Inflation at its highest for 30 years

Britain’s cost of living crisis worsened in December after inflation jumped to 5.4% – its highest level in almost 30 years – driven by the higher cost of clothes, food and footwear. Heaping further pressure on Bank of England policymakers to raise interest rates when...

Pizza buy now pay later raises debt concerns

Consumer finance company Zilch is getting flak for trying to encourage UK consumers to use buy now, pay later (BNPL) plans to buy cheap supermarket pizzas and other treats that fall outside the typical definition of BNPL purchases, the Financial Times reported. Zilch...

Wealth inequality rises

The ONS’s latest figures on what has been happening to wealth in Great Britain, released in January 2022, are already out of date, covering only the period up to March 2020, and therefore missing the effects of the pandemic. But they are also limited in another way:...

Inflation hits 7%

President Joe Biden has attempted to play down a new annual inflation reading of 7%, the highest level in 40 years, by branding it a ‘global’ issue that his administration is making ‘progress’ with. Persistent supply chain issues have left...

Sunak set to boost pensions?

Rishi Sunak, the UK chancellor, is facing calls to revisit his decision last year to suspend the “triple lock” on annual state pension increases, adding to pressure on the government over big cost of living increases. Two former pensions ministers have urged the...

Global growth expected to slow in 2022

Following a strong rebound in 2021, the global economy is entering a pronounced slowdown amid fresh threats from COVID-19 variants and a rise in inflation, debt, and income inequality that could endanger the recovery in emerging and developing economies, according to...

Help to buy has pushed house prices up

The Government’s Help to Buy scheme has inflated house prices in England, according to a House of Lords report. The Help to Buy: Equity Loan scheme will have cost around £29billion by the time it comes to an end in 2023, according to the report by the...

Reduce your income tax bill

You have until 28 February this year to file your tax return without penalty, but, leaving it until the last minute is fraught with problems. If you are not registered with HMRC to complete your tax return online, you will need an activation code, which the website...

Is it the end of peer-to-peer lending?

Zopa’s decision to quit its peer-to-peer (P2P) lending business to focus on banking last month prompted headlines asking whether this heralded the death of the sector it had pioneered and created. A finance system built around the idea that stability comes from...

Avoiding self-assessment pitfalls

Almost half the 12.2 million taxpayers who are due to file a self-assessment return for 2020-21 have yet to do so. HM Revenue & Customs has given workers an extra month to complete their returns, but you should still try to file by the end of January if possible....