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Mortgage rates rising: Halifax, HSBC and Barclays among lenders raising deals - should homeowners fix now?

Mortgage rates rising: Halifax, HSBC and Barclays among lenders raising deals - should homeowners fix now?

Major mortgage lenders are hiking rates in a blow to anyone buying a home or re-mortgaging. getting a new deal. We look at how much higher rates could go and what it means for homebuyers.

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Octopus Energy offers more chances for free coffee rewards with new Monday scratchcard – how it works

Octopus Energy offers more chances for free coffee rewards with new Monday scratchcard – how it works

Octopus Energy customers will soon have more chances to get their hands on free coffee and other rewards after the supplier changed its popular Octoplus rewards scheme. Here's how it works...

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Grandparents offering childcare over the summer holidays could boost their State Pension by £7,000 through little-known NI credit

Grandparents offering childcare over the summer holidays could boost their State Pension by £7,000 through little-known NI credit

Grandparents who help look after their grandchildren during the school holidays could be missing out on a valuable boost to their State Pension worth around £350 a year - or £7,000 over a typical retirement.

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Tesco, Lidl and Morrisons offer free fruit for kids over summer holidays - how to claim

Tesco, Lidl and Morrisons offer free fruit for kids over summer holidays - how to claim

Families can pick up free fruit and vegetables for children at supermarkets including Tesco, Lidl and Morrisons - helping to keep little ones happy while shopping and helping to get in their five a day. Here's how to get the perk.

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Petrol prices rising ahead of summer holidays: How Asda and Sainsbury's fuel offers could save you money

Petrol prices rising ahead of summer holidays: How Asda and Sainsbury's fuel offers could save you money

Drivers are seeing higher prices at the pumps after wholesale fuel costs started rising again, but new supermarket promotions could help motorists cut the cost of filling up. We explain what's on offer as Asda joins Sainsbury's in 5p saving per litre offer for drivers.

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Buy Now, Pay Later rules change – what it means for Klarna, Clearpay and other customers

Buy Now, Pay Later rules change – what it means for Klarna, Clearpay and other customers

People using Buy Now, Pay Later services such as Klarna and Clearpay will soon be going through affordability checks and have the right to complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service. Here's what's changing, who the new rules apply to and what to do if something goes wrong.

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Heating oil compensation: Are you due £350 from cancelled deliveries?

Heating oil compensation: Are you due £350 from cancelled deliveries?

Around 1,700 households could be owed compensation of up to £350 after heating oil suppliers allegedly cancelled customer orders and forced people to pay higher prices during the energy crisis, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has said.

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Scam text rules change to protect mobile phone users: What you need to know about Ofcom rules

Scam text rules change to protect mobile phone users: What you need to know about Ofcom rules

Millions of mobile phone users could soon be better protected from scam text messages and spoof phone calls under new rules introduced by communications regulator Ofcom. We explain what you need to know.

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Is your pension offering value for money? New DWP league table plans will let you find out

Is your pension offering value for money? New DWP league table plans will let you find out

Millions of workers will be able to judge if their pension is offering good returns and quality service under new plans from the Department for Work and Pensions. The aim is that underperforming savings schemes will be pressured to improve or leave the market. Here are how the changes could affect your pension.

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Tesco closing early if England reach World Cup final: What time will stores shut?

Tesco closing early if England reach World Cup final: What time will stores shut?

Tesco has revealed workers will be able to leave early for the World Cup final on Sunday if England win against Argentina on Wednesday. All stores including Tesco Express will be covered by the move.

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Full list of summer holidays cost of living help for families - all the freebies and discounts you need to know about

Full list of summer holidays cost of living help for families - all the freebies and discounts you need to know about

The summer holidays can be one of the most expensive times of the year for families, the cost of food, days out and keeping children entertained quickly piles up. But there are plenty of ways to ease the pressure. We explain all.

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Cost of livingBenefits
Free breakfast clubs expand from September 2026  - is your school offering childcare worth £450?

Free breakfast clubs expand from September 2026 - is your school offering childcare worth £450?

Millions of families could save hundreds of pounds a year from September as thousands more schools begin offering free breakfast clubs creatingn95 hours of free childcare before the school day begins.

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Is Morrisons' free breakfast the best Kids Eat Free deal this summer holidays?

Is Morrisons' free breakfast the best Kids Eat Free deal this summer holidays?

Families can get a free breakfast for children at Morrisons cafés throughout the summer holidays. Here's how the offer works, and how it compares with other supermarket Kids Eat Free deals.

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EDF offering free fans and energy bill credit to help customers in heatwave - can you get extra support?

EDF offering free fans and energy bill credit to help customers in heatwave - can you get extra support?

Thousands of vulnerable households could receive free fans, cooling equipment and bill support this summer from energy provider EDF under a new £1 million initiative. Could you get extra help during the heatwave?

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Pound hits highest level against the euro in more than a year – should you buy your holiday money now?

Pound hits highest level against the euro in more than a year – should you buy your holiday money now?

Holidaymakers heading to Europe this summer could get more for their money this summer after the pound euro exchange rate climbed to its strongest level in more than a year.

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Virgin Media fined £28m – could you be owed compensation?

Virgin Media fined £28m – could you be owed compensation?

Virgin Media has been fined a record £28 million by Ofcom after the watchdog found millions of customers had too many obstacles when trying to cancel their contracts. Ofcom has now ordered Virgin Media to review complaints and make sure anyone entitled to compensation receives it.

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How to get a nine-day break from work with just four days of annual leave during the summer holidays

How to get a nine-day break from work with just four days of annual leave during the summer holidays

You can get more holiday with fewer days of annual leave in August with a handy trick over the Bank Holiday.

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Mortgage rate war: How low will lenders go and what it means for home buyers

Mortgage rate war: How low will lenders go and what it means for home buyers

Lenders are cutting mortgage rates ahead of the summer holidays but how much more will costs come down? We look at what the changes mean for buyers and owners

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