Fintech boss outlines industry’s Spring Statement needs March 20, 2025 With the Chancellor’s Spring Statement under a week away, a fintech boss has laid out how the government must support the industry. Laurent Descout, co-founder and chief executive of payments platform NEO, said Rachel Reeves must prioritise support for the fintech sector through two key areas: university funding and helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). [...]
Asda’s confident new boss is a boon for shoppers, and a threat to rivals March 19, 2025 Asda's bold new boss may have spooked rivals, but shoppers will come out on top, writes Susannah Streeter in today's Notebook.
The UK could build a new investment culture by emulating Sweden March 18, 2025 Risk-averse Brits have long struggled to get into investing. Luckily, the similarly cautious Swedes can teach us a few things.
Sabre Insurance hikes dividend as turnaround gathers speed March 18, 2025 Sabre Insurance has reported a 105.9 per cent surge in pre-tax profit for 2024, driven by record-high premium income and strict underwriting discipline. The UK motor insurer, which has struggled to keep up with the market in recent years, reported gross written premium growth of per cent year-on-year to £236.4m. IFRS profit before tax jumped [...]
Four tax reliefs to make the most of before 5 April March 14, 2025 Savers and investors have just a few weeks left to take advantage of their tax reliefs before the financial year ends on 5 April. Using these tax reliefs helps make the most of an uncertain political environment around wealth, with some tax allowances slashed in the 2024/25 year. These are four of the top tax [...]
Farmers aren’t the only ones affected by inheritance tax changes March 14, 2025 Most of the coverage of inheritance tax has focused on farmers but they make up a tiny proportion of the businesses that will be hit by this unfair levy, it’s time for family businesses to speak up, says Lucy Williams While I have every sympathy for the farming community, many would be forgiven for thinking [...]
IG Group: Revenue jumps as volatility returns to markets March 13, 2025 Trading and investment firm IG Group has reported a 12 per cent jump in total revenue to £268m for the third quarter of its financial year (three months to 28 February 2025), as stronger market conditions and increased client activity drove growth. Trading revenue rose 15 per cent year-on-year to £235.3m. Trading in over-the-counter (OTC) [...]
Nepal: Where making a profit is a crime March 13, 2025 Maoist policies have made the Himalayan nation of Nepal one of the poorest in Asia, says Rainer Zitelmann On December 11 2023, I landed in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. Nepal lies between China and India and has a population of around 30m. Kathmandu is located in a valley in the middle of the Himalayas [...]
Why are women still shut out of venture capital? March 10, 2025 Venture capital (VC) remains overwhelmingly male-dominated, both in terms of who controls investment decisions and who receives funding. Despite women founding one in five startups in the UK, only two per cent of VC funding goes to all-women teams. This is the lowest figure in five years. “That’s not just a statistic – it’s a [...]
Taxes might be going up. Here’s how to cut your tax bill March 10, 2025 Savers are preparing for the possibility of income tax increases, with Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves expected to announce some changes to the tax regime in March. Labour pledged not to increase income tax during its election campaign. However, the Treasury has discussed freezing income tax thresholds and has refused to rule out income tax [...]