Financial news

• Government too slow to protect low-paid workers, say MPs

  18-04-2018 20:48
  Select committees want new laws brought forward to tackle irresponsible employersThe government is under fire from MPs for being too slow to act to protect low-paid workers from exploitation.The chairs of the work and pensions select committee and the business, energy and industrial strategy (BEIS) committee called on the government to urgently bring forward laws to protect workers. Continue reading...
  
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• London's skyline soars with record 510 tall buildings in pipeline

  18-04-2018 20:30
  Construction has begun on cluster of skyscrapers that will transform city over next decadeLondon’s skyline is to be transformed over the next decade with a record 510 tall towers, more than 20 storeys high, planned or under construction. The total is up from 455 towers in the pipeline in 2016, according to research from the industry forum New London Architecture (NLA) and real estate consultancy GL Hearn. Construction has started on 115 towers, also a record. Over the past two years, work
  
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• Ministers under fire as student loan interest hits 6.3%

  18-04-2018 20:08
  Use of RPI figure condemned as students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland face riseMinisters are facing renewed criticism over university funding after an increase in student loan borrowing costs using a “flawed” measure of inflation. The interest rate on loans for students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will rise by up to 6.3% from September, up from the current 6.1% for anyone who started studying after 2012.The change is a consequence of the increase in the retail pri
  
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• Bank of England-backed UK cryptocurrency would NOT be popular with Britons, survey shows

  18-04-2018 19:28 via feedproxy.google.com
  NEW research has revealed the majority of Britons would not support a Bank of England-backed cryptocurrency linked to the pound.
  
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• Morgan Stanley profits SURGE to $2.5bn in record breaking quarter as Trump tax cuts hits

  18-04-2018 19:15 via feedproxy.google.com
  MORGAN Stanley has announced record profits for the first quarter as the bank reaps the positive impact of US President Donald Trump's new tax cuts.
  
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• London house prices post first annual fall since 2009

  18-04-2018 18:52
  Average price in capital drops by almost £5,000 in 12 months as growth slows in rest of UK
  House prices in London have recorded their first annual fall in nearly a decade, according to government figures showing gains in every other region across the country.In the latest sign that the property market in the capital is slowing down, figures from the Office for National Statistics show the average price of a home in London fell by almost £5,000 over the 12 months to February.Continue
  
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• Patrick Bousquet-Chevanne departs in latest M&S shakeup

  18-04-2018 18:37
  Marketing boss was responsible for successful Marks & Spencer Christmas ad campaignsThe man who hired Mrs Claus and Paddington to help market Marks & Spencer is leaving the company in the latest management shakeup under the new chairman, Archie Norman.Patrick Bousquet-Chavanne, executive director of customer, marketing and M&S.com, will depart after six years on the board with a payoff worth up to £2m, though he is unlikely to receive about half of that as it is a performance-r
  
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• NHS workers top list of those applying for payday loans

  18-04-2018 18:36
  NHS workers’ representatives say it is a ‘terrible state of affairs’ for staff to be forced to take on loans with interest of up to 1,325%NHS staff, council officials and gig economy workers are among the most regular applicants for payday loans, which charge interest of up to 1,325% per year, industry data has revealed.
  In Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester, city council workers were among the most frequent applicants for the ultra-high interest debt last month, according to fig
  
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• Bitcoin price: Trader thinks a bitcoin price SURGE is coming - THIS is why

  18-04-2018 18:01 via feedproxy.google.com
  BITCOIN prices plunged in January after banks and officials faced increased pressure to regulate cryptocurrencies, but broker Jim Iuorio insists the alt-coin has “held in” and still has some “pop”.
  
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• UK inflation falls to 2.5%, its lowest level for a year

  18-04-2018 17:49
  Unexpected decline knocked sterling down against dollar and throws prospects of interest rate rise into doubtUK inflation unexpectedly fell last month to its lowest level in a year, raising questions over whether the Bank of England will raise interest rates next month. In the latest sign of the waning impact of the Brexit vote on household finances, the consumer price index (CPI) dropped to 2.5% in March, according to the Office for National Statistics. Economists had expected the annual rate o
  
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• Why Starbucks shouldn't be praised for its misguided racism workshops | Hina Tai

  18-04-2018 17:39
  The line between implicit bias and explicit bias can become murky at times, but the Starbucks incident is a clear case of explicit bias and to call it anything less is outrageousAfter a Starbucks manager had two black men arrested for occupying a table without making a purchase, Starbucks has announced their plan to conduct racial implicit bias workshops for all their employees amid the growing protest. Implicit bias, a term drawn from psychology, has become a new buzzword in the media that refe
  
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• UK inflation drops to one-year low of 2.5%; oil hits three-year high - as it happened

  18-04-2018 17:01
  Surprise drop in UK inflation takes pressure off the Bank of England to raise interest rates in MayOil hits three-year high as Saudi’s target $100/barrelStudent loan interest rate going up, thanks to RPILondon house prices slideBreaking: CPI fell to 2.5% in MarchPrices are rising at lowest rate since March 2017The pound is falling 4.00pm BST Time for a recapBritain has been given some relief from the spectre of inflation, after the cost of living eased last month. Related: UK inflation fal
  
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• Britain boosted by Inflation FALL as BofE mulls Eurozone beating rate rise

  18-04-2018 16:20 via feedproxy.google.com
  BREXIT Britain received a boost today as new inflation data unexpectedly dipped to a one-year low, leading one analyst to celebrate the “turning” of the UK’s “economic tide”.
  
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• Clean energy projects stifled by Tory reforms, says Labour

  18-04-2018 16:14
  ‘Outrageous financial demands will have serious repercussions across the renewables sector’Labour has accused the government of holding back clean energy projects in the UK by allowing energy networks to impose “outrageous” charges on renewables developers.This week, two of the six companies that run the country’s local electricity grids began making green energy firms pay for an estimate of how much it will cost to connect their solar and windfarms.Continue reading
  
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• GAS TAG’s new safety tech checks could spell the end for rogue fitters and killer leaks

  18-04-2018 15:40 via feedproxy.google.com
  NEW British firm Gas Tag, whose life-saving test and tracking software combats the dangers posed by killer fumes and rogue fitters, is to expand with £7 million of private backing. 
  
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• Global debt now worse than before financial crisis, says IMF

  18-04-2018 15:30
  Fund warns all economies look vulnerable as low interest rates lead to debt worth 225% of GDPThe global economy is more deeply indebted than before the financial crisis and countries need to take immediate action to improve their finances before the next downturn, the International Monetary Fund has said.The IMF said a prolonged period of low interest rates had stimulated a build-up of debt worth 225% of world GDP in 2016, 12 points above the previous record level reached in 2009. Continue readi
  
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• Bitcoin latest: Blow for cryptocurrency as City investors unlikely to take a ‘punt’

  18-04-2018 15:10 via feedproxy.google.com
  BITCOIN’S return to $8,000 has brought forth a new wave of optimism over the arrival of institutional investors. However, much of the noise is coming from those within the cryptocurrency community and not from investors, analysts or those in the banking world with their fingers on the ‘buy’ button.
  
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• JD Sports eyes US expansion as profits soar

  18-04-2018 14:34 via feedproxy.google.com
  RETAILER JD Sports Fashion has continued to defy gloomy trading on the high street, with annual profits surging by almost a quarter.
  
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• Buy-to-let market attracts NEW INVESTORS despite the glory days being over

  18-04-2018 14:25 via feedproxy.google.com
  THE glory days of buy-to-let are over as amateur landlords retreat amid a tax crackdown and fears over the slowing property market.
  
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• Marsh Appoints Denny as UK Financial & Professional Practice Leader - Insurance Journal

  18-04-2018 14:21
  Marsh Appoints Denny as UK Financial & Professional Practice Leader
  Insurance Journal
  Marsh announced the appointment of Paul Denny as UK Financial and Professional Practice (FINPRO) Leader. Denny reports to Paul Moody, CEO of Marsh's UK Specialties Division. Denny joined Marsh in 1989 and held senior roles in the firm's London, Boston ...
  Marsh's Denny to run UK financial and professional linesThe Insurance Insider
  Marsh appoints UK financial and professional practice leaderIntelligent Ins
  
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• De La Rue chief chose wrong card to play in passport contract fight | Nils Pratley

  18-04-2018 14:15
  Martin Sutherland helped to work the nation into a frenzy but the UK government was never likely to perform a U-turnDe La Rue’s explanation of why it now accepts defeat in the contest to print the UK’s post-Brexit blue passport is feeble. Apparently, the company has engaged in intense consideration for the past four weeks and received clear legal advice. Come on. Five minutes of casual reflection in the boardroom a month ago should have been enough to recognise the reality of the sit
  
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• Accounting Scandals Lead UK To Review Watchdog Powers - PYMNTS.com

  18-04-2018 14:01
  PYMNTS.com
  Accounting Scandals Lead UK To Review Watchdog Powers
  PYMNTS.com
  A slew of accounting scandals in the U.K. has led the government to launch an inquiry into the powers of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), the government watchdog aimed at overseeing auditing and accounting practices in the country. Reports in ...en meer »
  
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• UK hopes former colonies can give trade boost after Brexit - Financial Post

  18-04-2018 13:41
  Financial Post
  UK hopes former colonies can give trade boost after Brexit
  Financial Post
  LONDON — After decades of sidelining the Commonwealth as a relic of their imperial past, many in Britain are now promoting the group of ex-colonies as a ready-made market for what they hope to be the country's buccaneering global business spirit after ...en meer »
  
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• Car market dries up as drivers prefer NOT to buy DIESEL cars

  18-04-2018 13:40 via feedproxy.google.com
  IT LOOKS like the end of the road for diesel cars as drivers plot a new course in the wake of the VW emissions scandal and recent tax changes.
  
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• Rising life expectancy puts great strain on our pension pot

  18-04-2018 13:35 via feedproxy.google.com
  BRITONS are living in fear of running out of money in retirement as rising life expectancy puts more pressure on their pension savings. Too many are failing to save enough because they do not realise just how long they are likely to spend in retirement.
  
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• Southwest passenger dies after being partially sucked out of window

  18-04-2018 13:21
  Plane makes emergency landing in Philadelphia after debris from exploded engine smashes window at 32,000 feetA woman has died after she was partially sucked out of a window on a Southwest Airlines plane that was hit by debris from a blown engine at an altitude of 32,000ft.Passengers scrambled to haul Jennifer Riordan back into the aircraft as the sudden decompression of the cabin pulled her partway through the opening, but she later died. Seven other people were injured.Continue reading...
  
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• From the magazine: Building financial resilience - Ed Exec

  18-04-2018 12:35
  From the magazine: Building financial resilience
  Ed Exec
  When austerity, efficiency and shaving off the pennies can only take you so far, what's next? SBM Sue Birchall and ASCL's Val Andrew consider ways that SBMs are and can build resilience. It's a tune that's now overplayed in education – schools need to ...
  
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• Financial and economic crime in the UK: what's on the horizon - Lexology

  18-04-2018 11:55
  Financial and economic crime in the UK: what's on the horizon
  Lexology
  The past month has seen the promise of yet more developments to the UK's ever-evolving financial and economic crime framework. In particular, the FCA has published proposed amendments to its Financial Crime Guide and the influential Treasury Select ...
  
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• MOVES-Santander hires Challis for UK financial sponsors - International Financing Review

  18-04-2018 11:31
  MOVES-Santander hires Challis for UK financial sponsors
  International Financing Review
  This content is available to IFRe.com subscribers. Please login if you have a subscription. Alternatively, you can request a trial, or contact your IFR account manager for more information. If you have a subscription to IFRe, please enter your login ...
  
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• How to win over the ‘always-on’ consumer? Make sure your business is on, always

  18-04-2018 11:26
  From building trust to spreading the word through micro influencers – here are four top tips to make your business stand out in a crowded digital spaceThe most innovative businesses are those that understand and actively engage with their customer base. If you can communicate with them in an open and transparent way, you gain the benefit of being approachable and trustworthy. And in today’s noisy, messy digital space, powerful connections like that can make or break a business.
  In pr
  
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• UK inflation in surprise fall, raises doubts over rate hike - Financial Post

  18-04-2018 10:47
  UK inflation in surprise fall, raises doubts over rate hike
  Financial Post
  LONDON — Official figures show that inflation in Britain unexpectedly fell in March, a development that is likely to raise questions in financial markets as to whether the Bank of England will raise interest rates again this month. The Office for ...en meer »
  
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• New Greenfinch platform helps charities benefit from people's financial ... - UK Fundraising

  18-04-2018 10:09
  UK Fundraising
  New Greenfinch platform helps charities benefit from people's financial ...
  UK Fundraising
  A platform has launched that lets people support charities through their financial investments. Greenfinch is a white label wealth management platform from TAM Asset Management that enables people to invest in a range of mainstream and ethical ...
  
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• De La Rue drops passport appeal and issues profit warning

  18-04-2018 08:59
  Banknote-printing company blames £4m bid cost for second profit warning in a monthThe British printing firm that lost out on £490m contract to make the post-Brexit blue passport is dropping an appeal against the decision, less than a month after the firm’s boss vowed to fight the government. De La Rue said it had made the “pragmatic business decision” after taking legal advice and having “considered all options”. The company, which prints the current bur
  
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• We need zero tolerance of this parking scandal

  18-04-2018 08:00
  Confusing letter O with an 0 on a numberplate at a ticket machine should never be penalised I was intrigued by the case of the reader MR who lost his appeal against a parking infringement charge because he mistook a zero for the letter O when entering his car number plate. I had an almost identical experience when I received a £60 ticket for typing an “O” for a “0” into a car-park machine, even though I had paid the correct amount.Continue reading...
  
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• Is Primark's owner too big – and diverse – to fail? Possibly

  18-04-2018 07:00
  AB Foods owns a sprawling portfolio but the discount fashion store proves it’s best not to tweak a winning formulaIf Associated British Foods didn’t have a controlling shareholder, an uppity US hedge fund would probably have demanded the company be split into pieces years ago. Whitbread is somehow deemed offensively diverse because it owns Costa Coffee and Premier Inn, but take a look at AB Foods’ portfolio: it runs from sugar production around the globe, takes in grocery brand
  
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• Pret a Manger censured over natural sandwich ingredients claim

  18-04-2018 01:01
  Advertising watchdog says ads on Facebook and fast-food chain’s website were misleadingThe advertising watchdog has censured Pret a Manger for claiming that its sandwiches use natural ingredients, in a blow to the chain’s wholesome credentials.The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said the ads on Pret’s Facebook page and website, which included the promise that it made “proper sandwiches avoiding the obscure chemicals, additives and preservatives” used by other
  
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