money

Chancellor doubles SEISS grant amount but many still excluded

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A THIRD of self-employed workers remain ineligible for coronavirus earnings support as Chancellor doubles income allowance for the rest Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced further financial support schemes He will double grants for the self-employed from 20 per cent to 40 per cent of previous year’s earnings Government criticised for continuing to exclude many of … Read more Chancellor doubles SEISS grant amount but many still excluded

Protect the elderly with a £46k social care cap, say MPs

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A £46,000 cap on social care costs and an immediate £7billion injection of cash are needed to address a funding crisis, say MPs. They endorse an upper limit on what individuals should pay towards care, to protect people against ‘catastrophic’ costs, at the same level suggested in the influential, government-backed Dilnot report in 2011. The … Read more Protect the elderly with a £46k social care cap, say MPs

Moneysupermarket.com revenues fall as electricity supply switching drops

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Moneysupermarket revenues fall as electricity supply switching drops and tighter lending rules at banks hit its finance wing Nineteen per cent fewer households changed their energy provider last month Revenues over the first nine months of this year fell by 11% to £268.4million Quarantine rules have severely impacted the company’s travel segment By Harry Wise … Read more Moneysupermarket.com revenues fall as electricity supply switching drops

The US election result isn’t what matters most to markets

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US politics, as is often the case, is driving markets at the moment as President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden go head to head for the White House. The outcome this particular race is less important economically than another stateside political wrangle though. A fiscal stimulus package somewhere in the order of … Read more The US election result isn’t what matters most to markets

Honda and Renault are latest to pull diesel cars from UK showrooms

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A growing number of carmakers are removing diesels from their UK showrooms as demand for the out-of-favour fuel continues to shrink. Last week, Ford confirmed that the Fiesta – the UK’s most-bought new car for the last 11 years – will no longer be sold with a diesel option, despite it being the most economical … Read more Honda and Renault are latest to pull diesel cars from UK showrooms

No savings account from Britain’s biggest banks even matches inflation of 0.5%

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Savings shame of the big banks: High Street savers see their money waste away as inflation devours the meagre returns of rock-bottom rates The Consumer Prices Index more than doubled to 0.5% in September  This cut the number of inflation-matching accounts by around a third to 444  Even after the rise, inflation is still historically … Read more No savings account from Britain’s biggest banks even matches inflation of 0.5%

Tesla unleashes ‘Full Self-Driving Beta’ – but with raft of safety warnings

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Elon Musk has confirmed the initial roll-out of a ‘beta’ version of its ‘Full Self-Driving’ mode for Tesla electric vehicles. The US car maker will release the technology to a few select customers before expanding its availability ‘extremely slow and cautious, as it should’ at a cost of $2,000 – around £1,500 for UK driver.  … Read more Tesla unleashes ‘Full Self-Driving Beta’ – but with raft of safety warnings

Borrowers face ‘lender lottery’ as 323,000 payment freezes end soon

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Hundreds of thousands of people still on breaks from their mortgages and unsecured debts face a potential ‘lender lottery’ from next month as blanket protections are removed. Banking body UK Finance said financially vulnerable people benefiting from 323,700 payment holidays across mortgages, credit cards and personal loans will be offered help ‘tailored to their individual … Read more Borrowers face ‘lender lottery’ as 323,000 payment freezes end soon

PayPal customers will be slapped with a £12 ‘inactivity fee’

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‘Merry Christmas from PayPal’: Irregular users of the payments platform will be charged a £12 ‘inactivity fee’ from 16 December – but it’s easy to avoid PayPal will start charging some customers an inactivity fee The US-based company said it will not be closing inactive accounts There are ways you can act now and avoid … Read more PayPal customers will be slapped with a £12 ‘inactivity fee’

Business owner fuming after BT tries to charge him £331 a year to advertise in phone book

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Small business owner left fuming after BT tries to charge him £331 a year to advertise in the phone book – without first getting permission Stephen Slyth was shocked to learn he could be charged hundreds by BT  The telecoms firm is charging small firms to advertise in the local phone book  They are automatically … Read more Business owner fuming after BT tries to charge him £331 a year to advertise in phone book