Financial news

• Let’s move to… Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire: more like three towns in one

  19-07-2019 17:30
  It didn’t get the best new town architecture, but you can find fragments of the old landscape threaded throughWhat’s going for it? I bought my first album in WHSmith in Hemel Hempstead. Kings Of The Wild Frontier, by Adam and the Ants, since you ask. On cassette. Like Mr Ant, Hemel was the future once. In 1980, it was in full new-town mode. To get there, Dad had to negotiate the dual carriageways, ring roads and the infamous Magic Roundabout, past the Kodak HQ, the fabulous Dacorum s
  
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• UK deficit rises; gold hits six-year high; Trump blasts Fed - business live

  19-07-2019 16:34 via theguardian.com
  Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news, as gold bullion prices burst through $1,450 per ounce and the UK’s budget deficit swellsLatest: UK deficit surges over £7bn in JuneUK has borrowed £17.9bn since April - up a thirdDeficit cast shadow over new PM’s plansEarlier:Introduction: Gold hits levels not seen since 2013Gold boosted by prospect of US interest rate cutsIran seizes tanker; US shoots down drone (but who’s?!)3.34pm BST US consumers don&rsq
  
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• NHS cancer scans left unread for weeks because of pension row

  19-07-2019 16:34
  Hospitals cut services as consultants stop doing overtime to avoid huge tax billsCancer scans showing the presence or spread of the disease are going unread for as long as six weeks as the impact of the doctors’ pension dispute on patient care worsens.Hospitals are increasingly having to reduce the services they can provide as thousands of consultants stop doing overtime in order to avoid being hit by unexpected tax bills of up to £80,000. Continue reading...
  
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• Zero-hours workers may get compensation for cancelled shifts

  19-07-2019 16:33
  UK government to consult on measures designed to protect those in insecure workCompanies could be forced to compensate workers on zero-hours or flexible contracts for cancelled shifts, under government proposals.The business secretary, Greg Clark, launched a 12-week consultation process on the measures designed to protect those in insecure work. The plan was based on the recommendations made by Tony Blair’s former adviser Matthew Taylor in his review into employment published last year. Co
  
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• Pension contributions: Women face prospect of outliving savings by 16 YEARS - new survey

  19-07-2019 15:52 via feedproxy.google.com
  PENSION pots are something many people will rely on during their later years, in order to live independently during retirement. However, according to a new survey, Britons face the prospect of outliving their retirement savings by a number of years.
  
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• Liberty store sold to private equity group in deal worth £300m

  19-07-2019 15:39 via theguardian.com
  BlueGem bought the London landmark retailer for £32m in 2010 and also wants to offload Jack WillsA controlling stake in department store Liberty London has been sold to a private equity-led consortium in a deal valuing the business at £300m.The retail landmark, which was founded by Arthur Lasenby Liberty in 1875 with a £2,000 loan from his future father-in-law, has grown to become an international brand that sells its distinctive fabric prints and luxury leather goods around th
  
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• What tax code should I be on in 2019? What the UK tax codes mean - 1250L explained

  19-07-2019 15:27 via feedproxy.google.com
  TAX may be payable to HM Revenue and Customs on taxable income. A person’s tax code may change throughout a tax year, with the tax-free allowance also affecting what a taxpayer’s tax code looks like. What do the tax codes, including 1250L, mean?
  
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• Stamp Duty Land Tax: Who is a first-time buyer? Can couples qualify for SDLT relief?

  19-07-2019 15:27 via feedproxy.google.com
  STAMP DUTY LAND TAX is a tax which may be payable by a buyer upon the purchase of a property or piece of land. There is a relief available for first-time buyers - but who is a first-time buyer?
  
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• Public sector workers 'to get £2bn pay rise’ - affecting teachers, police & armed forces

  19-07-2019 15:27 via feedproxy.google.com
  PUBLIC SECTOR workers are reportedly set to see a pay rise, which would be the biggest public sector pay rise in six years.
  
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• Can life insurance refuse to pay? Failing to reveal this habit could see claim REFUSED

  19-07-2019 14:25 via feedproxy.google.com
  LIFE insurance may provide peace of mind that any dependant loved ones have some financial security, should the worst happen. However, it could be that failing to tell one’s insurer about a lifestyle habit may see the pay out being denied.
  
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• Who gets Universal Credit: New guidance for households submitting claim explained

  19-07-2019 14:24 via feedproxy.google.com
  UNIVERSAL CREDIT may be paid to a person or couple in order to help with living costs, should they be on low income or out of work. Yesterday, Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd announced there would now be automatic guidance on getting the payment, in an effort to help victims of domestic abuse.
  
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• Facebook’s Libra cryptocurrency ‘may not happen’

  19-07-2019 14:21 via feedproxy.google.com
  FACEBOOK’S much-lauded Libra crypto project will be pushed back another two years at least, and is in danger of not even getting off the ground, says a US economist.
  
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• Problem gamblers much more likely to attempt suicide – study

  19-07-2019 13:07 via theguardian.com
  Findings prompt demands for tougher action from government to protect addicts
  Problem gamblers are significantly more likely to attempt suicide, according to a pioneering study that has prompted calls for the government to do more to tackle the dangers of gambling.Research commissioned by a leading UK gambling charity, GambleAware, found that problem gamblers were six times more likely to have suicidal thoughts or try to take their own life – and could be 15 times more likely to do so. Con
  
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• Are your tinned tomatoes picked by slave labour? – podcast

  19-07-2019 13:00 via theguardian.com
  How the Italian mafia makes millions by exploiting migrants. By Tobias Jones and Ayo Awokoya• Read the text version here Continue reading...
  
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• Pound euro exchange rate: GBP/EUR dips as UK’s budget deficit swells to a four-year high

  19-07-2019 12:59 via feedproxy.google.com
  THE pound euro exchange rate fell slightly this morning, leaving the pairing fluctuating around €1.112, as UK public sector borrowing ballooned to a four-year high in June.
  
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• Pound US Dollar exchange rate: GBP climbs almost a cent

  19-07-2019 12:46 via feedproxy.google.com
  AFTER a dismal start to the week the pound was able to recoup some of its losses yesterday, taking the GBP/USD exchange rate from $1.244 to $1.252.
  
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• Amazon is spending big to retrain employees – and so should you | Gene Marks

  19-07-2019 12:00 via theguardian.com
  While small firms can’t afford the $700m Amazon is spending, they can send workers to conferences and workshops to acquire skills – and get a tax benefitAmazon has been getting a lot of bad press lately, with workers protesting conditions and wages and the EU announcing that it is now weighing antitrust investigations against the e-commerce giant. But last week the company said that it will be doing something that is not only good news for their workers, but a call to action for smal
  
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• BBC and ITV unveil launch plans for BritBox streaming service

  19-07-2019 11:10 via theguardian.com
  Joint venture considered unlikely to challenge UK market dominance of NetflixBBC and ITV’s new streaming service, BritBox, will launch in the autumn priced £5.99 a month but will go live without any exclusive new programmes and faces little chance of eating into Netflix’s market dominance. BritBox is being pitched as a cheaper additional streaming service for consumers who already subscribe to Netflix, with a focus on providing thousands of hours of archive material and classic
  
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• May to order £2bn public sector pay rise from existing budgets

  19-07-2019 10:06 via theguardian.com
  Teachers and police among those to reportedly benefit but no new funds availableTwo million public sector workers including police officers and teachers are to receive above-inflation pay increases, the biggest for six years, the government is expected to announce.Police officers will receive a 2.5% rise while the salaries of teachers and other school staff will increase by 2.75%. Continue reading...
  
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• Loadsamoney! Bank of England: 325 Years, 325 Objects – review

  19-07-2019 10:00 via theguardian.com
  Bank of England, London
  Counterfeit notes from Germany, a nuclear attack calculator and lots of bank bills … our economics editor invests in the Bank of England’s anniversary showBy its nature, the Bank of England is a sober and slightly forbidding institution. It sets interest rates, it polices the City to make sure there is no repeat of the 2008 financial meltdown, it is responsible for supplying banknotes, and it has tons of gold stashed away in the vaults. All, for centuries pas
  
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• Fishy figures: Boris Johnson's public service pledges are fantasy economics | Richard Vize

  19-07-2019 09:16 via theguardian.com
  Public services under a Johnson government could pay the price for his obsession with low taxesIn his campaign for the Conservative leadership, Boris Johnson has pledged more bobbies on the beat, a budget boost for schools and his team hinted at public sector pay rises. But his warm words about public services are underpinned by fantasy economics.His most eye-catching public service commitment has been to reverse his party’s cuts to policing by finding £1.1bn to hire 20,000 more poli
  
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• Homes with a roof terrace – in pictures

  19-07-2019 08:01 via theguardian.com
  From a Georgian townhouse terrace in Edinburgh to cubist villa in Hampshire Continue reading...
  
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• The biggest disasters in business history – podcasts of the week

  19-07-2019 07:01 via theguardian.com
  A new pod looks at businesses in crisis, including Kodak and a Christian amusement park, while a new true-crime series sees a daughter investigate her own fatherThe platform where many users go to to listen to other people’s podcasts, Apple is now plotting to start making its own. According to Bloomberg, the tech giant is in conversation with media companies about creating shows exclusive to Apple podcasts. It follows a similar move by the music streaming service Spotify and continues Appl
  
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• Buffalo hunt: can flea markets reveal the soul of a city?

  19-07-2019 07:01 via theguardian.com
  The illustrated city: artist Ariel Aberg-Riger pieces together the history of New York state’s second largest city via second-hand postcards, pottery and tchotchkes Continue reading...
  
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• Sadiq Khan calls for new powers to impose London rent controls

  19-07-2019 07:00
  Exclusive: Report sets out blueprint for overhaul of rental sector including devolved powersSadiq Khan will demand an overhaul of tenancy laws in a campaign for London rent controls that is set to be the cornerstone of his 2020 re-election campaign.The London mayor has said he intends to introduce a London private rent commission, with a board that would include current renters, to enforce measures to reduce rents and keep them at lower levels, but he currently lacks the legal power to do so. Co
  
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• Plant-based milk the choice for almost 25% of Britons now

  19-07-2019 07:00 via theguardian.com
  Sales surge of 70% for oat alternative in 2018 alongside falling demand for cow’s milkAlmost a quarter of Britons are consuming plant-based milk alternatives as the popularity of vegan and vegetarian diets continues to grow.While demand for traditional cow’s milk is falling, sales of alt-milk, made from oats, almonds and coconuts, have surged 10% over the past two years, according to a report. Continue reading...
  
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• Crown backs down and ‘refines’ plans for offshore wind auction

  19-07-2019 07:00 via theguardian.com
  Tender process for seabed use made more transparent after warnings from energy firmsThe Queen’s property manager has bowed to criticism over its plans for the biggest offshore wind auction in a decade by agreeing to fairer terms for renewable energy companies.The Crown Estate, which holds the rights to seabeds around the British Isles, told windfarm developers on Thursday that it has “refined” its controversial plans for the upcoming tender to make it more affordable to develop
  
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• How Trump's businesses are booming with lobbyists, donors and governments

  19-07-2019 06:00 via theguardian.com
  The president has refused to sever ties with his hotels, golf courses and condos – raising conflict of interest and corruption concernsFrom Florida to New York to Scotland and many other places, Donald Trump’s business empire has attracted a growing clientele of lobbyists, foreign governments, big donors and other Trump allies looking to curry favor, and helping generate hundreds of millions of dollars for his golf course resorts, condos and hotels.While much attention has focused on
  
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• Boeing to take $4.9bn charge due to grounding of 737 Max jets

  19-07-2019 01:55 via theguardian.com
  Company expects $5.6bn reduction in revenue after crashes in Ethiopia and IndonesiaBoeing reported on Thursday it would take an after-tax charge of $4.9bn in the second quarter on estimated disruptions from the prolonged grounding of its lucrative 737 Max passenger jets, after two deadly crashes.The charge is from “potential concessions and other considerations to customers”, and the impact of continued lower production, the world’s largest plane maker said in a statement, as a
  
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• Calling at all stations: tube passengers to get 4G reception from next year

  19-07-2019 01:01 via theguardian.com
  4G mobile technology will launch on Jubilee line and will be extended to other linesLondon Underground passengers will be able to use their phones in tunnels between stations from early next year, removing one of the last major public places in Britain without phone reception and creating new challenges to commuter etiquette.Transport for London confirmed to the Guardian that 4G mobile phone technology would go live in tunnels on most of the Jubilee line from March 2020 and on other lines in the
  
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