Business

Rachel Reeves is said to be plotting a huge £4billion pension tax raid in her Budget later this month. The Chancellor is believed to want to axe fiscal breaks available to staff and employers who save cash in workplace pensions, which could cost the average worker £210 a year. "Salary sacrifice” schemes mean Brits can put money into their retirement pots before it is subject to income tax or national insurance.Firms also enjoy lower employer national insurance contributions when staff take advantage of this, because the levies are only charged on pay left over. But Ms Reeves is reportedly preparing to change the national insurance relief by changing the maximum amount of an employee's wages that can be deposited without paying up. Someone on £35,000 a year and contributed 5% of their wa...

Every day brings fresh proof of ministerial ineptitude, naked self‑interest, vanity and entitlement. Labour’s front bench loves to lecture the rest of us, grab our money and talk down to working people, while shamelessly bending the rules they impose on the rest of us.Angela Rayner is the most glaring example. Parading as the authentic working‑class voice, she was forced to resign after bending the rules to avoid £40,000 in stamp duty on her £800,000 seaside flat in Hove.Homelessness minister Rushanara Ali campaigned against "unreasonable rent increases", but only afterevicting tenants from her east London townhouse and hiking the rent by £700 a month for the new occupants.Transport secretary Louise Haigh had to resign after it was discovered she'd filed false reports that her work mobi...

Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller joins ‘Kudlow’ to discuss the latest happenings at the Federal Reserve. Federal Reserve governor and chair candidate Christopher Waller joined "Kudlow" to shut down Chairman Jerome Powell’s claim the agency is driving through "fog." Powell said Wednesday the lack of key economic data caused by the government shutdown has given the Federal Reserve an unclear view of the economy."This fog story has just got to stop," Waller told FOX Business host Larry Kudlow. "The fog might tell you to slow down. It doesn't tell you to pull over to the side of the road. You still have to go. You may want to be careful, but it doesn't mean to stop, and that's the right thing to do with policies — to continue cutting. POWELL WARNS SHUTDOWN IS CLOUDING FED’S ...

State pensioners across the UK have benefited from an income boost this year thanks to a 4.1% uprating to the State Pension in line with the triple lock.The uprating, which took effect at the start of the 2025/26 financial year in April, increased the full basic State Pension to £176.45 per week and the full new State Pension up to £230.25 per week. According to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), the rise will provide an extra £360 per year to older pensioners on the full basic State Pension, while those who get the full new State Pension will be an extra £470 per year better off under the new rates. Pensioners typically receive their pension payments every four weeks, but exactly when your money lands in your bank account is determined by your National Insurance number.Payment...

Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., analyzes President Donald Trump's 'complicated relationship' with China, weighs in on the president ending trade negotiations with Canada and more on 'Maria Bartiromo's Wall Street.' President Donald Trump announced Saturday that the U.S. will impose an additional 10% tariff on Canadian imports, citing a "fraudulent advertisement" featuring former President Ronald Reagan speaking out against tariffs. Trump claimed that the ad, which aired during the World Series that began Friday, was part of Canada's "hope that the United States Supreme Court will come to their ‘rescue’ on Tariffs that they have used for years to hurt the United States.""Canada was caught, red handed, putting up a fraudulent advertisement on Ronald Reagan’s Speech on Tariffs," Trump pos...

Gemini co-founders Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss discuss cryptocurrency’s growth under the Trump administration, their partnership with Mastercard for a Bitcoin credit card and more on ‘The Claman Countdown.’   President Donald Trump pardoned Changpeng "CZ" Zhao, the convicted founder of Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange. Zhao pleaded guilty in 2023 to a single violation of the Bank Secrecy Act, which included failure to properly implement an effective anti-money laundering program. Binance paid $4.3 billion to resolve the Department of Justice’s investigation led by former Attorney General Merrick Garland and coordinated by then-Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen through its financial crime units. Zhao left federal prison in September 2024 after serving a four-month sentenc...

House Speaker Mike Johnson joined ‘Mornings with Maria’ to discuss the government shutdown and to blast Democrats for blocking a clean funding bill and caving to the far left. With little sign of the federal government shutdown ending anytime soon, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., says partisan gridlock is to blame. "This is the first time in history that any party has chosen to shut the government down over a clean [continuing resolution]. They're playing a game, and it's very simple," Johnson said Tuesday on "Mornings with Maria." "Here's the reason why Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, the two leaders in both chambers for the Democrat side, are afraid of their far-left flank – they're afraid they're going to get a challenge in New York because Marxism is all the rage, and the...

Born from an in-flight mishap, the Hermès Birkin became more than a handbag—it redefined luxury, exclusivity, and desire. Author Marisa Meltzer explains the birth of the Birkin in her new book "It Girl." The Hermès Birkin may now stand as the ultimate symbol of status and exclusivity, but it began by chance — the result of a spilled purse and a serendipitous meeting on a short flight. "The birth of the Birkin is a meet-cute in a romantic comedy. It's an adorable story," began Marisa Meltzer, author of the new book "It Girl: The Life and Legacy of Jane Birkin."Meltzer’s book, released Oct. 7, delves into the creation of the Birkin and the life of its namesake, Jane Birkin, the English-born actress and singer who became a French icon. THE MYSTIQUE OF HERMÈS: THE BIRKIN IS A RARE INVE...

Jack Otter leads a 'Barron's Roundtable' panel discussion on Fed cuts, grocery prices, AI, Oracle's price spike and how Trump's immigration crackdown is affecting the markets. Boston officials are reportedly weighing the concept of creating government-owned grocery stores to support residents struggling with the rising costs of food. City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune and Councilor Liz Breadon have requested a hearing to explore the idea — emphasizing it was not inspired by a similar proposal from New York City Democratic socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, local news outlet Boston 25 News reported."The role of government is to step in when the market is failing our residents," Louijeune told Boston 25 News. "The idea of government-sponsored government-subsidized groc...

According to figures from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), approximately three-quarters of a million young adults are sitting on unclaimed pots of cash. Some 758,000 people aged between 18 and 23 have yet to claim their matured child trust fund, which is worth an average of £2,242 each.Child trust funds are long-term, tax-free savings accounts that were established for children born between September 1, 2002 and January 2, 2011, with an initial Government deposit of at least £250.Youngsters can take control of their account at 16, but once the account holder turns 18 it matures and they can decide whether they want to withdraw the money or re-invest it.How to check if you're owed money by HMRCAngela MacDonald, HMRC's second permanent secretary and deputy chief executive, said: "If you're ...