Cash Points.

MORTGAGE rates have at last broken the 4% barrier. A two-year fixed rate loan from leading broker John Charcol offers an eye-catching rate of just 3.99% until June 2008, with maximum Loan to Value of 75%.Arrangement fee, at 0.25% of the loan, is added to the loan. However the bad news is theminimum loan size - pounds 500,000!Charcol enquiries: 0800 718 191.

DEBT problems among those in their 20s and 30s are getting worse, while those in their 40s and 50s are sorting problems out, says personal insolvency specialist W3 Debt Solutions, part of Begbies Traynor Group. W3 Debt Solutions chief executive Greg Mullarkey says too many younger people are still living beyond their means.

NEW Direct ISA from National Savings & Investments (NS&I) promises a competitive rate of 5.05%, and is guaranteed to stay above Bank of England base rate for at least the next two years. Direct ISA customers can invest up to pounds 3,000 in each tax year and make subsequent deposits or withdrawals online 24 hours a day and by telephone between 7am and midnight.

NS&I enquiries: 0845 964 5000 or online at website www.nsandi.com

HALIFAX Share Dealing, an internet and telephone share dealing service, says the most popular shares bought by investors in the week ending March 26 were Henderson Morley (1), a drug discovery company, followed by HBOS, Vodafone, Empyrean Energy and Corus Group. Top five sells were HBOS (1)' Vodafone, BT Group, Tesco and Marks & spencer

NATIONAL Savings & Investments today launched a new tax-free savings account to meet demand from people who want to be able to manage their money remotely. People taking out the Treasury-backed group's Direct Isa will only be able to access their account online or by telephone. The product currently pays interest of 5.05% a year, and the rate is guaranteed to be 0.55% above the Bank of England base rate for at least the next two years. The minimum investment for people opening one of the accounts, which will be availablefrom April 6, is pounds 1,000.

BRITONS are collectively wasting nearly pounds 116m a year through overspending on their credit cards or being late with payments. Nearly one in five people with a credit card incurred a penalty charge during the past 12 months, moneysupermarket.com said. Figures from payments industry body APACS showed that 13% of people were charged for being late with a credit card repayment, while 4% of people incurred a fee for going over their agreed credit limit.