Financial news

• Last-minute Christmas shoppers set to spend £3bn over ‘Super Weekend’

  20-12-2024 14:35 via theguardian.com
  
  British retailers anticipate some of the biggest shopping days of the year with people ‘clearly leaving it late’Business live – latest updatesMillions of last-minute Christmas shoppers are expected to spend £3bn over what has been called Super Weekend, with retailers eager to make up lost ground after a “shaky start” to the festive sales season.With many offices closing on Friday for the holidays, retailers anticipate the remaining shopping days will be among
  
  Read more

• I’m one of millions working in retail. This Christmas, don’t ask how we are – or we may tell you | Andrew Herrick

  21-12-2024 20:00 via theguardian.com
  
  So far today I have dealt with 200 customers. I have smiled 200 times, but that’s getting harder. Consider me a checkout robotGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastYou decided to do it differently this year. You usually buy online, with high-minded principle, from a company owned by the least-loathsome billionaire you can find. Instead, this Christmas you gritted your teeth and drove in a hot car to a local business where you (finally) found a park. Then you steadfastl
  
  Read more

• Belief in a lottery curse is comforting, but winning lots of money does make you happy | Martha Gill

  21-12-2024 18:30 via theguardian.com
  
  The notion that vast windfalls inevitably bring misery is based on a handful of sad casesDoes winning the lottery wreck your life? When it was revealed earlier this week that an anonymous Briton had won £177m in the November EuroMillions draw – making them the third biggest national lottery winner ever – the Mail Online announced it with all the impartiality of a bad fairy at a christening: “Other big winners”, the second half of the headline ran, “have faced
  
  Read more

• Prince William to end feudal restrictions on his Duchy of Cornwall estate

  21-12-2024 14:00 via theguardian.com
  
  The royal has bowed to pressure over residents’ right to buy freeholds on parts of his hereditary landPrince William has agreed to end the last feudal restrictions on land ownership in parts of his hereditary Duchy of Cornwall estate after decades of complaints from residents.The Prince of Wales will allow tenants in two of the most environmentally sensitive areas of his 55,000-hectare (135,000 acres) estate the right to buy the freehold to their homes for the first time. Continue reading.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• UK house price predictions for 2025: with pay rising and rates falling, they’ll just keep going up

  21-12-2024 13:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Nothing seems to stop the relentless march of property values, even with a stamp duty increase loomingIt’s been a bumpy ride for the housing market in recent years, after Liz Truss’s disastrous mini budget of September 2022 created a surge in borrowing costs that have cost many households dearly.But despite elevated mortgage and rent costs, the market this year has turned out to be “surprisingly resilient”, according to Nationwide building society. Experts had expected ho
  
  Read more

• How to support a charity at Christmas … it’s a gift that just keeps on giving

  21-12-2024 11:00 via theguardian.com
  
  With more people in need this festive season, charities, too, are appealing for extra helpDonate to our charity appeal hereThe British public is expected to give more than £1bn to charities this month as the festive season acts as a reminder of the increasing number of people who are in need of help. But charities say that the number of people who regularly give has declined, and some have appealed for extra help.The Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) says that although the public is more moti
  
  Read more

• From cat litter to incontinence pads: UK shoppers on how ‘porch pirates’ got caught out

  21-12-2024 08:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Readers say doorstep theft is a ‘nightmare’, but some thieves have not got what they expected in parcelsPolice warn UK shoppers over ‘porch pirates’Doorstep parcel thieves are making off with a variety of gadgets and pricey fashion items ranging from computer monitors to Ugg footwear. However, the “lucky dip” nature of the crime means some crooks are opening their pilfered packages to discover they contain biodegradable cat litter or incontinence pads.An
  
  Read more

• House speaker vows no government shutdown amid rush to broker spending deal

  20-12-2024 21:24 via theguardian.com
  
  Mike Johnson reveals plans for an afternoon vote while acknowledging there is ‘one more little detail to work out’The US government could shut down. Here’s what to knowUS politics – live updatesThe US House speaker, Mike Johnson, told reporters on Friday that “we will not have a government shutdown” while revealing plans for an afternoon vote on a spending deal, though he acknowledged there is still “one more little detail to work out”.House Republ
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Reeves says economic turnaround will take time and Farage ‘hasn’t got a clue’

  20-12-2024 19:51 via theguardian.com
  
  Chancellor pledges renewed focus on growth after Bank of England warning that Britain is on brink of stagnationRachel Reeves insists she won’t “gaslight” working people over her plans to turn round the economy as she launched a scathing attack on Reform’s offer to voters, saying Nigel Farage “hasn’t got a clue”.With many people still struggling with the cost of living, the chancellor defended her approach which has so far focused on economic stability, a
  
  Read more

• House Republicans unveil potential agreement in bid to avoid government shutdown

  20-12-2024 19:38 via theguardian.com
  
  White House sharply criticizes party’s alliance with wealthy influencers in spending negotiationsThe US government could shut down. Here’s what to knowUS politics – live updatesHouse Republicans have unveiled a potential agreement on the debt ceiling during a closed-door meeting in their bid to avoid a government shutdown, while the White House sharply criticized the party’s alliance with wealthy influencers in the spending negotiations.According to Punchbowl News, Republ
  
  Read more

• EU should spare carmakers from ‘punitive’ emissions fines, says Scholz

  20-12-2024 17:09 via theguardian.com
  
  Germany’s chancellor backs auto industry as Volkswagen considers unprecedented plant closuresThe EU should refrain from “punitive” fines on carmakers that fail to meet emissions standards, the German chancellor has said, adding to the heated debate on the future of the key European industry.Olaf Scholz, who is running for re-election in February at a time when Germany’s biggest carmaker, Volkswagen, is planning unprecedented plant closures in its home market, made the com
  
  Read more

• Boohoo shareholders vote to block Mike Ashley from joining board

  20-12-2024 16:52 via theguardian.com
  
  Chair hails ‘resounding vote of confidence’ as investors reject Sports Direct founder and his associate Mike LennonBoohoo shareholders have blocked Mike Ashley and an associate from joining its board in a blow to the Sports Direct founder’s attempt to control the struggling online fashion retailer.Investors representing 64% of Bohoo’s stock voted against appointing Ashley and Mike Lennon at a special meeting on Friday morning called by Ashley’s Frasers Group. Contin
  
  Read more

• Britain braces for big Christmas getaway amid weather and travel warnings

  20-12-2024 15:12 via theguardian.com
  
  Airports, train operators and motoring bodies forecast traveller numbers unseen since before pandemicBritain’s biggest festive getaway in years was expected to start on Friday, as millions of people took to road, rail and skies to see their loved ones over Christmas.Airports, train operators and motoring organisations have all forecast traveller numbers unseen since before the pandemic. Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Last chance as free electricity offer for Christmas ends this weekend

  20-12-2024 15:00 via express.co.uk
  
  Uswitch is offering free electricity to anyone with a smart meter on Christmas Day - but time is running out to claim the freebie
  
  Read more

• Anyone over 66 urged to claim DWP benefit worth up to £4,200

  20-12-2024 14:39 via express.co.uk
  
  The DWP is urging state pensioners to claim a benefit worth £4,200.
  
  Read more

• Starbucks workers’ strike could reach hundreds of stores by Christmas Eve

  20-12-2024 14:13 via theguardian.com
  
  Walkouts will start in Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle, after union said it was making little progress with chain’s owners over pay and conditionsWorkers at Starbucks stores in three cities plan to go on strike on Friday after a union representing more than 11,000 baristas in the US said it was making little progress with the giant coffee chain’s owners over pay and conditions.The walkouts will start in Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle, with strike action set to spread each day and,
  
  Read more

• Taxpayers may need to bail out Sadiq Khan’s London housing fund, say auditors

  20-12-2024 14:12 via theguardian.com
  
  GLAP missed repayment deadlines for £300m loan and concerns raised over poor managementTaxpayers may be forced to bail out Sadiq Khan’s London housing fund, after it repeatedly missed repayment deadlines for a £300m loan and its auditors raised concerns over poor management.The London mayor’s property development vehicle, known as Greater London Authority Land and Property Limited (GLAP), inherited the £300m debt when it was formed under Boris Johnson in 2012, after
  
  Read more

• Martin Lewis issues urgent warning to anyone with 1p or more on credit card

  20-12-2024 13:48 via express.co.uk
  
  Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis warned people never to leave even 1p on a credit card.
  
  Read more

• Hit TV show, tick. Millions for lawyers, tick. Now could we manage some actual justice for the subpostmasters? | Marina Hyde

  20-12-2024 13:47 via theguardian.com
  
  The ‘big people’ implicated in this disgraceful run of events need to pay their dues. Britain needs it – and demands itIn her closing statement to the Post Office inquiry this week, Paula Vennells once again added the brutal murder of irony to her list of failings. Or as the former CEO’s lawyer put it: “She has no desire to point the finger at others.” Oh, Paula. Great to hear your pointing finger has finally been decommissioned – but it’s many yea
  
  Read more

• Inheritance Tax grab raises an extra £600 million - how to cut the bill

  20-12-2024 13:29 via express.co.uk
  
  A decision to extend inheritance tax means the number of estates hit by the death tax is on course to rise from one in 20 to one in 20
  
  Read more

• Absolute ZERO - how Keir Starmer's Labour crashed economy and killed growth

  20-12-2024 13:06 via express.co.uk
  
  The only thing worse than watching PM Keir Starmer and chancellor Rachel Reeves crash the UK economy is listening to them justify their decisions.
  
  Read more

• Police warn UK shoppers over ‘porch pirates’ stealing parcels from doorsteps

  20-12-2024 13:02 via theguardian.com
  
  Total value of parcels stolen estimated at £376m, with Black Friday and run-up to Christmas the worst periodsPolice forces across the UK are warning shoppers about a rise in “porch piracy”, an emerging criminal trend involving doorstep parcel thefts that is costing businesses and consumers millions of pounds.In one east London borough, police have put up posters in the lobbies of flats, while in other areas forces are using social media to provide tips on how to make life more
  
  Read more

• The facts about a planet facing climate disaster are clear. Why won’t this Labour government face them? | Jeremy Corbyn

  20-12-2024 13:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Labour seems gripped by a form of denialism. The danger is real and incremental change won’t avert itJeremy Corbyn is independent MP for Islington North and was leader of the Labour party from 2015 to 2020There is no need to overcomplicate things: a rise in global temperatures of 3.1C is not compatible with human survival. That is where we are heading, unless we act now. On our current path, the world will exceed 1.5C of warming, and could reach a rise of 2.6-3.1C by the end of the century
  
  Read more

• People born in these years urged to claim £2,200 from HMRC

  20-12-2024 11:59 via express.co.uk
  
  HMRC is urging people to check if they're owed a £2,200 pay out.
  
  Read more

• British Gas customers to get £28 a month back after removing daily charge

  20-12-2024 11:57 via express.co.uk
  
  British Gas customers can make huge savings after removing a daily charge.
  
  Read more

• Chase Bank issues unwelcome warning message to all customers

  20-12-2024 11:54 via express.co.uk
  
  Chase Bank has issued an unwelcome warning message to all of its customers after cutting its rates.
  
  Read more

• HMRC says 'check your pay' if you're working over next fortnight

  20-12-2024 11:40 via express.co.uk
  
  Seasonal staff employed over the Christmas period are legally entitled to receive at least the same minimum rates as other workers, HMRC said on Friday
  
  Read more

• ‘We are not a retro company’: Sega prepares to go back to the future

  20-12-2024 11:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Sega started as a rock’n’roll breath of fresh air in a Nintendo-dominated world – and America and Europe CEO Shuji Utsumi wants to shake things up once againFor more than a decade, between the late 80s and the dawn of the 21st century, Sega was one of the coolest video game companies on the planet. Its arcade games, from Golden Axe to Virtua Fighter, were blockbuster successes; the Mega Drive brought a punk rock attitude to the home console scene, challenging Nintendo’s f
  
  Read more

• Richard Desmond set for court clash with regulator over National Lottery bid

  20-12-2024 08:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Exclusive: Tycoon rejects settlement offer from Gambling Commission linked to failed bid to run UK lotteryThe media tycoon Richard Desmond is set for a courtroom showdown with the Gambling Commission that could cost good causes tens of millions of pounds, the Guardian has learned, after he rejected a settlement offer linked to his failed bid to run the National Lottery.Desmond launched a high court challenge in 2022 after the commission awarded the 10-year National Lottery licence to the Czech o
  
  Read more

• Homes for sale with dining rooms fit for Christmas lunch – in pictures

  20-12-2024 08:00 via theguardian.com
  
  From cosy oak beams and inglenook fireplaces to an open-plan converted tin-clad chapel to host large gatherings Continue reading...
  
  Read more

Follow @financialnwsUK on Twitter!