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The Prime Minister put an end to all the speculation this week by giving us the date for the general election: July 4. That comes as the latest inflation reading was 2.3%, a little above forecasts making a base rate cut next month now unlikely. Simon Lambert, Georgie Frost and Lee Boyce delve into the economic state of affairs and what the upcoming election could mean for your money, when it comes to tax, pensions, property and everything in-between. Nationwide Building Society posted pre-tax profits of £1.77bn this week and as a result, it is dishing out another year of 'Fairer Share' loyalty payouts of £100 — will you qualify? And not only that, it is now offering £200 to switchers and an exclusive 5.5% loyalty savings rate. How does early retirement sound to you? It seems it appeals to a lot of us because searches on Google for 'retire early' have increased threefold in the last decade. But how much would you be willing to sacrifice to achieve it? At the extreme end, we have the FIRE movement, advocating saving 70% of your income. Special guest, former This is Money editor Andrew Oxlade, had had enough — he explains why. Lastly, This is Money has a new regular series called Modern Treasures with valuation expert Dan Hatfield — Lee reveals all about the first one, all about first edition books, and gives details on how to get YOUR items valued for free.

Supermarket loyalty schemes have become even more of a big thing in recent years as the two giants Tesco and Sainsbury's have rolled out Clubcard and Nectar Prices. But while cards bring lower prices, the points collected still mean prizes for some loyalty scheme fans. So, what happens if a fraudster steals your points? This is Money's Angharad Carrick recently went on the trail of some stolen Nectar points and uncovered a story that delivered as many questions as it did answers. Ang, Georgie Frost and Simon Lambert discuss the mystery of the stolen Nectar Points and how our reader got short shrift from Sainsbury's, Action Fraud and the police when they had £230 nicked. Plus, are these loyalty cards any good and worth having anyway and why is the competition watchdog investigating them? Also — many more people are taking mortgages than run past state pension age but with work and retirement blurring and changing does this matter? Simon explains why he thinks it does but for another reason. Would you buy fake cash for a knockdown price off social media? It sounds daft, but this is a genuine thing — we look at how it is happening. And should a reader who is still working at age 77, worth £2.6million and doesn't want a big inheritance tax bill start giving money away — and splashing out on themselves and their family?

The Bank of England decided to hold the base rate for the sixth time in a row this week – but was it the right decision? Should the MPC have been bold and made a cut? What does it mean for our mortgages and savings? And when will a move come - and in what direction? Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert and Lee Boyce talk about the base rate decision and what happens next. In the world of property, the number of homes being devalued is on the rise. So, what's going on? And what can you do if it happens to you? Bungalows are having a moment. They're not just for the elderly and downsizers, young families and first time buyers are also increasingly interested - pushing the price of them higher since the pandemic. Energy firms have been trying to push smart meters on us for years: have they uncovered a new trick to get us to make the swap? And finally, it's been good news for JD Wetherspoon - the no frills pub chain said it expects annual profits to come in towards the 'top end' of forecasts. Where do you stand on Spoons? Lee and Simon face-off with different pints of view on the pub giant.

How long before inflation reaches 2% — and could record rainfall send food prices soaring? The new ISA comes in, but will your bank provide access? Plus — Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert and Angharad Carrick discuss how much supermarkets charge for a bag, and what they get out of it. Also — Woodford is back ...

Older people received another boost to the state pension this week taking the full rate to over £11,000 a year. This year's increase of 8.5% was thanks to the triple lock commitment - a guarantee the state pension will rise each year by the higher of CPI, wages or 2.5%. What does the future hold? While there is plenty of speculation the state pension may become means tested, in reality it could be incredibly hard to implement. Tanya Jefferies, Georgie Frost, Helen Crane and Lee Boyce talk state pensions – and how they compare to other countries. And sticking on the theme, there is another delay for the Government’s new online state pension top-up service. When will it launch? NS&I has a four-day IT meltdown that makes it a struggle for customers to log-in – and it suggests to one that she may have a ‘time drift.’ What does this bizarre explanation mean? Crane is on the Case once more, this time Eon is in the firing line after it insisted a part-time dance teacher used £95,000 worth of energy … in a month. And who on earth would hold an American Express card in their wallet with an APR 704.6%? Lee has the answer.

There's a warning for savers who's fixed term deals are coming to an end - don't take your eye off the ball now or risk having your returns wiped out in a matter of months. A year ago, there was a flurry of savers choosing fixed-rate bonds as they improved drastically. But if you don't act, the chances are it'll rollover into an awful rate. Helen Crane, Lee Boyce and Georgie Frost talk savings, just as we head into a new financial year. Also on the savings front, NS&I reveals the rate of the new British Savings Bond - is it worth it? And an ISA millionaire reveals all to This is Money on how he built up a seven-figure pot. Helen tackles another reader problem – this time, it's a case of the unwanted and unneeded SIM card costing a pensioner couple hundreds of pounds. And on the utilities front, Lee reveals how Ofcom saved him from a 75% rise in his monthly broadband costs, and why you should check if you're out of contract with your mobile phone. Mortgage approvals are up - but house prices nudge lower. What's going on? Meanwhile, research shows a record third of all homes are being bought by first time buyers – and they make up 89% of buyers in one Berkshire town. Lastly, entrepreneur Tim Armoo runs the rule over five money-making fads doing the rounds on social media – are any of them worth your time?

The Bank of England held interest rates again this week as inflation dropped once more. So, are we out of the woods yet? Will inflation keep coming back down towards target and the Bank of England soon seamlessly switch back to cutting rates? Or will central bankers be keen to hold onto higher rates, even if we get hit by a bout of disinflation? Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Simon Lambert look at what next for inflation and interest rates and what it means for your money. Also, should the Waspi women who saw their state pension age rise rapidly be compensated for the poor communication and how much of a victory was this week’s Parliamentary Ombudsman Waspi report a victory for them? As that happened, more news emerged on underpaid state pensions – as exposed by our Tanya Jefferies and pension columnist Sir Steve Webb, and the team update us on that. Plus, what’s going on with the chaos at HMRC and who is to blame for the failure to keep up with our increasingly tricky tax system. And finally, meet the Scambaiters – we find out what they do and why.

Is it time to admit that 'free banking' doesn't really exist, and to start paying for our accounts? Georgie Frost, Simon Lambert and Helen Crane discuss this, plus: the plans which wise parents are making to deal with the prospect of VAT on private school fees, if Labour wins the next election, and how to find a trustworthy adviser. Also — Helen Crane investigates a car sold with a significant fault.

Jeremy Hunt bounced around delivering his Budget on Wednesday, proudly declaring his commitment to tax cuts and supporting working families. Another 2% was chopped off National Insurance and the threshold at which child benefit is removed was raised from £50,000 to £60,000. But you don’t need to be a financial expert to know that the Chancellor’s version of events isn’t quite the whole story. Because Mr Hunt is also presiding over a long-term stealth tax freeze to thresholds that is costing workers dear and his child benefit move merely kicked sky-high marginal tax rates down the road, rather than getting rid of them altogether. Nonetheless, a tax cut and an extra £5,000 Isa allowance – even if it’s a slightly iffy, limited one – is not to be sniffed at. So, was this an escape velocity Budget that puts Britain back on the path to growth? Or was it too little, too late, from a Tory party that has sported successive Chancellors who have been keener to raise our taxes by hook or by crook rather than cut them – or even just keep thresholds in line with inflation? Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Simon Lambert look at the winners and losers and go searching for the devils in the detail. What is the National Insurance cut worth to you? Will you get some child benefit back? Did pensioners deserve a tax cut too? With a failure to reverse his capital gains and dividend tax raid, what has the Chancellor got against small investors? And will the British ISA be any good? All that and more – plus a look at why Nationwide is buying Virgin Money, and whether that’s good or bad for us all.

The debacle over widespread errors in the state pension that This is Money and Sir Steve Webb uncovered, continues. As of the end of October last year, DWP had paid out just under half a billion pounds to more than 80,000 people who’ve been underpaid. But what about those who have died? Tanya Jefferies, Lee Boyce, Angharad Carrick and Georgie Frost reveal the case where a letter was sent to the daughter of an 100 year-old man three years after he passed away, stating he had been unpaid state pension for two decades. Yet, despite the letter – months later, she was left hanging on what the DWP was actually going to do about it. And still on the state pension front, people continue to complain of top-ups chaos as the Government gets ready to launch a new online service next month. Sir Steve is calling on DWP and HMRC to get in more staff. You don’t need HMRC to have more staff to answer your call, oh no! You just need to be a VIP. Apparently there is a helpline, also known as Public Department 1 (PD1) which answers calls nine times quicker. We explain more. On the savings front, the FCA is launching a campaign to encourage savers to shop around – and if you rushed to sign up for a one-year fixed-rate cash Isa this time in 2023, Lee explains why you must act. Optional and mandatory service charges at hospitality venues – Georgie, Ang and Lee give their verdict. And finally, the price of bitcoin jumped beyond $60,000 this week. What’s behind the latest cryptocurrency surge?