Financial news

Meet the forever renters: ‘Nobody wants to be in share housing when they’re in their late 70s’

06-12-2024 15:01

After long careers, now expecting easier lives, a cohort of older Australians are instead struggling with housing affordability and securityRead other stories in Priced out: How the housing crisis is reshaping Australia“Too old to be renting” was how Thomas, a 65-year-old Queenslander summed it up. He and his partner had been saving to buy a home before rent rises ate into much of their savings. “Home ownership opportunities,” he said, “have vanished.”A countr

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I’m dreaming of a green Christmas: how to reduce your festive tree’s carbon footprint

06-12-2024 12:00

Is plastic better for the planet than a real one? Are there carbon neutral options? And should you have a tree at all? Here’s how to remain guilt-free this yuleI call it the Biennial in our house: 2024, the Christmas tree returns to our living room after a two-year absence. I’m no Scrooge. I’m one of those people who goes big on Christmas. I can quote The Muppet Christmas Carol. I love pigs in blankets. I once chartered a Routemaster to drive through central London so my p

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Average UK house price hits record £298,083, says Halifax

06-12-2024 09:18

Property prices increase by 1.3% in November, the fifth consecutive monthly riseThe average price of a house in the UK has hit a record high after a fifth successive month of increases in the value of properties, Britain’s biggest mortgage lender has said.Halifax’s monthly house price index found that the cost of an average home was £298,083 in November, up almost £5,000 on the previous record set in October. Continue reading...

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Revealed: bias found in AI system used to detect UK benefits fraud

06-12-2024 06:00

Exclusive: Age, disability, marital status and nationality influence decisions to investigate claims, prompting fears of ‘hurt first, fix later’ approachAn artificial intelligence system used by the UK government to detect welfare fraud is showing bias according to people’s age, disability, marital status and nationality, the Guardian can reveal.An internal assessment of a machine-learning programme used to vet thousands of claims for universal credit payments across England fo

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‘It comes at a cost’: British growers criticise Christmas vegetable price war

06-12-2024 06:00

Supermarkets slash the cost of vegetables to lure Christmas shoppers – but are low prices taking too great a toll on Britain’s farmers?Ten years ago, marketing executives at Britain’s biggest supermarket had a brainwave: might slashing the price of basic vegetables tempt shoppers to do their Christmas shop with them?Tesco, under chief executive Dave Lewis, was trying to revive a business reeling after falling sales, five profit warnings and an accounting scandal. That promotion

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