, we are seeing prices beginning to move.’ According to The Guardian, McDonald also

It’s the morning after an 18-month campaign – and the markets have started to digest Donald Trump’s surprise election as US President. In early trading, the FTSE 100 index jumped by 49 points, or 0.7 per cent, to 6960. The Dow Jones industrial average is on track to hit a new record high when the

M&S is to close more than 80 stores as part of a major business overhaul, The Guardian reports. ‘We have now completed a forensic review of our estate both in the UK and in our international markets,’ said M&S chief executive, Steve Rowe. The move means that the high street chain will retreat from owning stores in 10

Household debts have risen to £1.5 trillion for the first time in the UK, new statistics reveal. Indebtedness is growing at the quickest rate since before the credit crunch of 2008, says the Money Charity. The BBC reports that UK adults owe an average of nearly £30,000 each – mostly in mortgages, but also in loans

It’s about time. The city watchdog has announced it will take action to improve competition in the current account market. Let’s face it, current accounts are a bit rubbish, aren’t they? Many offer 0 per cent interest no matter the balance, overdraft charges can be extortionate, late payment fees are astronomical and, despite years of

Would you rent out your cat? What about your lawnmower? Or your driveway? That first one may not be practical but new research shows that, as a nation, we are embracing the sharing economy, whether that’s pets, home appliances or our living spaces. It’s good to share. My sister has instilled that virtue in her

HMRC is chasing almost £2 billion that may be owed in taxes by Britain’s wealthiest people, according to the public spending watchdog. The National Audit Office said HMRC’s specialist unit recovered £416 million in 2015 from 6,500 high net worth individuals’ with wealth of more than £20 million. The BBC reports that efforts are ongoing to

Thousands of small companies have been fined for failing to enrol staff in a workplace pension as firms struggle to deal with the most significant overhaul to retirement savings in generations. According to The Times, an increase in enforcement action by the pensions regulator resulted in more than 3,700 businesses being issued with penalties between July

Car insurance premiums are continuing to rise as the AA’s latest British Insurance Premium Index shows the average premium for a comprehensive car insurance policy has increased by more than £20, to £585.84, over the three months ending 30 September. This is a jump of 3.7 per cent over the third quarter. Over 12 months,

My niece is four-years-old. It’s no exaggeration to say that her social life is better than mine – by some considerable distance. In the past few weeks alone she has attended two kiddie raves (don’t ask), explored the ginnels of Skipton Castle (that’s alleyways to non-Northerners), seen Disney on Ice (Frozen, naturally), made baked apples at CommuniTree in