By Mark Richards If you have a dog or a cat it makes sense to have it insured. As figures from the Association of British Insurers show, vet’s bills are only going to increase. They are paying out more to settle our insurance claims. But a worrying number of us still do not have cover [...]
By Mark Richards. As we all know, yesterday was Valentine’s Day, but for thousands of people around the world it will have been the day when they fell victim to a ‘romance scam’ – someone promising undying love in a bid to get money or information from them. The romance scam is by no means [...]
By Mark Richards. There has been much made recently of ‘wellness in the workplace.’ But very little specific attention paid to men – who are far more prone to suicide and addiction than women. Should we do more to tackle ‘men’s wellness?’ And what are the warning signs bosses and colleagues should look out for? [...]
By Trevor Clawson. Two years ago, the West Sussex village of Billingshurst boasted three banks on its high street, each with a convenient ATM. And if shoppers were disinclined to use the machines provided by Barclays, Lloyds and Natwest, they could always opt for the “hole in the wall” at the door of the local [...]
By Mark Richards. Figures from WH Smith over Christmas clearly showed the continuing decline of the high street. But the company enjoyed considerable success with its travel division, highlighting the buoyant UK holiday market. But are we booking with the traditional high street travel agent? Or have the travel agents moved much closer to home? [...]
By Mark Fairlie. Britons are expected to spend £36,190,000 on international driving permits if an agreement over the terms of the UK’s departure from the European Union. The sum was calculated by MiDrive, a company offering a UK-based toolkit for learner drivers and instructors, based upon a survey it carried out suggesting that 20% of [...]
By Trevor Clawson. Amid the ongoing Brexit furore, other news emanating from the general direction of Westminster has largely been drowned out by the sound of MPs arguing loudly and at length over the shape of Britain’s future relationship with the European Union. Arguably then, it’s a great time for Government departments to discreetly release [...]
By Mark Fairlie. The Office of National Statistics has released a report showing that, out of 17,000 items for sale, 206 had shrunk in size while 79 had increased. The practice of keeping the price of the product the same but reducing it in size is referred to as “shrinkflation.” Bread and cereals, personal care [...]
By Lauren Howells. Small energy suppliers have beaten the Big Six in Which?’s annual customer satisfaction survey. The consumer champion carried out a UK-wide survey, asking 8,000 people what they thought of their energy provider. Respondents answered questions regarding areas including value for money, customer service and billing. The survey revealed that it was the [...]
By Mark Fairlie. One of the UK’s most important business sectors, financial services, has seen a contraction in demand during the last three months of 2018, according to the latest CBI/PwC Financial Services Survey. While 24% of the 84 firms which responded to the survey saw an increase in the level of business, 32% reported [...]