Barely a week passes without mention of the powerfully appealing phrase 'early retirement' - on social media and news websites, and among bloggers and podcasters. Escaping the rat race has always held appeal but the allure appears to be growing and becoming more intense. I checked on Google Trends, just to check the rise is real. And yes, the number of searches for 'retire early' has risen three-fold in a decade..

Are you sitting? Stand by for a shock. Sometimes, one or both parties withhold the existence of assets or underestimate their value, says Stephen Gold in his new guide to divorce. Today, he looks at how to reach an agreement, and what happens when one ex tries to cheat the other out of their fair share of marital assets

I had an offer accepted on a flat in one of the cheaper areas of Greater Manchester. However, the mortgage valuation has now come back stating there is 'a lack of/no owner occupiers living in the immediate area' and that it is 'not in a saleable location.' The application has therefore been declined. Does this mean no lender will offer me a mortgage?

When is the best time of year to sell your car to guarantee you get the best price? A new study based on the volume of sales and average prices for each of the major vehicle types - including hatchbacks, saloons and convertibles - contradicts the age-old belief that the hotter months are generally the best time to sell a car. But what if you need to part ways with your motor right now? We reveal which models are selling fastest this month...

I have gas and electric meters that need changing as they are now pretty old. Eon has been trying to persuade me to have smart versions fitted but I have resisted. Over the phone an Eon agent told me I could have conventional, non-smart meters fitted but it would cost £147 per meter, whereas the smart meters would be free. I said I would rather pay than have smart meters. I have just received a message stating that the charge will now be £158 per meter. Why has the amount changed?

Last June, 3.4m Nationwide members received a £100 payment from the building society. Now, Nationwide members will be wondering whether the offer will be replicated this year. As a building society, Nationwide is owned by its customer members, who are meant to benefit from profits through better rates on savings, mortgages and other products.

A number of reality TV stars have been charged by the City watchdog over allegations that they were paid to promote risky investments to their millions of Instagram followers. The Only Way is Essex's Lauren Goodger and Love Island's Biggs Chris are among those accused by the Financial Conduct Authority - and they could face up to two years' imprisonment if convicted.

United Utilities is expecting its costs to increase due to regulatory charges meaning it may have to pay for overflows from high rainfall. However, the water company is also forecasting a 10 per cent increase in annual revenue, boosted by higher inflation. A report by the BBC this week claimed United Utilities failed to stop illegal pollution of Windermere, in the Lake District, for 10 hours in February.

Watches of Switzerland shares rose sharply on Thursday after the group said it was 'cautiously optimistic' about the year ahead. The group's share price jumped 11.25 per cent or 38.00p to 375.80p, having fallen nearly 50 per cent in the last year. Watches of Switzerland, which sells brands like Rolex and Cartier, forecast higher revenues of £1.67billion to £1.73billion in its new financial year.

I'm 77 and have a £70,000 a year final salary pension from an employer that I worked for 30 years but after retiring I also set up my own business which makes about £50,000 a year. I would like to start giving some money away, as I realise a large chunk of my estate will end up facing inheritance tax. I should have done more of this earlier - as time may not be on my side here - what can I do?

A Sainsbury's customer who lost £230 Nectar points to fraudsters has been directed to the police to investigate, but it is not a recordable crime. Nectar, which Sainsbury's bought in 2018, has been beset by problems with fraud, but little seems to have been done.

We were never asked whether, if my husband should pass away first, the pensions would pass to me his wife, so we were misinformed I believe. My husband is now diagnosed with dementia and I am going to lose the pensions if he should pass away. Can this annuity be cashed in?

My neighbour has started keeping bees - is there any way I can object to this? The starting point is that your neighbour is entitled to keep bees and if they cause you no harm or significant issues you will not be able to object or stop your neighbour just because you do not like the idea.

With the second-hand car market booming right now, can you really count on getting your hands on a solid and reliable used motor? In the case of the Ford Fiesta (pictured top left) - Britain's most traded second-hand vehicle in the first three months of the year - the chances are you'll get a pretty dependable vehicle. That's according to a new piece of research by extended warranty provider, Warrantywise, which has analysed its own data to give a reliability rating for the 10 most popular second-hand models in the UK in 2024. Is your car on the list? And if so, how well does it fare?

Homeowners who live in period properties spend an average of £70,000 to keep them looking good, according to a Zoopla. The property portal revealed that period homeowners are spending more than twice as much in upkeep costs compared to non-period households. In total, it estimates that period homeowners fork out close to £70,000 on average in repairs and maintenance during their entire time at a given property.

The UK is one of the most expensive countries in Europe for childcare despite various government handouts to ease the burden on working families. The average cost of a full-time 50-hour-a-week nursery place for under two-year-olds is £430 a week in London and £308 in the South East of England.

If you drive a particularly big car, you could be fined for parking in some public car parks. That's because five local councils have introduced length restrictions on vehicles using their parking facilities, with most setting a limit at 5 metres, which is shorter than a Range Rover and Mercedes-Benz S-Class. And more than nine in ten councils have said they have no intention of making their parking bays bigger to accommodate today's much larger vehicles, which are said to be growing 1cm wider every two years.

The stamp duty cut known as multiple dwellings relief is set to be abolished in June, mostly affecting individual landlords - but big property companies say it could also hit their margins. The tax break offers stamp duty relief on purchases of two or more properties in a single transaction, or in linked transactions.

Regulator Ofgem wants to scrap rules stopping energy firms from offering cheaper deals to new customers. The news means lower energy bills could be back from October - or possibly sooner, depending on how competitive gas and electricity firms decide to be.

Smishing is used by criminals to target consumers with texts impersonating trusted organisations, and often contain a link to a fraudulent website. Evri said it had seen a 174% increase in reported scams from April 2023 to April 2024 and had closed down more than 5,000 scam sites, a 268% increase year-on-year.

Choosing the right DIY platform is crucial but a wealth of choice and a variety of charges can leave investors scratching their heads. We pick some of the best. We pick some of the best. We also highlight why investing in an Isa makes sense, as it should protect your hopefully growing investments from tax forever.