At the start of this month, the average rate on an easy access savings account with no bonus was only 0.76%.

BBC: Peer-to-peer lending tempts hard-hit savers

Sony's Qualia showrooms, like Ferrari dealerships, are not places you go near unless that bonus for landing the big IPO has hit your bank account.

ENGADGET: Sony's $10,000 Qualia TV

While official statisticians have sorted out the main defects, irregular bonus payments continue to make the index volatile and largely account for the recent collapse in the growth of earnings.

ECONOMIST: Interest rates