Rebecca Goodman

Rebecca Goodman

I am an award-winning freelance journalist with more than a decade of experience working for online and print consumer publications. I have written for many of the national newspapers and magazines including The Guardian, The Independent, The Mirror, The Sun, This is Money, Stylist and The Telegraph. I also regularly take on corporate content projects and in my spare time set up my own successful baking blog and social media network. 

The Times Money Mentor •

What is the average salary by age in London and the rest of the UK in 2024?

London has more millionaires than most countries, but as well as bankers and international film stars, there are also plenty of road sweepers and shelf stackers. We look at how average salaries in London really compare to those across the UK. Money is something we traditionally avoid talking about in the UK, so while you might have an idea about what the average UK salary is, you probably don’t know what your friends or colleagues earn. Some of the UK’s highest-paying jobs pay £100,000 or more
The Times Money Mentor •

The top cashback apps of 2024

You can get cashback on a huge range of products and services, from insurance policies to new TVs, by using the right app. Using a cashback website is a good way to make a passive income, as the only thing you need to do is visit the site, sign up as a member, and then click through it to earn some extra cash. The cashback on offer varies from a few extra pennies to hundreds of pounds and the offers change regularly. Two of the UK’s leading cashback apps are Quidco and TopCashback. They secur
inews.co.uk •

How I use loyalty cards to pay for flights to Vegas and five-star hotel in India

Rachel Bancroft is a savvy points hoarder, making around £500 a year just from storing up her supermarket loyalty points. The 53-year old from Tenterden in Kent recently used her Tesco Clubcard points to pay for a two-night hotel stay while on a trip to India at the five-star Taj Mahal hotel. Rachel, who works as head of safety for a property firm, said she saved her points until the last minute before cashing in her Clubcard points for the hotel stay this January. This would have cost her aro
The Times Money Mentor •

The Jeremy Hunt debate: Is £100k-a-year enough to live comfortably in London?

The chancellor of the exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, this week sparked controversy by suggesting an annual salary of £100,000 “doesn’t go as far as you might think”. He also said it wasn’t a huge salary in his constituency in Godalming, where average house prices are approximately £683,463. The average salary in the UK is £34,963 a year, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), yet the amount the chancellor was suggesting was almost three times this figure. Some of the best-p
The Guardian •

Longing for a baby? The IVF postcode lottery can have a high price

The cost of fertility treatment varies drastically across England with some people paying almost 30% more for IVF depending on where they live. New figures show a clear “postcode lottery” , with huge variances between different cities. London comes out as the most expensive with an average total cost of £6,150. But, for the same treatment in Manchester, it is £4,764, according to data given to the Observer by Fertility Mapper, a website collating costs and giving personal reviews and experience

What is ESG investing? | John Lewis Finance

Environmental, social and governance investing – or ‘ESG’ investing – comes in different shapes and sizes. Some investors choose companies that not only meet their financial standards, but also match a clear set of non-financial measures. These might include the company’s culture, the diversity of the leadership team, and the firm’s impact on the environment. What the company does is also important – ESG investors often want to avoid putting their money into firms that engage in controversial,

The best Christmas markets in Europe | John Lewis Finance

Christmas is the perfect time of year for a European break. There's something delightfully enchanting about visiting these beautiful mediaeval cities, decorated with twinkling festive lights and a touch of snow, at this time of year. It’s also a great opportunity to stock up on unique presents and traditional gifts for the big day. With chalet-style stalls laden with everything you could wish for, from handmade baubles to Christmas lanterns. From Strasbourg to Copenhagen and everywhere in betw

What is ATOL protection? | John Lewis Finance

ATOL, which stands for Air Travel Organiser’s Licence, is a scheme which protects people when they go on holiday if the travel company goes bust. It is run by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), and it lets them reclaim any money they’ve already spent on the trip and repatriation if they’re out of the country. It was introduced in 1973, and all package holidays sold in the UK must legally have ATOL protection. These are holidays where you booked through the same provider and often include both f

How to Transfer an ISA | John Lewis Finance

ISAs are a great tool for investing your money and being tax efficient. Every tax year, all ISAs have a maximum contribution limit – referred to as your - that you can pay into your account without being taxed on returns or growth. In the 2022 to 2023 tax year, the maximum you can contribute into a cash ISA or a stocks and shares ISA is £20,000. The deposit limit for Junior ISAs (JISAs) is £9,000. For the 2023 to 2024 tax year, the limit will remain the same. If you have both a stocks and shares

ISA allowance 2023/24 | John Lewis Finance

Where you put your ISA allowance will depend on your goals. If you invest with us, you have the following ISAs available to you at John Lewis Investments: Stocks and shares ISA: any money put into a stocks and shares ISA will be invested in global equity and bond markets. Junior ISA: a Junior ISA can be opened for a child and only they can access the money when they turn 18. Again, these contributions will be invested in global equity and bond markets. For both our stocks and shares ISA and J

Moving house checklist | John Lewis Finance

Before moving home there is a lot of admin and to-do lists to tick off, but once this is done it will make the experience a lot smoother and hopefully less stressful. Book a moving date One of the first things on your list will be confirming your moving date, which either the house seller or your conveyancer can give you if you’re buying. If you’re renting you should be given the date by your new landlord or estate agent. Give notice to your landlord (if you rent) As soon as you have your mo
Mouthy Money •

Should I consider a 30-year mortgage?

Mouthy Money Your Questions Answered panellist, Mark Harris, answers a reader’s question on the pros and cons of choosing a long mortgage term. Q I’m desperate to get on the housing ladder so should I consider a 30-year mortgage term? A Long gone are the days of the standard 25-year mortgage term. With house-price growth outstripping wage income over the years, the only way many buyers can afford to get on the housing ladder is if they opt for a longer mortgage term. With a longer term, as yo
Your Money •

Nationwide launches suite of new savings accounts: How do they compare?

Nationwide Building Society has launched a range of new cash savings accounts for adults and children. How do they stack up? For adults, Nationwide has launched new issues of fixed rate bonds which can be opened in branch or online, as well as ISAs. All require a minimum £1 balance to get you started. The 10 new savings accounts pay between 4.50% and 4.90% AER and include the following: The highest rate available is offered on the one-year bond, paying 4.90%. Yet there are several options if
Your Money •

HMRC scraps plans to tax pensions after death

A proposed plan to tax some pensions after death has been axed by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). It would have seen an ‘income death tax’ added to some pension pots from April 2024 but in a U-turn these proposals have been shelved. Under the current rules, beneficiaries are able to inherit a tax-free untouched (uncrystallised) defined contribution pension pot and this has been the case since 2015. If they choose to receive an income from the pension, via drawdown or an annuity, the money is not
Your Money •

Households £1,900 worse off by next General Election

By the next General Election in 2025, real household disposable incomes will have fallen by 3.1% since 2019, according to one think tank. This is equivalent to households being £1,900 poorer during the current parliament despite a range of measures announced yesterday to ease the strain of the cost-of-living crisis. Yesterday’s Autumn Statement “failed to end a wider economic stagnation” and will provide more benefit to the richest households, said the Resolution Foundation. Its analysis of th
The Guardian •

Why are so many UK families missing out on a £2,000 childcare benefit?

Childcare costs in the UK are the most expensive of any developed country – but almost two-thirds of families do not claim the government money to which they are entitled. It is estimated that 1.3 million families are eligible for up to £2,000 a year per child, or £4,000 for those with disabled children, through the tax-free childcare (TFC) scheme, under which the government will add £2 to every £8 you pay your childcare provider. But just 36%, or 470,000 families, claimed in June, according to
Mouthy Money •

Can I open an ISA even though I’m not from the UK?

Mouthy Money Your Questions Answered panelist, Sean Cockburn, answers a reader’s question on opening an ISA if you aren’t from the UK and the pros and cons when it comes to taxes. Q I’m from Italy, currently living in the UK, and I’ve invested some of my savings using a European investment platform. It doesn’t offer an ISA, but is it worth switching my investments to an ISA for the tax benefit? If I did this and then returned to the EU what would that mean for the investment? A An ISA is a s
Mouthy Money •

Will savings rates rise further or is this the best they’re going to get?

Mouthy Money Your Questions Answered panelist, Sarah Coles, answers a reader’s question on interest rates in the savings market and what’s likely to happen next. Q. Will savings rates get better? Or should I lock my cash away now in a fixed rate account? A. Calling the top of the savings market isn’t straightforward, but it’s looking highly likely that for we’re there. The Bank of England held rates last week so fixed savings rates may well have peaked. When banks are setting fixed rates, t
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