Financial news

• Beware your breakdown cover going up

  25-06-2016 08:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Car owners should check renewal notices to avoid a surprise premium riseCar owners who buy annual breakdown cover are being warned to check their renewal notices closely after Direct Line more than doubled one Leeds woman’s annual premium without explanation.Sue Sharp*, who also buys her home and car insurance from Direct Line, contacted Guardian Money this week to ask if other readers had complained about “ridiculous” price rises. Continue reading...
  
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• Rachel Reeves thought she'd got lucky – but today she’ll be blown to bits by Donald Trump

  03-03-2026 08:51 via express.co.uk
  Everybody knows Rachel Reeves isn't a very good chancellor. Now it turns out she isn't lucky either.
  
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• A gas shock – not an oil shock – from the Iran war looks more threatening | Nils Pratley

  02-03-2026 21:15
  Europe and Asia will take an economic hit if the supply of Qatari LNG is halted by the closure of the strait of HormuzGas prices soar and oil jumps as Iran war pushes down global stock marketsThe price of oil grabs most of the energy-related attention during conflicts in the Middle East for understandable reasons: oil is the commodity on which the world runs (still) and analysts have roughly reliable models for what every $10 per barrel increase in cost does to global growth and inflation.So, on
  
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• Nationwide set to axe £175 bonus in days - how to qualify

  02-03-2026 20:48 via express.co.uk
  Customers have just days to claim the £175.
  
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• Paramount+ and HBO Max to become one streaming service, Ellison says

  02-03-2026 20:31
  Billionaire Paramount Skydance chief announces plan days after winning takeover battle for Warner Bros DiscoverySign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxParamount Skydance plans to combine HBO Max and Paramount+ into one streaming service, chief executive David Ellison announced during a call with investors, days after the company said it would acquire HBO parent company Warner Bros Discovery.The deal would allow major HBO Max titles, such as The Sopranos, Sex
  
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• How escalating Iran conflict is driving up oil and gas prices – a visual guide

  02-03-2026 20:13
  A near-halt to shipping in strait of Hormuz and attacks on Middle East refineries are threatening supplies and stoking inflationNils Pratley: A gas shock – not an oil shock – looks more threateningUS-Israel war on Iran – live updatesIran has responded to US and Israeli attacks by launching a series of counterstrikes against states across the Middle East, with serious consequences for the oil and gas industry and the global economy.Tehran has attacked oil facilities in neighbour
  
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• Gas prices soar and oil jumps as Iran war pushes down global stock markets

  02-03-2026 19:09
  QatarEnergy says it has halted production of liquefied natural gas after attacks on Ras Laffan and Mesaieed sitesNils Pratley: A gas shock – not an oil shock – looks more threateningUS-Israel war on Iran – live updatesGas prices surged on Monday and oil rose sharply as an escalation in the US-Israel war on Iran caused major disruption to production and supplies.QatarEnergy, the state-owned energy company, said it had halted production of liquefied natural gas (LNG) after attack
  
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• BrewDog bought by US cannabis and drinks firm for £33m, costing nearly 500 jobs

  02-03-2026 18:34
  Many early-stage crowdfunders left empty-handed as Tilray acquires beer company’s UK and Irish assetsBusiness live – latest updatesThe UK and Irish assets of BrewDog, the Scottish self-styled “punk” brewer, have been sold to the US cannabis and drinks firm Tilray for £33m, in a deal that will cost nearly 500 jobs and leave legions of the company’s early-stage crowdfunders empty-handed.Tilray agreed a deal to buy BrewDog’s brand, intellectual property, UK
  
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• UK natural gas price soars as Iran strikes spark WW3 fears - what it means for you

  02-03-2026 18:10 via express.co.uk
  Gas future prices have leapt more than 40% to £1.15 per therm.
  
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• HMRC hits households with new £3,000 tax alert

  02-03-2026 17:54 via express.co.uk
  The UK tax authority called on Britons to check the rules and make sure they haven't forgotten to declare returns on cryptocurrency assets.
  
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• Five money updates you could hear in Rachel Reeves’s Spring Statement tomorrow

  02-03-2026 17:30 via express.co.uk
  Although the government has insisted the statement will not include major announcements, the Chancellor could offer updates on a number of schemes.
  
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• High street fashion chain with 35 UK stores opening in iconic British shopping centre

  02-03-2026 17:08 via express.co.uk
  A popular high street chain is opening in one of the UK's largest shopping centres. It is one of several new stores coming to the famous shopping destination.
  
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• High street fashion brand launches closing down sale - full list of locations

  02-03-2026 17:03 via express.co.uk
  A popular fashion brand on the UK high street has launched its closing down sale after plunging into administration
  
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• State pensioners get tax-free Personal Allowance boosted to £16,320 with HMRC rule

  02-03-2026 16:38 via express.co.uk
  State pensioners can take advantage of a fully legal HMRC scheme to boost their tax-free Personal Allowance all the way up to over £16,000 each.
  
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• UK competition watchdog investigates hotel groups over alleged data sharing

  02-03-2026 16:33
  Regulator looks into claim Hilton, InterContinental Hotels and Marriott could be sharing ‘competitively sensitive’ information via analytics tool Business live – latest updatesThe UK competition watchdog has opened an investigation into three of the world’s biggest hotel chains – Hilton, InterContinental Hotels (IHG) and Marriott – amid suspicions they could be sharing “competitively sensitive” information with each other.The Competition and Market
  
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• UK house prices rise in February as chancellor avoids ‘negative speculation’

  02-03-2026 16:17
  Rachel Reeves’s upcoming spring forecast has not led to slowdown, as property tax rumours did in NovemberBusiness live – latest updatesUK politics live – latest updatesHouse prices in the UK increased in February, avoiding a repeat of the “negative speculation” that depressed the market before last November’s budget, as Rachel Reeves prepares to present the spring forecast on Tuesday.The average price of a home rose to £273,176 last month, up by 0.3% fro
  
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• Iconic UK high street chain issues heartbreaking update – 80 stores at risk of closure

  02-03-2026 15:47 via express.co.uk
  The high street chain rebranded in 2025 following a £76million sale.
  
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• State Pension age to rise in UK based on 2 key factors

  02-03-2026 14:47 via express.co.uk
  An early review of the UK retirement age has been launched by the DWP.
  
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• Middle East crisis pushes up oil prices – and could drive inflation rises too

  02-03-2026 14:02
  Effects of extended conflict between US and Iran could also lead to higher interest rates and hit economic growthBusiness live – latest updatesUS-Israel war on Iran – live updatesThe impact of the deadly and unpredictable conflict in the Middle East on the global economy will be felt most immediately, and keenly, through the rising cost of oil.Prices jumped on Monday, as markets had their first opportunity to digest the weekend’s tit-for-tat attacks. A barrel of Brent crude oil
  
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• I’m on the Meta Oversight Board. We need AI protections now | Suzanne Nossel

  02-03-2026 12:00
  AI is transforming our world. Accepting independent oversight is the least companies can do to protect our rightsThe speed with which AI is transforming our lives is head-spinning. Unlike previous technological revolutions – radio, nuclear fission or the internet – governments are not leading the way. We know that AI can be dangerous; chatbots advise teens on suicide and may soon be capable of instructing on how to create biological weapons. Yet there is no equivalent to the Federal
  
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• Lack of a clear Iran plan could suck US into a long conflict: ‘Where does this go?’

  02-03-2026 09:00
  Fears that decision to strike could be open-ended as Trump comes under pressure to spell out his vision for the countryUS-Israel war on Iran – latest updatesSign up for the Breaking News US emailDonald Trump is under pressure to spell out his vision for Iran amid the ongoing attacks on the country and reports of the first American casualties since the launch of unprovoked US and Israeli military strikes.Trump’s critics are demanding that the White House provide greater clarity about
  
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• ScottishPower refuses to believe that my father has died

  02-03-2026 08:00
  For months it has been adding to my mother’s distress when all she wanted was feed-in tariff payments go into her accountWhen my father died last year, nearly all the companies we had to notify were kind and empathetic, but not ScottishPower.It had been paying feed-in tariff (Fit) payments for electricity produced from my parents’ solar panels into his account. My parents had bought the panels jointly in 2011, and my mother is named on the certification and was ScottishPower’s
  
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• Most senior council officers in England say building work hit by delays

  02-03-2026 07:00
  Funding uncertainty is main concern, despite Labour’s pledge to revitalise construction, survey showsBusiness live – latest updatesAlmost two-thirds of senior council officers have said they are seeing construction projects delayed, despite the key role of local authorities in creating the wave of new housing and infrastructure promised by Labour.Before Rachel Reeves’s spring forecast on Tuesday, a survey of senior council officers showed that 40% do not think the local authori
  
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• Rolls-Royce boss ‘open’ to Germany joining UK’s fighter jet project

  02-03-2026 06:00
  Tufan Erginbilgiç says decision is for the government but German participation remains a possibilityBusiness live – latest updatesThe boss of Rolls-Royce has said he would welcome Germany helping to build Britain’s next-generation fighter jet, arguing it would bring in more business for the project.The aircraft, designed to replace the Eurofighter Typhoon, is a joint effort between the UK, Italy and Japan. Rolls-Royce is building the engine for the jet, which has attracted fre
  
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• Datacentre developers face calls to disclose effect on UK’s net emissions

  01-03-2026 17:00
  Campaign groups write to technology secretary amid concerns that sites could double overall electricity demandDatacentre developers are facing pressure to reveal whether their projects will increase the UK’s net greenhouse gas emissions, amid concerns the sites could double national electricity demand.Campaign groups have written to the UK technology secretary, Liz Kendall, warning that the energy required by new AI infrastructure poses a “serious threat to efforts to decarbonise the
  
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• Waiting on a tariff refund after Trump’s duties were struck down? Don’t bother | Gene Marks

  01-03-2026 16:00
  Though the supreme court ruled against the levies, businesses hit hard by the tariffs shouldn’t hold their breath for any rebatesSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxNow that the supreme court has found that the Donald Trump exceeded his authority to levy tariffs, the big question for many businesses – particularly small businesses who were so hard hit by these tariffs – is are they able to get their money back?Don’t hold your breat
  
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• What is the strait of Hormuz and why is it crucial for oil supplies?

  01-03-2026 15:21
  Effective closure of the narrow waterway could spell trouble for many developed economies US-Israel war on Iran – latest updatesThe US-Israeli war on Iran has ignited fears that escalating military aggression in the Middle East could send oil prices soaring, push up prices at the pump and drive a global economic downturn.The US began “major combat operations” in Iran on Saturday morning, shortly after Israel launched a strike against Tehran. Within hours of the US-Israeli strik
  
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• Boring or bust: Reeves aims to project calm competence in spring forecast

  01-03-2026 13:00
  After 18 months of policy U-turns and political turmoil we are told not to expect any last-minute policy rabbitsPoliticians tend to hate being boring but Rachel Reeves will be delighted if Tuesday’s spring forecast is judged by voters and financial markets to be reassuringly dull.After Labour’s catastrophic Gorton and Denton byelection result, the chancellor’s future, along with that of the prime minister, is on the line, as backbench MPs fret about the party’s electoral
  
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• Trump’s Iran strikes accelerate the world’s drift from dollar dominance | Heather Stewart

  01-03-2026 11:46
  Aggression feeds a sense that the US is operating outside global norms and helps to fuel a more complex currency outlookWhat the US-Israeli attacks on Iran mean for oil pricesDonald Trump’s attack on Iran, with its puerile Pentagon nametag Operation Epic Fury, is another show of violent force from a bullish administration.Aside from unleashing fresh instability across the Middle East, the strikes add to the sense of a US operating with little regard for international law or global norms &n
  
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• Young fashion fans help UK charity shops thrive on struggling UK high streets

  01-03-2026 11:00
  Sales beat wider retail sector last year thanks to customers inspired by websites such as Vinted, industry body saysYoung people inspired by secondhand fashion websites such as Vinted and Depop are helping charity shops thrive despite rising energy and employment costs.Save the Children’s retail sales rose 3% last year, helped by a surge in December when the charity rang up 11% more than the same month a year before, raising more than £1m for its causes. Continue reading...
  
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