All news by author: Lawrence Matheson

740
Buy-to-let mortgage borrowing among the over-55s has 'fallen off a cliff'
The number of later life buy-to-let mortgages handed out to older landlords has more than halved in a year, according to new figures
1214
Most pupils leave school without key financial skills, survey of teachers shows
A poll of more than 1,000 teachers in the UK found 76% agreed that most young people leave school or college without the money skills they need
857
Pension savers could 'lose thousands' due to lack of transparency over charges
Just over seven in 10 (72%) of people who had recently transferred their pension did not know the exact fees for their old pension, or their new charges, according to a survey for People's Partnership, which provides the People's Pension
1083
Esken would lose control of airport if deal goes ahead with private equity firm
Esken, formerly known as Stobart Group, said that it was mulling a deal which would settle a dispute with a US private equity giant over a loan
480
How the rise of generative AI chatbots could leave Google search in the shade
The rise of generative AI chatbots is giving people new and different ways to look up information
711
Missiles fired off Yemen in latest Red Sea attack on trading route ships
Missiles fired off Yemen in latest Red Sea attack on ships
858
Dubai Airport passenger numbers soar as chief hails 'exceptional' performance
The number of passengers flying through Dubai International Airport, the world's busiest for international travel, surged last year beyond its total for 2019 - just before the coronavirus pandemic grounded global aviation
1313
Currys shares soar as retailer rejects £700m takeover bid from Waterstones owner
Currys' board unanimously rejected the offer from US private equity giant Elliott Advisors, saying it 'significantly undervalued the company and its future prospects'
1345
Moneysupermarket profits rise as customers switch car and home insurance
The group, which helps customers compare deals, reported an 8% rise in pre-tax profits to £92.1 million for 2023, with sales up 11% at £432.1 million
874
Romantics showed high street some love with boost in sales of flowers and meals
Transactions at florists were up by 10.4% annually on February 13, the day before Valentine's Day, Barclays said
1212
Tata Steel workers in street protest over proposed loss of thousands of jobs
Tata is consulting on plans to shut down blast furnaces at Port Talbot with the loss of around 2,800 jobs as it switches to a more environmentally friendly way of producing steel
1206
Virgin Media O2 launches new company in 'direct challenge' to BT Openreach
The new company will be the first of its kind to challenge BT Openreach in the UK
1428
UK's five biggest banks are expected to reveal record £50 billion profits
The UK's biggest banks are set to report record-high profits after a year that saw lenders benefit from higher borrowing costs, as they face questions over the outlook for the year ahead
991
More than a sixth of jobs require driving licence, according to RAC research
The RAC Foundation said its research highlights how a driving licence can be 'a crucial qualification'
613
Quarter of hospitality firms have 'no cash reserves left' as bosses urge tax cut
The joint survey by UKHospitality, the British Beer and Pub Association, British Institute of Innkeeping and Hospitality Ulster revealed the increased cost pressures facing venues across the country
805
Average asking price of a home in the UK jumps by more than £3,000 in a month
The number of sales agreed in the first six weeks of this year is also 16% higher than in the same period last year, Rightmove said
810
OpenAI shows off Sora, the new AI tool that makes videos from written commands
The maker of ChatGPT unveiled its next leap into generative artificial intelligence with a tool that instantly makes short videos in response to written prompts
1145
Crunch time for yoga and Pilates instructors as they prepare to strike over pay
Members of Unison employed by Colchester City Council will walk out for seven days from Wednesday February 28 until Tuesday March 5
619
Microsoft to invest billions expanding data centres to handle AI in Germany
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz welcomed an announcement this week by Microsoft that it would invest almost 3.3 billion euros (£2.8 billion) in Germany over the next two years to massively expand its data center capacities for applications in the field of artificial intelligence and cloud computing
1382
Eni and TotalEnergies are developing natural gas site to boost energy supplies
Eni says drilling to appraise a third natural gas discovery in waters off Cyprus shows the commitment of the Italian energy company and its French partner TotalEnergies to swiftly develop the deposit and bolster energy supply to Europe
1460
Concerns over claims management firms raised by Financial Conduct Authority
The Financial Conduct Authority said some firms had charged significantly higher fees for unregulated claims
1290
New Stormont committee tasked with examining trading arrangements post-Brexit
The Assembly's new Stormont brake committee will have scope to assess the impact of Northern Ireland being left in regulatory limbo if it diverges from both EU and UK laws
1282
London Overground workers strike action called off after new pay offer made
'The dispute is not over but we have made sufficient progress to suspend the action next week' said Mick Lynch, general secretary of RMT
792
Record £5.2 billion annuity sales due to higher interest rates, says ABI
Sales of retirement annuities reached a post-pension freedoms high last year, according to the Association of British Insurers
967
Train fare 'simplification' trial adds more than £100 to cost of some journeys
Rail campaign groups have described the trial as 'awful' and 'a smokescreen' after it resulted in the cost of some journeys increasing