Finanse

For coupled up Londoners, the old adage of “first comes love, then comes marriage” has been turned on its head thanks to rising rents, stricter mortgage affordability tests and the financial pressures of saving for a home.more

Higher-than-expected government borrowing figures have increased the prospect of Chancellor Rachel Reeves raising taxes in the autumn, experts say. Borrowing - the difference between spending and tax income - was £20.2bn in April, up £1bn from the same month last year, official figures showed.more

Ministers are bracing themselves for a potential wave of NHS strikes in England after doctors denounced pay rises of up to 5.4% this year as “derisory” and threatened to take action in protest.more

Millions of shoppers could get up to £70 each after a tribunal approved a settlement in a lawsuit against Mastercard which stemmed from historic fees levied on businesses by the card provider.more

Edinburgh has been crowned the most expensive city break destination in western Europe, according to a new report. Analysis by Post Office Travel Money reveals that the combined cost of accommodation and other typical tourist expenses is higher in the Scottish capital than in any other major city in the region.more

A rise in the cost of household bills has pushed UK inflation to its highest rate in more than a year. Inflation was 3.5% in April, up from 2.6% in March, according to official data.more

Household energy bills are projected to decrease by approximately 7 per cent this July, offering some relief to consumers facing the burden of rising living costs. Industry analysts Cornwall Insight predict the typical annual household energy bill will fall by £129, settling at around £1,720 when Ofgem's revised price cap takes effect.more

A popular UK city has been named as having the highest amount of disposable income and it’s a place that might not come as a surprise to some. People living in Brighton have an average of £1,315 spare cash per month - more than any other city in the UK, data by This is Money shows.more

Ryanair has seen annual earnings tumble 16% after slashing air fares to help boost demand, but revealed prices are to rise as it seeks to return to growth. The budget carrier reported pre-tax profits of 1.78 billion euros (£1.5 billion) for the year to March 31, down from 2.13 billion euros (£1.79 billion) after average fares fell 7%.more

The government has announced new rules aiming to protect shoppers using buy now, pay later services, saying it wants to end the "wild west" of unregulated borrowing. Under the legislation, lenders will have to carry out affordability checks to stop people taking on too much debt and shoppers will have faster access to refunds.more

Millions of people are walking a financial tightrope, with one in 10 UK adults saving no money at all, a major report has concluded. This leaves many exposed to economic shocks and vulnerable to rising bills, according to the Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) Financial Lives survey.more

According to Goldman Sachs economists, a victory by KO presidential candidate Rafał Trzaskowski would strengthen the Polish currency and favour a ‘dovish attitude’ of the central bank. This is in contrast to a win by PiS candidate Karol Nawrocki, which would weaken the zloty and favour ‘hawkish sentiment’.more

Millions of Britons will be better off as the economy picks up, says the Government after GDP growth hit 0.7% in the first three months of the year. Welcoming the figures, Sir Keir Starmer stressed: "The UK now has the fastest growth in the G7.more

The cost of sending a child to a state school in the UK has “significantly increased” since 2022, outstripping both inflation and earnings growth, a new report has found.more

Hospitals in England are cutting staff, closing services and planning to ration care in order to make “eye-watering” savings demanded by NHS bosses. Rehabilitation centres face being shut, talking therapies services cut and beds for end-of-life care reduced as part of efforts by England’s 215 NHS trusts to comply with a “financial reset”.more

Bank of England policymakers have cut interest rates by a quarter point to 4.25% to cushion the UK economy against the impact of rising economic uncertainty.more

For 33 percent of Poles, collecting the right amount for the holidays is the biggest financial challenge this spring; for the same group, renovation is such a challenge - according to the study "Poles' Own Wallet: Spring Challenges 2025".more

Poles working in the UK earn more than native Britons. The median monthly earnings of Polish immigrants is around £2,500, while that of Britons is around £2,400, the Economist reported in its latest issue, citing government figures.more

A one-of-a-kind mortgage offering a major financial perk – no repayments for the first three months – has been launched in the UK. The deal, unveiled by Skipton Building Society, is the latest innovation aimed at cash-strapped first-time buyers and is designed to provide them with a bit of breathing space as they settle into their new property.more

Nearly two in five (39%) people are at risk of being unable to cover even their basic needs in retirement, according to a report from Scottish Widows.more

More than half of first-time buyers received financial help from their family to make house purchases last year, according to estimates by estate agency Savills. An average of £55,572 was given in loans and gifts by the so-called bank of mum and dad to buyers, it said.more

Deliveroo, the food delivery app, has agreed to be taken over by US giant DoorDash in a deal valuing the business at £2.9bn. The deal is the latest example of a UK-listed company being taken over by a US firm.more

Landlords and sole traders, brace yourselves for a tax revolution that could catch thousands unawares, warns an expert. A call to arms has gone out to millions of self-employed people and property tycoons to get prepped for a seismic change in the way they report their earnings to HMRC.more

Shops and services may have to be forced to accept cash in the future to help protect vulnerable people who rely on it, MPs have said. A Treasury Committee report into cash acceptance stopped short of recommending a change in the law, but said the government had to improve its monitoring of the issue.more

More than 130,000 people have been awarded a collective £800 million in state pension back payments due to historical government errors. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) published an update this week of cases checked as part of a correction exercise which started in January 2021.more