Business

Predatory scammers and the loss of thousands of pounds – the dangers continue for the thousands of savers who were mis-sold investments in the unregulated £206 million Store First Limited self-storage scheme. This collapsed after promising lucrative returns that never materialised. It and three related firms were wound up in 2019 by the Insolvency Service to protect investors, many of them pensioners.Since then they have been warned of the risks of data theft and crooks ripping them off with fake claims and compensation opportunities.++ If you've been affected by this issue or feel you've been a victim of injustice, please contact consumer champion Maisha Frost on maisha.frost@express.co.uk ++;If a regulated company goes bust the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) protects up...

Ramsey Solutions personal finance expert and 'The Ramsey Show' co-host George Kamel shares his top tips to help boost your retirement on ‘Mornings with Maria.’ Post-pandemic spending methods could be detrimental to your retirement savings. According to Bankrate, more than half of Americans fell behind on their retirement savings, and 37% owe more on credit cards than they have saved for their golden years. Personal finance expert George Kamel is sounding the alarm about this looming "crisis," arguing that America has become the "land of the free and home of the broke." According to a new survey from Bankrate, 57% of American workers feel behind on their savings and 48% of those polled don't think they will meet their personal retirement goal. | Fox News SOCIAL SECURITY CO...

Money expert Martin Lewis has warned anyone who uses an air fryer instead of an oven which could be especially useful for state pensioners surviving without their £300 Winter Fuel Payment this winter.The trendy kitchen appliance has become a bit of a sensation in recent years as people look to find cheaper ways of cooking their dinner than running a big traditional oven.But Martin Lewis has tried to outline that it's not always better to use an air fryer or a microwave over a traditional oven.Speaking on his BBC and Spotify The Martin Lewis Podcast, the finance expert set out exactly how and when you should and shouldn't use an air fryer when cooking the dinner using his 'rule of thumb'.Martin Lewis said: "Let me give you my simple rule of thumb.""First of all, find the wattage of the a...

One of this month’s NS&I Premium Bonds savers scooped the million-pound jackpot just months after buying the bond.The Derbyshire winner bought the lucky bond, 535MK963637, in March 2023, becoming the first person to win NS&I’s jackpot in October.The second winner, a bondholder from Gloucestershire, purchased their lucky bond, 203JB525288, in February 2023. Both winners had £50,000 and £29,000 invested in Premium Bonds respectively at the time of their win.But there were also some other notable winners from this month’s draw, NS&I has said.One Bond holder scooped a £100,000 prize with only £275 invested in Premium Bonds. Another won a prize from a Bond purchased in 1977.Andrew Westhead, retail director at NS&I, said: “Congratulations to our newest Premium Bonds millionair...

Is it to make Tory predecessor Rishi Sunk appear he was in control of events? Starmer’s certainly achieved that.Or was his plan to make Boris Johnson appear a model of propriety? After grabbing a record £100,000 of freebies, Sir Keir is in a league of his own.Or was it to make Liz Truss look like she came from planet earth? Job done. Like Calamity Liz, Starmer seems disconnected from the rest of us.It's now exactly 100 days since voters ended 14 years of Tory misrule, only to see it replaced by Labour misrule.Starmer has made the worst start of any elected PM for a century, and it’s not me saying that.Last week, left-wing commentator Will Hutton said Labour has made more early mistakes “than any postwar government”.It’s been the political honeymoon from hell.Truss was undeniably a bigge...

Check out what's clicking on FoxBusiness.com. Nearly 450 7-Eleven stores across North America are closing for underperforming, according to the company. Seven & I Holdings, 7-Eleven’s Japan-based parent company, announced in an earnings report Thursday that 444 7-Eleven stores are closing because of a dip in sales, particularly cigarette sales, as well as decreased traffic and inflation.A list of which stores will be closing was not released. MORE THAN 2M INFANT SWINGS RECALLED AFTER 5 DEATHS 7-Eleven store (Getty Images / Getty Images)7-Eleven has 13,000 stores across the U.S. and Canada, which means the closures would only impact 3% of the company’s portfolio.The convenience store chain has faced six consecutive months of traffic declines, including a 7.3% dip in August....

With Brits bracing themselves for the harsh economic measures anticipated in the autumn statement - measures which Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has already hinted will be "painful"—Barclays is pushing for targeted relief to support future generations.The bank has appealed to Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, to consider reducing the stamp duty for older Britons aiming to move to smaller residences.Stamp duty currently applies to properties over £250,000, or £425,000 for first-time buyers, with rates ranging from 5% to 12% depending on the property's value.For instance, a £1million property could incur an eye-watering £41,250 tax bill, while the average charge hovers around a hefty £9,000.People heading into their older years often think about downsizing when home maintenanc...

Fox News national correspondent Bryan Llenas reports on how former President Trump is beating Vice President Kamala Harris on the economy on ‘The Evening Edit.’ U.S. producer prices were unchanged in September, pointing to a still-favorable inflation outlook and supporting views that the Federal Reserve would cut interest rates again next month. The unchanged reading in the producer price index for final demand last month followed an unrevised 0.2% gain in August, the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics said on Friday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the PPI edging up 0.1%.In the 12 months through September, the PPI increased 1.8% after climbing 1.9% in August. Government data on Thursday showed consumer prices rising slightly more than expected in September, li...

Death is never an easy topic to discuss - but financial guru Martin Lewis claims it's time to face the music. Speaking on his latest BBC Sounds podcast, the 52-year-old unveiled a stark warning to couples across the UK who don't want to think about making a Will.Although Martin acknowledged it's often a very emotive topic, he believes it's crucial to deal with it 'bluntly and unemotionally'. "I'm not saying you shouldn't be emotional about it but we have to get it done," he said on The Martin Lewis Podcast this week."So, we're just going to talk straight and we're going to call death, 'death'. We're not going to beat around the bush and we're just going to use straightfoward language because that's the best way to do it." At the heart of his podcast were some words of wisdom to couples ...

Blois (Loir-et-Cher), sur les bords de la Loire : «  Il faut compter un peu moins de 2 000 euros le mètre carré pour un appartement comme pour une maison, alors que les prix atteignent 4 000 euros le mètre carré à Tours et 3 000 euros le mètre carré à Orléans. » GéRARD LABRIET / PHOTONONSTOP Un château emblématique perché sur une colline surplombant les environs, la proximité des châteaux de la Loire, la douceur du climat font partie des attraits de Blois. Dans le domaine de l’immobilier, cela se traduit par un marché qui se porte plutôt bien, comme en témoignent les données compilées par Meilleurs Agents. Depuis trois mois, les prix sont en hausse, et ils connaissent même une croissance à deux chiffres sur cinq ans. Sur le terrain...