Jeff Salway: PPI banks hit new depths
IF YOU’RE among the millions of people duped into taking out payment protection insurance (PPI), the argument that there’s little wrong with the product itself may seem contrary.The basic premise of...
View ArticleScottish dinosaurs rule at London Toy Fair
A WALKING, breathing Triceratops from Rutherglen was the runaway hit of the 60th anniversary Toy Fair held in London this week.The five-metre animatronic dinosaur, which retails for more than £9,000,...
View ArticleConsumer helpdesk: Deposits for goods can be tricky
ABOUT a year ago, I paid £100 to the Edinburgh designer shop Totty Rocks as a down-payment for a £195 jacket for my daughter.It was not the right colour, so the shop offered to make another jacket for...
View ArticleSheilagh Tennant: Art is nice to look at, and a nice earner too
THE best advice a collector can be given, when it comes to investing in contemporary art, is to buy something they like and not concentrate on its potential future value.The market for contemporary art...
View ArticleTop ten tips: Toys for Christmas 2013
ORGANISERS of the 60th annual Toy Fair, held at Olympia in London this week, give us their top tips for what will be the biggest toys of 2013.All these products will be in the shops at some point this...
View ArticleHome-buying scheme extended
A SCOTTISH Government-backed scheme to help people struggling to buy new homes has been extended to include part exchange of existing properties.The MI Home programme, launched by deputy First Minister...
View ArticleClaire Smith: Pernickety property agents really must learn to let live
THE worst landlord I ever had – to paraphrase Peter Cook and Dudley Moore – was the Edinburgh University Accommodation Service.Perhaps things have changed since I was a student. I certainly hope so....
View ArticlePayday loans firms target children’s viewing slots
PAYDAY loan companies spent more than £500,000 advertising on children’s TV over the past two years, it has been revealed.Commercials for short-term loans, with interest rates of up to 4,214 per cent,...
View ArticleHouseholds paying £8m a year for channels they don’t watch
TOO many consumers are paying monthly fees for television channels they do not watch, according to new research from the Post Office and Freeview.People in the UK spend £8.1 million a year on...
View ArticleTwo Ps at heart of divorce difficulties
Property and pensions are complicating break-ups, says Jeff SalwayDISPUTES over pensions and property are increasingly at the heart of divorce proceedings in Scotland as economic pressures weigh down...
View ArticleErikka Askeland: Tide may turn after triple dip woe
WE KNEW it was bad, and we were right. The deeper-than-feared contraction of the economy in the final quarter of 2012 reported on Friday ushered in dire warnings about the consequences.Not least of...
View ArticleLocal suppliers the safest bet for renewable energy
INTERTEK, the FTSE 100 consultancy firm that Scottish Enterprise chief executive Lena Wilson joined last year, has called on renewable energy developers to use local companies in their supply chains in...
View ArticleQuestion time for Diageo chief after failed tequila talks
DIAGEO chief executive Paul Walsh will this week face a fresh grilling over his decision to abort talks to buy tequila brand Cuervo.Walsh will hope that strong trading in the US and emerging markets...
View ArticleM&A boost for law firms
MERGERS and acquisitions in the upper echelons of Scotland’s legal sector are creating opportunities for smaller firms to enter the mid tier, according to one fast-growing practice.Alistair Lang, a...
View ArticleJeff Salway: Paying the price for skipping advice
JANUARY’S a frantic and lucrative month for accountants as the growing army of Scots in the self-assessment system fork out for help with their tax returns.It makes sense to invest in expertise if...
View ArticleCarlyle Group hails Tanfield office expansion by FNZ financial services
FNZ, the fast-growing financial services technology outfit, is taking extra space in an Edinburgh office block after growing its assets under administration.The company, which makes “wrap platforms”...
View ArticleDirector dealings: APC deal drives rise in shares
ELECTRONICS specialist Advanced Power Components saw its shares rise sharply earlier this month after winning a major contract for energy-efficient lighting from a retail chain.The £2 million contract...
View ArticleProfit warnings hit 2008 level
PROFIT warnings have soared to their highest level since the height of the financial crisis in 2008.Figures published today by accountant Ernst & Young show Scotland’s quoted companies issued 16...
View ArticleCity ‘will keep trade flowing’ if UK splits
THE City of London will use its lobbying power and political clout to ensure trade and business ties do not suffer if Scots vote to break away from the UK, its Lord Mayor says.Roger Gifford said it was...
View ArticleScottish companies slow to get to grips with pension auto-enrolment
SCOTTISH businesses are risking heavy fines by failing to move fast enough on pension auto-enrolment, a leading pensions consultancy has warned.More than one in three major employers canvassed say they...
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