Banking

If you're a First Direct customer you'll soon be able to access your account details without having to give a password, thanks to new voice recognition technology the bank's bringing in – but if you're not comfortable with the new 'biometric banking' system you can opt out.

The number of current account customers switching banks is on the up, despite the fact that of the UK's 68 million current accounts, fewer than 1% were switched during the opening six months of 2016.

MoneySavers who've racked up £100s by repeatedly switching banks have battled it out for the title of Britain's biggest bank tart – with one couple sharing a whopping £1,565 and another switcher making £845 in the first three months of 2016 alone.

If the interest rate on your easy access savings account or ISA falls you could soon be sent an email or text alert, under plans set out by the financial regulator.

If you're a Barclays, Halifax or Co-operative Bank customer who earns 'rewards' in the form of monthly cash payments on your current account, you may owe tax.

Complaints about payday loans and packaged bank accounts have skyrocketed over the last year, but not by enough to knock PPI off its perch as the most complained about financial product.

The competition watchdog's set out plans to cap fees for busting your overdraft limit. This should help, but don't wait. Overdrafts are a debt like any other - the key is to cut the rate, repay faster and avoid any penalties.

The competition watchdog has called for monthly unarranged overdraft fees to be capped as part of its recommendations to overhaul the way banks work.

Barclays has offered 10,000 of its PPI customers the opportunity to cancel their policies and receive refunds on payments plus interest, after it breached an order by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).