Financial watchdog to push savers to take more risk March 24, 2025 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is set to encourage retail investors to up their level of risk when managing their savings, as part of its mandate to support growth in the UK economy. The watchdog has drawn up the plans as part of a new five-year strategy that is set to launch later this week, [...]
Sky, BT, IMG, ITV and BBC: Broadcasters caught in freelancer pay fixing scandal March 21, 2025 The UK’s sports broadcaster heavyweights have been fined for unlawfully colluding to fix freelancer pay rates, leading to over £4m in penalties. BT, IMG, ITV and the BBC have all admitted to illegally sharing sensitive payment information and details to suppress wages for production staff. Sky, which also participated, avoided a financial penalty by reporting [...]
The FCA must continue work on cutting card fees March 21, 2025 The Payment Systems Regulator was doing vital work on reducing unfair card fees that are hammering retail. Now the FCA must pick up where it left off, says Tom Ironside In their recently published report into scheme and processing card fees, the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) recently found that “increasing fees impacts on UK businesses’ [...]
Mark Kleinman: CMA revamp to spur boom for M&A bankers March 20, 2025 Mark Kleinman is Sky News’ City Editor and the man who gets the Square Mile talking in his weekly City AM column. This week, he tackles changes at the CMA, Achilles’ new target, and a logistics funding boost. Will there even be a competition regulator at this rate? After this week’s latest summons to Downing Street for a [...]
Thames Water says it has received six takeover offers March 18, 2025 Thames Water has said it has received six takeover offers and hopes to agree a deal by the end of June. The offers come in response to an equity raise process launched by the UK’s biggest water supplier last summer. Crisis-hit Thames Water has been battling to stave off nationalisation amid debts of more than [...]
Fintech unicorn council joins Revolut and Zilch bosses for Treasury meeting March 18, 2025 Britain’s top fintech officials met Rachel Reeves on Tuesday morning in the Chancellor’s latest financial summit to boost economic growth. The co-chairs of Innovate Finance’s Unicorn Council for UK Fintech joined leading executives at the Treasury’s meeting, City AM has learned. The council, which launched in March 2024, aims to provide the government with policy [...]
Signing up to a new AI tool? For the love of God, read the small print! March 18, 2025 Influencers are flogging AI programmes as "neat little tools", but failing to read the small print could prove costly, writes Paul Armstrong.
The Spring Statement is an opportunity to secure the UK’s economic future March 17, 2025 The Chancellor should prioritise pension reform, enhanced use of digital verification and attracting FDI to kick start growth in the Spring Statement, says Chris Hayward The Chancellor has vowed to kick-start the economy, and the upcoming Spring Statement will be key to making that happen. The source of growth is right here in the City, [...]
Shein confirms listing plans with London in the spotlight March 14, 2025 Fast fashion titan Shein has confirmed its plans to float on the stock market, and hasn’t ruled out listing in London. Chief executive Donald Tang told The Times that the firm wanted to go public to increase “accountability and transparency”. The brand had not previously confirmed a timeline for an IPO. Yet, reports suggest the [...]
Mark Kleinman: FCA chief Rathi not at the exit door after all March 13, 2025 Mark Kleinman is Sky News’ City Editor and the man who gets the Square Mile talking in his weekly City AM column. Today, he looks at the FCA chief, big Boots to fill and a high street icon FCA chief Rathi not at the exit door after all Embattled, besieged, under-fire: a few short weeks ago, there seemed no [...]