Our consumer advice expert has shared the signs which point towards the tricks most criminals use to fool Brits into falling for their scams.

The UK housing market has edged past a symbolic £300,000 average price mark, but new analysis suggests the milestone masks a far more cautious reality. Halifax’s latest House Price Index places the average property at £300,077 in January, up 0.7% on the month. Annual growth, however, stands at just 1.0%, with quarterly growth at 0.1%.

With the cost of living still biting many households, and projections of declining disposable incomes for the rest of the decade, many people are looking at ways of making extra cash. And around half of UK adults now have a second job, or a ‘side hustle’. Whilst average earnings are often modest, at around £200 a week, others can do well enough that it becomes their main form of income.

This January is set to see UK consumers returning over £1 billion worth of Christmas gifts. Whether it is something you’ve purchased yourself, for a friend or loved one or it’s an unwanted gift, it can be a trying experience. If you’re trying to return something after Christmas, your rights depend on how and why you’re returning it.

With the new energy price cap coming on the 1st April, many people will be thinking of switching their energy provider to benefit from the best deals. The switching itself is the easy part as your new supplier will organise the transfer for you. The more difficult bit is ensuring you’ve switched to the right provider.

Our consumer expert Jane Hawkes has shared her advice on dealing with delivery firms. Her tips come as delivery disasters become an increasing irritant of modern life. According to OFCOM, who regulate parcel deliveries, Evri and Yodel customers are the least satisfied with their experience when it comes to contacting parcel firms for help. Amazon and DHL are the best performers.

January is always a really hard month for everybody due to the aftermath of the overspend of Christmas. That January pay slip also always seems to take much longer to arrive. “It’s little wonder then that many people end up with the blues at this time of the month. “But as hard as it is, January can also be the springboard to financial change by adopting a few changes.

Our consumer expert Jane Hawkes shares her tips on how to find the best credit card deals this month.