Financial news

• A property price rise in the UK could be the Tories’ last election trump card

  21-10-2023 18:00
  
  With the market expected to improve this year, the Conservatives will doubtless seek to exploit the reliable vote-winning toolProperty prices will go back up next year. Not by much. And not by enough for those who chart their wellbeing by the value of their home. In the pantheon of property price recoveries, it will rank among the weaker ones, though the Conservative party will be hoping it provides a lifeline.That’s the view of some economic forecasters – minus the political implica
  
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• ‘We had no money’: desperate UK public increasingly turning to pawnbrokers to make ends meet

  21-10-2023 17:00
  
  Financial Conduct Authority says cost of living crisis has sparked a 25% rise in number of new loans over past yearAt about midday, Grace walks into Pickwick Pawnbrokers in Dartford and places a thin 40-carat gold chain on the desk. The 73-year-old needs £40 to top up her smart meter, so she is handing over a Christmas present from her late husband. It usually has a diamond pendant on it. “It looks like the sun,” she explains.“I feel sad to be giving it up,” she say
  
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• POLL: Should Stamp Duty be slashed?

  21-10-2023 16:53 via express.co.uk
  
  Rishi Sunak is hoping to claw back support for the Tories by cutting Stamp Duty according to a report. But what do you think? Should Stamp Duty be slashed? Vote in our poll.
  
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• Banks branded a disgrace for closures with 5,000 now axed

  21-10-2023 15:57 via express.co.uk
  
  Over 1,150 banks have either closed or been earmarked for closure in the UK in the last two years.
  
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• 'I'm proud I ditched my 9-5 day job - now I make hundreds a day doing what I love'

  21-10-2023 14:00 via express.co.uk
  
  Olivia Thompson combined her passion for dogs and weddings into a unique chaperone business.
  
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• How much frozen income tax bands could cost you as HMRC to rake in extra £52bn by 2028

  21-10-2023 13:00 via express.co.uk
  
  The frozen tax allowances could leave Britons out of pocket by up to £13,000 by 2027/2028.
  
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• Thousands missing out on £3,500 tax-free cash boost that can wipe council tax bill

  21-10-2023 12:00 via express.co.uk
  
  Britons claiming certain DWP benefits could be eligible for extra financial support to help with high living costs.
  
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• 'I'm a savings expert - here's why fixed rates are falling and what to do to fight back'

  21-10-2023 11:00 via express.co.uk
  
  EXCLUSIVE: Express.co.uk spoke to Skipton Building Society's head of savings about his market forecast, as well as tips to make your money work harder.
  
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• Cracked tiles, wonky gutters, leaning walls – why are Britain’s new houses so rubbish?

  21-10-2023 11:00
  
  Buying a brand new property these days is often less of a dream home, more a living nightmare. With housebuilders – and their shareholders – making huge profits, how come so many new builds aren’t up to scratch?In a new-build housing estate on the edge of Peterborough, where rows of identical redbrick homes march along a freshly tarmacked street, Orlando Murphy stands outside a house wielding a long telescopic pole with a camera on the end. A few doors down, builders in hi-vis
  
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• Shrinkflation: you’re right, from gin to butter, quantity and quality are taking a hit

  21-10-2023 10:00
  
  The staples of your weekly shop are changing fast … and it’s not only in sizeYou take the spreadable butter out of the fridge and put it on your bagel; you are sure it is more watery than it used to be. You pick up the bagel and some filling falls out – is the hole bigger? The coffee seems to have run out again, so you seriously consider a stiff drink but your gin seems to have less kick than it used to.After you’ve eaten, you wash your hands – the bar doesn’
  
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• ‘I save £120 a month on energy thanks to hacks including family coffee rota’

  21-10-2023 10:00 via express.co.uk
  
  The mum of three says using tin foil behind her radiators makes a big difference and she has even saved on her bills by switching her hoover.
  
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• Energy bills warning as consumers could face 'unexpectedly' high bills this winter

  21-10-2023 09:00 via express.co.uk
  
  EXCLUSIVE: Consumers have been urged to make sure they understand how the Ofgem price cap works so they don't end up paying more than they mean to.
  
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• UK pensions warning: don’t get caught by an out-of-the-blue tax bill

  21-10-2023 08:01
  
  State pensioners could be dragged into the tax net next year, says former ministerHundreds of thousands of pensioners will have to start setting aside some of their state pension for unexpected tax bills, a former UK government minister has claimed.A combination of big increases in the state pension – with a rise of 8.5% scheduled for next spring – and a continued freeze in income tax thresholds means growing numbers of older people will be dragged into the tax net “purely on t
  
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• Key change to £299 DWP payment date means millions will get their money early

  21-10-2023 08:00 via express.co.uk
  
  Millions of people on benefits including Universal Credit are due to get the third instalment of a £900 cost of living payment next year.
  
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• Harrods’ £28 sandwich: we find out if the taste matches the price tag

  21-10-2023 08:00
  
  Luxury retailer’s wagyu beef butty is making waves for its expense – but what is it like to eat?“But it’s just a sandwich!” social media cried when it emerged that Harrods, the luxury retailer, is selling one for £28 – making it the most expensive butty in Britain.Seen out of context – or rather in the context of “just” being a sandwich – the price boggles. Yet, in Harrods’ defence, there is nothing “just” about
  
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• Cruises, golf and private health: how baby boomer spending has kept UK inflation stubbornly high

  21-10-2023 08:00
  
  The postwar generation has benefited from good pensions and now interest rate rises, but while its spending has boosted the economy, it has many downsides – not least pricesRishi Sunak has pledged to halve inflation this year, but faces a challenge from the verygroup of core voters he hopes will keep him in office: baby boomers.Born in the postwar years between 1946 and 1964, and now aged 59 to 77 years old, boomers are contributing to stubbornly high inflation with their spending splurges
  
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• Hydrogen boiler push to continue despite verdict of UK watchdog

  21-10-2023 07:00
  
  Government and gas-focused industry body resist conclusion that heat pumps are ‘only viable’ option for heating UK homesThe government and sections of UK industry will continue to back the prospect of using hydrogen for home heating, despite a clear verdict against the technology from the UK’s infrastructure watchdog.The National Infrastructure Commission advised this week, after an exhaustive investigation of the technology, that hydrogen was not suitable for heating homes. Th
  
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• Britons could be entitled to £500 a month if they have less than £16,000 in savings

  21-10-2023 07:00 via express.co.uk
  
  As the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite, this extra cash could be vital for people surviving on a low income.
  
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