Financial news

• Martin Lewis issues urgent message to everyone with a Cash ISA

  01-04-2025 18:33 via express.co.uk
  
  Money Saving Expert founder Martin Lewis is urging those with a Cash ISA to max them out before Sunday.
  
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• Rebel Energy goes bust leaving 90,000 customers without supplier

  01-04-2025 18:09 via theguardian.com
  
  UK energy firm ceases trading, blaming ‘perfect storm’ of soaring wholesale prices and squeezed customersA UK energy supplier with about 90,000 customers has gone bust, blaming a “perfect storm” of soaring wholesale prices and squeezed customers, on the day households face another increase in gas and electricity bills.Rebel Energy, which serves about 80,000 households and 10,000 business customers, will cease trading immediately and leave the industry regulator to find a
  
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• Motor finance compensation ruling ‘goes too far’, says City regulator

  01-04-2025 18:08 via theguardian.com
  
  Financial Conduct Authority tells supreme court the £44bn bill could spook businesses and threaten UK investmentA court of appeal ruling that has left lenders fearing PPI-level compensation bills over the motor finance commission scandal “goes too far”, the City regulator said on Tuesday.The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) made the comments in a written submission to the supreme court on Tuesday, as part of a high-profile case being closely watched by the government. The Trea
  
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• Martin Lewis says check state pension before Saturday after man gets £34,000 boost

  01-04-2025 18:01 via express.co.uk
  
  Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis says there are just days left to get a huge boost to your state pension before Saturday - as one man did and got £34,000.
  
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• The Crusader: All bright now for solar light customer and his wildlife efforts

  01-04-2025 18:00 via express.co.uk
  
  The Crusader helps customer Tom Lafferty who struggled in the dark for weeks after returning a faulty lamp.
  
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• Customers of British Gas, EON, OVO and 20 energy firms hit with £1,849 charges from today

  01-04-2025 17:21 via express.co.uk
  
  Customers with as many as 24 energy firms will see bill charges rise from today unless they are on a fixed tariff.
  
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• UK households up to £443 worse off per year from April

  01-04-2025 17:18 via express.co.uk
  
  April marks the start of an array of price hikes on household bills, including energy, water and council tax.
  
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• The 4-minute change to slash bills by up to £135 as prices rise today

  01-04-2025 16:47 via express.co.uk
  
  UK households face a swathe of price increases in April, including hikes to energy and water bills.
  
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• Martin Lewis's quick hack to save on energy as bills soar to £1,849

  01-04-2025 15:05 via express.co.uk
  
  With every corner of our life becoming more expensive, Martin Lewis has come with a quick energy hack to help cash strapped Brits save some precious pounds.
  
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• Majority of households face maximum council tax hikes today - how much your bill will rise

  01-04-2025 13:28 via express.co.uk
  
  Council tax bills will rise by as much as 9.99% in some areas.
  
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• Global cost of Trump trade war ‘could reach $1.4tn’; tariff fears hurt UK factories – business live

  01-04-2025 11:13 via theguardian.com
  
  Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news, as UK business secretary warns Britain will be hit by ‘Liberation Day’ tariffsTrump prepares to unveil reciprocal tariffs as markets brace amid trade war fearsTrump’s new tariffs could backfire if they are set too high, explains Mark Haefele, chief investment officer at UBS Global Wealth Management:“Wednesday’s reciprocal tariffs could push the effective tariff rate another 4 percentage points higher. Anyth
  
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• Today Labour brings in higher wages, because we know we must put money back in working people’s pockets | Rachel Reeves

  01-04-2025 11:10 via theguardian.com
  
  Our opponents dismiss this move, but we have a core belief: people deserve a decent day’s pay for a decent day’s workA few months ago I visited a school in my constituency and took part in a question-and-answer session with young pupils. One girl raised her hand and asked me: “Why is everything in the shops so expensive?”In just eight words she had encapsulated the mood of the country. She had cut through to the core question that people had on their minds when they went
  
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• UK food inflation increases as shoppers buy Easter eggs early

  01-04-2025 10:48 via theguardian.com
  Lidl and Ocado grow strongly, but Asda loses market share despite recent reset, Kantar figures showBusiness live – latest updatesFood inflation increased last month, driven by price rises in chocolate and confectionery, while Britons have already splashed out more than £130m on Easter eggs and other seasonal sweets despite the late fall of the holiday.Sales at the UK’s main grocers rose 3.2%, just behind grocery inflation which rose to 3.5% in the month to 23 March. In the prev
  
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• RBA holds rates at 4.1% but Michele Bullock says room for cuts if global trade war takes toll

  01-04-2025 10:07 via theguardian.com
  Reserve Bank of Australia governor says board did not ‘explicitly’ consider case for a rate cut on Monday and TuesdayElection 2025 live updates: Australia federal election campaignGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, Michele Bullock, says the central bank is ready and able to cut interest rates if needed to shield the economy from a damaging global trade war.Bullock made the comments after the central bank’s m
  
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• UK house prices stagnant in March as London struggles

  01-04-2025 09:07 via theguardian.com
  
  Capital records lowest annual price growth in the country as Northern Ireland races ahead, Nationwide findsBusiness live – latest updatesUK house prices stagnated last month as London clocked up the lowest price growth in the country, while thousands of Britons raced to complete purchases before the end of a stamp duty holiday.The average price of a home was unchanged at £271,316 in March, compared with February’s 0.4% monthly rise, according to Nationwide building society. Con
  
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• And the award for zero self-awareness goes to second-home owners raging about higher taxes | Gaby Hinsliff

  01-04-2025 09:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Why the anger? Doubling council tax on holiday homes in England is a sensible, revenue-raising policy for communities in serious needShould you have the world’s tiniest violin to hand, prepare to play it. This week, English councils gain the power to double council tax on second homes, and the holiday-cottage-owning classes are fuming. “Nothing but a racket,” thundered the Daily Telegraph, dismissing a supposedly “vindictive” raid on weekenders that was (gasp) &ldqu
  
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• How to use AI to get a job interview and nail it – along with the salary you deserve

  01-04-2025 08:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Supercharge your search and beat the screening, sharpen your speaking skills and boost your negotiating positionThe fear that artificial intelligence (AI) will replace millions of jobs is widespread. But equally, in today’s tough job market, not using AI wisely as part of your search could mean you miss out. It’s a tricky balancing act to harness the technology’s power without losing the human touch. Continue reading...
  
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• Trumpism is sinking democratic values. It’s Starmer’s job to steer the UK back to safety | Polly Toynbee

  01-04-2025 07:00 via theguardian.com
  
  US tariffs hit this week just as other costs start to bite in Britain. To meet these challenges, Labour will finally have to changeThe prime minister may pretend to “like and respect” Donald Trump, but elsewhere in parliament anti-Americanism is running hot. In a Lords debate on obesity last week, Labour’s Lord Brooke suggested imposing 25% tariffs on “American products which are causing us difficulties – Coca-Cola, Pepsi, KFC, McDonald’s”. The governmen
  
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• Only 2.5% of private rentals in England affordable on housing benefit, study finds

  01-04-2025 06:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Exclusive: Charities say freeze to housing benefit will push more people into rent arrears and homelessnessOnly 2.5% of private rented homes in England were affordable for people on housing benefit last year, with charities warning that more people will be pushed into rent arrears and homelessness as a freeze on the benefit takes effect.From Tuesday, housing benefit rates will be locked at current rates until 2026, affecting 5.7m households on low income which rely on it to cover rent. Continue
  
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• Millions of Britons brace for across-the-board bill rises in ‘awful April’

  01-04-2025 06:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Ministers urged to act as energy, water, car tax, TV licences and a string of other increases squeeze householdsBill rises Britons face, from council tax to energy and carsWill bills continue to rise and what does it mean for Labour?‘It’s relentless’: Britons react to April bill risesMillions of households are bracing themselves for a raft of price increases across a range of bills – from energy and water to car tax and the TV licence – that take effect on Tuesday.W
  
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• ‘It’s relentless’: Britons react to April bill rises amid Labour’s benefit cuts

  01-04-2025 06:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Increases in council tax, energy and water come less than week after Rachel Reeves revealed raft of cuts to welfareBill rises Britons face, from council tax to energy and carsWill bills continue to rise and what does it mean for Labour?‘It’s relentless’: Britons react to April bill risesMillions of households are braced for higher costs from this week, as energy, water and council tax bills are poised to rise, raising fears of a deepening cost of living crisis.The regulator Ofg
  
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• OpenAI raises up to $40bn in record-breaking deal with SoftBank

  01-04-2025 05:10 via theguardian.com
  
  Japanese investment group says it wants to realise ‘artificial super intelligence’ – smarter than people – in biggest capital raising ever for a start-upOpenAI said it had raised $40bn in a funding round that valued the ChatGPT maker at $300bn – the biggest capital-raising session ever for a startup.It comes in a partnership with the Japanese investment group SoftBank and “enables us to push the frontiers of AI research even further,” OpenAI announced, a
  
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• The Tesla backlash – podcast

  01-04-2025 04:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Elon Musk’s electric vehicle company has been targeted by protests across the world“It felt like you were driving in this future dream car,” says Mike Schwede, an entrepreneur based between Zurich and London. For him, driving a Tesla used to feel special.“People on the streets really liked it,” Schwede says. “I got so many thumbs-up.” Continue reading...
  
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