The Reporter

The Reporter

They seek them here, they seek them thereThe hunt was on this week for the rare lesser-spotted mortgage, with an ever-shrinking number of banks and building societies offering even half-decent deals. First Direct became one of the biggest names so far to shut its doors to new mortgage customers, and other lenders have tightened their purse-strings. Could we be heading for a return to 1970s-style lending practices, when wannabe homebuyers had to save diligently for a year or more with a building society and then queue up, cap in hand, to ask to be put on its standard variable rate? The Reporter suspects that some Money readers would rather welcome a "return to austerity".

Flip side for BritanniaIt's all change for the pound and pence in our pocket after the Royal Mint unveiled the biggest shake-up in the world of coinage for 40 years. The new 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p and 50p have been dubbed the "jigsaw coins" because, when arranged together, they form an image of the royal coat of arms. However, some observers were upset to see that Britannia has been pensioned off. "Surely true Brits will weep over Britannia's demise?" was the headline on an article in the Guardian. We're joking - it was the Daily Telegraph.

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Didn't he do well? Bruce Forsyth is the nation's most admired male "golden oldie," according to new research from Co-operative Insurance's personal pensions arm. After 60 years in showbusiness, the British public clearly believes it is still a case of "nice to see you, to see you nice" when it comes to Brucie. Almost half of those surveyed named the 80-year-old their most loved and durable star, with Sean Connery taking second place. Cilla Black topped the women's poll. Co-op's message is that, with the continuing rise in basic living costs, "people should be making their future financial planning a priority in order to be able to afford the luxuries we are all becoming accustomed to".

In a hot spot?The Reporter has heard anecdotal reports suggesting that with the credit crunch biting, some of those "invest in an overseas property" exhibitions are so quiet, there are tumbleweeds blowing past the stands. Hopefully, it won't be that quiet at this month's A Place in the Sun Live exhibition at ExCeL London on April 25-27. Channel4 presenter Amanda Lamb will be there to share her experiences and advice with those looking to find their dream place in the sun. Her top tips include: organise your finances early on; look into what a country offers - properties might be cheap in Slovenia, but is the electricity supply reliable?; and "play the private eye" by asking to see other properties the developer has built, and checking what people say on internet discussion forums. For more information go to aplaceinthesunlive.com.

Richer? No, poorer Be aware that sweeping changes to the tax system come into force tomorrow which will see 2p knocked off the basic rate of income tax. From the start of the new tax year on April 6, it is being reduced from 22% to 20%. But, while that may sound like good news, many poorer people will actually be worse off - at the same time the government is abolishing the 10% income tax starting rate. Changes to national insurance contributions are also being introduced, which will see the earnings ceiling at which the 11% rate falls to 1% increased from £670 to £770 a week. As a result, people will pay 11% on earnings up to £40,040.

Wheelie sins Men are two-and-a-half times more likely to be convicted for driving offences than women, according to findings by car insurance comparison website confused.com. It also found that speeding accounted for 73% of all male offences, compared with 84% for women. Men are seven times more likely to be caught driving without due care and attention, and twice as likely to be pulled over for failing to comply with traffic light signals.

guardian.co.uk © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2008