MONEY MORSELS

Fight for nurses

Retirement expert Baroness (Ros) Altmann says the Government has a ‘moral obligation’ to help GP practice nurses excluded from the NHS pension scheme until 1997. She made the call after Health Minister Baroness Blackwood said cost pressures meant the nurses could not be offered retrospective membership.

Solarplicity bust

ENERGY minnow Solarplicity is the fourth to go to bust this year — that’s 14 since 2016. The firm has 7,500 domestic customers and 500 business accounts. Customers’ energy supply will continue as normal and credit balances will be protected.

Codes delay

PLANS to force shoppers to verify more online purchases by entering security codes sent to their mobile phone, email or landline have been postponed for 18 months, the Financial Conduct Authority confirmed yesterday. The delay comes after Money Mail reported how the new rules could prevent some shoppers making purchases.

Bank by voice

NATWEST is trialling new technology to allow customers to use Google Assistant to carry out simple banking tasks. The 500 participants can ask their smart speaker or smartphone their balance and recent transactions.

Retirement loans

NATIONWIDE has rolled out its retirement mortgage and equity release loan range to non-customers. The equity release loans, for borrowers aged 55 and over, come with £1,000 cashback. Retirement interest-only fixed-rate mortgages start from 2.99pc and are fee-free.

Stealth fees

MOTORISTS are being hit by a surge in stealth fees by insurers, GoCompare data suggests. Admin fees have increased by twice the rate of inflation since 2012 and cancellation fees have risen by 49 pc, Charges for mid-term policy alterations are up by 38 pc.

Not just currency...

MARKS & Spencer is launching a Click & Collect travel money service in more than 200 of its stores. Shoppers can order currency online and collect it the next day. They will be given the exchange rate at the point of placing the order online.

Cheque delays

SKIPTON Building Society customers have been forced to wait for up to five weeks for cheques to clear. The problem was a fault with the Barclays’ Cheque Clearing service used by Skipton BS.

Uniform woe

PARENTS spent an average of £134 on school uniforms and shoes last year — 6 pc more than in 2017, according to market researchers Mintel. In total, British parents spent £510 million on school clothing, up from £395 million in 2017.