Tumbling fees

MONEY MORSELS

Holiday extra

SANTANDER customers have been warned of charges for ATM withdrawals in Spain when it should be free. Around 500 ATMs, run by an external firm, charge a 2.75pc foreign exchange fee and a 1.5 pc handling fee (minimum £1.99 fee), says MoneySavingExpert. Call 0800 9123 123 if you have been wrongly charged.

Quiet hour

EIGHT Yorkshire Building Society branches are trialling a weekly ‘quiet hour’ at 4pm to 5pm to help customers with dementia and learning difficulties. Soft lighting, low noise and a private space will be available at Chesterfield, Lincoln, Pickering, Ripon, Scarborough, Preston, Watford and Peterborough.

Rate cut

RCI Bank has cut the rate on its easy-access online Freedom account from 1.42 pc to 1.35 pc. The cut applies immediately. Existing account holders will see the rate drop from the end of September. MORTGAGE fees for twoyear deals have dropped by more than £200 in the past year. Borrowers with a 65pc mortgage have benefited the most, with the average mortgage fee falling by £262 to £881 since last July, according to data firm Moneyfacts.

Fund giant

INVESTMENT manager Charles Stanley has removed Fundsmith Equity, managed by Terry Smith, from its best buy list over concerns about the size of the £19 billion fund. The firm said the top performer continues to attract substantial investment and ‘forge into unchartered territory in terms of its size’.

Energy fine

UTILITA Energy customers may have missed out on savings of £30,000 on bills after the firm failed to reduce carbon emissions in the homes of customers. It missed its target to cut emissions by 2 pc and will be fined £175,000 by the regulator. This will go to customers via the energy redress fund.