Financial news

• The backpacker tax is a textbook case of how not to develop policy | Greg Jericho

  26-11-2016 23:24 via theguardian.com
  
  At some point rural voters will wonder what’s the point of having the National party in government if something so important is such a train wreckThe backpacker tax has been a textbook example of how not to develop policy and a good reminder to those living in rural areas that having the National party as automatic members of a coalition with the Liberal party does little to serve their interests. Tourists – namely backpackers – are a massive part of the labour force in the fru
  
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• World trade hangs in the balance as Trump prepares plan of action

  26-11-2016 17:00 via theguardian.com
  
  The president-elect’s protectionism has alarmed the WTO and been damned as ‘destructive’ in a major report. But was it just loud campaign bluster?Donald Trump’s determination to stamp his mark on US trade policy “would be horribly destructive”, according to the most exhaustive assessment of his pre-election tweets, speeches and declarations in Fox News interviews.Among the more consistent themes in his various pronouncements, the president-elect said he would
  
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• From low-fare to no-fare: will air travel really become free?

  26-11-2016 17:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has revealed his desire for the carrier to offer free tickets, but he needs the airports’ help to achieve itRyanair may have learned to show a little love to its customers, but one group of people still gets the more traditional Ryanair treatment. Onstage in jumper and jeans in front of a crowd of suits at the Airport Operators Association conference, chief executive Michael O’Leary slouched grumpily in a seat and announced: “I’ve got fa
  
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• Western populism is a fundamental threat to the humanitarian system

  26-11-2016 11:00 via theguardian.com
  
  The mandates of UK and US governments could jeopardise the impartiality of aid, international humanitarian law and hard-won reforms in the sector Brexit and Donald Trump’s election as the next president of the United States present clear risks to the system of international humanitarian response. The rise of populism seems bent on politicising aid even more than it is now, putting Dunantist ideals of impartial aid to their greatest test. If humanitarians fail to react early and in earnest,
  
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• Letter to my younger self: none of your struggles will be wasted

  26-11-2016 10:15 via theguardian.com
  
  Entrepreneur Sam Espensen writes a letter to her 30-year-old self battling career changes, London life and undiagnosed post-traumatic stress disorderListen to Sam reading her letter hereDear Sam,First of all, I want to reassure you that things are infinitely better where I stand today, than where you are now. At the moment it feels like nothing is going right – be that your job, boyfriend, family, or friends. You feel unloveable and out of control. This will pass. An unstable and, frankly,
  
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• Office envy: are these the world's most sustainable workplaces? – in pictures

  26-11-2016 10:05 via theguardian.com
  
  From treadmill desks and foam flushing toilets to solar powered offices and apps allowing employees to control temperature and light – a selection of the world’s most sustainable workplaces Continue reading...
  
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• ClassPass co-founder: ditching unlimited pass was tough

  26-11-2016 08:15 via theguardian.com
  
  CEO Payal Kadakia talks about building a $400m (£320m) company, making unpopular decisions and hustling for contactsI was searching the web for a ballet class and I ended up spending two hours trying to find one. That made me realise there was an information gap.Continue reading...
  
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• Where to find the best bank accounts for teenagers

  26-11-2016 08:00
  
  They can be the ideal way to help your adolescent children take steps towards managing their own financesWhat do you do when your children have moved beyond piggy banks but aren’t old enough for a fully fledged current account? The good news is that there are a number of “youth” bank accounts on the market that can help teenagers, and those fast approaching their teens, obtain their first debit card, learn about budgeting and take their first steps towards financial independenc
  
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• Unfair letting fees ban? Truth is the agents just got too greedy

  26-11-2016 08:00
  
  The Guardian has been calling for an end to the exploitation for more than a decadeThe real shock about this week’s decision to ban letting fees to tenants is that it did not happen earlier. For more than a decade in Money we have highlighted the exploitative activity of some (but by no means all) letting agents. It evidently reached such absurd levels that in the end even a Tory government had to end the farce.We have seen letting agents demand £800 in fees on a £650-a-month o
  
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• Handcuffed in Waitrose: the innocent man in search of justice

  26-11-2016 08:00
  
  Christopher Seddon has had to spend £9,600 to prove his arrest was a clear case of mistaken identity. But no one will accept responsibility for the nightmareWhen Christopher Seddon popped into a Waitrose store last May on behalf of his housebound 89-year-old mother, he was only planning to buy a few items to get her through the week. After paying, he was stunned when two policemen seized and handcuffed him in front of watching shoppers. He was then forced to spend six hours in a cell at th
  
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• Car insurance premiums to rise to £600 after tax hike

  26-11-2016 08:00
  
  AA warns of soaring costs from June following autumn statement announcementCar insurance premiums are set to break through the £600 barrier for the first time next year as insurers pass on higher costs and this week’s premium tax hike, experts are warning. On Wednesday the chancellor, Philip Hammond, announced he is to increase insurance premium tax (IPT) from 10% to 12% from June.This means drivers, now typically paying around £50 a year to the Treasury when they insure their
  
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• Will banning letting agency fees lead to higher rents? We ask the experts

  26-11-2016 07:59
  
  With England joining Scotland in outlawing extra charges for tenants, opinion is split on what the effect will beSo will the ban on lettings agents charging fees to tenants push rents up? That’s the question many renters will be asking after the government’s autumn statement announcement.The good news is that this is more than a proposal: the chancellor, Philip Hammond, said ministers “will” bring in a ban, which means that tenants will no longer have to pay fees that can
  
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• Is furnished or unfurnished better for a year-long rental?

  26-11-2016 07:59
  
  We’re not sure what to do with our stuff if we don’t take it with us – it’s a nightmare!Every week a Guardian Money reader submits a question, and it’s up to you to help him or her out – a selection of the best answers will appear in next Saturday’s paper.This week’s question: Continue reading...
  
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• My year of no spending is over – here's how I got through it

  26-11-2016 07:00
  
  The first six months were hard, but I found a new way of living and the challenge has left me wealthier and wiserJust over 12 months ago I gave myself a challenge: give up spending on all but the essentials for a whole year. I started on Friday 27 November, just as many other people were hitting the shops. It hasn’t always been easy, but a year on I am wealthier and wiser. Embarrassingly, I have also realised just how much money I’ve squandered down the pub, in restaurants and throug
  
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• Houses for golfers – in pictures

  26-11-2016 00:45
  
  From Essex to Fife, these properties near golf courses offer plenty of opportunities to practise your swingContinue reading...
  
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• Post Office workers to strike for third time in four months

  26-11-2016 00:24
  
  Members of the Communication Workers Union are protesting changes to branches, job losses, and pensionsPost Office workers are to stage a fresh strike in a dispute over jobs, closures and pensions.Members of the Communication Workers Union will walk out on Saturday, 3 December. Continue reading...
  
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