Financial news

• Sky takeover: bidding war predicted as Comcast makes £22bn offer - as it happened

  27-02-2018 19:09 via theguardian.com
  US cable giant Comcast has made a dramatic move to take control of UK broadcaster Sky; new Fed chair Powell hints at US rate risesBidding war forecastSky shares hit 18-year highComcast is offering to buy Sky for $31bn
  Labour: Comcast must protect Sky NewsWhat does it mean for Disney’s deal to buy Fox??What the experts sayElsewhere:New Fed chair Powell backs gradual rate rises 6.48pm GMT A late update: Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox have - finally - responded to Comcast’s off
  
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• Get ready for more energy price rises, warn industry analysts

  27-02-2018 19:06
  Suppliers blame wholesale costs, as Bulb announces £24-a-year increase for its dual fuel tariffConsumers have been warned to brace for a new round of energy price rises within weeks because suppliers are under pressure to pass on increases in wholesale costs.Bulb, one of the fastest-growing small suppliers, said on Tuesday it would be putting up its dual fuel electricity and gas tariff by £24 a year to £879 for a typical annual bill. The increase would have been £63 if no
  
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• Want a shop job? You've got to have the X Factor

  27-02-2018 17:15
  Applying for low-paid retail jobs used to involve a short chat with the manager. So why do employers increasingly make interviews feel like auditions for a West End show?Cady Siregar is a 23-year-old freelance writer from Queens, New York City. In 2014, she needed a part-time job to supplement her studies at university. She decided to apply to one of New York’s largest independent bookshops for a minimum-wage role on the shopfloor. As she was studying literature, Siregar thought she would
  
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• Struggling credit card holders could save £1.3bn under new rules

  27-02-2018 15:51 via theguardian.com
  More than 3 million people could see debts moved to cheaper loans or written off, says FCAStruggling credit card holders could save up to £1.3bn a year under new rules that could see some switched over to cheaper personal loans and others having their interest and charges written off.The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said the new regime being introduced on Thursday 1 March would significantly cut the numbers of people with problem card debt.Continue reading...
  
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• ‘This is how I spend it – I have cancer but make the most of the time I have’

  27-02-2018 12:06
  Former recruitment consultant Rob Anderson on how he organises his finances – and why he isn’t keen on bucket listsI live in the East End of London and own my flat. I have a brain tumour. I’m dying – it’s inoperable, and I’m halfway through my third round of chemo.I try to live my life to the full, in four-week sprints, with a round of chemo coming up every month. Continue reading...
  
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• Sky takeover: Comcast gatecrashes Murdoch's plans with £22bn offer – business live

  27-02-2018 09:23 via theguardian.com
  All the day’s economic and financial news, as US cable company launches a rival offer for SkyLatest: Sky’s shares have surged in early tradingComcast is offering to buy Sky for $31bn
  Comcast: We think Sky is outstandingCable firm promises to maintain Sky NewsDeal is 16% above existing offer from Rupert Murdoch’s 21C Fox
  What does it mean for Disney’s deal to buy Fox??What the experts say 8.23am GMT Richard Hunter, Head of Markets at interactive investor, says that Comcast
  
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• May's energy price cap is messy – heaven help the regulator | Nils Pratley

  27-02-2018 09:10
  Ofgem chief has unenviable task of preserving competition while abolishing ‘rip-off’ tariffsThe big six energy suppliers would be wise to heed the advice of business secretary Greg Clark on Monday: accept that a price cap has support in parliament, so don’t do anything silly like launch a judicial review. Better to implement the cap in time for next winter without further complaint.Yet, if Clark is dishing out advice, the person who could use some guidance is Dermot Nolan, chie
  
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• Pay up … or Ryanair will split you up

  27-02-2018 08:00
  My partner was seated far from our baby on a flight. Is this a ploy to make money from passengers?I booked a Ryanair flight for myself, my partner and our nine-month-old daughter. As the “lead passenger” (the person who books and pays for the trip), the infant must be seated under my name. This is Ryanair policy.Continue reading...
  
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• Beat an interest rate rise by locking into a new mortgage now

  27-02-2018 08:00
  Some lenders give borrowers six months to take up offers, so start looking early even if you need a deal later in the yearWhile the Bank of England kept the base rate on hold at 0.5% earlier this month, it warned that interest rates were likely to rise more quickly than originally expected. This could lead to some nervousness among those looking for a mortgage later this year.Traditional wisdom has been that you have to wait until you are near the end of your current deal before securing another
  
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• Whistleblower warned Carillion bosses about irregularities, MPs told

  27-02-2018 01:01 via theguardian.com
  Emma Mercer raised accounting questions shortly after becoming construction finance chiefA senior Carillion “whistleblower”, who later became the group’s finance boss, struggled to get her concerns about accounting irregularities within the company taken seriously in the run-up to its demise, it has emerged.Emma Mercer raised questions last spring over the company’s accounting practices to the group’s human resources department six weeks into her new role as finance
  
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• Nicky Morgan calls for clarity on Brexit transition period

  27-02-2018 01:01 via theguardian.com
  Treasury select committee chair says lack of detail is frightening businesses, who may move jobsA senior Conservative MP has criticised the government for failing to make progress on a transition deal to smooth Britain’s exit from the EU, warning that businesses could relocate jobs outside of the UK without urgent action. Nicky Morgan, the chair of the Commons Treasury select committee, said businesses were “crying out” for details of a proposed period to cushion Britain’
  
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• CO2 emissions from average UK new car rise for first time since 2000

  27-02-2018 01:01 via theguardian.com
  Climate change targets may be missed as consumers buy bigger cars and turn away from diesel CO2 emissions from the average new car sold in the UK rose last year for the first time since 2000, according to an industry report, raising fears that the country will fail to meet its climate change targets as consumers buy bigger vehicles and turn against diesel. Although motor manufacturers said new models coming on to the market were on average about 12% more fuel-efficient than their older versions,
  
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