MONEY MORSELS

Switching bonus

NEW HSBC customers can earn £175 when they switch to its Premier and Advance accounts, or £75 for moving to its regular current account. Customers need to use the Current Account Switch Service and set up at least two direct debits or standing orders within 30 days to be eligible. You must not have held a current account with the bank since January 2017.

Christmas crooks

NATWEST customers were targeted by a record number of fraud attempts in the Christmas run-up, according to the bank. It says it flagged and prevented 39,181 fraudulent transactions between November 29 and December 19, saving debit and credit card holders £11.64 million.

Tax tidings

A RECORD 3,003 tax returns were completed on Christmas Day, a 15pc rise on the 2,616 submitted on the same day last year. The number of people sending self-assessment forms to the taxman on Boxing Day also rose by 9pc. A total of 9,254 were completed on December 26, according to HMRC figures.

Top-up trim

BRITISH Gas customers with pre-payment meters have 15,000 fewer places to go to top up. From today, customers can no longer use PayPoint machines. Instead they must use Payzone terminals, top up online or over the phone, or visit a Post Office branch. The minimum payment has also been raised from £1 to £5.

Limber loans

TWO new ‘flexit’ mortgages will allow homeowners to switch away without facing early repayment charges. Borrowers can also make unlimited overpayments if they sign up to the new two-year fix at 1.71pc with Leeds Building Society or its five-year deal at 1.97pc. The loans come with a £999 fee and a 25pc deposit is required.

Rising rents

RENTS are rising twice as fast as last year because of housing shortages. Rents in Britain rose by 2.1pc in the year to November, up from 1.1pc the year before, according to the Hamptons International Lettings Index. Homes available for rent fell by 7.8pc in the first 11 months.

Working at 65

WORKERS over 65 are likely to account for more than half of UK employment growth in the next decade. The number in this age group has already grown from 455,000 to 1.3 million in 20 years, according to advice site Rest Less.

Used cars

PROBLEMS with used vehicles made up most of the calls to Citizens Advice last year. People contacted the charity 57,000 times about cars. Some 80pc concerned defective vehicles, while 7pc of callers felt misled. Check your rights on citizens advice. org.uk/problems-used-car