DEBATE: Will the UK’s strong employment landscape be able to withstand the shock of a no-deal Brexit? March 20, 2019 Will the UK’s strong employment landscape be able to withstand the shock of a no-deal Brexit? Lee Biggins, founder and chief executive of CV-Library, says YES. While there’s no guarantee that the jobs boom will last if we came crashing out of the EU, the labour market has stood strong in the face of uncertainty [...]
Emojis are a better metric for national wellbeing than traditional data methods March 20, 2019 HMRC’s programme to make tax digital continues to roll out. Anyone with a small business will know about the imminent deadline of 1 April, when VAT returns become digital. Quick to seize an opportunity, several companies have developed software to ease the task. The digitisation of tax raises the wider issue of whether technology will [...]
Home-buying or retirement: What are Lifetime Isa savers planning to use their money for? March 20, 2019 When then chancellor George Osborne announced that the government would launch the Lifetime Isa in 2017, the industry was stunned. Designed for people under 40 to either save for retirement or for a home, few people saw this hybrid product coming. Alongside concerns that the Isa could distract from the new workplace pension scheme, a lot of [...]
B&Q owner Kingfisher’s boss to depart as profits slump and stores close March 20, 2019 Kingfisher announced the surprise departure of its chief executive this morning, as a swathe of store closures and a double-digit drop in profits puts mounting pressure on the embattled DIY group. Read more: B&Q owner Kingfisher plans foreign market exit as French sales drag Veronique Laury, who is currently one of six female chief executives in the [...]
The pros and cons of using your Isa savings to invest in tracker funds March 20, 2019 With the 5 April tax deadline fast approaching, have you worked out where is best to invest your Isa savings? If you haven’t, you might like to consider looking at passive investing. Also known as trackers, passive funds simply track what’s happening in big indices, such as the FTSE 100, the S&P 500, and the [...]
Six tips to give your Isa a last-minute savings boost March 20, 2019 As the tax deadline creeps closer, by now you’re probably tired of the constant reminders to use or lose your annual £20,000 tax-free Isa limit. Perhaps you’ve been ignoring the prompts, putting everything off until now. You certainly wouldn’t be alone in doing so. In fact, looking at the past three tax years, wealth management [...]
Findel urges shareholders to take no action following Sports Direct offer March 20, 2019 Home shopping firm Findel has urged shareholders to take no action following a £139m offer by Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct. The board rejected the bid and said Sport Direct’s offer of 161p for each Findel share “significantly undervalues” the company. Read more: Mike Ashley's Sports Direct makes official £139m offer for Findel In a statement [...]
Brexit: Theresa May will not seek long delay to Article 50 as she asks EU for short extension March 20, 2019 Theresa May will not seek a long Brexit extension when she writes to the EU to seek a delay to Article 50 today, according to reports. Read more: UK must commit to new political 'event' to get Brexit delay, warns Barnier The Prime Minister is set to ask for more time for parliament to back [...]
Will Ryanair gain from turbulent O’Leary moving aside? March 20, 2019 Earlier this month, the chief of budget airline Ryanair, Michael O’Leary, announced he would be stepping back from the day-to-day running of the airline. O’Leary identified his reputation as a negative distraction to the airline’s business and that the move would be a chance to “reboot” the company’s public perception after “disappointing” profit announcements. O’Leary [...]
Watchdog bans payday loan ad encouraging consumers to stockpile for Brexit March 20, 2019 An advert for payday lender Peachy has been banned for using uncertainty around Brexit to encourage consumers to stockpile food. The advert, which appeared in an email from the Manchester-based firm, stated “no one really knows what’s going on with this whole Brexit malarkey” and suggested it was a good idea to have food stockpiled [...]