Financial watchdog introduces rules for greater consumer protection to ‘drive a change in culture’ December 7, 2021 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) launched a consultation this morning to ensure a higher and more consistent standard of consumer protection for users of financial services and help to stop harm before it happens.
‘Cash machine at the till’ for withdrawals up to £50 coming to thousands of shops across the UK December 1, 2021 People can soon withdraw up to £50 in notes and coins in smaller shops without having to buy anything. A scheme enabling people to get cash from retailers’ tills without needing to make a purchase is to be rolled out to more than 2,000 shops before the end of the year. Cash machine network Link [...]
Pandemic affects retirement plans for over half the nation, says Aviva November 25, 2021 Covid-19 has affected the retirement plans of 54 per cent of UK adults, with people nearing mid-life bearing the brunt of anxiety, according to new research.
Amazon’s merciless move to block Visa likely to lead to rapid uptake of… Amazon credit cards, which are issued by Mastercard November 22, 2021 Following the news that Amazon will no longer accept payments from UK-issued Visa credit cards, some industry insiders are convinced the e-commerce giant’s decision is a calculated move to drive the adoption of the company’s own payment cards, and will give a competitive advantage to Visa’s main rival, Mastercard. Last week, the online retailer confirmed that Visa credit [...]
Google searches for ‘energy bill help’ soar three thousand per cent after two more firms go bust November 19, 2021 Google searches for ‘energy bill help’ exploded over three thousand percent in the UK on the same day two more energy suppliers collapsed.
Landlords hiking rents at fastest pace since 2008 as demand for housing in London shoots up November 16, 2021 Private sector rents in September were 4.6 per cent higher than a year earlier at £968 per month on average, marking the strongest growth in 13 years. The fastest rice since 2008 comes as strong demand outstrips supply, according to an index. Excluding London, rents across the UK were up by 6 per cent annually, [...]
Redress on the horizon? NAO begins probing FCA’s handling of British Steel transfer debacle October 20, 2021 The National Audit Office (NAO) has begun its probe into the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) handling of the British Steel transfer debacle. The investigation is still in its early stages, but the audit watchdog said that it aims to publish its findings in Spring next year. The 2017 scandal involved 7,700 British Steel Pension Scheme [...]
Salary slaves: 2021’s best and worst paid industries and the UK’s fastest-growing sectors October 14, 2021 Earlier this week, City A.M. revealed private equity firms are prepared to pay junior staff with less than two years experience an average salary of more than £152,000, a jump of 52 per cent compared to two years ago. For those with two to four years of experience, an salary of around £181,000 has become [...]
Pension savers fear higher fees as Sunak eyes extra infrastructure cash October 14, 2021 Ministers are reportedly mulling a decision to dilute the 0.75 per cent cap on annual management fees, which would leave UK retirement savers vulnerable to high charges. The cap, put in place in 2016, protects employees who are auto-enrolled into their pensions from having their retirement pot eaten into by higher charges. It comes as [...]
HSBC’s £36bn pension scheme pledges to be net zero by 2050 at the latest October 8, 2021 HSBC’s pension scheme, one of the largest corporate pension schemes in the UK, has pledged to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 or sooner. In the run up to COP26, an increasing number of activists have zeroed in on fossil-fuel investing pension funds and wider financial institutions like HSBC and Lloyds for carbon-heavy investments. [...]