Severe flooding could cost insurers more than £1bn this winter December 12, 2022 Severe flooding this winter could cost UK insurers more than £1bn, according to analysis from PwC. Storm Eunice in February led to insurers losing £200-300m, mainly as a result of disruption to travel and damage to properties and vehicles due to falling trees. However, floods on the same scale as those seen in 2015 [...]
Christmas strikes: Government to hold crisis meetings as army called in December 11, 2022 The government will hold a series of crisis meetings this week to try and minimise disruption during widespread Christmas strikes, with the government now calling in the military. Cabinet Office minister Oliver Dowden will convene two Cobra meetings with ministers from several departments as the UK faces crippling strikes in hospitals, airports and railways. The [...]
Exclusive: Change in capital gains allowance causes mass exodus of landlords looking for quick sale December 11, 2022 THE reduction in Capital Gains Allowance is an “unwelcome blow” and has seen the number of landlords looking to sell up hit a 13-year high. Jeremy Hunt announced that the amount you can make from the sale of certain assets before paying tax will fall from £12,300 to £6,000 in April and then to £3,000 in [...]
Tesco on the hunt to replace outgoing chairman John Allan December 10, 2022 Tesco is reportedly looking replace outgoing chairman John Allan, who is set to step down in 2024. Sources told Sky News’ Mark Kleinman that external headhunters had been appointed to help with the recruitment process. Byron Grote – former BP finance boss and non-executive director of the supermarket chain – will lead the search internally. [...]
Saturday Spotlight: Cost of living crisis is giving Buy Now Pay Later shot in the arm December 10, 2022 Buy Now Pay Later offerings may be controversial and much-criticised, it seems the cost of living crisis is giving the format a major boost. In fact, it has emerged that nearly half of all Brits are more likely to or are already using Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) services compared to a year ago, according [...]
‘We talk about the three Cs now: cost of living, climate and conflict’ December 9, 2022 KPMG’s ESG chief, John McCalla-Leacy, discusses the scale of the challenge ahead ESG is a mercurial beast to grapple with at the best of times. Standards and regulation are yet to be consistently drawn up; definitions swing from a governance tool to an all-encompassing by-word for impact investing; and businesses and political leaders have begun [...]
The Power of FinTech: Delivering on the ESG Agenda December 9, 2022 Many point to the 2008 financial crisis as the birth of the current fintech movement. At a time of economic turmoil, innovators and new entrants stepped in to rebuild trust and resilience in the financial sector and provide better, easier, and cheaper services to the end consumer. Nearly 15 years later, the world is facing [...]
Regime shift: investing into the new era December 9, 2022 As this economic cycle ends, we shouldn’t expect to see the patterns of the past decade repeated. A new regime in policy and market behaviour is unfolding which investors need to understand if they are to find the best opportunities and safeguard their portfolios. The re-opening of economies after Covid sparked a phenomenon investors have [...]
ITVX launch: The streaming service that hopes to win youngsters back December 8, 2022 ITVX has officially launched today, replacing the broadcaster’s clunky Hub and welcoming a flurry of new viewers – or so ITV hopes. The man behind this fresh new streaming platform is ITV’s managing director Rufus Radcliffe, who has made it his task to draw in youngsters and advertisers. The platform rebrand was first announced back [...]
RMT accuses government of torpedoing rail negotiations December 7, 2022 The union RMT has accused the UK Government of torpedoing negotiations, pushing a resolution of the rail dispute “further away.” Union bosses claimed today the Rail Delivery Group – which is negotiating on behalf of train operators – was instructed by the government to take on the strikes. “It is now absolutely clear that the [...]