STRAIGHT TO THE POINT

I TRIED to withdraw money from one of the machines in a Barclays branch in Camden, North London, but it rejected the transaction. Staff told me it was because I’m not a Barclays customer. J. P., by email. BARCLAYS says there has been a misunderstanding. You do not need to be a Barclays customer to use its ATMs in branch, but you do need to be a customer to use its so-called quick deposit points.

These look very similar to cash machines, but are instead used to pay in cash and cheques, as well as view bank statements. I SOLD my property last year and have not yet found another house to buy. The proceeds are currently covered under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme temporary high balance protection, but this runs out next month. What should I do next? h. w., by email. THE FSCS offers temporary cover for balances up to £1 million for up to six months where, for example, savers have received an inheritance, divorce settlement or compensation payment, or, as in your case, sold a property.

After this, only £85,000 will be covered in the unlikely event your bank goes bust.

experts recommend you split the sum so no more than £85,000 is with any one institution. See our Star Buys table on Page 46 for tips on where to stash your cash. IN MARCH, I took advantage of Skybet’s offer of a free £20 bet and won £280 on a random horse. Later that day, I tried to withdraw the money via its app, but it never appeared.

Skybet told me it had paid the cash into my credit card provider’s holding account, but Capital One says it cannot find it. G. G., by email. SKYBET says some banks may delay the release of funds as a result of their own internal processes. It says it tries to sort out these issues as quickly as possible.

Capital One has now spoken to you and resolved the situation.