Money
Money Talks

Expert help for gardens on a budget, plus the older expats facing poverty

Also, air-conditioned homes to keep you cool this summer and our Consumer Champions take on DFS and Virgin

France Tophill gardens
Frances Tophil: ‘When you look for plants in a garden centre, never look for flowers.’ Photograph: Kyle Books
Money
Money Talks

Expert help for gardens on a budget, plus the older expats facing poverty

Also, air-conditioned homes to keep you cool this summer and our Consumer Champions take on DFS and Virgin

Tara Srinivasan

Hello and welcome to this week’s Money Talks – a roundup of the week’s biggest stories and some things you may have missed.

Money news

Millions of EDF customers face second price rise this year

Government launches ‘market-leading’ savings account

The older expats facing poverty – thanks to Brexit and frozen pensions

Student loan interest rate set to rise by a third after UK inflation surge

Wonga data breach could affect nearly 250,000 UK customers

Feature

Revealed: the huge profits earned by big banks on overseas money transfers

Santander bank exterior
Pinterest
The bulk of banks’ profits from money transfers come from the so-called ‘FX margin’ rather than fees directly charged to the customer. Photograph: Felix Clay for the Guardian

In pictures

Homes with air conditioning

VIP Island, Florida.
Pinterest
Stay cool in this property on VIP Island, Florida. Photograph: Walt Simpson/Sorensen Real Estate

In the spotlight

The experts’ guide to making your garden bloom on a budget

Andy Sturgeon’s design was named best show garden at the 2016 RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
Pinterest
Andy Sturgeon’s design was named best show garden at the 2016 RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Photograph: Jonathan Brady/PA

Consumer champions

It was DFS customer service that didn’t measure up

Why won’t the Co-op Bank believe me when I say I’m 15?

Virgin couldn’t find Anytime at all for us to book a balloon flight

Money deals

Planning an Easter getaway? Get great value holiday cover with Guardian travel insurance, provided by Voyager.

You could save when you send money overseas with expert guidance and free online transfers from moneycorp, provider of Guardian international money transfers.

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