Financial news

• Academics are fighting the wrong battle over pensions

  14-09-2019 17:00
  Retirement benefits are indeed declining, and funds are in deficit. But those on zero-hour jobs at universities have it worseBritain’s university sector is a jewel in the nation’s crown. It is a world leader in research, generates £20bn in export revenues and is credited with playing a big part in raising the productivity of the UK’s workforce during a period of rapid expansion in the 1990s and 2000s.So successful have universities been in attracting students – even
  
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• Bitcoin price news: The eco-friendly way to mine crypto

  14-09-2019 11:01 via feedproxy.google.com
  BITCOIN is the controversial digital currency some believe can change the financial system. One of the flagship cryptocurrency’s main criticisms concerns the method of its manufacture: bitcoin mining. Now an expert has suggested a greener way of mining bitcoin.
  
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• Boiler cover plans: are they worth buying?

  14-09-2019 10:19 via theguardian.com
  As winter beckons, you may be tempted to take out a policy. We evaluate the options Millions of homes across the UK will soon be firing up their central heating for the first time in months – and some will find that their boiler decides not to work. Should you pay for an independent callout and bills as they arise, or take out one of the many monthly service plans on offer? Continue reading...
  
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• Sports Direct: meet the man behind the upmarket rebrand

  14-09-2019 10:00 via theguardian.com
  Mike Ashley’s future son-in-law and head of elevation, Michael Murray, is busy reimagining the retail empireMen in sharp suits mix with models as Vogue editor Edward Enniful and fashion influencers sip champagne and Salty Dog cocktails while they peruse £525-a-pair bejewelled Jimmy Choo trainers at a glossy store on London’s Oxford Street.This is Flannels, the achingly expensive designer emporium which Mike Ashley, the founder and chief executive of Sports Direct, views as the
  
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• UK pension annuities under threat as rates plummet

  14-09-2019 08:01 via theguardian.com
  They turn savings into an income for life – but demand has fallen sharplyThis week pension annuities collapsed to an all-time low. So are they now a pointless purchase? It is a product that turns your pension savings into an income for life, but demand has fallen off a cliff since the government introduced a range of “pension freedoms” in 2015 that meant people no longer had to take one out.Continue reading...
  
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• ‘Starting a business has made me a lot more frugal’

  14-09-2019 08:01 via theguardian.com
  Lawyer and campaigner Steve Wardlaw on his spending habits – and why one classic car isn’t enoughName: Steve Wardlaw
  Age: 50
  Occupation: Lawyer and chairman of insurer Emerald Life
  Income: £60,000 salary, £150,000 a year from investmentsI might be what some might call “wealthy” but bizarrely I’ve become a lot more frugal since starting my own business a few years ago. I’m more conscious that money has to last. I’m also trying to make sure oth
  
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• How can we store our bikes securely in our front garden?

  14-09-2019 08:01 via theguardian.com
  We’re fed up with them cluttering up our hall but are worried about the risk of theftEvery 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 is fed up with bikes cluttering the hall of our home. We’re thinking about putting bike storage in our front garden, but we’re worried about the risk of theft. What would readers recommend that isn&rs
  
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• 50p at 50: how Britons' living costs have changed since 1969

  14-09-2019 08:01 via theguardian.com
  It’s a half century since the 50p went into circulation. Here’s how our spending has transformedThe front page of the Guardian carried stories on the two burning issues of the day: the eruption of violence in Northern Ireland, and the endless negotiations over the UK joining the EEC. The chief comment piece was speculation about a forthcoming general election, with Labour behind in the polls. And a large advert from the Decimal Currency Board proclaimed the arrival that day of the &l
  
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• TV streaming bonanza looms for UK – but can you afford it?

  14-09-2019 08:00 via theguardian.com
  Services from Apple, Britbox, HBO and Disney launch soon – but to get them all would cost £1,450 a yearTelevision viewers who want to watch a range of sport and popular shows, including Premier League and Champion’s League football, dramas such as The Crown, Line of Duty and Chernobyl, archive shows such as Gavin and Stacey and new content based on the Star Wars and Marvel franchises, face having to pay more than £120 a month by this time next year.The global streaming ph
  
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• Between the covers: how the British fell out of love with magazines

  14-09-2019 08:00 via theguardian.com
  Marie Claire’s closure highlights print titles’ struggle for survival in the age of online media Another gap is about to appear on your newsagent’s shelf. This week Marie Claire announced the closure of its UK print edition, adding to an expanding list of high-profile titles from NME to FHM that have succumbed to the digital revolution.The British love affair with consumer magazines has become increasingly tepid since the arrival of online competitors such as YouTube and Facebo
  
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• We can revive Britain’s high streets. But developers stand in the way | Tony Naylor

  14-09-2019 07:00 via theguardian.com
  Across the country, imaginative projects are increasing footfall. Yet without radical intervention, they can only do so muchAnyone who has walked down a British high street recently will not be surprised by the latest news on their dire state. A report by the Local Data Company and PricewaterhouseCoopers reveals that chain-store closures are at their highest level since their audit began in 2010. On Britain’s top 500 high streets, 1,234 shops shut in the first half of 2019. Related: Retail
  
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• Approaching retirement but not state pension age? Pensions expert on what to do

  14-09-2019 05:01 via feedproxy.google.com
  RETIREMENT age can often depend on a person’s own personal and financial circumstances. Express.co.uk has posed the question of what a person who wants to retire but is unable to afford to as they're not yet at state pension age should do, to a financial planner and pensions expert.
  
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