Early summer sales on the High Street have led to a modest rise in retail sales, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said today. According to the ONS, like-for-like sales excluding petrol rose 0.8% in May, while they were 0.2% higher on an annual basis due to heavy discounting. The figures were broadly in line [...]
Tui Travel has provided an encouraging update today, providing a boost to investors with a 4.2% rise in its share price following the announcement. The company, which is the owner of Thomson, said UK bookings had risen by 5%, while the Nordic region experienced a 16% increase. The company said it had benefited from the [...]
One in three Brits risk a financial holiday hangover by paying for their holiday using debt, according to new research. Research by Bright Grey found 32% of holidaymakers will pay for this summer’s break using a credit card, travel agent payment plan, or by borrowing money from family and friends. Sun-seekers will borrow an average [...]
Fresh strike action is looming at British Airways (BA) after the Unite union has announced plans to ballot its 12,000 cabin crew members next week, unless the long-running dispute is resolved. So far, cabin crews have held 22 days of strikes after being involved in a long-running dispute with the airline over cost-cutting measures, which [...]
On Monday night, it was announced that British Airways (BA) was successful in preventing the latest series of strikes by its cabin crew staff. Mr Justice McCombe of the High Court ruled in favour of the airline and said the decision was based on a technicality. However, the Unite union described the decision “an absolute [...]
The global economic downturn has resulted in a slump in demand for big-ticket items, such as cars. This has affected carmakers worldwide with many cutting back on production, slashing jobs and seeking funding to see them through the downturn. Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), the Midlands carmaker, is no exception and according to The Sunday Times, [...]
Sainsbury’s is offering 12 months car insurance for the price of ten this summer. Motorists taking an insurance policy with the supermarket financial provider before 31st August 2009 will receive 2 months cover free. Customers who take out the policy online will receive an extra 10% discount. Features of the policy include compensation for vehicle [...]
Record numbers of holidaymakers are searching for the best deals on travel insurance at price comparison website Confused.com. Travel insurance enquires at the site are up 63% compared to this time last year – a trend Confused.com expects to see continue throughout the summer. Single trip insurance is proving the most popular, with seven in [...]
With the summer festival season approaching fast, moneysupermarket.com has urged festival-goers to check if their home insurance covers possessions stored in a tent. “Tents can be left unguarded for hours at a time, so while it’s essential not to leave valuables lying around, it is also important to check your insurance will cover you if [...]
It has been reported that British Airways (BA) is offering voluntary redundancy to 2,000 flight attendants. Its 14,000 cabin crew members have been told that the equivalent of 2,000 jobs must go through voluntary redundancy and if this is not achieved, the losses could become compulsory. BA’s chief executive, Willie Walsh, said the industry is [...]
Motorists planning to drive overseas this summer should contact their car insurance provider before setting off, uSwitch.com has warned. Research by the price comparison site found that one in five (22%) drivers believe their car insurance provides the same cover abroad as it does in the UK. A similar number (18%) think that travel insurance [...]
esure has warned householders to stay vigilant with garden security as the weather warms up. The home insurance provider said that with summer on its way, many Brits will spend more time in the garden using expensive gardening equipment. Failing to lock this equipment away after use presents an ideal opportunity for passing thieves, esure [...]
Winter holiday luggage is more valuable than its summer holiday counterpart, according to new research released by Saga Insurance. The average contents of a winter holiday suitcase are worth £238 more than for a summer holiday. Eight per cent of Brits take a winter holiday, and travel with an average of £643 worth of luggage. [...]
M&S Money launches 3% cash ISA
M&S Money has launched an Advantage Cash ISA paying 3 per cent, and which allows transfers in from other ISAs. It can be opened with a minimum deposit of £100 lump sum followed by minimum monthly deposits of £25. The 3% rate is variable, but there is no short-term bonus so the return won’t plummet [...]
Google suspends UK Compare Mortgages site
Google has closed its UK mortgage comparison site which it launched in July last year, after it proved to be less popular than expected. Mortgage comparison sites are designed to allow visitors to compare mortgages quickly and easily without having to visit each lender’s individual site. Google was competing with several well-established comparison sites, including [...]
AA launches ‘black-box’ policy for young drivers
The AA is launching an innovative car insurance policy called Drivesafe which could help younger drivers save up to £850 a year. Younger drivers already pay substantially higher premiums than other motorists and these costs are increasing. A new study by Confused.com suggests insurance costs for younger driver have gone up by 5.7 per cent [...]
ATOL scheme updated to protect online bookers
ATOL, a financial protection scheme managed by the Civil Aviation Authority, is being extended to protect up to six million more holidays a year. The scheme ensures that holiday makers do not lose out financially if a travel company collapses, and that they are not stranded abroad. An increase in the number of holidays booked [...]
Home repossessions lowest for four years
The number of UK homes repossessed fell to 36,200 in 2011, significantly below the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ forecast of 40,000, and lower than 2010 when 37,100 homes were repossessed. With interest rates remaining low and lenders adopting a sympathetic attitude to customers in financial difficulty, repossessions fell to their lowest level since 2007. However, [...]
Monthly pay lasting just 17 days
Workers are running out of money just 17 days after receiving their monthly pay, according to new research by the Halifax bank. This means that the average UK worker spends half the month worrying about money. The study, based on the responses of more than 2,000 adults, found that 10 per cent of workers start [...]
Women disadvantaged by auto-enrolment changes
Government proposals to increase the auto-enrolment threshold to £10,000 could put 1.8 million women at risk of missing out on a pension, the TUC has warned. Under the auto-enrolment scheme, which will be phased in from October, private sector employers will automatically enrol workers between the age of 22 years and the state pension age, [...]
Emergency household repairs company Homeserve is taking longer than expected to get back on track after its operations were suspended last October. The company expected customer numbers to fall by 5% this year but it has increased this estimate to 8% and announced the loss of 200 jobs. It estimates that renewal revenue in 2013 [...]
Sale rumoured for Yorkshire and Clydesdale banks
There is growing speculation that National Australia Bank (NAB) may sell Yorkshire Bank and Clydesdale Bank after the Australian parent company announced a strategic review of the two banks’ operations. The Australian economy is performing well and NAB reported strong profits for the final quarter of 2011 but with the UK economy at a virtual [...]
More women experiencing debt difficulties
Women in Debt, which offers female-focused debt advice, has warned that the number of UK women facing serious debt has grown significantly over recent years. The organisation believes that more women will need advice on solving debt problems in the future because they are building up an unsustainable level of indebtedness. Women in Debt’s director, [...]
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