Financial news

• Lloyd’s of London offers to insure NHS for unexpected costs such as pandemic

  16-04-2023 18:32
  
  Head of insurance market floats idea of giving government bespoke flood and drought coverThe head of Lloyd’s of London has offered to strike a world-first deal with the UK government to help the NHS meet unexpected increases in costs triggered by major events such as another pandemic.John Neal, who runs the world’s largest insurance market, where 76 firms operate, floated the possibility of providing bespoke insurance contracts to the struggling health service, as well as government
  
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• ‘A hard business’: UK’s illustrious ad industry tainted by burnout and inequality

  16-04-2023 16:00
  
  Agencies are struggling to attract and retain creative talent, with low pay still a problemFrom Nick Kamen in a launderette for Levi’s, Guinness’ fanatical surfer and Cadbury’s drumming gorilla to Christmas tearjerkers from John Lewis, Britain boasts an illustrious and enviable pedigree when it comes to creating world-class advertising.And yet, last year the UK ad industry recorded the biggest annual rate of staff turnover in more than a decade, as problems including burnout, p
  
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• Amazon workers in Coventry begin first of two three-day strikes

  16-04-2023 15:57
  
  Workers gather at picket line as part of demand for pay increase from £11 to £15 an hourWorkers at Amazon’s Coventry warehouse have begun a fresh round of strike action in a dispute about pay during the cost of living crisis.GMB union members are planning three days of strikes at the huge Coventry centre, known as BHX4, from Sunday 16 to Tuesday 18 April, to be followed by three further days, from 21 to 23 April. Continue reading...
  
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• Ministers ignored red flags over Covid fraud, says former head of SFO

  16-04-2023 15:45
  
  Exclusive: Sir David Green suggests ‘prudence was thrown out the window’ as UK lost billions of pounds in pandemic business supportThe former head of Britain’s financial crime prosecutor has said “red flags were ignored” in the rush to distribute taxpayer-funded emergency loans to businesses during the pandemic, and questioned whether fraud was taken seriously by the government.Parliament’s spending watchdog estimates fraud and error were likely to have cost t
  
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• Are we returning to an era of delayed gratification? I hope so | Viv Groskop

  16-04-2023 14:00
  
  Human beings can be well served by waiting around for pleasures. The truth is, healthy anticipation makes our lives more enjoyable
  My grandmother lived to the ripe old age of 84. Her memorable life advice was: “Always have something to look forward to.” She was a great believer in not getting what you want: “As long as you want something, you have something to live for.” This is kind of depressing and counterintuitive “wisdom”, as it suggests that you will be
  
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• Calls for stricter UK oversight of workplace AI amid fears for staff rights

  16-04-2023 13:46
  
  Campaigners, unions and MPs raise concerns about surveillance and use of‘management by algorithm’ Campaigners, trade unions and MPs are calling for stricter oversight of the use of artificial intelligence in the workplace, amid growing concerns about its effect on staff rights.The Trades Union Congress (TUC) is holding a half-day conference on Tuesday to highlight the challenges of ensuring that workers are treated fairly, as what it calls “management by algorithm” become
  
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• ‘Stop or I’ll fire you’: the driver who defied Uber’s automated HR

  16-04-2023 13:04
  
  Alexandru Iftimie received apology from tech giant after investigating data behind his supposed fraudAlexandru Iftimie, a 39-year-old who came to the UK from Romania seven years ago, was just about making ends meet as an Uber driver during the pandemic when he got an unexpected message from the ride-sharing app.“I received a warning: ‘We detected some fraudulent activity, therefore you have to stop otherwise I have to fire you,’” he recalls. Continue reading...
  
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• Age of globalisation is now the age of instability – and we need a plan | Larry Elliott

  16-04-2023 12:19
  
  Bridgetown Initiative could be way for rich nations’ development finance words to become action Kristalina Georgieva is one of life’s optimists, so it was no surprise that the managing director of the International Monetary Fund found things to be cheerful about at last week’s gathering of finance ministers and central bank governors in Washington.The two Bretton Woods institutions – the IMF and the World Bank – meet every six months, and since October, fears of a d
  
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• Supermarket sweep: how TikTok can help you save money on your food shopping

  16-04-2023 12:00
  
  The video-sharing app has become the best place to see the unfolding effect of the cost of living crisis, with weekly shops and ‘receipt reveals’ watched by millionsBefore Rachel Nixon goes to the supermarket, she sketches a quick shopping list in her head. In the garage she usually has a sack of potatoes, and meat, green veg and bread in the freezer. For the bits in between, she will head either to her local, membership-only brand discounter, the Company Shop in Barnsley, or to a ma
  
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• ‘We have lost a lot of control’: UK at risk of food fraud, safety expert warns

  16-04-2023 11:00
  
  Despite industry improvements since the 2013 horsemeat scandal, there has been an increase in cross-border food safety and intelligence issues post-BrexitThe head of the inquiry into the horsemeat scandal in 2013 has warned the UK is isolated from intelligence over food supply chains in Europe, increasing the risk of new scandals.Professor Chris Elliott chaired the government inquiry into the scandal in which horsemeat was substituted for beef in a range of products. Millions of products were wi
  
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• Bristol is named the UK's Lifetime ISA 'hotspot' for first-time buyers

  16-04-2023 09:30 via express.co.uk
  
  When searching for the best place for first-time buyers, Bristol has come up on top as the number one UK hotspot for Lifetime ISAs.
  
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• Everyone loves this tax-free pension perk but it gets even better if you resist taking it

  16-04-2023 09:15 via express.co.uk
  
  Pensions come with a host of tax benefits but the most popular of all is the ability to take 25 percent of your pot as a tax-free lump sum from age 55.
  
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• One of the biggest bills you will ever face in life comes right at the end. Plan now

  16-04-2023 08:29 via express.co.uk
  
  It's impossible to escape the cost-of-living crisis, even in death. Just like everything else, funerals are getting more expensive, too.
  
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• UK pensions: how to make sure you get the best income in retirement

  16-04-2023 08:00
  
  Experts offer tips on how to make the best of your contributions – and whether you could afford to retire earlyHow much do you need to retire as living costs soar?The reason why one in three people won’t even reach the minimum income level in retirement is that they don’t have a proper national insurance (NI) record. You will usually need to have 10 qualifying years to get any new state pension, and 35 to get the full amount (although it does vary). No idea if you have enough q
  
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• Seven supermarket swaps which could quickly halve the cost of food bill

  16-04-2023 08:00 via express.co.uk
  
  Food inflation has now reached an alarming 18.2 percent, additional pressure on household budgets.
  
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• Brexit caps years of Tory failure Starmer fears to oppose | William Keegan

  16-04-2023 08:00
  
  Attacks on Rishi Sunak are pointless if Labour is going to let the crowning disaster of Tory government pass without commentFirst we hear from the International Monetary Fund that the UK economy is bottom of the G7 class. Then come the absolutely disastrous export figures for October-December from the Office for National Statistics: the volume of exports was more than 9% below the pre-pandemic average. This compares with a double-digit increase in Italy’s exports – er, yes, a country
  
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• 'Top 10 easy side hustles’: Britons could be making an extra £5,000 a year

  16-04-2023 07:01 via express.co.uk
  
  As the cost of living crisis continues, many people are looking to take on a side hustle to help pay the bills but which ones are the best paid?
  
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• Is the bird really freed? A look back at six months of Musk’s Twitter reign

  16-04-2023 07:00
  
  As we approach half a year of Musk’s acquisition of the social media firm, this is how key areas of the site’s business have performedOn 28 October 2022 Elon Musk tweeted “the bird is freed” as he marked his $44bn acquisition of Twitter.Nearly six months later, it became a dog. The distinctive avian logo the Tesla CEO had referenced in October had been replaced by a picture of a Shiba Inu canine – the face of the Dogecoin cryptocurrency. Continue reading...
  
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• 'Time on your side': Pension contributions could send your child to ‘millionaire’s row’

  16-04-2023 06:01 via express.co.uk
  
  Saving into a pension for a child is often seen as a good way to give their financial future a head start.
  
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• Trusts could be 'powerful' tool to reduce inheritance tax burden

  16-04-2023 05:01 via express.co.uk
  
  EXCLUSIVE: Trusts are a "powerful" tool to help mitigate inheritance tax liabilities, experts have said.
  
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• 'No end in sight!' WASPI woman’s fury at ongoing state pension age debate

  16-04-2023 05:01 via express.co.uk
  
  EXCLUSIVE: A 1950s-born woman has expressed her fury at the Government, calling for further support amid state pension age changes.
  
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• ‘No brainer!': Man shares 'easy way' he's been able to knock £1,500 off his bills

  16-04-2023 05:01 via express.co.uk
  
  The average household is expected to spend at least £5,345 on food this year. But what many don't realise is that the money they spend on fuelling themselves could help them save when it comes to fuelling their home.
  
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• 10 key things divorcing couples need to consider to ensure ‘smooth’ separation

  16-04-2023 05:00 via express.co.uk
  
  Couples need to plan ahead and think about the division of assets such as pensions as well as debts and taxes, an expert told Express.co.uk in an exclusive interview.
  
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• Inflation is expected to fall but Bank of England’s rate call is finely balanced

  16-04-2023 01:05
  
  Hopes for a drop in the headline rate are pinned on lower oil and gas prices, but it could still go the other wayFor months there has been hope that inflation might come tumbling down from its highest rate in 40 years. In search of an elusive peak, and despite having already made several wrong calls, some forecasters are suggesting that a rapid decline is all but “guaranteed”.This week will put those expectations to the test, with the publication of a range of economic data that will
  
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