Good news for drawdown investors
Pension drawdown investors have been given a boost after the government confirmed an increase in the amount of income they can take from their funds.Investors in drawdown plans have been hit by a sharp...
View ArticleMild weather means fewer household insurance claims
THE number of Scots forced to claim on their home insurance over the festive season fell sharply compared to recent years, despite widespread flooding before Christmas.Insurers reported a surge of...
View ArticleGareth Howlett: Watch for potholes, but we’re in the right direction for the...
IT’S THE time of year when the pundit-o-meter spikes upwards as experts of all kinds try to get right what they usually get wrong – market predictions.It’s not a game I feel comfortable playing. Every...
View ArticleYoung women told ‘pay-as-you-drive’ to avoid massive hikes in insurance
YOUNG women drivers are being urged to turn to pay-as-you-drive insurance to avoid being hit by massive increases in their premiums.Female drivers are the among biggest victims of a ban on the use of...
View ArticleJeff Salway: Gordon Brown’s pensions legacy will resonate
WHEN, in the wake of his resignation, a BBC website story titled “What is Gordon Brown’s legacy?” displayed only a blank page, many people drew their own conclusions as to Auntie’s view on the matter....
View ArticleTop ten tips: Paying for long-term care
Since 1 July 2002 all personal care at home for people residing in Scotland has been provided free-of-charge.The cost of a care home, however, is broken down into three constituent parts:...
View ArticleTimes they are changin’ as yet more retailers set to go bust
WHEN John Lewis managing director Charlie Mayfield spoke in Edinburgh recently, he waxed lyrical on the opportunities offered by the retail sector. It is still, he said, one of the few places where a...
View ArticleTale of woe as over £200 worth of HMV vouchers are refused
Q. Today, Tuesday 15 January 2013, I attempted to make a purchase at HMV Ocean Terminal, Leith, using gift tokens given to me for Christmas. The store was open for business and trading, accepting cash...
View ArticleMark Tanzer: Holidaymakers spoilt for a choice of breaks
FOR most of us, holidays have become an essential, something to look forward to throughout the year, a chance to relax, unwind and put the stresses and strains of day–to-day life behind us.The current...
View ArticleScottish water prices up by 2.8%
SCOTTISH WATER has announced its first price rise in four years, with prices going up by 2.8 per cent.The Government-owned water company says bills in Scotland are still around £50 less than those in...
View ArticleTraditional butchers cash in on horse meat burgers row
TRADITIONAL butchers’ shops are reporting a surge in custom after several supermarkets were found to be selling value burgers which contained horse meat.Independent butchers’ shops say customers are...
View ArticleClaire Smith: Crunch time for waistlines as a crisp charmer flies in
HUGE excitement hit the office this week with a bumper delivery of doughnuts – or donuts – from Krispy Kreme.Our hard-boiled deputy business editor – who lives on a diet of ham and cheese sandwiches...
View ArticleCash clinic: ‘Think about what to achieve before considering solutions’
Q. I KNOW that financial advisers can no longer be paid by commission for recommending investments, but I’d feel uncomfortable paying a large fee to a financial adviser who is likely simply to...
View ArticleAffordability for new owners at best for decade, says bank
SCOTLAND is the UK’s second most affordable place to own a home as the cost of mortgage repayments continues to fall, according to a report out today. The proportion of take-home pay that Scots spend...
View ArticleClock ticking as many face the taxman’s anger for late returns
AS THE clock ticks down for the growing army of Scots in the self-assessment system to file their returns, experts warn that many risk incurring the wrath of a taxman in the mood for a crackdown.The 31...
View ArticleVision firm eyes US sales
A MEDICAL device maker has been given the green light to sell its eye-testing equipment in Europe and the United States, less than a year after the firm was spun out of Edinburgh University.I2eye...
View ArticleMarket watch: More winners and losers revealed in Christmas high street battle
A THIRD week of Christmas trading updates will keep the health of the high street in the spotlight, with Carphone Warehouse, WH Smith and William Hill all reporting on their festive sales.A strong...
View ArticleDozens of potential buyers express interest in HMV
HOPES have risen that high-street chain HMV will survive in some form after dozens of expressions of interest poured in for the music retailer.Deloitte – which is also administrator to Blockbuster UK,...
View ArticleJeff Salway: Buy-to-let investors cash in on crisis
MANCHESTER City Football Club fans used to sing that they all lived “in a Robbie Fowler house”, such was their striker’s burgeoning property portfolio.Fowler was more prolific in the property market...
View ArticleEconomy hit as ‘triple dip’ fears grow
THE British economy is believed to have contracted again in the final three months of last year, official figures this week are expected to show.Without the Olympic boost that pulled Britain out of...
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