Finanse

An estimated four million fewer people are donating money to charity compared to before Covid, owing to squeezed household budgets and a lack of interest from younger individuals.more

The tariffs that Donald Trump announced yesterday against a number of countries, including the UK, will affect the British economy, Prime Minister Keir Starmer acknowledged today as he met with representatives from leading companies such as Unilever, Shell, Airbus and the automotive sector that day.more

US President Donald Trump yesterday signed an executive order imposing ‘reciprocal tariffs’ of at least 10 per cent on foreign imports, and 20 per cent for the European Union. Trump described it as America's ‘declaration of economic independence’ and a ‘day of liberation’.more

The Metropolitan Police will have to lose 1,700 officers, PCSOs and staff and cut a number of services as it faces a £260m hole in its budget for the coming year, the force has said. The Royal Parks police team will go, as will officers placed in schools.more

Less than one third of respondents in Poland plan to spend over PLN 4,000 this year on exploring the world, while 65 percent of surveyed Poles prefer to take advantage of local attractions rather than international ones - according to a study commissioned by Mastercard.more

Tax inspectors will directly raid bank accounts to recover unpaid bills in an attempt to claw back billions lost to evasion and avoidance. Account holders who have the funds to pay taxes they are believed to owe but “choose not to do so” risk having the cash taken out of their bank accounts in “direct recovery” powers.more

A series of essential bills are rising at the start of what some commentators have described as "awful April". The exact amount you pay will depend on your individual circumstances, and where you live.more

All departures from the capital's Zaventem airport and Brussels' Charleroi airport were canceled today due to a general strike called throughout Belgium. In Brussels, only one metro line, four trams and six buses are operating. The protest is linked to the government's pension plan.more

In 2024, the highest GDP per capita was recorded in Luxembourg, the lowest in Bulgaria. Polish GDP per capita was 79% of the EU average, Eurostat reported.more

More than 3 million families will lose out as a result of the government’s sweeping cuts to welfare, according to the official analysis, with an extra 250,000 people falling into relative poverty by 2029-30.more

Major investors including Axa and Scottish Widows are backing shareholder resolutions pressing retailers Next, Marks & Spencer and JD Sports to increase pay for thousands of workers.more

Consumers are cutting back spending on everyday items amid falling confidence in the UK economy before Rachel Reeves’s spring statement, according to a survey.more

Living standards for all UK families are set to fall by 2030, with those on the lowest incomes declining twice as fast as middle and high earners, according to data that raises serious questions about Keir Starmer’s pledge to make working people better off.more

Generation Z will become the richest and most populous generation in the next decade, according to a report published by Bank of America. Their global income is estimated to reach $36 trillion in the next five years, rising to $74 trillion by 2040.more

Santander has announced it is set to close 95 branches across the UK, putting 750 jobs at risk. The High Street bank said its customers were increasingly shifting to banking online and it was aiming to start closing almost a quarter of its branches from June.more

Up to 300,000 people with side hustles ranging from selling clothes online to dog walking are to be freed from the chore of having to do a self-assessment tax return. The government said this week it wanted “to make it easier for Britons to make the very most of their entrepreneurial spirit”.more

The lowest 10% of earners in the UK - roughly three million households - are more than £3,000 a year worse off than the poorest households in Germany and France, ITV News Business and Economics Editor Joel Hills reports.more

More than 12 million customers of Nationwide will each receive a payment of £50 following the takeover of Virgin Money. The Nationwide, the UK's largest building society, described the money as a "thank you" to its members, at a cost of £600m.more

Inflation will briefly hit 3.6 per cent this year and “remain well above” the Bank of England’s target until late 2026, according to Oxford Economics.more

The US owner of the Boots pharmacy chain is being taken over by a private equity firm in a $10bn (£7.8bn) deal. The price being paid for Walgreens Boots Alliance is a fraction of what the company was worth a decade ago, reflecting its struggles with growing debt and shoppers going online for cheaper products. more

Steep declines in housebuilding and engineering work have led to the biggest plunge in UK construction activity since May 2020, according to a survey of building companies.more

Poundland's owner has said it is considering putting the chain up for sale after warning tax changes coming in April will put more pressure on the business. The discount chain has 825 UK stores but sales were down this January and February, its Polish owner Pepco Group said.more

London’s rental inflation seems to be on the wane as data released today by Zoopla shows rents in the capital increased by 1.1 per cent in the year to January.more

A looming deadline for people to plug gaps in their National Insurance record, to ensure they get the full state pension, has been softened. Concerns over a rush of last-minute enquiries mean anyone who requests a call back from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on the issue will not be regarded as having missed the 5 April deadline.more

The UK will be hit by a slowdown in global trade even if US President Donald Trump does not directly impose tariffs on our country, UK Finance Minister Rachel Reeves announced yesterday. The US leader announced the entry into force of tariffs on goods from Mexico, Canada and China.more