Financial news

• Are real or fake Christmas trees better for the planet?

  08-12-2018 10:00 via theguardian.com
  Artificial trees are getting more popular, but environmentalists say they have a downsideIf the surge in sales of artificial trees at John Lewis and other stores signals an attempt by consumers to go green, then they should perhaps think again.With 8m real trees in the process of being purchased this Christmas, the idea of saving one from the axe might be prompting the move to fake ones this year in the belief that they are more environmentally friendly. Continue reading...
  
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• Rail firms add extra services and pledge to avoid further chaos

  08-12-2018 09:00
  Industry says it is learning lessons from disruption after previous timetable changeHundreds of additional daily train services are due to be introduced across Britain from Sunday, as the rail industry vowed it was learning the lessons from the debacle of the last timetable change in May.The number of timetable changes has been radically scaled back, with only around 15% of services being altered. Several planned changes have been deferred until 2019. Continue reading...
  
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• How to buy a real Christmas tree: a step-by-step guide

  08-12-2018 09:00 via theguardian.com
  Norway spruce or Nordman fir? Local store or big shed? We look at how to buy the bestAre you hooked on the look, character and aroma of a real Christmas tree? Then here’s our six-step guide how to pick the right one.• Step one: Pick it up and drop it on its stump from a few inches above ground. If more than a few needles drop, it has not been freshly cut. Continue reading...
  
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• Ethical gifts: let your money work for a small business

  08-12-2018 09:00
  Entrepreneurs in troubled countries can struggle to find funding – but you can helpIt’s the ethical Christmas gift that offers a financial helping hand to people trying to survive in the toughest conditions. Lendwithcare gift vouchers allow Britons to loan relatively small sums of money to people in 11 countries – including individuals trying to improve their lives amid the deepening economic crisis in Zimbabwe. The lender receives no interest, but in the vast majority of cases
  
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• Aviva vows end to car and home insurance loyalty rip-off

  08-12-2018 09:00
  UK’s biggest insurer promises loyal policyholders will get same deal as new customersBritain’s biggest insurer, Aviva, is promising to give loyal car and home insurance customers the same or better price at renewal as new customers. It will also drop the extra amount usually charged for paying monthly rather than annually.The company describes its AvivaPlus deal as a subscription-style service, which will allow drivers and homeowners to make monthly payments for their insurance with
  
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• What Christmas gifts should I get for nieces and nephews?

  08-12-2018 08:00
  It’s getting pricey to buy presents for all of them and I’m wondering if I can stop when they’re 16Every 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.My partner and I both come from large families – and now have more than 20 nieces and nephews. Our £20-a-head Christmas gift habit is now proving pricey. Is it reasonable to stop giving
  
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• 'I got into alcohol addiction and debt, but with help I turned things around’

  08-12-2018 08:00
  Barry Deacon, 39, on how faith changed his life – and how he came to meet David HasselhoffName: Barry Deacon
  Age: 39
  Income: £16,000
  Occupation: Nightshift support worker for youth housing programmeWhen I was 18 I started drinking alcohol because all my friends did. I started drinking on weekends, then weekends turned to days. When my mother died of cancer, I started drinking more. Continue reading...
  
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• Christmas trees: can a fake really look as good as a real one?

  08-12-2018 08:00 via theguardian.com
  If you don’t fancy vacuuming up needles, here’s our rundown of the best artificial trees•How to buy a real Christmas tree: a step-by-step guide•Are real or fake Christmas trees better for the planet?It’s the year of the artificial Christmas tree, according to John Lewis. It says its in-store “forest” of fakes in London’s Oxford Street has been hugely successful, with shoppers abandoning real trees for ever more lifelike plastic ones.This weekend is l
  
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• Huawei CFO committed fraud in breach of US sanctions, prosecutors say

  08-12-2018 06:01
  Meng Wanzhou lied about links between telecoms giant and shell company, Vancouver court hears as bail arguments continueA senior Chinese telecoms executive committed fraud when she lied about links between Huawei and a shell company used to sell telecommunications equipment to Iran in breach of US sanctions, Canadian prosecutors have told a Vancouver court.Meng Wanzhou, Huawei’s chief financial officer, appeared in court on Friday as she sought bail in a case that has sparked a major inter
  
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