Financial news

• Let Royal Mail drop letters on Saturdays. Also make it hit weekday targets | Nils Pratley

  05-09-2023 19:19 via theguardian.com
  
  With letter volumes plunging, most Britons would probably settle for a more reliable five-day serviceRoyal Mail would prefer not to deliver letters on Saturdays, a plea that would be more powerful if the company could get vaguely close to hitting the performance standards currently expected of it. The postal service was miles off last year. Only 74% of first-class letters were delivered on time, versus a target of 93%, for instance. Even the regulator Ofcom, often a soft touch on these matters,
  
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• Petrol prices expected to rise as oil cost climbs above $90 a barrel

  05-09-2023 19:03 via theguardian.com
  
  Motorists could be hardest hit after Russia and Saudi Arabia extend cuts to suppliesMotorists are braced for higher pump prices after the cost of oil climbed above $90 a barrel for the first time this year as Russia and Saudi Arabia extended cuts to supplies.Oil jumped to its highest price since last November, after the two oil-rich nations said they would prolong a plan to withhold supplies from the global market until December. Continue reading...
  
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• Like Joan Bakewell, I despair about where my inheritance tax will go | Letters

  05-09-2023 18:45
  
  Margaret Owen doesn’t want to help pay for unethical, even unlawful, policies, while Lorrie Marchington recommends giving to charities in your willI, like Joan Bakewell, am in my 90s, and despair that my taxes are funding despicable and even unlawful government policies (My advice on inheritance? Give it away: it’s one of life’s last pleasures, 29 August).These include, for example, giving Rwanda £120m for its stalled migrant deal; doubling financial support to MPs who wi
  
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• Can Alan Joyce’s departure save Qantas? – podcast

  05-09-2023 17:00
  
  Alan Joyce’s reign as the boss of Qantas has come to an end.The divisive CEO announced his shock early retirement after 15 years in the role and a turbulent week for the airline as it prepares to fight a war on many fronts, including a consumer watchdog lawsuit and a possible Senate inquiry.Transport and urban affairs reporter Elias Visontay tells Laura Murphy-Oates whether Joyce’s departure can save the airline’s reputation and what it means for the future of what was once one
  
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• First-class UK stamp to rise by 15p in October to £1.25

  05-09-2023 16:45 via theguardian.com
  
  Third increase in 18 months delivers new blow to hard-pressed firms and consumersRoyal Mail looks to end Saturday letter deliveriesThe price of a first-class UK stamp is scheduled to rise by 15p in October – the third increase in 18 months – in a fresh blow to consumers and businesses who rely on the postal service.The increase will mean that from 2 October a first-class stamp will cost £1.25 – 47% more than in March last year. Continue reading...
  
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• Hidden holiday fees: is the end nigh for dastardly drip pricing?

  05-09-2023 16:44 via theguardian.com
  
  A trip can seem affordable – but only before you have paid the service, cleaning and baggage fees. Now these costly extras may become a thing of the past ...Name: Drip pricing.Age: The term has been around since the 1970s, but airline liberalisation in the 1990s turbo-charged the practice. Continue reading...
  
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• How can it cost £46 to sell a few Santander shares?

  05-09-2023 08:00
  
  That’s the charge quoted by Equiniti – but they’re only worth about £450I have some Santander shares I gained years ago when it took over the demutualised Abbey National.Every year the bank’s share management company, Equiniti, writes to me offering – among other things – to sell them. Continue reading...
  
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• How do photos of hamburgers in Australian ads compare to reality? – video

  05-09-2023 07:22
  
  In the US, customers are taking Burger King to court because they feel misled, claiming the Whopper looks bigger on in-store menu boards than it is in real life. But how do the burgers from Australia's fast food chains compare? Guardian Australia's Rafqa Touma visited McDonald's, KFC and Hungry Jack's to see if their burgers pass the test. ► Subscribe to Guardian Australia on YouTubeHow do Australia’s best-selling burgers stack up against their ads? Continue reading...
  
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