EU-r 2020 travel plans

Get straight to the good stuff every day with the Multiply Minute; a lightning-quick round-up of the money news and how it affects you.

♫We're all (still) going on a summer holiday♫

Suitcases and sandals at the ready; Brexit will not affect your summer holidays to the EU, according to travel association ABTA. The 11-month transition period that runs until December means that it'll be business (well, pleasure) as usual for holidaymakers.

Bookies treating gambling addicts

Betfred owners, Fred and Peter Done, own Health Assured, a company that provides health and wellbeing programmes to public sector staff. Shockingly, one of the health problems it treats is... gambling addiction, meaning the pair are making millions from a problem of their own making. Shadow Health Secretary John Ashworth labelled the arrangement an “unacceptable conflict of interest”.

Funeral debt hitting families

The average cost of a funeral has risen by a quarter in the last five years to hit almost £9,500, and families are footing the bill. Just 37% of people put aside enough money to cover their own send-off and the government Funeral Expenses Payment benefit is just £700. No wonder then that one in 10 people say paying for a loved-one’s funeral has caused money worries. One piece of good news is that the government benefit will increase to £1,000 from April 2020.

£20k cat fight

An expensive legal wrangle over a cat has finally been settled out of court. The standoff started after Ozzy the pedigree moggy started hanging out in his neighbour’s garden. The neighbour, who was accused of “grooming” the cat into making him feel at home with her, racked up over £20,000 in legal fees but has now promised (paywall) to keep her distance.