MONEY MORSELS

Tax payback

HMRC refunded more than £44 million to those over-taxed for accessing their pensions, figures obtained by Hargreaves Lansdown show. Anyone who takes a lump sum is initially taxed as if they were to withdraw the same amount every month. Between July and September 30, £44,659,174 was refunded.

Debt help

A POP-UP centre offering free debt advice is opening next week at 58 Oxford Street, in central London. Funded by the Money and Pensions Service, Debt Free London will offer advice on savings, budgeting and debt worries from Monday until November 13.

Fake crypto

CUSTOMERS are losing £1 million a month to cryptocurrency fraud, according to Santander. The bank says the investments scams have soared 25 pc in last four months.

Draining devices

HOUSEHOLDS are wasting an average of £110 a year leaving appliances on standby, according to British Gas. Almost two-thirds of people leave the TV on, which costs more than £18 a year. Almost 90pc say they seldom switch off the internet router, adding around £15 to an annual bill.

Stock confusion

JUST one in three people know their pension is invested in the stock market, according to investment firm Hargreaves Lansdown. Another third denied this was the case, while the rest said they were not sure. Experts say confusion is understandable as we talk about saving into a pot rather than investing.

Pension principles

A LEADING pension provider is calling for the industry to focus its climate change efforts on default workplace funds. A survey commissioned by B&CE found that eight in ten people considered climate change important, but just one in 50 had changed where their pension was invested to tackle it.

Soaring switches

THE NUMBER of customers switching current accounts has risen by 56pc in a year. The latest data from the Current Account Switch Service suggests Halifax was the most popular bank, gaining 16,684 new customers between April and June, while Starling Bank attracted 13,720.

Home snag surge

THE average new-build home now comes with as many as 157 snagging issues, up by 96 pc from 2005 when 80 problems on average were spotted. Poorly fitted doors and inadequate plastering are among the most common gripes, reports snagging app, BuildScan.