Nurofen advertising being investigated by Advertising Standards Authority over claims in Nurofen Express advert December 15, 2015 The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) confirmed yesterday that they are investigating advertising for Nurofen, which is owned by Reckitt Benckiser, on the grounds some claims could have misled consumers. The UK's advertising watchdog has said it is following up on 12 complaints about a television advert for Nurofen Express, examining whether the advert was misleading because it implied the [...]
London’s Christmas shopping habits revealed: We spend the least, rely on credit and would rather delegate the whole thing to somebody else December 15, 2015 Despite what your bank balance might be leading you to believe, Londoners are not particularly big spenders on Christmas gifts. Figures released by eBay today have revealed that those in the capital spend an average of just £181.22 on presents, compared to £208.94 across the UK as a whole. London shoppers are also unlikely to [...]
Aim-listed law firm Gateley reports bumper profits in first set of results since IPO December 15, 2015 Gateley reported today profits before tax for the six months ended 31 October 2015 of £2.9m, up 11.5 per cent from £2.6m in 2014. The law firm, which started trading on Aim in June, also revealed that revenue had increased to £29.6m, a rise of 10.9 per cent from £26.7m the same time last year. The firm [...]
Royal Mail share price stays stable as company is hit with a €55m fine from Autorite de la Concurrence, the French competition authority December 15, 2015 Royal Mail has today agreed to pay a fine of €55m (£40m) to the French competition authority, Autorite de la Concurrence, to settle a price fixing charge. The fine relates to the activities of Royal Mail's French subsidiary, GLS France, which, along with 19 other courier companies and a trade association, was said to have colluded to [...]
Bankers’ bonus rules have led to higher fixed salaries, making losses difficult to absorb in event of a downtown, warns Bank of England December 15, 2015 Regulations surrounding bankers' pay, particularly the EU bonus cap, have led to fixed salaries representing a higher proportion of total pay packets, meaning financial institutions are less capable of reacting to a downturn, the Bank of England has warned today. In its fourth quarterly bulletin for 2015, the Bank of England pointed out that not being able [...]
UK pensions: Industry experts react to the Treasury’s secondary annuity market plans announcement, cautioning that people should seek advice and not rush decisions December 15, 2015 That’s not festive spirit in the air you’re sensing – people are getting pretty excited about the Treasury’s announcement this morning of plans to create the long-awaited secondary annuity market. However, pensions industry figures are urging the five million people currently receiving income from an annuity not to get too carried away. The changes are [...]
UK pensions: What the secondary annuities market means for the five million people currently receiving income from an annuity December 15, 2015 People have much greater freedom and flexibility over their pension since new rules were introduced in April. These new rules allow people over age 55 to take lump sums or income from their pension, although any amounts over and above the tax-free cash sum – which is usually 25 per cent of their pot – are subject [...]
HMRC officially launches digital Personal Tax Accounts online, with more than a million users to have access by mid-December 2015 December 14, 2015 The taxman is coming to a computer screen near you, after HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) officially launched its online Personal Tax Accounts (PTA) today. The digital PTAs aim to provide people with a clearer and more real-time picture of their tax situation. More than a million self-assessment taxpayers will have access to their account by [...]
Cybersecurity: Targeted cyber attacks doubled in the year to October 2015, with government and the finance sector bearing the brunt of cybercrime December 14, 2015 It's enough to make you want to permanently lose your login details: The number of criminal targeted cyber attacks doubled in the year to October 2015, according to a report released today by Control Risks. Other worrying trends identified by the risk consultancy's Riskmap Report 2016 report were a 56 per cent rise in the number [...]
Almost half of pensions industry professionals believe pensions will become a less important part of benefits in the future December 14, 2015 Today's businesses might be able to use a generous pension package as a key selling point for top talent, but will that ring true in the future? A survey released today by Aon Hewitt has discovered that 42 per cent of pensions professionals believe pensions will form a less integral part of benefits in the [...]