Finance

Consumers booking a holiday online should beware the continuing menace of firms sneakily trying to opt passengers into optional extras that hike up the price of jetting away.

The City regulator has been urged to investigate the millions of pounds wiped off the value of our pensions through "unsuitable advice" which pushes savers into pricey plans.

The number of consumers making claims to get compensation when a financial firm is unable to repay them has gone up, show new figures published today.

HS

Lloyds Banking Group has said "sorry" for flogging worthless payment protection insurance (PPI) policies and promised a catalogue of measures to provide compensation for victims, in yet another sign of capitulation by banks.

Barclays will pay in-full all of its customers' payment protection insurance (PPI) claims that were put on hold on or before 20 April.

The Bank of England today announced it is holding the base rate at its 0.5% historic low for the 27th consecutive month.

Mortgage lending is expected to increase this year for the first time since the credit crunch struck, a trade body predicted today.