Financial news

• Philip Hammond weighs options for spring statement spending

  09-03-2019 17:00
  Can the chancellor deliver the ‘end to austerity’?On Wednesday, MPs expect to hear the chancellor tell them that austerity will soon be consigned to history. Philip Hammond said in last year’s budget that “austerity is coming to an end” and teased ministers with the promise of the cash that he and his predecessor George Osborne denied them in the previous eight years.There is a huge gap to fill just to prevent further austerity taking effect. According to the Instit
  
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• Asda to stop selling single kitchen knives amid concerns over stabbings

  09-03-2019 13:05
  Supermarket chain says single knives are most common type to be stolenThe supermarket chain Asda is to stop selling single kitchen knives in its stores by the end of April. The decision comes at a time of rising concerns about knife crime in the UK.Earlier this week, a senior police chief said the recent spate of deadly stabbings involving young people should be treated as a national emergency. Continue reading...
  
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• Labour would force UK landlords to offer indefinite tenancies

  09-03-2019 11:46 via theguardian.com
  Plan will address ‘power imbalance’ and insecurity of rentals, says shadow ministerA Labour government would oblige private landlords to offer tenancies of indefinite length, based on the German system, in an attempt to give renters more security.The plan, announced by the shadow housing secretary, John Healey, would seek to protect tenants from arbitrary eviction without having to give a reason. In contrast in Germany, landlords are only allowed to evict tenants for reasons such
  as
  
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• State Pension 2019: How much is state pension 2019 - what are the MAJOR changes?

  09-03-2019 09:35 via feedproxy.google.com
  STATE PENSIONS are undergoing changes in April but what are the major changes? How much is the state pension?
  
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• Sweden: how cash became more trouble than it’s worth

  09-03-2019 08:45 via theguardian.com
  As a report warns the UK’s cash infrastructure could collapse, we look at the lessons from abroadAfter eight years living in Sweden, coins and notes barely feel like money any more. Last month, my daughter lost a front tooth. She was thrilled to find that the tooth fairy came – but showed no interest whatsoever in the 10 kronor (80p) that was left behind.This is not surprising, as she has rarely, if ever, seen my Swedish wife or I use a coin to buy anything. We’re not alone. La
  
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• Isas can spell big returns – if you pick the right type

  09-03-2019 08:30 via theguardian.com
  The worst Isas pay 0.2% interest while the best pay 26%. We review the best on offer for youIf you are lucky enough to have accumulated decent savings, it’s the time of year to decide where best to deposit them and earn the most interest. Every year individuals can put £20,000 into an individual savings account but the deadline for doing so is 5 April – just 27 days away. And while some cash Isa rates at the big banks verge on the laughably bad (we’re looking at you, NatW
  
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• 'I’ve built up a photography library worth up to £300,000'

  09-03-2019 08:30 via theguardian.com
  Ashley la Grange on his teaching career – and how he hopes books will help pay for his retirementName: Ashley la Grange
  Age: 66
  Income: £31,000
  Occupation: Teacher
  My guiding principle is to work hard and live within my means. My father died when I was seven and my mother’s inheritance was embezzled, so she had to work on night duty as a nurse to look after my brother and me. We never felt deprived, but we acquired a sound work and spending ethic.I grew up in Zimbabwe and on gr
  
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• I’m going freelance – is it worth using a co-working space?

  09-03-2019 08:30 via theguardian.com
  My local place wants £400 a month for a desk, so I’m wondering if it’s better to work from homeEvery 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.I’m going freelance, and thinking of using one of those co-working spaces such as WeWork. But it’s not cheap - my local one wants £400 a month for a desk. How have others got on in th
  
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• Actually, the rich pay lots of tax. But on income, not their wealth | Patrick Collinson

  09-03-2019 08:30 via theguardian.com
  Rather than cut income tax, the government would do better to tax the country’s real wealthWe know that giant multinationals are engaged in industrial-scale tax avoidance. We know from the Panama and Paradise papers how some individuals will use every offshore trick to dodge taxes. We know that billionaires flock to Monaco to hide from any responsibility to their fellow citizens back home. But let’s not deceive ourselves about who is paying which taxes and who isn’t.HM Revenue
  
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• Dismay as John Lewis quietly drops its travel insurance

  09-03-2019 08:00 via theguardian.com
  Firm says Brexit not to blame as it pulls plug on partnership with Brussels-based groupJohn Lewis has stopped selling travel insurance after a number of years, it emerged this week.The move prompted speculation that the decision was Brexit-related, coming just weeks before the UK is scheduled to leave the EU – but the retailer has dismissed this. Continue reading...
  
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