Banking & consumer protection: A Norfolk coroner heard how widow Sara King spent £20,000 in weeks before her death after a relapse, with family saying she was financially exploited and asking police and her bank for safeguarding help that didn’t happen. Regulatory pressure on households: HMRC confirmed an “inevitable” crackdown, fining 5,200 estates up to £3,000 for late inheritance tax filings, with penalties rising as forms get more complex. Fraud & misinformation: A Guardian-backed study found local social media groups fuel misinformation where local journalism is weak, with spikes around elections. Banking access: Halifax’s Ellesmere Port branch closes as Lloyds Banking Group continues a wider branch-shutdown programme, with “banking hubs” replacing some cash access. Fintech & payments: ACE Money Transfer partnered with Philippine National Bank to upgrade remittance processing and payout options for expats. Tech for finance: OpenAI plans to revamp ChatGPT into a “super app” aimed at enterprise customers, while lowRISC and Realtek joined the OpenTitan open-source hardware security coalition. Markets & investing: SpaceX’s IPO is driving a retail-investing frenzy, with brokers distributing shares and investors urged to weigh access limits and risks.