In the last Budget, the Chancellor Alistair Darling spelled out new plans to help people with an ISA – a little product that could save even more money when linked to an offset mortgage.
ISAs were created by the Government at the start of the 21st century to help people save more, tax-free. Essentially they are [...]

Beat the credit crunch with Swoopo, eBay & Amazon (PC Advisor) How to bag a bargain or make a quick buck online The British love of a good bargain is legendary. We’re also renowned entrepreneurs – if such a term can include setting up market stalls, re-gifting, selling on tickets and vouchers [...]

Forgotten authors No. 15: Thomas Tryon (Independent) He had it all: charm, style, popularity, intelligence, success, and he was ridiculously handsome. Did I mention he was also dating a porn star? Tryon played the lead in the 1958 cult hit film I Married a Monster from Outer Space and would have starred alongside Marilyn [...]

Government’s grand plan is as good as it gets (The Herald) Two shareholder votes in the last two days should ensure grim reality returns to the discussion of what the future holds for Edinburgh-based HBOS and Royal Bank of Scotland.
Most UK lenders have failed to pass on 1.5% cut on SVRs (Money Marketing Online) [...]

Government’s grand plan is as good as it gets (The Herald) Two shareholder votes in the last two days should ensure grim reality returns to the discussion of what the future holds for Edinburgh-based HBOS and Royal Bank of Scotland.

Japan faces year of recession, US automakers plead for bailout (AFP via Yahoo! UK & Ireland News) Japan now faces a full year of recession, officials warned on Tuesday, in a protracted global economic slump that threatens big job losses and could doom the once mighty US auto industry.

Spowart gives up trying to thwart Lloyds takeover of HBOS (The Herald) Former HBOS executive Jim Spowart has abandoned his attempt to drum up an alternative bid for the bank to keep it out of the hands of Lloyds TSB.
Tycoon gives up on his bid to find HBOS saviour (Daily Record) A BANKER has [...]

Financier admits defeat in HBOS bid (Evening Standard) A financier who tried to broker an alternative deal to the proposed takeover of HBOS has conceded defeat. Jim Spowart, who founded Intelligent Finance and Standard Life Bank, blamed UK Government ministers and a series of leaks for ending his campaign to stop the Lloyds TSB deal [...]

Recession – the domino effect: Share YOUR story (Independent) We could begin with Peter Sastawnyuk. The 53-year-old businessman filled his £370,000 detached home with petrol canisters, sealed the locks, set tripwires and threatened to set the place alight. More than 40 of his neighbours were evacuated from the posh cul-de-sac on the edge of [...]

Lloyds TSB marketing chief likely to take on HBOS brands (Mad.co.uk) Nigel Gilbert, Lloyds TSB group marketing director, is understood to be in line for the top marketing role if the bank’s merger with HBOS goes ahead. Gilbert would take control of brands including Halifax, Bank of Scotland and Intelligent finance. It is thought that [...]