Liberal Democrat MPs Steve Webb and Vince Cable have accused some mortgage lenders of “tricking” borrowers into taking out homeloans with very high arrangement fees.

The number of people taking out individual voluntary arrangements (IVAs) to escape their debts has fallen in recent months, according to accountants PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

Around 8 million children in the UK - out of a total child population of 11.1 million – are going without a vital kick-start to their financial future because they are too old to qualify for a Child Trust Fund (CTF), according to the Association of Friendly Societies (AFS).

Lloyds TSB is to levy a £35 charge on its credit card holders who never use their cards, or use them only occasionally.

The Government is to pay the costs of four pensioners who took a case over their lost pensions to court in order to get legal pension advice on their plight and a commitment to compensate them.

UK investment in business improved sharply in the final months of 2006 official figures show, with boardroom confidence reflecting the strong economic conditions prevailing in the country.

Lloyds TSB, the fifth largest bank in the UK, has announced full-year, pre-tax profits of £4.25bn, up 11% from 2005.

The cost of setting up a personal account pension – the latest brainwave in the Government’s campaign to get people to provide for their retirement and due to be introduced in 2012 - may be four times current estimates, according to the Association of British Insurers (ABI).