Business

Need to know: UK banks vary on contactless card controls ahead of rule changesFewer than half of UK banks and building societies currently allow customers to set their own contactless card limits, according to new research by Defaqto.The analysis of 31 financial institutions found only 42% permit personalised contactless limits. However, 68% do allow users to freeze contactless payments entirely.The findings come ahead of rule changes from March 19 that will enable firms to set higher contactless limits than the current £100 ceiling. Katie Brain, banking expert at Defaqto, said: "With the contactless cap being removed, choosing a bank or building society with the right in-app controls could make a real difference to how easily people manage their money."The Financial Conduct Authority i...

A retail giant is set to shut 560 branches for 24 hours in April. The popular chain, which has 630 shops across the UK, has confirmed that stores in England and Wales will close for a day.Home Bargains shops will be closed on Easter Sunday (April 5) as the budget retailer gives staff a well-deserved break. A spokesperson for the company confirmed to the Daily Express that all 70 stores in Scotland will remain open as usual on Easter Sunday while the rest of the shops across the UK will shut. As there are 630 shops nationwide, this means 560 branches will be closed on the day.Meanwhile, Home Bargains, which employs around 28,000 staff, will be open on Good Friday with reduced hours from 9am until 7pm. Stores will also be open on Easter Monday with the same hours.For Easter Sunday, the co...

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy discuss Republicans' midterm agenda after President Donald Trump's 'record-long' State of the Union speech on 'Mornings with Maria.' New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is demanding the Trump administration refund an estimated $13.5 billion in tariff payments to New Yorkers after the Supreme Court struck down a key legal basis for President Donald Trump’s import tariffs. Citing estimates from the Yale Budget Lab, Hochul said the average New York household has paid roughly $1,751 in additional costs since the tariffs were enacted last year — money she argues should now be returned."These senseless and illegal tariffs were just a tax on New York consumers, small businesses and farmers — and that’s why I’m demanding a full refund...

Ed Miliband has just insisted that new drilling in the North Sea will not bring down energy bills, in a desperate attempt to defend his insane ban on new North Sea oil and gas exploration. Anyone who says otherwise is “100% wrong”, apparently. However much we drill, he claims, it won’t lower bills by one penny because prices are set on the international market. So is he right?Technically, that’s arguable. Oil is globally priced. UK gas prices are influenced by international markets too, especially since we import so much. So no, flicking a switch and drilling tomorrow wouldn’t magically slash your dual-fuel direct debit. The problem is, he’s answering the wrong question. Deliberately.The argument for North Sea production was never just about cutting the Ofgem price cap. It’s about secur...

Discount retail giant B&M has announced four new megastores are set to open across the UK next month as part of its continued nationwide expansion.The bargain chain has thrived while many high street rivals struggle. B&M will launch new stores in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland within the next few weeks. The openings come amid strong financial performance, with B&M – which also owns the UK and France operations and the Heron Foods chain – reporting revenues up 2.5% to £5.6 billion in 2024.The first of the new stores will open in Diss, Norfolk, on Saturday, February 28. Three further openings will follow in quick succession next month.A store in Strabane, County Tyrone, is set to open on Friday, March 20. Just a day later, on Saturday, March 21, another branch will lau...

Ocado said it is cutting up to around 1,000 jobs across its UK and worldwide workforce as it looks to reduce costs by about £150 million as part of a restructure. The retail group, which operates warehouses for supermarkets, is expected to make the bulk of cuts in its Hertfordshire head office, including technology roles and back office staff. The redundancies will amount to 5% of the firm's global workforce and follow plans announced last year to scale back its technology costs from £290 million in 2024 to £60 million by 2027.Ocado chief executive Tim Steiner said: "Regrettably, this means a significant number of roles will no longer be required. We are grateful to colleagues who are affected by these changes, and whose talent and hard work have made a lasting contribution to Ocado."He...

Stockbrokers.com director of investor research Jessica Inskip discusses investor overthinking, Apple's ChatGPT moment and CME's prediction market play on 'Making Money.'  Apple announced a new age verification tool in the U.S. and abroad to ensure users wishing to download certain apps are at least 18 years old to comply with laws enacted by some U.S. states and foreign countries. The tool is rolling out in Utah, Louisiana, Brazil, Australia and Singapore, all of which have laws requiring age restrictions for users of apps rated 18+.App developers in these regions may now use Apple's updated Declared Age Range Application Programming Interface (API), which is currently in beta testing, to determine a user's age range, the company announced on Tuesday. APPLE EXPANDS US MANUFACTURING...

Nationwide Building Society has issued an update about the accounts its offers for customers. The provider has a range of fixed rate and easy access accounts to choose from.This includes its top-paying Flex Regular Saver, which currently pays 6.5 percent. However, you can only deposit up to £200 a month into this account and you need to have a Nationwide current account to open an account.A customer had a question as they were struggling to view the account options open to them. They asked the group: "Why do I need to sign in again just to view your ISA options?"Nationwide responded to say there was a way to get around this. The group said: "You can review the accounts we offer here on our website without the need to sign in to your internet bank."The building society included a link to...

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang gives his take on how AI is progressing on 'The Claman Countdown.' NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang said the artificial intelligence boom is only just beginning and nowhere near its peak, predicting that AI is "going to be everywhere" as the industry enters a decade of growth. Huang made the comments during an interview airing Thursday on FOX Business' "The Claman Countdown" with host Liz Claman."AI is just going to be everywhere. So we have plenty of runway, lots and lots of growth ahead of us," he said. "It will take time, but we have lots of time," he continued. "I think this is where, at the beginning of probably about a decade of buildout, people think that it looks like a lot of capacity being built. But in fact, it's a very small amount of the total capacity ...

State pensioners could get a surprise tax bill (Image: Getty)State pensioners may want to check if they will be hit by a new tax bill. Payments will soon be increasing again in April, thanks to the triple lock.This policy ensures that payments go up in line with whichever proves to be highest of three measures: the rise in average earnings, the rate of inflation, or a minimum 2.5 per cent. The earnings measure was the highest of the three numbers last year, with payments to increase 4.8 per cent in April.This pay increase will lift the full new state pension from the current £230.25 a week up to £241.30 a week, while the full basic state pension will go up from the current £176.45 a week to 184.90 a week. Jennifer Critchton, senior wealth planner at Killik & Co, warned that the pay ...