Money | The Guardian

UK house prices fall for first time this year amid rising interest rates

Lauren Almeida — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 07:00:40 GMT

Nationwide finds typical price was £278,024 in May, as Savills says Iran war has ‘fundamentally changed’ outlook

Business live – latest updates

House prices fell in the UK for the first time this year in May, as rising interest rates triggered by the war in Iran hurt homebuyer demand.

The price of the average UK home dropped 0.6% in May compared with the month before, according to the lender Nationwide.

‘Cheap’ parking at Stansted airport cost me hundreds of pounds

Anna Tims — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 06:00:10 GMT

We left our car at the short-stay car park after paying £66 for a one-week ‘meet and greet’ service

I have ended up hundreds of pounds out of pocket after paying £66 for a week’s parking at Stansted airport.

I booked through the website compareairportparkings.co.uk for our car to be collected at the short-stay car park, parked off-site while we were away, and then returned to us at the short stay.

Many of us aren’t saving enough for retirement. But there are ways to fix this

Gene Marks — Sun, 31 May 2026 14:00:50 GMT

Those lucky enough to have disposable income can forgo immediate gain to attain a comfortable retirement

It was recently reported that nearly half of the members of my generation are delaying retirement as rising costs and stagnant wages are draining savings. Even worse, a new Gallup poll found that as many as 69% of all workers fear they’re not saving enough for retirement.

I get it. I feel it too. But whose fault is this, really? The government? Businesses? I think it’s time we all look in the mirror.

‘Your devices could be at risk’: how McAfee antivirus scams trade on fear

Shane Hickey — Sun, 31 May 2026 09:30:42 GMT

Urgent renewal emails and huge discounts figures are used to pressure people to hand over their data

You have had McAfee antivirus software installed on your laptop for years after becoming fearful that your computer would be infected. So when an email arrives to say your protection is about to expire, you are not surprised. Better still, there is a “renewal discount” of 89% if you pay on the same day.

“Once the expiration date has passed, your computer becomes susceptible to many different virus threats,” the email warns.

On-street EV charging in UK is postcode lottery as drivers face council objections

Jasper Jolly — Sat, 30 May 2026 07:00:12 GMT

Despite government pledges, more than 20 authorities will not allow gullies, citing safety, legal and parking concerns

The energy secretary, Ed Miliband, has said charger gullies to connect electric cars parked on streets will help cut costs for drivers, yet millions of UK households may be unable to use the simple technology because their local councils will still not allow charging cables to cross the pavement.

Despite government promises to “slash red tape” and make it easier to put in gullies, more than 20 local authorities appear to be holding out against them.

Gluten-free basics ‘now a luxury’ as price of a small branded loaf nears £4

Zoe Wood — Sat, 30 May 2026 06:00:11 GMT

People with coeliac disease say inflation and shrinking ranges are making food staples unaffordable

Gluten-free versions of everyday staples such as bread and biscuits are becoming a luxury, with shoppers complaining that a “decent” small loaf now costs nearly £4.

Consumers have always paid a premium for these specialist foods, making any price increases a source of concern, particularly for people who follow a gluten-free diet for medical reasons.

Britain’s pothole problem is no quick fix | Letters

Guardian Staff — Fri, 29 May 2026 16:23:20 GMT

Edward Leigh says there must be no cutting corners when rebuilding roads; Anthony Millett says if you are going to do something, do it once and do it properly

Esther Addley (The pothole puzzle: the bumpy ride to fixing Britain’s broken roads, 23 May) quotes Phill Wheat, a professor of transport econometrics at the University of Leeds, describing the “spiral that we could get into” if funding for road maintenance is not increased. In truth, many highway authorities are already well down that spiral.

Once holes and cracks start appearing in a road, they grow and proliferate quickly. Vehicle wheels act like jackhammers around every bump and dip. Once the surface starts breaking up and water loosens the lower layers of the road structure, the opportunity to dress or replace the surface soon passes, and rebuilding at much greater expense becomes unavoidable. So repair costs rise rapidly in the short term and multiply in the long term.

Nationwide customer seeking election to board hits out at lender for ‘unfair’ treatment

Jasper Jolly — Fri, 29 May 2026 15:10:37 GMT

James Sherwin-Smith says field tilted against him after decision to give members ‘quick vote’ against candidacy

A Nationwide customer seeking election to the building society’s board has criticised the lender for “unfair” treatment and undermining democratic governance after it said it would tell members to vote against him.

James Sherwin-Smith said Nationwide had tilted the field against him after it confirmed it would give members a default “quick vote” option that included a vote against his candidacy at the annual meeting in July.

She criticizes capitalism - and also gives investing advice: ‘It’s better to participate than working until we die’

Britany Robinson — Fri, 29 May 2026 12:00:50 GMT

Amanda Holden encourages her students to build the kind of wealth historically reserved for white men

Amanda Holden is, in her words, an “ex-finance bro”. She landed a job in investment management right out of college and was earning a six-figure income by her early 20s. But after five years of “letting grown men scream at me about their money”, she desperately wanted out. So she committed to saving enough to quit and travel – and to leave the world of finance for good.

But a year later, Holden went back to the field, this time with a different mission. If her old career was, as she put it, “helping rich men get richer”, her second act would be using her hard-earned expertise to level the playing field. Holden is the founder of Invested Development, a blog-turned-online-course that encourages students (mostly women) to gain financial independence through investing. She says more than 25,000 people have taken her course.

A former union organizer on how to negotiate your debts down

An investing expert’s advice on financial advisers

A finance coach unpacks how she retired at 40

Invest in a broad index fund and don’t pay a money manager who will likely underperform the market.

Talk to your friends about money. It’s important for us to understand how we’re all making it and learn together.

Switch from your big bank to a community credit union to invest in your neighbors, not billionaires.

Give yourself a break and don’t let the system break you.

Period homes with stylish extensions for sale in England – in pictures

Anna White — Fri, 29 May 2026 06:00:42 GMT

From a red-brick house with a tower-like extension in the city to a Victorian home with an industrial-style extension in the country

‘It feels unfair’: the Britons struggling to get a mortgage since Iran war began

Jane Clinton — Fri, 29 May 2026 05:00:41 GMT

Whether first-time buyers, in between homes or refixing, people tell of impact of higher mortgage rates on housing

Prospects of cuts in UK interest rates in 2026, which were widely expected at the start of the year, were rapidly extinguished when the Iran war started at the end of February. The renewed threat of inflation means the Bank of England is now expected to raise rates at least once this year, with mortgage costs staying higher for longer.

The boss of Britain’s largest housebuilder said on Thursday it was the most challenging time to be a first-time buyer since the 2008 financial crisis.

UK recall alert issued for car seat base that poses risk of injuries to children

PA Media — Thu, 28 May 2026 17:22:53 GMT

Office for Product Safety and Standards advises stopping use of Maxi-Cosi FamilyFix Slide Pro bases immediately

A baby car seat product that poses a risk of injuries to children because of a malfunctioning safety indicator has been recalled by its manufacturer.

Maxi-Cosi is recalling all of its FamilyFix Slide Pro bases from buyers, information on the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) website showed.

Unfair childcare eligibility criteria and the ‘nerd tax’ | Letters

Guardian Staff — Thu, 28 May 2026 17:05:25 GMT

Jamie Evans questions the exclusion that means his family will not be able to claim £8,000 of support while his wife is a PhD student

The education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, is right to order a Competition and Markets Authority review of hidden childcare charges (Report, 24 May). However, she would do well to also review her department’s own eligibility criteria for accessing 30 hours of funded childcare in the first place. One particularly egregious exclusion is that of PhD students, who miss out on approximately £8,000 of support that the majority of other working parents can access, despite earning only about £20,000 per year (if on a typical UK Research and Innovation-funded course).

This is the situation that will affect my wife and I from February next year, when our soon-to-be-born daughter will turn nine months old and my wife will need to return to the completion of her PhD (improving patient experiences of GP services).

US inflation rose at fastest pace in three years in April as Iran war hikes up prices

Guardian staff and agencies — Thu, 28 May 2026 16:06:35 GMT

Americans are growing frustrated with Trump’s handling of the economy as cost of living soars ahead of midterms

US inflation increased at its fastest pace in three years in April, driven by higher energy prices amid the war with Iran, and cementing economists’ views that the Federal Reserve could hold interest rates unchanged well into next year.

Surging price pressures are eroding household income and could restrain consumer spending and economic growth this quarter. Income at the disposal of households after adjusting for inflation dropped for a third straight month in April, other data showed on Thursday. Given the soaring cost of living, Americans are growing frustrated with Donald Trump’s handling of the economy. A Reuters/Ipsos survey last week showed the president’s approval rating fell to nearly its lowest level since he returned to the White House, hit by a drop in support among Republicans. Trump won the 2024 presidential election in large part because of his promise to lower inflation.

EU fines Temu for failing to stop sale of illegal and dangerous products

Jennifer Rankin in Brussels — Thu, 28 May 2026 12:27:08 GMT

European Commission finds shoppers on Chinese website very likely to find unsafe items and imposes €200m penalty

EU regulators have fined the Chinese shopping website Temu €200m (£173m) for failing to stop the sale of illegal and dangerous products.

The European Commission imposed the penalty after a 19-month investigation that found consumers were very likely to encounter illegal or unsafe products including baby toys and electronics on the firm’s website.

Young first-time buyers face toughest time since financial crisis, says UK housebuilder

Joanna Partridge — Thu, 28 May 2026 10:09:39 GMT

Barratt Redrow boss says rising interest rates, higher student debt and squeeze on wages hitting property dream

Business live – latest updates

The boss of Britain’s largest housebuilder has said it is the most challenging time to be a first-time buyer since the financial crisis, as the dream of home ownership moves increasingly out of reach for many young people.

A combination of rising interest rates, higher levels of student debt and the squeeze on wages is making it “challenging, very, very difficult” for young people to get on the housing ladder, according to David Thomas, the departing chief executive of Barratt Redrow.

We would like to hear from young people in the UK about their job hunting experience

Guardian community team — Thu, 28 May 2026 09:17:02 GMT

How has the search for work been for you? How many job applications have you made?

The number of young people not in work or education in Britain could rise to 1.25 million by the early 2030s without urgent government action, a landmark report has warned.

Alan Milburn, the leader of the review into why so many young people are economically inactive, said the UK risked opening up a “generational fault line” between young and old without urgent steps to overhaul schools, the health service, the welfare system and the jobs market.

Britain ‘sleepwalking into a food crisis’ without urgent action, experts say

Fiona Harvey, environment editor — Thu, 28 May 2026 05:00:56 GMT

Industry figures warn of national security risk and call for ministers to address impact of extreme weather, inflation and Iran war

Britain is “sleepwalking into a food crisis” caused by extreme weather, inflation and the impacts of the Iran war – and the government is failing to take the threat seriously, food experts have said.

Farmers are facing severe strain from the current heatwave following a dry spring, with many crops likely to yield less as temperatures rise beyond their tolerance. Livestock are also suffering heat stress and there is a rising risk of wildfires. Economic losses are likely to be measured in the hundreds of millions of pounds.

Student loans inquiry responses show ‘massive scale of frustration and upset’

Rupert Jones — Wed, 27 May 2026 16:01:03 GMT

More than 52,000 people respond to Commons committee’s call for evidence amid criticism of loan terms

Thousands of graduates have told an official inquiry their horror stories and bad experiences relating to student loans, underlining what the chair of an MPs’ committee called massive levels of “frustration and upset”.

Amid an ongoing row over the ballooning cost of degree course debts, more than 52,000 people responded to a call for evidence by the Commons Treasury select committee as part of its inquiry into student loans and the taxation of graduates.

UK heatwave triggers price rises for hot tubs and air conditioning units

Sarah Marsh Consumer affairs correspondent — Wed, 27 May 2026 13:50:06 GMT

Of 11 seasonal items in Guardian price comparison, six hit highest price in last three months, with some nearly doubling in price in last week

The heatwave has triggered a surge in prices for seasonal items, with the cost of one inflatable hot tub nearly doubling in a week, while an industry expert said air conditioning units had risen by about 17% since April.

The Guardian looked at popular items across a range of websites and examined their prices on PriceRunner, an independent price comparison service. One of the biggest price increases was for the Bestway inflatable hot tub Lay-Z-Spa Cancún AirJet, which was available for £160 on 21 May but now retails for a minimum of £299.