Financial news

• More English councils expected to fail owing billions, warns Moody’s

  11-09-2023 19:37
  
  Rating agency report amid local government crisis lists 20 most indebted authorities relative to size More English councils are expected to fail owing billions of pounds in debts, a leading credit rating agency has warned, amid an escalating crisis for local government after years of budget cuts and mismanagement.In a report in the wake of the financial meltdown at Birmingham city council, Moody’s said several other local authorities across the country were close to issuing pre-insolvency
  
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• TSB launches £100,000 prize draw to mark 10th anniversary - how you could win

  11-09-2023 16:27 via express.co.uk
  
  TSB is offering 10 lucky customers the chance to win £10,000 each.
  
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• Entrepreneur gives out £11m in investments as high street banks 'put projects at risk'

  11-09-2023 16:26 via express.co.uk
  
  A high-profile property entrepreneur has set aside £11million to provide loans for people who want to invest in bricks and mortar but struggle to get the finance from banks.
  
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• Future of triple lock in question as policy creates ‘enormous’ costs difficulties

  11-09-2023 15:47 via express.co.uk
  
  State pensioners are set for another large payment increase but an expert has warned the triple lock is becoming unsustainable.
  
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• DWP issues scam warning ahead of £300 autumn Cost of Living payment

  11-09-2023 15:06 via express.co.uk
  
  Britons are being targeted by a new 'Cost of Living Payment' scam as criminals trick victims into sharing personal details to empty their bank accounts.
  
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• Shawbrook Bank increases interest on table-topping easy access ISA to 4.58%

  11-09-2023 14:32 via express.co.uk
  
  Shawbrook Bank offers one of the highest interest rates available for easy access cash ISAs.
  
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• Mobile phone contract scam masked identity fraud – The Crusader

  11-09-2023 13:43 via express.co.uk
  
  A couple had no inkling that fraudsters were beginning to circle when one day a courier knocked on their door with a package containing a mobile phone that they had not ordered.
  
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• Full list of 52 Wilko branches closing this week as retail giant forced to shut all stores

  11-09-2023 13:17 via express.co.uk
  
  More than 1,000 staff are to lose their jobs as the chain shuts the first raft its high street shops within days as further closures loom thanks to a rescue deal falling through.
  
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• Council tax warning that 400,000 homes 'in wrong band' are overpaying thousands a year

  11-09-2023 13:13 via express.co.uk
  
  With council tax bills having risen by five percent for millions this year, it's more important than ever to check that your property is in the right band.
  
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• Creepy AI scam sparks warning from McAfee, Kaspersky and NordVPN cyber security experts

  11-09-2023 11:38 via express.co.uk
  
  EXCLUSIVE: Scammers are using AI to imitate a person's voice to make fake phone calls to their friends and relatives.
  
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• Pound climbs for first time in seven days as sterling soars above $1.25

  11-09-2023 11:10 via express.co.uk
  
  It comes as the dollar pulls back following Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen's comments about a soft economic landing for the US.
  
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• The great meter mix-up: are you paying for your neighbour’s gas?

  11-09-2023 10:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Database errors mean customers have been getting huge demands from firms that don’t even supply themThe British Gas bill came out of the blue. It demanded £10,529 for a month’s worth of electricity and required payment within 10 days. Jessica* rents a modest flat in London and is a customer of E.ON Next. Her E.ON bill for the same month was £50.60.“We moved into the flat two years ago when it was supplied by EDF,” she said. “We switched to E.ON six month
  
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• My partner’s being chased for another Mr Smith’s debts

  11-09-2023 08:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Ridiculous problem caused by men with same name and date of birth is a constant source of stressFor more than a decade, my partner has been mistaken by credit reference agencies for another person with the same name and the same date of birth.The other Christopher Smith has lived in numerous places and seems to leave properties without paying his bills – so utility companies and councils chase my partner for this money. The two men have different middle names but this doesn’t appear
  
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• My five-year fixed-rate mortgage deal is ending. What should I do next?

  11-09-2023 08:00 via theguardian.com
  
  I have £40,000 in savings and I can’t decide whether to pay it into my high mortgage or put it in a pensionQ I have a relatively high mortgage payment of £1,400 a month. My five-year fixed-rate deal is ending in 2024 and I’m stressed about my next steps.My mortgage will represent less than 50% of the value of the house at the next renewal, so presumably I’ll have access to the best rates. Continue reading...
  
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• Nearly half of working UK musicians earn less than £14,000, new census finds

  11-09-2023 06:00
  
  Musicians’ Census of nearly 6,000 professionals shows many rely on multiple jobs, with notable pay inequalities around disability and raceA pioneering census of nearly 6,000 working musicians in the UK has found that nearly half earn less than £14,000 a year from their craft.The first Musicians’ Census, a project it is hoped to repeat every three to five years, was created by the Musicians’ Union and the charity Help Musicians, which used a series of industry partners to
  
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• Has the plant-based food revolution lost its sizzle? – podcast

  11-09-2023 04:00
  
  There has been a boom in the market for plant-based foods and products that mimic meat in recent years. But that boom has hit a blip amid a cost of living crisis and increasing consumer worries about ultra-processed food, says Bee WilsonFor years, people following vegetarian and vegan diets were exceptionally poorly catered for on restaurant menus and in supermarket convenience food. But no longer: the boom in plant-based products has been one of the major food stories of the past few years.But
  
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