UK pensions: Baroness Ros Altmann to be grilled by MPs on Monday regarding the ongoing inquiry into understanding the new state pension January 17, 2016 Pensions minister Baroness Ros Altmann will face questions from the Work and Pensions Select Committee tomorrow as part of an ongoing inquiry into understanding the new state pension. Last week, the Committee published an interim report, which warned that people were confused about when and how much they would receive under the new state pension [...]
Tax return deadline day looms, and HMRC reveals the 10 worst excuses it has received for filing late which did not avoid that £100 late filing penalty January 15, 2016 Tax return deadline day is looming and, while it may seem tempting to concoct an elaborate excuse rather than knuckle down with your paperwork before 31 January, it’s highly recommended that you don’t. Not only could a late return land you with a £100 fine, you could also find your not-so-wise words taking a place in [...]
M&C Saatchi share price closes down as management team eyes sale of advertising agency January 14, 2016 M&C Saatchi today revealed that it was in talks to sell a 30 per cent stake in its UK advertising agency, M&C Saatchi UK, to five members of its management team. In a short statement, the company revealed that the five potential purchasers are the advertising agency’s chairman Tim Duffy, chief executive Tom Bazeley, creative [...]
Financial services industry loses confidence in the UK’s economic outlook, as Brexit, debt and austerity weigh heavily on people’s minds January 14, 2016 The financial services industry’s level of confidence in the UK’s economic outlook has dropped off. In a survey released today by the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI), 33 per cent said they felt more optimistic about the UK’s outlook compared to six months ago while 27 per cent said they felt more negative, [...]
Corporate governance standards among UK companies stay high, as regulator says its code will not be substantially amended for the next three years January 14, 2016 The overall quality of corporate governance among UK companies remains high, as the regulator vows not to make any major changes to its code for the next three years. According to a report published today by the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), 90 per cent of FTSE 350 companies are complying with all but one or [...]
UK skills shortages leading to hindered growth but rising wages in the construction sector January 14, 2016 Wages in the construction industry have shot up as skills shortages continue to plague the sector. According to a survey released today by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), just under two-thirds (61 per cent) of construction professionals feel wages in their sector have risen sharply, while average earnings in the industry rose by [...]
Parliament to debate quarterly tax updates after online petition receives more than 100,000 signatures January 13, 2016 People's dislike of filling in tax returns will become the topic of parliamentary debate in less than a fortnight after an online petition received more than 100,000 signatures. The petitions committee, which considers petitions submitted to petition.parliament.uk, yesterday scheduled a debate for a petition called "Scrap plans forcing self employed & small business to do 4 [...]
Recruiter Hays share price falls after fee income grows in quarter ended 31 December 2015, although mining market caused a slowdown in Asia Pacific January 13, 2016 Recruiter Hays announced today that its net fees grew by seven per cent overall on a like-for-like basis for the quarter ending 31 December 2015. In a trading update about its second quarter performance ahead of its interim results in February, Hays revealed that market conditions had been slightly challenging in Asia Pacific and the [...]
Competition and Markets Authority launches market study into the legal services sector to examine concerns about affordability and standard of services January 13, 2016 The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) today announced that it had launched a market study into the legal services sector. The study will examine concerns relating to affordability and standard of services offered to consumers and small businesses. In particular, the CMA is reviewing how able consumers are to make informed purchasing decisions and whether adequate [...]
New accounting standard will change the way companies treat leases on their balance sheets, but could influence a shift away from sale and leaseback January 13, 2016 A new accounting standard will change the way companies recognise leases on their balance sheets, and could see businesses alter the way they approach property. International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) 16 Leases, which was published today by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), is due to come into effect from 1 January 2019 and will [...]
