Demand for banks to give early warning of interest rate rises April 15, 2012 BANKS will this week come under fresh political pressure to give customers greater notice of hikes in interest rates. Labour will tomorrow table an amendment to the Financial Services Bill after customers of Halifax were given a minimum of only 14 days’ notice of an increase in the standard variable rate, despite the record low [...]
IMF warns UK pension costs set to double April 11, 2012 THE UK faces a pensions time bomb, with expected increases in life expectancy set to put huge pressure on retirement costs, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The IMF warned that the ballooning expense, which could double in the next forty years, could threaten the UK’s financial stability. Between 2010 and 2050, the cost [...]
As France goes to the polls its love for London grows April 20, 2012 WALKING around South Kensington, you may have a feeling of being lost in Paris’s Latin Quarter. There are French cafés, bistros, book stores; you may even come across the Lycée Français, the established hub of the French community. The French are in London en masse and have made some parts of the capital their own [...]
As France goes to the polls its love for London grows April 20, 2012 WALKING around South Kensington, you may have a feeling of being lost in Paris’s Latin Quarter. There are French cafés, bistros, book stores; you may even come across the Lycée Français, the established hub of the French community. The French are in London en masse and have made some parts of the capital their own [...]
Can you dodge the reaper? June 18, 2012 In David Cronenberg’s latest film, Cosmopolis, Robert Pattinson’s billionaire asset manager undergoes a daily health check-up, including a rather grueling prostate exam, in an attempt to fend off any potential ailments. There are, however, more practical ways of staying abreast of your health. Medicine has reached a level where we can discern a baffling amount [...]
Surprise jump in inflation as food prices rise April 17, 2012 SOARING food and clothes prices pushed inflation up in March, official data showed yesterday, reversing the recent downward trend and raising fears that consumers will be squeezed for even longer than expected. Consumer prices rose 3.5 per cent in the year to March, up from 3.4 per cent in February and defying predictions of rapidly [...]
Shareholder activism is vital for a properly functioning City April 26, 2012 OWNERS of publicly listed companies need to behave as proprietors. They shouldn’t micromanage firms in which they invest – that is their executives’ jobs – but they should ratify some key decisions, including the pay of their top staff. In his 1970 polemic Exit, Voice and Loyalty, Albert O Hirschman explained that members of any [...]
Inflation fears as tax on pasties bites March 28, 2012 GEORGE Osborne’s pasty tax and other hikes in VAT will push up the cost of living even further, according to official figures out yesterday, while new data suggests higher wages could also be about to stoke inflation. The tax on hot food sold in retail outlets, along with higher duties on fuel, cigarettes and alcohol, will [...]
Households hit by rising cost of living March 18, 2012 HOUSEHOLD finances remain under intense pressure from rising living costs, according to several leading surveys released this morning. Despite a slowdown in the UK’s official measure of consumer price inflation in recent months, people still fear more price hikes. “Households’ current inflation observations climbed to a six-month peak [this month], while price expectations for the [...]
How to invest in a beautiful smile May 21, 2012 Smile, and the world smiles with you. It sounds simple enough, but missing, wonky or stained teeth can leave you wanting to keep your gnashers firmly to yourself. Fed up with feeling self-conscious about your smile? Thought about getting dental treatment, but wrote it off as too much hassle? You might be surprised to learn [...]