Financial news

• Reckitt Benckiser's $1.4bn settlement over Suboxone verges on the farcical | Nils Pratley

  11-07-2019 20:57 via theguardian.com
  The UK company may have avoided a day in court, but its claims of innocence will never be testedOne can say it is entirely logical for the board of Reckitt Benckiser to write a cheque for $1.4bn (£1.1bn) to end US authorities’ investigation into how opioid treatment Suboxone Film was marketed by a former subsidiary. One can also call the outcome ridiculous.The logical aspect lies in the commercial opportunity to make a serious legal headache go away with no admission of wrongful cond
  
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• What did ousted M&S clothing boss change at the embattled retailer?

  11-07-2019 19:57 via theguardian.com
  Jill McDonald’s tenure reacted to customer demands but its delivery came unstuckTaking on the top fashion job at M&S was never going to be an easy one. The brand’s trajectory from high-street kingpin to a retailer struggling to keep up has been regrettably documented, as has its numerous changes in strategy.During Jill McDonald’s tenure, it seemed to have a reactive stance which responded to wider industry calls for consistent looks that generate brand loyalty and contribut
  
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• NHS consultants’ pensions dispute | Letters

  11-07-2019 19:22
  John Hall says training enough doctors to make overtime unnecessary is the solution; Moira Hankinson says consultants should stop paying in before their pensions reach the additional tax ceiling; while Peter Wrigley says the state should not subsidise greedMost well-paid professionals work the hours needed to get the job done, without extra payment for overtime. NHS consultants seem to be unique in their combination of upper middle-class pay with proletarian working practices (Editorial, 9 July)
  
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• Arthur Ryan obituary

  11-07-2019 19:01 via theguardian.com
  Founder of Primark, the fashion chain that revolutionised the high streetArthur Ryan was scarcely a household name in the UK but his products – and brown paper shopping bags – are visible everywhere. Ryan, who has died aged 83, was the man who cut a swathe through the British high street by inventing Primark. The low-price clothing retailer upended such well-known chains as Marks & Spencer, and hastened the demise of others, establishing a new pattern of marketing that chimed wit
  
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• Couple trapped in WIN24 debt MISERY slam ‘despicable treatment’

  11-07-2019 16:41 via feedproxy.google.com
  PRIZE and competitions service Win24 boasts creating happy winners. But for one couple taking a punt felt more like punishment as bullying demands to settle phantom debts built up.
  
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• HSBC credit card compensation bill could rise to £11m

  11-07-2019 14:47
  HSBC extends scheme to extra 18,500 customers overcharged on debt paymentsHSBC is expected to pay out millions more in compensation to credit card customers who were overcharged when they fell behind with payments. The bank has already paid out around £4m to 6,700 people who held credit cards with John Lewis Financial Services (JLFS) and HFC Bank, both of which are now part of HSBC. Continue reading...
  
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• ARROWSMITH ENGINEERING: £200,000 robotic investment boost jobs

  11-07-2019 14:23 via feedproxy.google.com
  The robot is working round the clock, productivity is up and so too is the headcount at aerospace supplier Arrowsmith Engineering.
  
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• A call to Ovo over an unexpected charge landed me a big bill

  11-07-2019 13:06
  I dialled the number I found online, got cut off, and ended up with a £48 charge on my phone billI needed to contact Ovo Energy to discuss an unexpected £261 bill.I had had to give up work while recovering from two liver transplants and the bill coincided with the notification that my employment and support allowance was to stop, leaving me with no income. Continue reading...
  
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• The jewellers of Jaipur's Johari Bazaar – a photo essay

  11-07-2019 12:52 via theguardian.com
  Unesco has named the capital of Rajasthan, India, a world heritage site, partly for its jewellery and artisanal traditions, which continue to thrive on one of its main commercial streets ‘Sir, want precious stones?” a man asks me, quietly. I am on the Johari Bazaar, one of Jaipur’s most notable thoroughfares, a straight colonnade screened above by the facades of adjoining houses. Everything is painted orange, terracotta and burnt pink. The man wears white shalwar kameez, and an
  
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• Pension GAP: Figures show women £106,000 worse off in retirement ‘SHOCKING pensions gap’

  11-07-2019 12:33 via feedproxy.google.com
  PENSIONS gap research released today warns that women in their 60s are typically £106,000 worse off in their retirement than men of the same age.
  
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• The volatility of bitcoin disappoints once again

  11-07-2019 12:12 via feedproxy.google.com
  WITH the excited shrieks of “$14,000 here we come!” still echoing through the world’s busy and overheated crypto mining machines, bitcoin did what it does best this week… disappoint. The market-leading digital asset woke up on Monday hovering around $11,500 after a lazy weekend of doing absolutely nothing.
  
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• What is a mortgage free home? What does it mean to overpay on mortgages?

  11-07-2019 11:52 via feedproxy.google.com
  MORTGAGES can be the way in which a person can become a homeowner. Some people will look to become mortgage free as soon as possible. What is a mortgage free home?
  
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• Pound euro exchange rate: GBP/EUR flat as German inflation inches closer to ECB target

  11-07-2019 11:50 via feedproxy.google.com
  The pound/euro exchange rate is currently trading in the region of €1.111. On Thursday, German inflation data confirmed that the country’s consumer price pressures moved closer to the European Central Bank’s target.
  
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• How Universal Credit sanctions work: What to do if you don't think payments should stop

  11-07-2019 11:35 via feedproxy.google.com
  UNIVERSAL CREDIT sanctions may be implemented to those who fail to meet their responsibilities or what’s agreed in their Claimant Commitment. What should a person do if they don’t think the payments should have been stopped or reduced?
  
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• Pound US dollar exchange rate: GBP/USD jumps on US Fed rate cut fears

  11-07-2019 10:56 via feedproxy.google.com
  The pound US dollar exchange rate jumped yesterday, rising to $1.253 ahead of Fed Chairman Jerome Powell’s second testimony later on this afternoon. The US dollar broadly softened following yesterday’s testimony from Chairman Powell, who appeared to confirm that US interest rate cuts are on the way.
  
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• What is tax allowance for pensioners? Personal tax allowance 2019/20 amount explained

  11-07-2019 09:51 via feedproxy.google.com
  INCOME TAX may be payable on taxable income, if the annual amount exceeds the Personal Tax Allowance. What is the tax-free threshold in 2019/20? What is the tax allowance for pensioners?
  
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• Public urged to stop buying fire-risk fridges and freezers

  11-07-2019 01:01
  Which? calls for plastic-backed appliances to be taken off sale as tougher safety tests come inA consumer group is urging Britons not to buy potentially flammable plastic-backed fridges and freezers as stringent tests that effectively ban new ones from being manufactured come into force.Which? has campaigned for a change to the safety standard for the appliances since 2017 after its testing found the plastic backing can be extremely flammable and, in the event of a house fire, can accelerate the
  
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