Record number of tax returns filed online, says HMRC February 3, 2020 A record number of people filed their tax returns online for 2018/19, the government has said. HMRC said 10.4m self-assessment tax returns were filed online, out of a total of 11.1m received by the deadline of 11:59pm on 31 January. But almost 1m people missed the deadline, which can incur an initial fine of £100. [...]
Credit card firms must cut fees for those in persistent debt, says watchdog February 3, 2020 Credit card providers must cut or stop fees for those who are caught in a cycle of persistent debt, the financial watchdog has said. In a letter to the chief executives of credit card firms this morning, the Financial Conduct Authority said lenders must come up with a repayment plan for customers who have been [...]
£30bn pension pool slams financial system as ‘not fit for purpose’ on climate change January 27, 2020 A £30bn pool of pension funds is threatening to fire investment managers that fail to reduce their exposure to climate risk, condemning the financial system as “not fit for purpose” for addressing the issue. In a combative new policy launched today, the Brunel Pension Partnership is demanding companies in its portfolio take steps to align [...]
Pensions dashboards: Minister urges providers to get data in shape January 23, 2020 Pension providers are facing demands to get customer data in a fit state for the introduction of pensions dashboards. Pensions minister Guy Opperman has urged companies to help pave the way for the dashboards – apps to help people keep track of their savings . The pensions dashboards will give people information about their pensions [...]
Empty pockets: Why shops going cashless is good for business — and consumers January 22, 2020 In the market stalls, pop-up shops, and beer taprooms of our great city, card payment is increasingly common. And it’s not just a London trend — while card-only shops are primarily cropping up in the capital, they have appeared up and down the country too. This is a phenomenon dominated by small businesses, and it’s [...]
Watchdog warns financial advisers on causing ‘significant harm’ to clients January 21, 2020 Financial advisers were ticked off by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) today for causing harm to consumers. In a letter to chief executives, the FCA noted a growing number of cases where firms’ actions resulted in “significant harm to consumers’ financial well-being”. It picked out four ways in which clients could be harmed: receiving unsuitable [...]
Experian warns of ‘weak’ UK and Europe business sales January 17, 2020 Credit scoring giant Experian posted a rise in revenue for the end of 2019 despite drops in the UK and Europe. Revenue grew seven per cent in the three months to the end of December, Experian revealed today as it stuck to guidance for its full-year results. While Experian’s North America and Latin America divisions [...]
Banking watchdog outlines plan for single interest rate across cash savings accounts January 9, 2020 The financial watchdog has proposed an overhaul of cash savings products in the UK, a move it said would bump up interest payments to consumers by £260m a year. Under the plans by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), banks would have to set a single easy access interest rate (SEAR) across all easy access accounts. [...]
HSBC and First Direct IT glitches leave customers unable to access online and mobile banking December 20, 2019 HSBC and First Direct have resolved issues causing intermittent problems for customers accessing online and mobile banking over the past 24 hours. Customers were unable to access their online or app banking from around 7:40pm last night and then again throughout today despite claims the issues had been resolved in the early hours of the [...]
FCA overdraft rules: What they mean and which banks have hiked fees December 18, 2019 Millions of people may see changes to their available bank balances today as new overdraft rules from the financial watchdog covering how overdrafts are displayed come into effect. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has ordered UK banks to stop including overdrafts in funds marked as “available” to customers, in a move designed to make it [...]