Some potential first-time buyer groups ‘could be better served’, regulator says in review

Freelancers and gig economy workers could enjoy more flexibility over how and when they pay their mortgage under plans designed to help more people get on the property ladder.

A shake-up of the rules so people whose income is “variable or irregular” could be freed up from having to make monthly mortgage payments is one of a number of changes being considered by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) that could make it easier for millions of “underserved” UK consumers to get a home loan.

Over-the-top praise for an item should ring alarm bells, with fake feedback generated by AI, bots and humans on a mass scale

You’re doing a spot of online Christmas shopping and see an air fryer that is competitively priced. You don’t recognise the brand, but the reviews are fantastic – five-star raves that say things such as “this product changed my life” and “this is the greatest air fryer ever”.

You buy it, but when it arrives it is clearly cheap and poor quality, and possibly dangerous, too.