Business

Chancellor Rachel Reeves extended the income tax freeze at November's Budget (Image: HENRY NICHOLLS, AFP via Getty Images)A petition calling on the UK Government to increase the personal tax allowance to £20,000 from its current level of £12,570 has one week remaining to gather sufficient signatures to be considered for Parliamentary debate. The petition, established on the UK Government's petition website by Shannon Keene, has a deadline of Saturday, February 28, 2026.Titled 'Raise the income tax personal allowance from £12,570 to £20,000', it states: "This would help with increasing rent, mortgages, Council tax, and Gas and Electric bills. Some families can't afford to go back to work after children due to childcare costs wiping their whole income!"We think that we are currently payin...

HMRC will send a new tax code letter to those eligible (Image: Getty)State pensioners can get a boost to their prized tax-free Personal Income by using a little known HMRC perk for married couples.Right now, the income tax Personal Allowance is frozen at £12,570 and will remain stuck at that level until at least 2031, by which point it will have been in place for a full decade, while earnings and indeed the state pension continue to creep up due to inflation.While Rachel Reeves has confirmed that state pensioners who do not receive any other income apart from the state pension will be exempt from paying income tax if they exceed the threshold, which is due to happen in April 2027 following another Triple Lock increase, there are plenty of pensioners who will still be liable to pay tax o...

UK bank customers can get £200 for switching their accounts. Banks regularly offer rewards for switching accounts, such as higher savings interest rates and one-off deposits. One of the current offers sees a high street bank offering £200 who make a switch to their banking services. It comes from Santander, and it's available for new and existing customers. However, there are, as always, a few criteria to meet to secure the £200 reward. The £200 reward is available for customers who switch to one of Santander’s eligible accounts, which are the Everyday, Edge, Edge Up, Edge Explorer or Private, using the Current Account Switch Service (CASS). The offer has been on the table for a few months now, having been launched back in November 2025. However, the bank can withdraw it at any time, an...

It’s making magic on the mountains with spectacular eyewear designs, but how does new winter sports brand Skoggl push the boundaries and where will it go next?  Launched in 2024 after eight years development, the small family-run business stands out as a rarity for being British in a sector that’s dominated by international brands and for its innovation weaving together performance and streetwear statement style. With a choice of five eye-catching bold and playful patterns, including favourite the snow crystal, these are printed directly on to the googles’ lenses without compromising the skier’s or snowboarder’s vision.  The company’s online ‘create your own’ builder lets customers personalize, mix, match and refresh every aspect with different frame colours. Easy swap magnetic lenses c...

'Bar Rescue' host Jon Taffer joins 'Varney & Co.' to weigh in on restaurants embracing AI, tighter consumer budgets and how loyalty programs are helping businesses survive. Artificial intelligence is quietly reshaping restaurant operations, but not necessarily in the way diners might expect. As labor shortages persist and costs remain elevated, "Bar Rescue" host Jon Taffer joined FOX Business’ Stuart Varney on "Varney & Co." to say that technology is becoming a critical back-of-house tool rather than a front-facing replacement for hospitality. Constellation Research founder R 'Ray' Wang explains why the AI disruption is real and discusses the race between OpenAI and Anthropic to go public on 'Varney & Co.' Taffer explained that staffing challenges are pushing operator...

Lloyds, Halifax and Santander have announced a wave of branch closures for 2026 (Image: Getty)Lloyds, Halifax and Santander are closing 56 bank branches across the UK in the next three months as more customers shift to digital banking.Lloyds Banking Group, which incorporates Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland, has announced plans to close 95 of its branches in 2026 and 2027 to give customers more “flexibility” to bank wherever they need to, including through apps, online, 24/7 messaging services and community banking hubs. The group said the way customers are banking is changing, and the significant reduction in its branch network comes as it accelerates plans to cut costs and digitise services. Under the plans, 53 Lloyds branches, 31 Halifax branches and 11 Bank of Scotland branches ...

Martin Lewis' Money Saving Expert (MSE) team has urged people to "sign up" now to boost their credit score. If you don't, "it's much harder to get accepted", it says.As part of its financial advice, it says that people should register to vote. It explains: "If you're not on the electoral roll, it's much harder to get accepted for credit, so sign up immediately."Don't wait for the annual reminder or for the elections to roll around." You can apply via the official Gov.uk website, MSE notes.If you live in England or Northern Ireland, you must be aged 16 or over to register. Meanwhile, if you live in Scotland or Wales, you must be aged 14 or over to register.If you want to register to vote, it should take around 5 minutes. MSE explain: "Simply follow the instructions online - it'll ask you...

'XX-XY Athletics' founder Jennifer Sey on why major brands are backing away from diversity-branded programs. The second Trump administration has been marked by blowback to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs across American companies. It's a welcome change, according to XX-XY Athletics CEO Jennifer Sey, who calls such programs and hiring practices "excessive." "Excessive focus on DEI, whether it's through hiring practices or public marketing, actually can have an adverse effect on [a] company's performance," Sey told Fox News Digital. "It's not so fashionable anymore… [Companies] are responding to both Trump and the administration and their push and the executive orders, but they're also responding to the public and where popular opinion is, and people are rejecting thes...

The State Pension is set to increase by more than £2,000 over the course of this Parliament, according to the Government. The rise is due to the "triple lock" commitment, which ensures that the State Pension rises based on one of three measures: average earnings, inflation, or 2.5% - whichever is highest.  The Government anticipates that by late 2028/2029, payment rates will have risen by as much as £2,100. It was reaffirmed by Minister for Pensions Torsten Bell this week as the Government announced nearly 1.5 million households have already benefited from Cold Weather Payments this winter."In addition, our biggest ever Pension Credit take-up campaign and our Triple Lock commitment, which will see the State Pension increase by up to £2,100 over this Parliament, are ensuring pensioners g...

NatWest has launched an "inflation-beating" interest rate for those who switch their savings accounts. Money experts such as Martin Lewis often urge people to shop around for the best savings accounts instead of sticking with the same one for many years, as they can often find better interest rates. While there are many different savings accounts for different kinds of savers with specific benefits, the main thing people look for is a high interest rate. Meanwhile, high street banks regularly offer switching deals, often giving new customers high-interest savings accounts or cash rewards for moving their money. NatWest's latest switching deal sees new customers nabbing £150 while also getting access to 7% interest on savings for 12 months. The deal is open to anyone opening a NatWest Re...