Brits set for sharp rise in energy bills in July May 19, 2026 Brits are set to face a sharp hike in energy costs this summer, with household bills forecast to rise by more than £200 a year, as the conflict in the Middle East ripples into the UK market. Energy analyst Cornwall Insight predicts that the annual bill for a typical dual-fuel household will increase to £1,850, [...]
Deutsche Bank hit with six-figure fine in UK for breaching Russia sanctions May 19, 2026 Deutsche Bank has been slapped with a six-figure fine by the Treasury’s financial sanctions body for processing payments that breached sanctions on Russia. The German multinational investment bank has been handed a £160,000 fine after it was found to have authorised two payments linked to a sanctioned Russian firm between the periods of June and [...]
Older women at risk of running out of money as gender wealth gap widens with age May 19, 2026 Older women remain at risk of retiring without enough capital, despite being further into their careers, as the gender wealth gap continues to widen as they get older. Women in the UK hold 21 per cent less wealth than men, but this doubles to 42 per cent by age 64, according to the latest research [...]
OBR chiefs warn jostling Labour MPs against fiscal rules change May 19, 2026 Office for Budget Responsibility chiefs have warned Labour activists against changing the fiscal rules and overall framework to account for longer term impacts of government investment. The OBR’s David Miles and Tom Josephs said a ten-year forecast horizon would make for a “less credible” economic report and may not have any impact on bond investors. [...]
Standard Chartered bets on AI as it cuts ‘lower value human capital’ May 19, 2026 Standard Chartered has announced plans to slash almost 8,000 back-office roles, stoking fears about the wide scale threat artificial intelligence poses to the global job market. The London-headquartered lender said it would reduce over 15 per cent of its support functions by 2030, equivalent to around 7,800 jobs, as boss Bill Winters pushed through a [...]
Zopa first UK bank to be green lit to roll out targeted support May 19, 2026 Zopa Bank has received regulatory approval to roll out targeted support for its investment customers, marking it as the first UK bank to get the green light. The bank joins a range of financial firms, including Royal London, Quilter and Vanguard, which has secured targeted support permissions since the scheme went live on 6 April. [...]
Millions of Brits face retirement ‘cliff-edge’ after not saving enough May 19, 2026 Millions of Brits are not saving enough to retire, leaving them facing a significant ‘cliff-edge’ upon leaving the workforce, a government-backed report has warned. The Pensions Commission, which was revitalised by the government to address the savings shortfall across the UK, said 15m people are not currently saving enough for retirement. The group warned this [...]
Dr Martens shares rocket after kicking down costs May 19, 2026 Dr Martens shares rocketed in early morning trading on Tuesday, after sharp cost-cutting across the business delivered significant profit growth. Shares in the shoemaker soared 8.5 per cent in early trading to 69.8p, with shares up 22.1 per cent over the last year, following its latest annual results. But the share price remains down 7.4 [...]
Unemployment back up as UK job vacancies fall May 19, 2026 Unemployment crept back up despite a fall in last month’s data as it was shown that the UK jobs market weakened in the last quarter. The Office for National Statistics said the UK unemployment rate was five per cent in the three months to March 2026. The unemployment rate had dropped to 4.9 per cent [...]
Sign of the Dimes: Harry Styles Wembley run to drive £1bn spending frenzy May 19, 2026 Harry Styles’ 12-night Wembley residency is set to rake in more than £1bn in spending in the capital, smashing previous records set by Taylor Swift concertgoers. The Mancunian popstar is expected to attract £88.3m in spending per night, far higher than the £66.5m recorded during Taylor Swift’s UK Eras Tour dates in 2024, according to [...]