Johnston Carmichael’s tax experts have advised businesses on the tax changes they must consider as the Chancellor seeks to balance the books at the autumn Budget on 28 October. Businesses should expect the Budget to raise tax, even though the government has ruled out the obvious ways of doing it, according to David Ward, partner and head of tax at the firm. Labour’s 2024 manifesto pledged not to increase the basic, higher or additional rates of income tax, national insurance

Nationwide has announced the launch of an online tool to help victims of domestic abuse discreetly access vital support without leaving a trail on their computer or phone. Part of the company’s ‘online safe space’ initiative, the tool, which can be used by anyone – not just customers – can be accessed through a link that can be found at bottom of every page of Nationwide’s website. It gives users access to support information, emergency contacts and domestic-abuse resources,

The ‘retirement-expectation gap’ – the difference between when people want to retire and when they expect to be able to – has broken the five-year barrier for the first time, according to new research from Standard Life. The Standard Life Centre for the Future of Retirement has published the 2026 Standard Life Retirement Voice report, which explores the retirement attitudes of 6,000 people across the UK. The report reveals that people still want to retire at 62.3 – an age th

Two of the world’s leading authorities on climate finance will debate why the world keeps failing to act on climate change at Adam Smith’s former home, Panmure House. The event, on Friday 9 October from 2-4pm, is hosted by Heriot-Watt University’s Centre for Financing a Sustainable Future, and will feature Frédéric Samama, one of the most influential figures in global climate finance, as well as leading sustainable-finance author, Simon Thompson. Titled ‘The Enigma of Climate

Quilter has launched its new Value of Advice Report, examining how attitudes towards financial advice, investing and financial decision-making have evolved since its original work on the value of advice in 2018. Based on research conducted with more than 2,000 people who have never received advice, the report finds that demand for advice remains strong, particularly among younger and affluent consumers, despite the rise of digital investing platforms, social media and AI. Alm

New research by wealth-management and employee-benefits firm, Mattioli Woods, has revealed that while Britons recognise the importance of planning for their long-term financial future, many do not feel prepared for the major financial shocks and life events that could arise before retirement. These include needing long-term care or support with everyday living; losing the ability to manage their own finances; supporting an ageing parent or relative; and experiencing a relatio

AI is transforming the way people access financial support, according to data from Scottish Widows’ latest retirement report. The pensions giant’s research revealed that almost a third (30 per cent) of people currently trust AI tools to give them guidance about their pension. Of these, 80 per cent say their most trusted source is either their pension provider, or firms that already provide financial guidance or advice. Scottish Widows emphasised the importance of trust wh

Analysis by MoneySuperMarket has revealed that Edinburgh tops the global ranking for the friendliest customer service, with 59 per cent of reviews of businesses here mentioning friendly staff and service. The platform analysed more than 100,000 customer reviews of customer-facing businesses, across 107 cities around the world. It found that three other UK cities also made the top 10: Liverpool, Birmingham and Bristol. Beyond the UK, Dublin, Paris, Hanoi, Montreal, Vienna

The Moneyfacts UK Mortgage Trends Treasury Report data has revealed that fixed mortgage rates have recorded their biggest monthly reductions since October 2024. The average two-and five-year fixed rates fell by 0.16 and 0.11 per cent respectively, with both reaching 5.52 per cent, their lowest points since the start of March 2026. The data also showed that borrowers with a limited deposit or equity of just five per cent will find rates lower month-on-month. The average five-y

New research from wealth-management and employee benefits firm Mattioli Woods reveals that that most over-55s continue to favour passing on wealth after death, despite widespread experience of family conflict caused by inheritance. The findings suggest that witnessing inheritance disputes is not prompting a significant shift towards gifting wealth during people's lifetimes. Passing assets on through an estate remains the preferred approach for most over-55s, while combining l

According to a new St James’s Place (SJP) report, women are earning, creating, inheriting and managing more wealth than ever before, but the research also reveals that this development is not matched with increased confidence or engagement with long-term financial decisions. The report finds that women are comfortable to take the lead with day-to-day household finances (46 per cent), but less so than men when it comes to managing long-term finances, relating to choosing savin

Ahead of today’s base-rate announcement from the Bank of England’s monetary policy committee (MPC) at noon, Paul Joyce, partner and specialist in market and deal activity in the financial and professional-services sectors, at LAVA Advisory Partners, shares his thoughts on what we might anticipate: "If you’ve come to read about the Bank of England (BoE) doing something unexpected, you're looking in the wrong place. Rate holds have become the 'go-to' response for the Bank, and

First-time buyers, older borrowers and the self-employed could find it easier to get a mortgage, as the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) sets out next steps to help reform the market. Its proposed mortgage rule changes would give lenders more flexibility to consider individual circumstances and develop products that better meet people's needs, while maintaining strong consumer protection. The proposed changes include reducing barriers for lenders to offer flexible repayments

Lloyds has unveiled its new in-app rewards hub, where Lloyds customers can access a range of new savings, rewards, prize draws and more ways to manage their money. A new prize draw is also available to Bank of Scotland, Halifax and Lloyds customers, offering the opportunity to win thousands of pounds each month. A total of 50 customers will be selected, at random, every month – each winning £2,026. To be eligible for the month’s prize draw, customers must pay at least £1,000

The British Business Bank has reached a landmark milestone by unlocking £200m of debt finance for smaller businesses across Scotland, under its Growth Guarantee Scheme. Over a thousand (1283) Scottish businesses have benefited from the finance, delivered through 32 lenders operating throughout Scotland, including a number of independent Scottish lenders. The wholesale and retail sector received most finance (£30.9m), followed by administrative and support-service activities (

Hampden Bank, which is headquartered in Edinburgh, has announced the appointment of two new business-development directors. Graeme Mann joins the Edinburgh office from Coutts and Paul de la Salle joins the bank’s London office from City Finance Brokers. Graeme has more than 25 years’ financial-services experience, specialising in relationship management, commercial growth and customer experience. Mark Prentice, head of banking (Scotland), said: “Experienced professionals of G

Commenting on the news that inflation has fallen to 2.8 per cent, Alex Beavis, interim director of retail banking at LHV bank says: "A fall in inflation is welcome news, and the first sign in months that the pressure on household budgets may be starting to ease. But people should remain cautious about the outlook for inflation. Prices are still rising, just more slowly. "Now is the moment to act. Take an hour this weekend to give your money a real spring clean. What feels lik

AXA UK has launched a domestic-abuse support fund to provide employees who are experiencing domestic abuse with financial assistance to help them get out of an abusive situation. The fund provides a one-time payment, aimed at helping with urgent needs, such as securing safe accommodation, as well as transport and food costs. It is a further enhancement to the insurer’s existing package of domestic-abuse support for employees. Employees or their line managers can confidentiall

Ticker and ShareSoc have announced a joint initiative to support and strengthen investor participation in the UK public markets. Ticker, a platform dedicated to democratising access to stock-market data and insights, joins forces with ShareSoc, a not-for-profit membership organisation for individual investors. ShareSoc's mission is to ensure that the voice of the individual investor is heard and respected in the UK’s financial markets. The partnership will see Ticker supp

New research from Starling Bank has revealed sole traders’ growing reliance on AI for financial advice. A quarter (26 per cent) have used an AI platform for guidance on HMRC’s new 'Making Tax Digital' initiative, while one in five regularly use it for tax and accounting support. The vast majority said they trust advice from AI (88 per cent), with 55 per cent expecting to rely on it more in the year ahead. Speed of information is the top reason sole traders are choosing AI (3