UK house prices: first-time buyers ‘will drive 2026 sales’ amid interest rate cuts

Rent rises likely to slow after rapid increases in recent years, lenders and estate agents forecast

Plymouth had UK’s steepest rise in house prices in 2025

Average property price in city rose by 12.6%, while Stafford and Wigan also had double-digit growth

UK consumers still reluctant to spend going into 2026, KPMG survey finds

Combination of concern about economy and household cost pressures will continue to limit spending, report suggests

DIY shops enjoy bumper year as UK property market slows

Paint and sofas sell well as Britons are priced out of moving home or undertaking pricey renovations

Branching out: why banks are back on the British high street

In towns such as Northampton, in-person help with finances is a promise many customers still depend upon

The hill I will die on: Online shops, please, I beg – stop with endless post-purchase emails

You really want me to review my buy? Yes, it was fine. But that is where I would like our relationship to end, says comedian Athena Kugblenu

Marmite-scented deodorant tops list of UK’s most unwanted Christmas presents

Consumer group Which? finds one in five people are unsure what to do with dud gifts after the festive period

UK electric car charger rollout slows amid worries over EV switch

Smallest number of new chargers since 2022 as carmakers persuade government to weaken EV sales targets

Farage criticised for £400,000 job promoting physical gold as pension investment

Exclusive: Reform leader promotes Direct Bullion – but experts say commodity is not for everyday investors

Alexander Wishart obituary

Other lives: Banker who began work at 16 and became a director of Harrods Bank in the 1980s

CDs return to Christmas shopping lists as gen Z embrace ‘retro renaissance’

Demand for CD players rises 74% this year amid deluxe releases from artists such as Taylor Swift and Pink Floyd

UK drivers being overcharged as fuel prices fail to track oil market, watchdog finds

CMA rejects retailers’ claims on operating costs, saying weak competition is not passing on lower wholesale prices

UK consumers saving less as taxes squeeze incomes, data shows

ONS finds households’ savings ratio has dropped to lowest rate for more than a year across third quarter

UK economy entering 2026 amid sharp private sector downturn, says CBI

Business lobby survey finds firms ‘put brakes on key spending decisions’ before autumn budget

Independent businesses: have your online sales been affected by the rise of AI?

We’d like to hear from independent retailers about how changes to online searches has affected them. We’d also like to find out from customers about how easy it is to track down independent retailers