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Rich face 50% top tax rate

Alistair Darling said in today's budget that the 50p tax rate replaces the planned 45p new top rate and will kick in April 2010, a year earlier than planned
Isa limit rise helps savers

Alistair Darling reveals increase in Isa limit to £10,200 in budget speech
Budget boost for first-time buyer scheme

Chancellor encourages first-time buyers with £80m investment in shared equity scheme
Childcare grandparents qualify for basic state pension

Grandparents who look after their grandchildren will qualify for national insurance contributions towards a full state pension, Alistair Darling says

High earners lose tax relief on pensions

Budget announcement will see tax relief on pensions contributions cut for those earning more than £150,000
2009 budget clinic

Put your questions on this year's budget to our panel of experts and get the answers from midday on Thursday
Car industry welcomes scrappage scheme

Motorists will get £2,000 grant to trade in old vehicles
Mortgage lending increases

Mortgage lending rose by 16% in March but is 52% lower than this time last year, the CML says
- Mortgage repayment calculator
Rising credit card rates attacked

Consumer watchdog Which? has accused credit card companies of profiteering after a series of hikes in interest rates and charges
Rail passengers to suffer price rises despite deflation

Britain's busiest rail routes will be hit by fare increases of between 3 and 11%

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Lender	Initial rate	Scheme type	Overall cost for comparison (APR %)
Yorkshire BS	3.59%	Fixed until 31/07/11	4.8	More
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HSBC	2.49%	1.45% discount for 2 years	3.8	More

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Credit cards

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Virgin Credit Card	0%	16 mths	16.6%	More
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Loans

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Sainsbury's Personal Loan	£5000	£15000	7.9%	More
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Current accounts

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Provider	Account	Interest	Min balance	Overdraft rate	Overdraft buffer
ALLIANCE & LEICESTER PLC	Premier Direct Current Account	5%	£1	0.00%	n/a	More
ABBEY	The Abbey Account (Preferred In-credit Rate)	5%	£1	19.90%	n/a	More
LLOYDS TSB BANK PLC	Classic Plus Current Account	2.5%	£1	18.90%	n/a	More

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Savings

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Provider	Account	AER	Notice period	Minimum investment
ALLIANCE & LEICESTER	Online Saver Issue 4	2.50%	Instant	£1	More
ICICI BANK	HiSAVE Savings Account	2.45%	Instant	£1	More

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Ask the experts

Property expert: Virginia Wallis
How does CGT work on a rental home?

Our savings are earning so little we are thinking about investing in a flat for our daughter at uni. What issues are there with capital gains tax?
Consumer expert: Anna Tims
Who's to blame if a hard drive is wiped?

A reader lost personal data after PC World installed new memory on his computer, and now it says it is not its fault
Work expert: Irene Krechowiecka
Can a member of staff always be on call?

An employee is a key holder in case of any break-ins and emergencies at work. Now they are called out at all hours of the night. What can they do?
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