it's impossible for diesel cars to avoid new tax surcharge

Philip Hammond announced any new diesel car not meeting new emissions standards will go up one tax band for the first- year. But there is one big problem that will mean no car is exempt and some will cost £500 extra to tax - the test to pass isn't in yet. We've identified 10 models that will see the biggest hike including the cars pictured. From top left clockwise: Ssangyong Rexton, Toyota Land Cruiser, Merecedes-Benz GLS and Audi SQ7.

My father and stepmother have been married for 30-plus years. My stepmother believes she will not receive a NHS widow's pension when he dies since it is a remarriage.

Positive Money wants money creation process to be changed

Few of us give how money is created a second thought. We happily - or unhappily - earn it, owe it, trade with it, dream of more of it. But at the annual retreat of Positive Money, attendees take a step back and question whether how it is made is working. Unaffordable house prices, boom and bust and stress levels are just some of the things they believe could be improved just by changing how money is made.

The 170-year-old Lancashire-based firm, dubbed Waitrose Of The North, has been in the Booth family for five generations.

Its bosses were jailed, but the firm which introduced me to the fraud was never investigated. It was Sol Emissions Limited which told me it charged 5 per cent commission, but took up to 60 per cent.

This accounted for 11 per cent of total taxes raked in by the Exchequer and was £700m more than in the previous 12 months. The figure suggests the Brexit vote has had no discernible impact.

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London shares slide

The negative open comes after weakness in Asia overnight, China equities turning lower again, led by financials. This is driven by concerns about rising yields (multi-year highs) amid a bond market sell-off that is likely to raise re-financing costs in an already over leveraged economy, putting pressure on both corporates and consumers, reviving the China credit bubble story.

Meredith, which is behind titles like Better Homes & Gardens, funded the acquisition of Time Inc with $650million from the Koch Brothers.

Patisserie Holdings posted a 17.1 per cent rise in pre-tax profits to £20.2million for the year to the end of September, on the back of a 9.7 per cent rise in sales to £114.2million.

Administrators KPMG said the airline's owner, private equity firm Greybull Capital, is first in line when about £60m is raised from the sale of Monarch's valuable landing slots at airports.

The former owner of the Financial Times said it had agreed to sell Wall Street English to private equity firms Baring and Citic Capital for $300million (£225million).

Neo Investment Partners, run by David Belhassen who headed up Paul until 2010, has reportedly ploughed in £30m in exchange for a minority stake.

Bentley has created the ultimate SUV for hunters

This special edition Bentayga 4x4 is designed to packs a pair of shotguns in the boot along with rounds of ammunition, a hunting knife, binoculars and a set of champagne flutes. There's even a lockable humidor to keep expensive Cuban cigars for those early evening returns from trapsing the field with your hunting dog.

The star of US comedy show Drop Dead Diva keeps hundreds of pairs of designer shoes and dozens of handbags in her wardrobe. And she owns a £1.1 million mansion in California.

David Drukarz, 64, used the African Iilangeni which are roughly the same size and weight as £1 coins but worth just over 5p. He was caught by plain clothes police officers at Wembley Park station.

House where JoJo Moyes wrote Me Before You is for sale

The novel 'Me Before You' was written by author JoJo Moyes at her Grade II listed Essex farmhouse, which has gone on the market for £1.5million. Joslyns Farm dates back to the 17th century, and was bought by the author - who is married and has three children - in 2006.

Can you live a champagne lifestyle on a lemonade budget?

Mark says it can cost less over time to buy a Porsche 911 than a Ford Mondeo - he explains how. He also reveals how he gets two long-haul business class flights every year for £600 each. On this episode of the Big Money Questions, Mark also suggests which items he thinks it is worth spending on and which you should avoid splashing out on - or buying altogether.

Budget week is always a good prompt to take a look at your finances. We explain how you can transform your household budget. Charlotte Williams welcomes the boost to electric car charge sites.

The country's new breed of exporters has discovered you do not need decades of international experience to set up successful global businesses. Trevor Ginn set up Hello Baby Direct.

Co-op Group bouncing after bank slump and an drugs shame

All companies must face highs and lows. But few arrive within days of each other and in such stark contrast as they did at the Co-op. 'The high point was when the Queen opened Angel Square in September 2013,' says Co-op chief executive Steve Murrells, referring to the food and insurance group's towering head office - which looks like the backdrop to a dystopian science fiction film as the night-time Manchester rain lashes down around it. The gleaming building signified what was then the peak of the group's ambitions.

Potential bidders are said to have been eyeing Odeon since AMC Entertainment - which paid £920m for Odeon last year - suffered a £32m loss in the three months to September.

The clampdown by the Care Quality Commission comes amid growing concerns over the future of Four Seasons, one of the biggest operators in the market.

The best used cars you can buy revealed by What Car?

This family hatchback is reliable, great to drive and easy to get your hands on. In fact, it took the crown as the best used car because the market is flooded with low-mileage examples with full service histories and barely a scratch on the paintwork. So can you guess which model it is?

I think the best that can be said about this Budget is that it was devoid of unpleasantries. But look at those finances, I bet you a new shiny one pound coin that you can improve them.

A lack of regulation over funeral plans and how they are sold has allowed for an eruption of websites claiming to be able to compare quotes. Heather Bridger (pictured) felt pressured.

Lars Kroijer: Profit from being a passive investor

Lars Kroijer has become a leading proponent of passive investing - and as a hedge fund manager is a man you might consider to know what he is talking about. We ask Lars to explain his thinking and how investors can build a simple passive investing portfolio that lets them sleep at night.

The largest specialist fishing tackle retailer in the UK, Angling floated in the summer at 64p. The shares are 78p today and are likely to increase as the company expands.

Boss Richard Harpin is nothing if not enthusiastic. Having founded the business 24 years ago, he is still firing on all cylinders, with bold new plans to turn Homeserve into a global powerhouse.

A new investment involves backing a small portfolio of companies - no more than 30 - that the manager Andrew Graham, his team and outside 'forensic' accountants think will come up trumps.

Midas recommended the shares in March 2016, when they were the equivalent of 275½p. By March this year, they had risen to 438½p and they have since almost doubled to 835p.

Losses shrink at company run by Prince Michael of Kent

Accounts just filed by Cantium Services, an umbrella firm for the pair's business activities, show losses for the 12 months up to March 31, 2017, fell to £48,482 from £60,348 the previous year. The Royal couple receive no income from the Crown and so run their own commercial interests. The Prince, who is 45th in line to the Throne, is a business consultant to companies in sectors including construction, telecoms and finance.

Ayton - who is also an investor and chairman at watch company Bremont and swimwear brand Orlebar Brown - has led a round of investment by the firm that has raised £250,000.

Pension funds, insurance funds and sovereign wealth funds have at least £3 trillion in their coffers, according to Legal & General. Much of that could be put to better and more profitable use.

The White Paper will outline plans to improve productivity and growth, support promising industries and encourage investment.

Chancellor's stealth tax on investment policies

Many with certain investment policies or endowments could lose between £20 to £25, but some could lose 'a lot more than this', Royal London Insurance group claims. The Chancellor is abolishing Corporate Indexation Allowance, which allows insurance firms to reduce the tax they pay and in turn, reducing costs for policy holders.

Philip Hammond pulled a trick with the abolition of stamp duty for first-time buyers, but was that enough to make us to forget the gloomy economic news? Listen to this week's podcast.

Sir Chris Hohn (pictured) believes LSE chair Donald Brydon is trying to push French chief executive, Xavier Rolet, out of the company.

NatWest launches robo-adviser charging just £10

NatWest has today launched a fully regulated robo-advice proposition charging £10 for customers seeking to invest sums as low as £500. The new online investment advice service will pit the bank against the likes of Nutmeg, MoneyFarm and Scalable Capital in the battle to win funds from individuals with modest sized nest eggs.

Britain is on the cusp of a driverless car revolution, if the Government is to be believed. Within just a few years, cars that can drive themselves will be on our roads.

A report by trade association UK Finance showed £1.5bn was pulled out of ISAs in October. That left £159bn in ISA accounts - the lowest level since July 2014.

Which online review sites can you really trust?

Know a good carpenter? Got a decent plumber? Used a speedy removal firm? We tend to rely on word-of-mouth to find reliable professionals, but what if your friends and associates don't come up with the goods? The increasingly popular route is to check out customer review websites. But how do you know which to trust? Major sites such as Trustpilot and Feefo carry large numbers of reviews, including hundreds of estate agents, conveyancers, mortgage companies and removal firms, with customer experiences, good and bad. Both sites say they take exhaustive measures to ensure accuracy.

A number of smaller lenders have dropped their rental income minimums back down to 125 per cent - particularly if landlords can show they only pay basic-rate tax at 20 per cent.

Madness singer Suggs used to own this Campden Mews house in London in the 1980s when he released the hit song 'Our House'.

The best dash cams for under £150

If you have a dash cam fitted you will have solid evidence of what actually happened in an accident, it won't simply be your word against theirs. This evidence can be used by the insurance companies or the courts to ascertain the truth and apportion blame, something which could be very beneficial to you. Here are 7 of the best devices for capturing footage for under £150.

Whether or not you choose to allow your bank to provide access to your information to a third party - such as a budgeting app for example - it always pays to do everything you can to stay safe online.

Simon Lambert: Movers need a stamp duty too

Stamp duty should be taken back to a flat 1% across the board, but if we won't do that and give up the revenue maybe it is time to charge the seller. Stamp duty has effectively become a capital gains tax, paid by the buyer rather than the seller. It seems completely bizarre that in stamp duty we have created a high tax system, where you foot a bill based on the other party's profit.

The VED increase, which will apply to new diesel cars registered from April 1 next year, will force buyers to pay up to £500 extra in the first year of ownership and raise more than £250million in total.

Katie Bourke (pictured) is about to buy her first £335,000 flat in Battersea, London and thanks to yesterday's budget giveaway she'll see her stamp duty bill crash from £6,750 to £1,750.

Behind the scenes at Argos ahead of Black Friday

Love it or loathe it, Black Friday is now a huge annual event which sparks a shopping frenzy both in stores and online - and is an extravaganza that rivals Christmas for spend. Mail Online/This is Money consumer affairs editor Lee Boyce goes behind the scenes at Argos to see how it is gearing up for the challenge and just how its Tardis-like stores operate.

A leak caused damage to my flat with water seeping into the walls. But my fellow freeholders were not happy that I claimed on our building insurance.

I switched back to Eon after being with Sainsbury's Energy for a year, but now it's telling me the smart meter it fitted no longer works, says reader David Ackroyd from Halifax (pictured).

How the Chancellor's Budget will cut income tax bills

Higher rate taxpayers earning £50,000 a year will get a £236 tax cut next year, while those earning £30,000 will benefit to the tune of £101. The rise in the amount workers get to keep from their pay came as the Chancellor lifted the tax-free personal allowance to £11,850 and partially reversed years of fiscal drag by lifting the higher rate tax threshold to £46,350. Check what you will save.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond has delivered his second Budget address of 2017 to Parliament. All the key news is revealed here...

Prudent Britons hoping for some cheer in the Budget today were left bitterly disappointed, with the official 86 page document containing zero mentions of the word 'savers'.

The Chancellor has delivered a stamp duty giveaway that could save first-time buyers £5,000, but ultimately this will drive up house prices, the Budget watchdog has warned.

While it is relatively easy to predict the productivity of a factory, it is far trickier to come up with accurate forecasts for the digital economy, where the UK is a world leader, leading to unnecessary gloom.

Pension savers dodge a Budget hit on tax relief

Pension savers will keep their tax breaks after Chancellor Philip Hammond resisted butchering the popular incentives to raise cash for other pet projects. It was feared a major overhaul was on the cards - which could penalise older or richer savers or both - to fund a giveaway to young people.

Landlords breathed a sigh of relief as fears of another Budget tax raid proved unfounded - with the only buy-to-let reference a pledge to look into longer-term tenancies.

After his last Budget backfired, Chancellor Philip Hammond has gone all out to woo Britain's small and medium-sized business in the Autumn Budget.

OBR cuts forecasts for UK economic growth from 1.6% to 1.4% in 2018, from 1.7% to 1.3% in 2019, from 1.9% to 1.3% in 2020, and from 2% to 1.5% in 2021.

Emma and James Coles, from Milton Keynes, are both business analysts and are taxed at the standard rate. They doubt they will notice the benefit from the rise in tax-free personal allowance.

How movie deals revived Matchless' British leather jackets

Having popular fictional characters wear branded clothing might seem novel, but for Matchless's new owners, the Malenotti family, it is underpinned by a serious want to kickstart the heritage brand back into gear.

In 2012, we featured the case of David Burnett, a lifelong 20-a-day smoker who was then 65. His smoking meant he qualified for more annuity income than a healthy man would have got.

Should I take my delayed state pension as lump sum?

In November 2014, on reaching 65, I deferred receiving my state pension. With the government scheme promising a return of 10.4 per cent on the accumulated amount and a weekly pension, it seemed a 'no-brainer'. I am also receiving a local education authority and teacher's pension. Could you advise me whether to take the three years' accumulated amount as a lump sum or to start taking my state pension at the new rate. Which would be the most advantageous?

The firms that charge you to pay by credit card shamed

Dozens of travel companies, insurers, car dealers and even local councils are charging rip-off fees for paying by credit card - even though the Government says this is unacceptable. Our investigation found customers are having to fork out as much as 3 per cent extra to pay by credit card. In some cases, they are being charged £150 more than they would if they paid by debit card.

The number of savers looking for a fixed-rate deal dropped by almost 10 per cent in the past month, according to research from data monitors Moneyfacts.

Savers looking for the best deals on their easy-access money need to act quickly - and watch out for traps. Top deals can be on sale for a matter of days before they are taken off the market.

What is an Isa? We explain how to pick the best for you

Isas used to be so simple. Now there are new Isas popping up all over the place with ever-more complexity. So we go back to basics and explain what they are and what they're good for. In this episode of the Big Money Questions, senior investment planner at Vanguard James Norton goes through what you need to know, and how you can get started if you are saving for the long term and want to open a stocks and shares Isa.

The Chancellor is set to collect the sum from stamp duty, capital gains tax and inheritance tax between now and 2022. These three taxes provided nearly £100bn over the last five years.

The building society last week launched a deal letting borrowers aged 55 to 84 release cash from their home without having to make monthly payments.

The new Aston Martin Vantage revealed

Even before it was off the design board, the dramatic face of the new Vantage became the inspiration for the DB10 - of which only ten were made for use in the Bond movie Spectre and driven by Daniel Craig. That's because Bond movie bosses preferred it to the looks of Aston's DB11. Now the real-life Vantage has been revealed and here are the first images of the 195mph 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 sports car.

The most annoying thing about being charged extra to pay by credit card is discovering this nasty little surprise at the checkout.

London home owners are being hammered by stamp duty costs when they move, an estate agency has warned ahead of the Budget.

Can tin foil behind your radiators cut energy bills?

The idea is simple - using a reflective foil behind your radiator will bounce heat back into the room, rather than letting it seep out through the walls of your home. So how much does it actually save? And is it worth buying special radiator reflectors or will tin foil work just as well? We find out.

50 ways to save money....

To clear the average national household debt of £13,000 at 6% interest with a monthly repayment of £100 will take around 17 years. There are, however, plenty of simple ways to make significant savings on your regular spending that could clear your debt - or boost your savings - in less than a year. This is Money's top 50 - updated - money-saving tips may appear light-hearted but are deadly serious.

Pick the best (and cheapest) investment Isa platform

Choosing the right DIY platform is crucial but a wealth of choice and changes to charges have left many investors scratching their heads. 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.

We asked trusted experts to recommend the best funds that cover different investment sectors - and included This is Money's selection of active and passive options too.

Rightly or wrongly, some people simply want a quick, straightforward route map to investing in an Isa. To that end, this is our distilled guide to getting started.

How much money do I need to save for my pension?

The amount you can save into a pension ultimately depends on what you can afford - but the longer you leave it the more you will need to save. We tend to put ambitious targets on our hoped-for income in retirement and then underestimate how much we will need to set aside to achieve that. So how much should you save?

Old people / couple (figurines) - sitting on a pile of money coins - savings / bills / financial / investment / pensions concept.
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savings, money, finance, pensions, savings, money, finance, pensions, retirement, coins, pensioners, future, security, insurance, savings, money, finance, pensions

Making the most of a pension is your best chance of securing a decent income when you retire. We explain what you need to know.

Even at a time when we are stretching our finances further to afford a home, moving less, and pushing mortgages beyond 30 years, we still remain captivated by two-year fixed rate deals.

When will UK interest rates rise?

The Bank of England has raised the base rate back to 0.5 per cent. The move up from 0.25 per cent is accompanied by an Inflation Report, which will outline where the bank sees things moving next. Expectations are that rates will not move up swiftly after this first rise, This is Money will bring you the details of the Inflation report and analysis imminently.

What next for mortgage rates?

Borrowers are being offered a raft of cheap fixed rate mortgages as lenders attempt to lure them into remortgaging or buying a home. But HSBC has decided to buck the trend and launch a new rate mortgage that is a tracker instead. We pick out the best fixed and tracker rate mortgages and look at what next for rates.

Ten tips for buy-to-let

For many buy-to-let looks an attractive income investment in a time of low rates and stock market volatility. Climbing house prices, rising rents and improving mortgage deals are tempting investors - although they will need a big deposit. Read This is Money's top ten buy-to-let tips

Best paid jobs and biggest pay rises of 2016 revealed

Compare your pay to the national average and see whether your employer treated you to a pay rise in line with the the rest of your profession. Farmers, care and air travel assistants were big winners on the pay scales in 2016. Travel agents, careers advisers and probation officers lost out.

   

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