Latest news with #AdeleCooke
Scottish Sun
10-05-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
The ATM rule you need to follow when abroad and best credit and debt cards for summer holidays
Read on to find out which credit and debit card you should pack for your next getaway DON'T GET BURNT The ATM rule you need to follow when abroad and best credit and debt cards for summer holidays CREDIT and debit cards can charge you a fee of up to 5 per cent to use your card abroad. And it can cost £5 extra to withdraw money from an ATM while on holiday. Advertisement 1 You could be hit with a surprise bill if you bring the wrong card while on holiday Credit: Getty Andrew Hagger, personal finance expert at said: 'Taking the right plastic with you on your travels can end up saving you a decent sum over the course of a week or two overseas, so it's worth checking what your bank card charges you before you jet off.' Adele Cooke explains how to get your summer wallet ready - and the ATM rule you need to follow. Debit card It can be easy to use your debit card while on holiday but doing so could land you with a surprise bill. For example, Lloyds Bank charges customers who use their debit card abroad a 2.99 per cent foreign transaction fee. Advertisement This would cost you £2.99 for every £100 you spend. But some cards do not charge fees when you use them abroad, so you can spend as you do at home. Several big banks offer cards without overseas fees, so it's worth shopping around to get the best deal. First Direct does not charge fees to pay with its debit card while abroad and there is no penalty to withdraw cash from an ATM. Advertisement Santander customers with an Edge current account do not pay any fees when using the card to make purchases or withdraw cash while overseas. But the account has a £3 fee and you must pay at least £500 into your account each month. Avoid these common holiday booking mistakes for a stress-free vacation Meanwhile, Starling does not charge a fee to use its card or withdraw cash while on holiday. Keep an eye out for cards that offer Visa, Interbank or Mastercard exchange rates as these will give you the best conversion. Advertisement Other cards charge a mark up on top of the exchange rate to cover some of their costs. You can compare credit cards using websites including or Compare the Market. How to avoid roaming charges Simrat Sharma, a mobiles expert at Uswitch, said switching to an eSIM - short for embedded SIM - can be cheaper than using international roaming. 'eSIMs make it easier to change networks," she said. "So for example, if you're abroad you can quickly connect to the local network to pay local rates - without having to add or swap a physical local SIM card for your device. "This means travel eSIMs are almost always cheaper than using international roaming, as users are effectively tapping into the same network plans as locals. If you're regularly switching numbers or travelling to different locations, you'll be able to keep them all safely in digital format rather than carrying around a number of small cards. 'The software can easily be accessed via your device's app store and uploaded to your phone in a few quick steps." Credit card Many credit cards also charge foreign transaction fees of around 3%, which would add £1.50 to the cost of a £50 meal out. But there are several credit cards that let you withdraw money from ATMs or spend in shops and restaurants fee-free. Advertisement The Barclaycard Rewards Card does not charge you transaction fees when you are abroad. It uses Visa's exchange rate, so you will get the best value on conversions. Meanwhile, the NatWest Credit Card does not charge a transaction fee so you can spend abroad without paying a penalty. A credit card can also give you extra protection if something goes wrong while you are away. Advertisement Rachel Springall, finance expert at said: 'A credit card will also protect spenders under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act on purchases between £100 and £30,000 if a service or goods are not provided or damaged.' Pre-paid card A pre-paid card can be a good option if you want to keep an eye on your holiday budget. The cards are not linked to your bank account so you need to top them up before your trip. This means that you cannot become overdrawn and can lock in an exchange rate before you travel. Advertisement But some places may not accept the cards, warns Reena Sewraz, Which? retail editor. She said: 'A fee-free credit card is useful if you're planning to hire a car, as many operators don't accept prepaid travel cards.' Some prepaid cards may also have hidden fees. The Post Office Travel Money Card lets you load up to 22 currencies onto the card and spend cash abroad fee-free. Advertisement But you will be charged 2 euros to withdraw cash at an ATM. You can load 15 currencies onto the Asda Travel Money Card and spend and withdraw cash without fees. Watch out for the inactivity fee, which is £2 a month. Avoid one button You could lose cash by making the wrong choice at foreign ATMs or tills. Advertisement Cash machines abroad usually give you the option to pay in pounds or the local currency. But paying in pounds could cost you more. This is because the overseas bank will do the conversion to pounds and the rates are usually unfavourable. You will usually get a better rate by paying in the local currency. Advertisement Cash is king You should carry some cash with you when travelling abroad. Andy Coley, 49, from London wished he had exchanged cash before his business trip to Istanbul, Turkey, in March. The leadership development trainer was hit with high fees to withdraw cash from an ATM. Andy packed his Post Office Travel Card, which he often uses when abroad. Advertisement But he found most shops and restaurants in Istanbul would not accept the card. Andy was forced to withdraw £500 in cash from an ATM, which cost him £37 in fees. He said: 'I would definitely travel with cash in the future and do a bit more local research.' You can compare the rates on offer at different currency exchanges using Money Saving Expert's online tool. Advertisement The cheapest place to buy currency may depend on which type you want, so check the rates before you head to a bureau du change. Do not exchange cash at the airport as you may get a bad exchange rate. Never withdraw currency using a credit card as you may be charged a high interest rate or fees. Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@ Advertisement Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
The Sun
04-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Full list of supermarkets that will be open tomorrow during the bank holiday – is your local one of them?
Adele Cooke, Senior Consumer Reporter Published: Invalid Date, TOMORROW is the May Bank Holiday, which means many shops and supermarkets will be closed or they may open for a reduced time. So if you need to pop to the shops tomorrow then it is worth double-checking when your local stores will be open. 1 For example, Tesco has said that it will stick to its usual weekend opening times but Aldi has confirmed that its stores will close early. Here we reveal the shops that will be open tomorrow and explain which ones will close early. Sainsbury's Sainsbury's has confirmed that its supermarkets will be open during the May Bank Holiday. Its local stores and petrol stations will also remain open on May 5. But stores in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will close early tomorrow. All the stores will pull down their shutters at 8pm. Sainsbury's Locals and the branches in Scotland will remain open as usual until 11pm. You can check if your local store will be open online using its store locator. Iceland Iceland stores usually open during bank holidays, except on Christmas Day and Easter Sunday. You can use the supermarket's store locator to find information on opening and closing times. From TV to energy... tips to save you money on 7 bills that are going up in April M&S The upmarket supermarket often varies its opening hours during bank holidays and sometimes reduces its opening times to give workers time off. Smaller stores seem to be working as normal tomorrow while larger stores are operating on shorter hours. You should check the M&S store locator to find out the opening times of your nearest branch. But there may be a shortage of some popular items due to the ongoing cyber attack. How to save money on your food shop Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how you can save hundreds of pounds a year: Odd boxes - plenty of retailers offer slightly misshapen fruit and veg or surplus food at a discounted price. Lidl sells five kilos of fruit and veg for just £1.50 through its Waste Not scheme while Aldi shoppers can get Too Good to Go bags which contain £10 worth of all kinds of products for £3.30. Sainsbury's also sells £2 "Taste Me, Don't Waste Me" fruit and veg boxes to help shoppers reduced food waste and save cash. Food waste apps - food waste apps work by helping shops, cafes, restaurants and other businesses shift stock that is due to go out of date and passing it on to members of the public. Some of the most notable ones include Too Good to Go and Olio. Too Good to Go's app is free to sign up to and is used by millions of people across the UK, letting users buy food at a discount. Olio works similarly, except users can collect both food and other household items for free from neighbours and businesses. Yellow sticker bargains - yellow sticker bargains, sometimes orange and red in certain supermarkets, are a great way of getting food on the cheap. But what time to head out to get the best deals varies depending on the retailer. You can see the best times for each supermarket here. Super cheap bargains - sign up to bargain hunter Facebook groups like Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK where shoppers regularly post hauls they've found on the cheap, including food finds. "Downshift" - you will almost always save money going for a supermarket's own-brand economy lines rather than premium brands. The move to lower-tier ranges, also known as "downshifting" and hailed by consumer expert Martin Lewis, could save you hundreds of pounds a year on your food shop. The retailer's IT systems have been down for nearly two weeks, which has affected product availability. Morrisons Morrisons will be keeping most of its 500 stores open as usual on Monday but the hours will vary by location. Some stores will be open between 8am and 5pm, while others will be operating between 7am and 8pm. Meanwhile, some locations will not open their doors at all, so it is important that you check before you head out. Check your local store's opening hours for exact times as they vary across the country. You can find your local store's trading hours by visiting Some in-store services such as cafes, fish and butcher counters may no longer be available as the supermarket is closing many of these in the coming months. Waitrose Waitrose has confirmed it will operate as usual over the May Bank Holiday. The supermarket chain will open its doors to customers from 8am to 8pm. But some branches will trade with slightly different hours. Many Little Waitrose stores will operate between 7am and 10pm but these will also vary, so it is wise to check with your chosen location. You can find your local store's trading hours by visiting Co-op Co-op stores across the country will remain open during the early May Bank Holiday. Larger stores will operate their usual hours of 7am to 10pm during the Early May Bank Holiday. But some stores may vary their opening hours so it is best to ask a member of staff for more details. You can find your local store's trading hours by visiting Tesco Tesco will be open as normal tomorrow. Most of its stores will open at 8am and close at 6pm, as normal. But Tesco Express stores may vary their hours. You should check ahead of time to avoid disappointment. Visit the Tesco website or check its app for more information about opening times. Aldi Aldi has confirmed that its stores in England and Wales will be open until 8pm tomorrow. But shops in Scotland will close at 10pm as normal on the bank holiday. As with other supermarkets, the opening times may vary, so customers should check their local shops on the Aldi website before they head out. You can check the opening times at your nearest store by visiting:
The Sun
03-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Major update on Carpetright closures as dates for stores opening under new name confirmed
Adele Cooke, Senior Consumer Reporter Published: Invalid Date, FOUR former Carpetright stores will reopen as branches of Tapi in days after the chain unveiled 21 new shops so far this spring. Carpetright entered into administration on July 22, 2024, after 'challenging trading conditions' put pressure on the homeware retailer. The brand was then acquired by Tapi, who purchased two of its warehouses and 54 of its retail units. Tapi was founded in 2014 by Martin Harris, the son of Carpetright founder Lord Harris of Peckham. The move aimed to save 308 jobs and preserve the Carpetright brand, with hopes it would flourish under new ownership. So far 21 new shops have opened this spring in the following locations: Bristol Cannock Carmarthen Chesterfield Cramlington East Grinstead East Sheen Epsom Hereford Ipswich Lancaster Mansfield Newbury Newmarket North Shields Sevenoaks Southampton Teddington Trowbridge Wimbledon Woking Tapi has now announced that four new stores will open in May. Former Carpetright stores in Basildon, Coventry, Crawley and Leeds Birstall will all open as Tapi shops this month. The stores will stock a selection of carpet, laminate, luxury vinyl, vinyl and engineered wood. Once these additional stores reopen, the total number of Carpetright locations that have reopened as Tapi will rise to 25. Charlie Harris, director of buying at Tapi Carpets and Floors said: 'Everyone at Tapi is really excited about our new store openings over the coming weeks. Why are retailers closing shops? EMPTY shops have become an eyesore on many British high streets and are often symbolic of a town centre's decline. The Sun's business editor Ashley Armstrong explains why so many retailers are shutting their doors. In many cases, retailers are shutting stores because they are no longer the money-makers they once were because of the rise of online shopping. Falling store sales and rising staff costs have made it even more expensive for shops to stay open. The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs from April 2025, will cost the retail sector £2.3billion. At the same time, the minimum wage will rise to £12.21 an hour from April, and the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will rise to £10 an hour, an increase of £1.40. In some cases, retailers are shutting a store and reopening a new shop at the other end of a high street to reflect how a town has changed. The problem is that when a big shop closes, footfall falls across the local high street, which puts more shops at risk of closing. Retail parks are increasingly popular with shoppers, who want to be able to get easy, free parking at a time when local councils have hiked parking charges in towns. Many retailers including Next and Marks & Spencer have been shutting stores on the high street and taking bigger stores in better-performing retail parks instead. In some cases, stores have been shut when a retailer goes bust, as in the case of Carpetright, Debenhams, Dorothy Perkins, Paperchase, Ted Baker, The Body Shop, Topshop and Wilko to name a few. What's increasingly common is when a chain goes bust a rival retailer or private equity firm snaps up the intellectual property rights so they can own the brand and sell it online. They may go on to open a handful of stores if there is customer demand, but there are rarely ever as many stores or in the same places. The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year. 'Each of these stores has been carefully chosen to bring us closer to our mission of delivering great value flooring to everyone in Britain and we're quietly confident that they will be a real success for us.' It is not yet clear if and when the remaining 31 Tapi stores will open. Which Carpetright stores were bought by Tapi? According to administrators PwC the following Carpetright stores were purchased by Tapi: Basildon Birmingham Erdington Bishopbriggs Bristol Longwell Green Camborne Camden Carmarthen Cheadle Chesterfield Chichester Chippenham Clapham Common Coventry Airport Retail Park Cramlington Croydon Dumbarton Dumfries East Sheen Edinburgh Hermiston Gait Epsom Farnborough Friern Barnet Haywards Heath Hemel Hempstead Hereford High Wycombe Loudwater Holloway Hove Ipswich Anglia Park Lancaster Leeds Kirkstall Maidstone Mansfield New Malden Newbury Newmarket North Shields Norwich Sprowston Peterborough Plymouth Marsh Mills Southampton Hedge End Stockton Swindon Bridgemead Teddington Trowbridge Truro Washington Armstrong West Wickham Weston-Super-Mare Weymouth Whetstone Wimbledon Woking Yeovil Chessington Warehouse Croydon Warehouse Which other stores have returned to the high street? Several Homebase stores have reopened as branches of The Range as part of a rescue deal. The DIY chain entered into administration in November but was partially rescued by billionaire Chris Dawson, owner of CDS Superstores, the parent company of The Range and Wilko. The intervention aimed to preserve up to 70 stores, safeguard 1,600 jobs and retain the Homebase brand. Huge chain Carpetright survives So far 45 new format superstores have opened across the UK and Republic of Ireland since the beginning of the year. These are The Range stores with Homebase departments, such as Garden Centres by Homebase or Kitchens by Homebase. Six sites will open this month in Stamford, Market Harborough, Cookstown, Tiverton, Santry, Dublin and Clitheroe. Stores in Stamford and Market Harborough reopened yesterday. Meanwhile, shops in Cookstown, Tiverton and Santry, Dublin will open on May 9. The Clitheroe store will reopen on May 16. Once all of these stores have reopened, the total number of former Homebase locations to have been acquired by The Range will rise to 49. Meanwhile, Topshop has teased a return to the High Street and confirmed its new website will launch later this year. Asos rescued the company four years ago and has now signed a deal to sell the clothing in a number of its partner stores. The website will exclusively sell the brand's clothing and is expected to launch in the second half of the year. Meanwhile, Wilko has returned to the high street after falling into collapse. The brand, website and intellectual property were purchased by the owners of The Range and since then six Wilkos have reopened across the UK.
The Sun
27-04-2025
- Business
- The Sun
How to become an Isa millionaire at 71 by saving just £200 a month
Adele Cooke, Senior Consumer Reporter Published: Invalid Date, MOST of us dream of retiring with £1million in the bank - but with a bit of careful planning, you could make it a reality. There are 4,850 Isa millionaires in the UK, according to official figures. The wealthiest 25 of this group have a staggering £8.8million stashed away in ISAs, HM Revenue and Customs revealed in a freedom of information request made by savings app Plum. If you want to become an Isa millionaire yourself, the best trick is to save little and often. It is also a good idea to start to save as early as possible to benefit from compound interest. This is when you earn interest on both the money you have saved and the interest you have already earned. If you plan to save money for a long time, it could make sense to invest it in the stock market. Money that is invested has historically tended to grow at a much faster rate than cash savings. Investments can go up and down, though, so you are at risk of losing money if you invest it. But if you invest in the market over a longer period, then there is more time to even out the ups and downs from short-term volatility. You may also get a dividend payment in exchange for investing in a company or a fund. Plus, if you keep your money in an Isa then you do not need to pay tax on any of the interest you earn. What is the Bank of England base rate and how does it affect me? What is an Isa? Individual savings accounts (Isas) are a type of tax-free savings account. You can save up to £20,000 into the account each year. There are two types of Isa - cash or stocks and shares. As its name suggests, cash Isas let you hold your money in cash, which can be helpful if you are saving for a specific goal such as a house deposit or new car. They are a good alternative to a basic savings account if you want to save a large sum. This is because you may have to pay tax on the interest you earn from your savings. Basic rate taxpayers need to pay tax on any interest they earn from their savings once it exceeds £1,000 a year. Higher rate taxpayers can earn £500 in interest before they need to pay tax, while additional rate taxpayers pay tax on all interest they earn. In comparison, stocks and shares Isas invest your money in the stock market. They can be a good idea if you are trying to build wealth for the long term, such as for retirement or private school. How much do I need to save? The earlier you start to save, the easier it is to build up a large pot. For example, if you save just £200 a month from the age of 21 then you would become an Isa millionaire by the time you are 71. In total you would have saved £120,000, but you would earn an enormous £880,000 in interest. But starting later does not mean you cannot become a millionaire. If you put away £500 a month from the age of 33 then you would have £1million by the time you are 71. But starting later means that you will need to save more of your own money to reach the £1million mark. Starting to save just 12 years later would mean that you would need to save £228,000 of your own money. This is £108,000 more than if you began earlier. Meanwhile, if you began to save at 49 then you would need to put away an eye-watering £1,666 a month to become a millionaire by 71. You would have 22 years to build your nest egg and would end up putting away £439,000 of your own money. In total you would earn £571,000 in interest. This is three times more than if you started saving at 21. Rachel Springall, finance expert at said: 'It is possible to become an ISA millionaire, but it will require a strict savings regime, and consumers will need to be vigilant to watch out for stock market volatility or rate cuts.' Can I make my child a millionaire? It is also possible to make your child a millionaire if you start to save as soon as they are born. A Junior Isa is similar to an adult account but you can only pay in up to £9,000 a year. The account becomes an adult Isa once your child turns 18. If you are able to pay in the full allowance each year, and your child continues to pay into the account when they are an adult, then they would become a millionaire by the age of 60. This assumes that their savings do not grow in this period and there are no changes to the maximum amount that can be paid into the account. If the savings grow in this period then your child could become a millionaire at a much younger age. Roger Clarke, Partner at The Private Office, said: 'If your parents or grandparents set you up with a Junior ISA (JISA), you've got a head start. 'The growth of your contributions will depend upon the funds chosen and higher risk funds should, over the long term, produce higher returns.' How do I save? The best way to build a nest egg is to save consistently. Try and put money away each month if you are able to. Pay into your savings account at the start of each month so you are not tempted to spend it. If you get a pay rise then add the extra money you earn to your account so you do not get accustomed to it entering your account. You should also make a budget so you know that you have enough money to pay for your bills. Always build up a rainy day fund for unexpected emergencies such as a new boiler or car before you begin to invest. You should also pay off any debt you may have before you start investing. If you want advice on how to invest then speak to an independent financial adviser. You can find one by visiting If you choose to invest yourself then make sure you have a diversified portfolio. This means that you spread your investments across different stocks, bonds, alternative investments, sectors, companies and regions. Doing this ensures that you are not badly hit if something goes wrong in one sector. How you can find the best savings rates If you are trying to find the best savings rate there are websites you can use that can show you the best rates available. Doing some research on websites such as MoneyFacts and price comparison sites including Compare the Market and Go Compare will quickly show you what's out there. These websites let you tailor your searches to an account type that suits you. There are three types of savings accounts fixed, easy access, and regular saver. A fixed-rate savings account offers some of the highest interest rates but comes at the cost of being unable to withdraw your cash within the agreed term. This means that your money is locked in, so even if interest rates increase you are unable to move your money and switch to a better account. Some providers give the option to withdraw but it comes with a hefty fee. An easy-access account does what it says on the tin and usually allow unlimited cash withdrawals. These accounts do tend to come with lower returns but are a good option if you want the freedom to move your money without being charged a penalty fee. Lastly is a regular saver account, these accounts generate decent returns but only on the basis that you pay a set amount in each month. .
The Sun
27-04-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Thousands of households to get supermarket vouchers worth £195 to help with the cost of living – are you eligible?
Adele Cooke, Senior Consumer Reporter Published: Invalid Date, THOUSANDS of hard-up households are eligible for supermarket vouchers worth up to £195 to help with the cost of living. The support comes via the Government's Household Support Fund, which runs from this month until March 2026. The fund is a central pot of money worth £742million that is shared between local authorities, who then decide who to offer the help to. Every council has been given a different amount of money to share between their residents in need. This means what you can get and how the money will be paid varies depending on where you live. In Wakefield households can get supermarket vouchers worth up to £195 through the scheme. The local authority is distributing the help in the form of supermarket vouchers. Households in receipt of Council Tax Support will automatically be issued with the vouchers and do not need to do anything. The payments will be made to the following groups on these dates: Families in receipt of Council Tax Support £40 - April 8 £50 - July 21 £50 - December 15 Pensioners in receipt of Council Tax Support who get a Winter Fuel Allowance June 30 to July 7 - £70 November 11 to 13 - £70 COUNCIL TAX REDUCTIONS Pensioners in receipt of Council Tax Support who do not get a Winter Fuel Allowance June 30 to July 7 - £70 November 4 to 6 - £125 All other households in receipt of Council Tax Support July 9 to 18 - £70 December 3 to 12 - £70 Households should allow up to seven days for the vouchers to arrive. How has the Household Support Fund evolved? The Household Support Fund was first launched in October 2021 to help Brits pay their way through winter amid the cost of living crisis. Councils up and down the country got a slice of the £421million funding available to dish out to Brits in need. It was then extended in the 2022 Spring Budget and for a second time in October 2022 to help those on the lowest incomes with the rising cost of living. The DWP then confirmed a third extension of the scheme through to March 31, 2024. Former chancellor Jeremy Hunt extended the HSF for the fourth time while delivering his Spring Budget on March 6, 2024. In September 2024, the Government announced a fifth extension. You will receive a letter with instructions on how to redeem the voucher. You do not need to spend all of the cash at once and can use it several times until the total amount has been spent. What else will the fund cover? The fund will also provide support to vulnerable households who need help with rising living costs, especially those who are not receiving any other cost of living support. If you are struggling with the cost of living then the fund can help you with the following: Food and housekeeping such as toiletries and baby essentials Other essential bills including mobile phones, top ups and broadband charges Gas and electricity Clothing School uniforms White goods Bed and bedding Carpets All of the support is provided as vouchers so no cash payments will be available. Instead, any help with your water or phone bill will be made through a supermarket voucher, so the money you would normally spend on food can be put towards these bills. Gas and electricity help will be made using a pre-payment top up voucher or energy card for people who pay by direct debit or other means. Any help you get will not affect your entitlement to other benefits. The fund cannot help with cash payments, mortgage costs, rent or housing arrears, new furniture, TVs or debt repayments. How do I apply? To apply you must live in the Wakefield district and be over the age of 16. You cannot live with family or friends and must be on a low income. You must be responsible for the rent/ mortgage and other bills for your home and not have sufficient money to pay these bills. You also need to have less than £6,000 in savings and must provide proof of this. You can apply through the Wakefield Council website. What other support is available? Households in Salford can apply for free food vouchers and fuel top up credits. The funding launched earlier this month and will run until Tuesday September 30. It is part one of round seven and focuses on helping Manchester residents with fuel, food and energy costs due to the cost of living crisis. Residents can only apply once for the support. For more information, visit the council's website. Meanwhile, Rotherham Council is offering free supermarket vouchers and help with rent payments. The council is prioritising helping residents with food, energy grants and council tax relief, as well as aid for care leavers and other vulnerable groups. Half of the funding will be spent on supermarket vouchers for the families of children eligible for free school meals. The vouchers will be given out during the school holidays and will be worth £15 a week. The council will also make Discretionary Housing Payments to people to help cover their rent. The payments will be given to people on Housing benefit or who get the housing element of Universal Credit but need more help with housing costs.
