Nero fiddled, while Rome burned. Or to put the expression in a modern day investment context, Christopher Hill (chief executive of Hargreaves Lansdown) fiddles while investors get burnt.

Helpful staff in the ever-shrinking branch network are being rapidly replaced by automated 'contact' - usually in the form of texts. This is fine, but not if the robots do not know their left hands from their right.

The trend towards greater online banking and less reliance on hard cash is irrevocable. Indeed, Covid-19 has helped the banks in pursuing these dual goals.

David and Pippa bought the small sailboat in Bristol Harbour and moved on board in March. They say their cut in rent is worth the downsides which include no hot water, a lack of space and a seasick cat.

eBay Australia has revealed the Disney VHS tapes from the 1990s that are worth a fortune. Those earning huge sums include a 1999 Special Edition of Mulan, which sold for a $21,000 recently.

The 53-year-old director revealed that the script turned up for sale on eBay, but a Disney employee managed to intervene and bought it off the market.

Australian shoppers hoping to make a profit are selling Aldi's sought-after caviar-infused moisturisers on Bay for more than 10 times the retail price.

Online retailer eBay has revealed exactly what Brits have been searching for and purchasing this year, with its Year in Buy report suggesting TV has proved highly influential on people's shopping habits.

Most of the weapons are still missing across the UK and were also stolen from the armed forces with some items being sold on online market places such as eBay.

Charlotte Greedy, 27, from Pontyclun, has told how she transformed a box room into a stunning room for her son, Brody, four, for £240 - by shopping in the likes of IKEA and Argos.

Kelly Eathorne, of the Wirral, hunted for the best bargains and rejuvenated second-hand furniture to turn every room in her home into something worthy of an interior magazine.

Jamie Hallam, 48, and his fiancee Georgina had seen a white Mercedes GLA on Ebay and travelled from Norwich to Manchester to collect it after winning an auction.

Sharon Fairfax took to the UK Facebook group We Love Mrs Hinch to share the impressive before and after photos of her laundry room transformation, kitted out with vintage accessories.

James Lattimer, 51, bought the cheapest possible ticket to enter the Lord's Cricket ground on August 15 last year before sneaking his way into the pavilion.

One £15.45 shirt on eBay said: 'I survived the Coronavirus and all I got was this lousy T-shirt.' Others on the auction site mocked the city in China at the epicentre of the outbreak.

Louise Serena Clark, from Worcestershire, revealed to the Facebook group DIY On A Budget Official how she transformed her cramped dining room by slicing her dining table in half.

Becca Menzies, 44, from Sussex, has told how she transformed a dull area of shrubland into a pristine garden for £1, 300 - using old materials and products ordered cheaply online to keep prices down.

The goods affected could include everything from hand sanitiser, toilet paper and painkillers to food staples including pasta and rice. The Competition & Markets Authority wants to stop profiteering.

Kits surfaced on the internet shopping giant as coronavirus panic grips Britain, with the illness having caused 4,062 deaths worldwide.

A man turned heads in Sydney's CBD by wearing a hi-tech respirator on his face that looks like something out of a science fiction film.

Three nuclear cabins in Cardigan, West Wales, that were said to offer 'full protection' from viruses including COVID-19, were removed from eBay after being listed on the website for £15,000 each.

As the coronavirus outbreak intensifies, supermarket shelves are being stripped bare as families struggle to stock up on essentials in case they are forced to self-isolate.

Klara Senkerikova, 38, and her partner Darron, 31, from Hampshire, overhauled their bathroom - and even fitted a handy storage drawer underneath their bath to save space.

Tens of thousands of Australians have found themselves out of work overnight as COVID-19 continues to destabilise the economy, but some entrepreneurs are discovering new niches.

An investigation by the UK consumer watchdog found many everyday household products being offered at inflated prices - including hand gel, bleach and tampons.

'Unscrupulous' eBay users are attempting to exploit desperate shoppers in the midst of the coronavirus crisis by selling out-of-stock essentials for more than ten times their shop price.

Nicole Roberts, 25, from Shropshire, has told how she created her four-year-old daughter Lilly's bedroom into a blend of stylishness, elegance and femininity - all for just £400.

The 47-year-old rapper - whose real name is Marshall Mathers III - has donated a pair of his highly coveted Jordan 4 Retro 'Carhartt x Eminem' sneakers to shoe auction site StockX.

Becky Alice, believed to be from Preston, Lancashire, upcycled her children's Wendy house - using leftover paint, flowers from eBay and old plastic chairs, which she decorated.

Over-50s in possession of Saga’s Platinum Visa card have just two months to clear their debts and find themselves an alternative after the company announced it was discontinuing the product.

This was a top recommendation for older travellers who wanted a good deal on holiday spending because it does not impose any fees for payments made with the card while overseas.

Britons' credit scores have improved on average across the country, but no region can boast more than just a 'fair' rating, a new report has revealed.

'Buy now, pay later' firms will be banned from charging backdated interest on already repaid amounts of money from November, under new rules announced by the financial regulator

Average card rates have surged since the financial crisis, climbing from 16 per cent in 2006. But at the same time, typical savings rates dropped sharply to all-time lows and barely recovered since.

Frequent flyers who fancy adding to their Avios balance have been handed an enticing Christmas bonus by HSBC, though the chances are they don't know it.

Mature student Tamara Gray, 29, (pictured) got into financial difficulties after spending several thousand pounds on the websites Very and Shop Direct on a buy-now, pay-in-12-months basis.

While borrowers make no payments for three months, card providers often still charge interest on balances during payment holidays, meaning borrowers continue to rack up interest

Having a good credit score is vital when it comes to being accepted to borrow and getting the best rate. A new tool claims to be help improve your credit history by saving instead of spending.

I have £40,000 of unsecured debts - £20,000 on two credit card defaults - but having never missed a mortgage payment in 12 years, is it possible to obtain a mortgage?

Every year most of us leave sorting out our holiday spends to the last minute, pushing up the cost. Check out our timeline to take advantage of the best cheap travel spending deals.

Nearly three quarters of women said they'd think twice about someone if they debts, compared to 69 per cent of men, according to research from comparison website Finder.

Future Finance does recommend students go through Student Finance first, but the cost of repayments should be a red flag for any students considering this option.

Tandem Bank is scrapping its existing, popular, cashback credit card for a membership deal offering a 1.5 per cent savings rate and a credit card that charges no interest, ever. Is it any good?

Britain's largest banking group, which owns Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland, spelled out changes aimed at those in 'persistent debt' for 36 months.

The Foreign Office has now advised against all overseas travel, it's likely cancelling holidays is further up people's priorities than booking new ones - so what can air miles be spent on?

It’s so easy to come up with stories to tell ourselves to justify spending money. So I’ve started building up an armoury of reverse arguments to tell myself to help save.

Filling out a simple application form can feel like running a gauntlet of spam. One wrong move and you could be pelted with ‘special offers’, junk mail and interrupting text messages for eternity.

Economics and comedy. Not a conventional pairing.But after spending a weekend at the world’s first economics and comedy festival, I can tell you they’re a match made in heaven.

What about saving a few hundred - or even thousand - pounds right at the beginning of the year? You’ll improve your bank balance and turboboost your resolution.

Walking down the high street with friends on Saturday, we heard an elderly gentleman at a cash machine shout: ‘My card! They’ve taken my card!’