The World Cup is just 58 days away and excitement is building. Each week our man in Brazil, Joe Callaghan, brings us the latest news and views from South America and provides a flavour of exactly how the World Cup in Brazil is shaping up.

Joe Callaghan brings us the latest news and views from South America - as well as traveller tips for those heading out there - and provides a flavour of exactly how the World Cup in Brazil is shaping up.

Joe Callaghan brings us the latest news and views from South America - as well as traveller tips for those heading out there - and provides a flavour of exactly how the World Cup in Brazil is shaping up.

Blog From Brazil: Joe Callaghan brings us the latest news and views from South America - as well as traveller tips for those heading out there - and provides a flavour of exactly how the World Cup in Brazil is shaping up.

BLOG FROM BRAZIL: Joe Callaghan brings us the latest news and views from Brazil and provides a flavour of exactly how the World Cup in Brazil is shaping up.

The World Cup is just nine days away and excitement is building. Each week our man in Brazil, Joe Callaghan, brings us the latest news and views from South America - as well as traveller tips for those heading out there - and provides a flavour of exactly how the World Cup in Brazil is shaping up.

BLOG FROM BRAZIL: Joe Callaghan brings us the latest news and views from Brazil and provides a flavour of how the World Cup is shaping up with two days to go.

Controversial new overdraft rules come into force today which has seen some banks increasing overdraft rates to nearly 40 per cent.

Some savers are now in line to earn as little as 0.01 per cent - just £1 interest over a whole year on each £10,000 in their account. This is £129 less than if they switched to a top easy-access deal.

An ultra-low numbered new £20 note sold for a whopping £7,500 at a behind closed doors auction this afternoon, far beyond its estimated price.

The interest building society customers receive has been cut to ribbons ever since the 2008 financial crisis. But Yorkshire's Mike Regnier, for example, will keep his £20,000 bonus from 2019.

Savers with large pots looked for a safe haven amid market storms caused by coronavirus, with savings platforms that safely spread money around seeing a surge in applications.

UK banks this week outlined how how vulnerable customers can get hold of cash. For the first time, trusted friends and family will be able to make withdrawals on their behalf.

Savers have been handed a double blow as two market-leading easy-access deals have both disappeared within a week of each other, with Marcus and Virgin Money both making cuts.

National Savings & Investments was due to halve the number of winners of £50 and £100 prizes next month to 13,448, and the odds of winning would be cut from 24,500 to 1 to 26,000 to 1.

There were 1,768 available savings accounts and Isas at this time in March, Moneyfacts said. By April this had fallen to 1,588, and average savings rates from 0.56% to 0.44%.

Despite interest rates plunging to record lows, National Savings and Investments has gone against the grain and abandoned plans to cut rewards which would have cost savers £200 m.

A Bank of England scheme designed to provide banks with cheap money to lend to small businesses has handed out an enormous £6billion in its first week, official figures reveal.

From the start of May, 5% savings deals will be as dead as a dinosaur, with Nationwide cutting FlexDirect from 5% to 2% and lowering the balance you can earn interest on. But you can sign up now.

Last month retired school site manager Ken Medlycott (pictured with wife Sally) won a huge £50,000 - doubling his savings. The odds of him winning such a prize in a year were one-in-7,466.

Nationwide lost its switching crown to Monzo in the final three months of last year, new figures show, as the highest number of people in four years switched their bank accounts in March.

In a major victory for This is Money, who raised the issue with the Treasury on Monday, minister John Glen said the Lifetime Isa withdrawal penalty would be reduced to 20% until next April.

There may be chicer, more contemporary and certainly less expensive hotels in Dublin than The Westbury - but few can be better positioned or more established, says our impressed Inspector.

Upscale accommodation chain Hotel du Vin is the latest operator to try to bring some pizzazz to Cannizaro House on Wimbledon Common. Our Inspector is not sure it will manage to work wonders.

What to do when you find yourself in possession of the old family home, but don't want to sell it. In the case of one enterprising couple in Deal, you turn it into a boutique B&B. The Inspector checks in.

Melrose is reappearing on the map as a weekend destination thanks to the return of the rail link to Edinburgh. Our Inspector heads for the Borders - and the town's stylish pair of boutique hotels.

When you have been stuck on the M4 for what seems like forever, you want a cosy pitstop where you can recharge your batteries. The Inspector finds exactly this at The George at Backwell.

Once upon a time, the Hoste Arms in North Norfolk was a simple pub. Now it has The Vine House, an accommodation annexe where the prices are not cheap. The Inspector takes a look.

There have been five weddings in as many days here at Headlam Hall in Teesdale, not far from Durham. The Inspector finds out what makes the venue so special.

If you travel to Baughurst in Hampshire you'll find an old shooting lodge, The Wellington Arms. With only three rooms, and exquisite attention to detail, to stay and eat in the B&B is a joy.

The new boutique hotel, The Zetter Townhouse Marylebone, opened this summer, offering 24 uniquely decorated rooms, which ooze comfort, yet offer plenty of modern touches.

The Great House in Lavenham, Suffolk, is celebrating its 30th anniversary under its current stewardship and is well worth a visit. Dinner is a treat, with impeccable service throughout.

Sometimes, you don't need swish modernity and gleaming innovation. You just want a hotel that is clean and comfy. The Crown in Mundford does not excel - but it will do fine, says The Inspector.

There is something happily quaint about the Chequers Inn in Lincolnshire that is maybe summed up by the slope on the nearby cricket pitch. The Inspector beds down for a one-night innings.

The Fish is a village-style resort set in Cotswolds woodland, with much of the accommodation (47 rooms) in refurbished farm buildings a short walk from the main lodge, where guests can unwind.

The Warwickshire hotel opened two years ago in a former blacksmith's. While tastefully designed, it is still having some teething problems, finds The Inspector.

The Inspector loves the looks of this Leicestershire enterprise from the outside, but inside finds the service slow, the food disappointing and the interior charmless in places.

The Nadler Victoria in Westminster is brand new. It opened on January 1 and is the latest edition from a group that aspires to turn budget accommodation on its head.

If someone could just open all the windows and replace it with something fresh, then the Bedford Swan could become something of a destination hotel rather than a place to stay en route.

This week, The Inspector paid a visit to the Premier Inn just north of Putney Bridge in London and was shocked by the so-called 'budget' price but satisfied with a clean and functional guest room.

Co-founded by Joel Cadbury and Ollie Vigors, The Bel & The Dragon chain has just opened their latest hotel - in Kingsclere - where guests are treated differently to everyone else.

A quiet transformation of four Victorian buildings in London’s South Kensington is complete. The result is The Kensington, a member of the Irish-owned Doyle Collection.

Privately owned, The Crown sits in Constable Country in the Dedham Vale. This homely village pub, with 11 rooms in a separate hotel building next door, offers dinner, bed and breakfast.

This famous Thames-side restaurant with 31 rooms has a museum-like quality to it, albeit a dusty one in need of a cash injection. But it also offers guests the chance to graze on a slice of culinary history.

The Crown at Woodbridge is made up of ten light and airy rooms with lots of powder blue wood panelling, two sash windows and a large comfy bed.

The Pembroke Arms in Wilton is a handsome boozer that is located on the outskirts of Salisbury and offers nine rooms and a 'spacious and informal' bar and restaurant area.

The Cross Keys Hotel, in the charming medieval market town of Saffron Walden, Essex, is located in a medieval building dating back some 850 years.

Premier Inn at Gatwick North is just a short amble from the terminal building and it's heaving on a Friday night with those who are getting early flights out.

You may go to Windsor in search of its famous royal castle - but if you want to stay in town a little longer, the Castle Hotel is an excellent spot to rest your head, says our sharp-eyed Inspector.

The Hawk in the sleepy village of Amport is so-named because of the hawk centre nearby. The first phase of the renovation has been completed but there's work to be done.