Money

I am a Nationwide customer. Recently, I went to open a savings account and had to jump through a lot of intrusive questions to do so. Why does Nationwide need to know my employer, employer's address, job role, alongside annual income and where the money is coming from to open the savings account?

In August I had an unfortunate accident and fell into a canal along with my rucksack containing my laptop, which unsurprisingly was damaged by the water. Since I have a Currys' Knowhow Care Plan purchased at the same time as my laptop in 2015, I thought my device would be covered. I took it to a store in London to have it repaired for free. However, Currys refused to properly honour the contract. This has worsened my already traumatic experience. Can you help? Sally Hamilton replies...

I am waiting for an inheritance from my father who passed away a while ago and his estate is going through Probate at the moment. I would like to give our son a third of what I receive. My husband will receive the other third. Can I give my son this money, and will either of us be taxed? What can we do to mitigate this if so?

The controversial new Ford Capri - which has garnered a lot of online outrage - has finally launched. The EV coupe-SUV is a.£48k family car with 389 miles of range. We went to Marseille to give it its global first drive to see if it is worthy of carrying one of the greatest British car nameplates of all time.

The monthly cost of owning a home is once again much cheaper than renting, as lower mortgage rates tip the balance further in favour of first-time buyers. Research by the property website Zoopla found that the average monthly mortgage cost for a typical first-time buyer home is now 17% cheaper than the average rent - though of course buyers may need to save a substantial deposit.

China is in a major economic crisis - perhaps the most serious since it set out on its dizzying trajectory of economic growth more than four decades ago. Millions of consumers and investors are anxiously waiting to see how the authorities will respond. This is not just a debacle unfolding thousands of miles away. If you own one of a number of major China-linked stocks or a FTSE 100 tracker, then you should be paying attention. And even if your portfolio is not exposed, you should still care about China. The sheer scale of the Chinese economy means it matters to us all.

Royal Mail will take longer to deliver millions of business letters as part of a trial ahead of official changes to regulations. The Ofcom watchdog will consult on an overhaul of postal services next year, including plans to cut second-class deliveries to every other working day.

Financial experts say it is important not to panic, but there are a few simple tweaks you could still make to protect your cash from a tax grab. We look at what potential changes might be in store and some of the changes that you can make ahead of the Autumn Budget.

My wife insists we should combine our bank accounts now we are married. We are both on our second marriage and didn't really talk about how we wanted to handle finances as we've been quite relaxed about our lives ahead, and with our kids almost grown-up. I feel resistant to the idea, but I am not sure why. She hasn't been irresponsible with money or anything like that. It's more about the timing of her demand that's making me uncomfortable. Money psychotherapist Vicky Reynal has the answer...

Next has said it is on track to make over £1billion in profit this year after upping its outlook for the third time in three months. Tesco, Marks & Spencer and B&Q owner Kingfisher are the only other listed UK store chains to have raked in £1billion in profits in a single year. Next cheered a colder weather boost to sales of its autumn and winter ranges, with full-price sales rising 7.6 per cent in its third quarter to 26 October.

Europe's biggest car maker has been negotiating for weeks with unions over intentions to revamp its operations and slash costs as the manufacturer responds to headwinds in the motor industry. A recent slowdown in uptake of electric vehicles and the emerging popularity of cheaper Chinese brands in Europe has forced the German powerhouse to consider factory closures on home soil for the first time.

Banks are offering coffee bars and free work spaces in a bid to attract customers to branches. And you don't even have to be a customer to use them. More than 6,000 bank and building society branches have closed since January 2015, reports consumer group Which? Growing numbers of those remaining are reinventing spaces to stay relevant and secure survival. Could fresh coffee save struggling high street outlets or just delay the inevitable? Toby Walne visits three to find out.

Buyagift has taken £200 from my banked vouchers. There is no way of contacting anyone except online and they are not answering. We have saved these gift vouchers so my 81-year-old husband and I can have a few days away. I don't know where to turn if Buyagift won't even speak to me.

House prices could rise significantly next year, according to one mortgage lender, as buyers' borrowing power will get a boost from falling interest rates. Experts at MPowered Mortgages think that if the base rate falls as low as 3.5% - like some analysts are predicting - some mortgage borrowers could find themselves able to borrow up to 18% more. Landlords would also benefit from the combination of lower interest rates and higher rents, meaning their profits could be set to increase.

The markets here are nervous - and understandably so - about Chancellor Rachel Reeves's Budget on Wednesday. On a global level, one would naturally expect markets to be jittery about another event that is also just a few days away, namely the outcome of the US election. That's more important for us too, not just our American cousins. So what should we think about that?

At today's gold price of $2,733/Oz, just a single 400 Troy Ounce 'Large Bar' will cost you $1 million, or £840,000. The gold mining companies whose shares are traded on the world's stock exchanges can be valued by measuring their published resource and reserve ounces of gold and the Stock Exchanges have specific ways in which these can be measured and published.

Legend has it that cats have nine lives. Well Jaguar may now be risking its ninth and final life in an all-or-nothing gamble for its existence. Many seasoned motor industry observers believe so. It is one of three new EV models on which the leaping cat firm is staking its entire future as a fully electric-only and more upmarket brand, with prices starting from just under £100,000 - or double that of the average current Jaguar - up to £120,000.

If you have a load of these toys lying around from when you were a kid in the 90s, you could sell them for much more than you bought them for. Ebay says some toys can sell for over £50, notably the Star Wars lego job lot which has an average selling price of £52.

Choosing the right DIY platform is crucial but a wealth of choice and a variety of charges can leave investors scratching their heads. We pick some of the best. We pick some of the best. We also highlight why investing in an Isa makes sense, as it should protect your hopefully growing investments from tax forever.