JP Morgan’s Chase sets sights on UK insurance market February 4, 2026 Global banking giant JP Morgan has set its sights on the UK insurance market with its consumer arm Chase set to enter the scene. The new offering, branded as Chase Protect, will envelope its essential coverage bundle into one single month fee, designed as an add-on for current account holders. While JP Morgan has operated [...]
Cost of hiring graduates shot up after Reeves’ tax raids February 4, 2026 The cost of hiring graduates and other young Brits in entry-level roles increased by seven per cent in real terms after Chancellor Rachel Reeves hiked employers’ national insurance and raised the national living wage, economists have found. A new set of forecasts and analysis by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (Niesr) has [...]
Auto-enrolment closed the gap but more needs to be done, says pension minister February 3, 2026 The introduction of auto-enrolment in 2012 helped boost pension savings, but more needs to be done to encourage people to save for retirement, a leading government official has said. Speaking at the Association of British Insurers conference, pensions minister Torsten Bell acknowledged the importance of auto enrolment, with savings rates for eligible workplace employees doubling [...]
Bank of England should hold interest rates, City AM Shadow MPC says February 3, 2026 The Bank of England should hold interest rates to get inflation back down to two per cent, City AM’s Shadow Monetary Policy Committee has said, as policymakers find insufficient evidence to lower borrowing costs. The nine economists, who responded independently from their respective organisations, said recent data on price growth should be treated cautiously by [...]
Farage’s Reform UK backtracks on key benefits policy to support pubs February 3, 2026 Nigel Farage’s Reform UK has ditched its backing of Labour to support the scrapping of the two-child benefit cap as it set out policies to back pubs facing rising costs. In May last year, Farage said the party backed lifting the two-child benefit cap as part of a string of proposals to boost birth rates [...]
Insurance industry must do more to build consumer trust, says FCA deputy executive February 3, 2026 The insurance industry must do more to build consumer trust amid outdated practices and a flurry of corporate scandals, the boss of Britain’s financial regulator has said. Speaking at the annual Association of British Insurers conference, Sarah Pritchard, deputy chief executive of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), noted that despite ongoing innovation within the sector [...]
Why has no one in the Cabinet run a business? February 3, 2026 It is in all our interests that politics remains an attractive proposition for people who have worked in business writes Kiki McDonough.
The ugly truth: Business rates are bad for the beauty industry February 3, 2026 Salons are grappling with the simultaneous rise of the National Living Wage, increased Employer National Insurance contributions, and skyrocketing utility costs. They should be given the same consideration as pubs, says Victoria Brownlie The British high street is often described as the heartbeat of our communities, and for years, the hair and beauty sector has [...]
Morningstar Completes Acquisition of CRSP and Extends Relationship with Vanguard February 2, 2026 The CRSP integration unites two trusted sources of market insight, reinforcing a shared commitment to transparency, quality, and investor-focused solutions and solidifying Morningstar’s position as a top-tier global index provider.
FTSE 100 hits fresh record after gold and silver rout February 2, 2026 The FTSE 100 hit a fresh record on Monday despite being swept up in a global sell-off of metals and tech stocks that had pushed Asian and European stock markets deep into the red earlier in the day. The UK’s blue-chip index closed up 118 points to end the day at an all-time high of [...]