POUND NOTES

FINANCIAL FACT

ONE in three card payments across the UK are now contactless, according to figures from trade association UK Finance.

MANY ‘UNDER FINANCIAL PRESSURE WHILE COPING WITH A CRITICAL ILLNESS’

MORE than half (51%) of people who have been diagnosed with a critical illness such as a heart attack, cancer or a stroke, say they faced a shortfall in their income, according to research from Royal London.

A third (33%) of those who faced a burden on their finances from a critical illness cited higher utility expenses.

The most costly extra expense was having alterations to the home, which cost £1,764 on average.

CUSTOMERS CAN ACCESS MOBILE BANKING BY LOOKING AT PHONE

TSB is set to introduce iris recognition to its mobile banking app from September.

Using the Samsung Pass iris scanner, TSB’s customers with a Samsung Galaxy S8 or S8+ smartphone will be able to access their banking by looking at their phone.

Carlos Abarca, TSB’s chief information officer, says: “Iris recognition allows you to unlock your TSB mobile app with a simple glance, meaning all of those IDs, passwords and memorable information become a thing of the past.”

COST OF A FAMILY HOLIDAY ‘UP BY £462’

RESEARCH by M&S Bank reveals the cost of a family summer holiday has risen by an average of 11.4% or £462 compared with last year.

But the study found there are still some destinations where holidaymakers may be able to find relative value, such as Bulgaria, Crete and the Amalfi Coast in Southern Italy.

With sterling down against a number of currencies since last summer, M&S Bank said it’s important to look at local holiday costs.