200,000 take child benefit opt-out
Some 200,000 people - out of 1.2 million - have already opted out of receiving tax-free child benefit, ahead of changes coming into force on Monday, the Treasury confirms......
Swiss bank to close after US fine
Switzerland's oldest bank, Wegelin, is to close permanently after pleading guilty in a New York court to helping Americans evade their taxes......
UK service sector activity falls
Activity in the UK's services sector fell for the first time in two years in December, a survey suggests, raising fears for the economy......
Virgin France declares insolvency
Virgin France is to declare itself insolvent, the latest music chain to fail against a backdrop of consumers shifting to buying music online......
US unemployment rate holds steady
The US economy added a further 155,000 jobs in December, while the unemployment rate held steady at 7.8%, official figures show......
Insurance claim form criticised
A leading travel insurer is criticised for asking for customers' bank account and credit card details when they make claim.....
Co-op bank fined over PPI claims
The Co-op bank has been fined 113,300 by the Financial Services Authority for delaying complaints about the mis-selling of Payment Protection Insurance......
Iceland gives oil and gas permits
Iceland awards two licences for oil and gas exploration and production in the waters off the north east coast of the Atlantic island......
Mortgage approvals 'keep rising'
The UK housing market shows signs of picking up as mortgage approvals for home buyers rose again in November, Bank of England figures show......
Ukraine cautious on Russian union
Kiev should try to meet the conditions of Russia's customs union with ex-Soviet states, Ukraine's President Yanukovych says without committing to membership......
Higher peak-time rail fares opposed
The government should rule out using peak-time train fare rises to manage passenger numbers, says the Commons Transport Select Committee......
Tax criminals are shamed by HMRC
The tax authorities have published the photos of 25 of the UK's biggest tax dodgers convicted in the criminal courts in 2012......
Sales of printed books slump in 2012
The printed book market fell by almost 74m in 2012, down 4.6% year on year, but the rate of decline was slowed by Fifty Shades Of Grey......
Germany retail sales up in 2012
Retail sales in Germany rose 2.1% last year as Europe's largest economy took the eurozone debt crisis in its stride, figures show......
Help long-term jobless - Labour
Labour says it would guarantee the long-term jobless a six-month job if it were in power now, but will not commit to the idea if is re-elected in future......
Child benefit changes questioned
Child benefit cuts could cause "incoherence in the welfare system" and lead to some facing a 65% marginal tax rate, a think tank says......
US car sales hit five-year high
US car sales rise 13.4% in 2012, making it the best year for the industry since 2007, industry data shows......
Ferrari sales decline in Italy
Sales of Ferrari and Maserati cars fall sharply in the land of their birth as Italy's financial and economic woes bite even the richest Italians......
VIDEO: Your Money: Child benefits
In this week's Your Money, Susannah Streeter examines the effect the changes to the rules on child benefits will have on families......
AUDIO: Should bankers teach in schools?
The All Party Parliamentary Group of Financial Education has submitted a report saying that schools need to improve include a far better provision for teaching children about personal finance. MP Justin Tomlinson and Martin Johnson, Deputy General Se.....
AUDIO: Al Jazeera 'competes with CNN and the BBC'
Al Jazeera has acquired Current TV, the cable television network founded by former US Vice President Al Gore. Media analyst Claire Enders examines the political opposition the channel might face and the vision it has for the US......
VIDEO: Inquiry call after rig runs aground
Senior members of the US Congress are demanding an inquiry after a Shell oil drilling ship ran aground off Alaska......
VIDEO: US unemployment rate holds steady
The US unemployment rate held steady at 7.8% in December, adding a further 155,000 jobs, mainly in the healthcare, manufacturing, construction and food services sectors.....
VIDEO: Oldest Swiss bank to close over fine
Switzerland's oldest bank is to close permanently after pleading guilty in a New York court to helping Americans evade their taxes......
VIDEO: Economy fears over service sector
Figures for the crucial services part of the UK economy - shops, banks, restaurants - show that the sector has shrunk for the first time in two years......
VIDEO: Higher peak-time rail fares opposed
The government should rule out using peak-time train fare rises to manage passenger numbers, MPs have said......
Tips for financial resolutions
Tips for getting your finances in shape in 2013.....
Endowment shortfalls confirmed
The legacy of the endowment mortgage mis-selling scandal.....
China's freemium gaming revolution
How China's "freemium" model is upending the video games industry.....
Obama: U.S. can not afford more showdowns on debt
Jan. 5 - U.S. President Obama says U.S. can't afford more showdowns over debt, deficits. Deborah Lutterbeck reports......
Massacre prompts bulletproof vest range
Jan. 5 -A Colombian manufacturer of bulletproof vests launches a line of clothing and backpacks for U.S. schoolchildren. Paul Chapman reports......
Economy's pulse sends bulls racing
Jan. 4 - Summary of business headlines: Stocks enjoy their best week in more than a year as data on the labor market and services sector show steady economic improvement; Apple to lose market share to Samsung - report. Conway G. Gittens reports......
Look out jobs market: pitfalls ahead
Jan. 4 - Fiscal cliff averted, but the latest jobs numbers suggest there are still potholes along the road to faster job creation and overall economic growth. Jeanne Yurman reports......
U.S. Week Ahead: Wells Fargo the only earnings that matter
Jan 4 - Analysts expect Wells Fargo to report a higher profit from last quarter and even a year ago thanks to its ability to tap into the housing rebound and mortgage refinancing boom......
Techquity: Facebook to benefit from Google deal with FTC
Jan 4 - How the settlement between Google and the Federal Trade Commission could keep the Feds away from Facebook......
Wealth Strategies: Long-Short, CTAs to deliver in 2013
Jan. 18 - Agecroft Partners' Don Steinbrugge says, after a weak performance in 2012, hedge fund returns will improve to 6%-8% in the new year, led by long-short funds and commodity trading advisors......
Daily Digit: 155,000 new jobs
Jan. 4 - The U.S. economy added 155,000 jobs in December and the unemployment rate stayed at a revised 7.8 percent, pointing to a lackluster pace of economic growth. Conway G. Gittens reports......
Trading at Noon: Eli Lilly eyes bigger profit in 2013
Jan 4 - Drug maker Eli Lilly expects to increase profits in 2013, primarily due to cost controls......
Breakingviews: Sokol haze
Jan 4 - Jeffrey Goldfarb talks to Breakingviews columnists about the muddled implications of the SEC ending its insider-trading probe against former Warren Buffett deputy David Sokol......
Egypt struggles with ailing currency
Jan. 4 - Just two years after Egypt was liberated in the Arab Spring, its economy is in tatters, and there are worries about investor confidence in the country where 40% of food is imported. Joanne Nicholson reports.....
'Cash only' at the Vatican
Jan. 04 - Italy has blocked the use of credit and debit cards in the tiny autonomy of the Catholic Church, because of concerns over financial transparency, inconveniencing tourists - one of the Vatican's biggest sources of income. Joanna Partridge re.....
Europe Week Ahead: Old year worries remain unchanged
Jan. 4 - A look at next weeks key events including ECB & BoE policy meetings, Spanish & Italian debt auctions and UK retail trading updates......
Wealth Strategies: Be concerned about job growth outlook
Jan. 4 - Moody's John Lonski says that, despite strength in the December jobs report, concerns over corporate profits and the economy may mean employment growth will be weak in 2013......
3XSQ: Job growth cools slightly in December
Jan 4 - The pace of hiring by U.S. employers eased slightly in December, pointing to a lackluster pace of economic growth......
Reuters on the Road: Sugru fixes the future
Jan. 4 - Sugru inventor Jane Ni Dhulchaointigh takes the taxi challenge to explain why the worlds full of crap and needs fixing......
Breakingviews: Google won't evade rivals
Jan. 4 - The U.S. Federal Trade Commission's extensive antitrust probe into Google ended with a whimper, says Breakingviews......
Italy's nation of gamblers
Jan. 04 - Once a nation of savers, Italians are now turning to gambling to help survive the economic crisis, with a further one thousand gambling licences up for grabs by the end of January. Hayley Platt reports.....
Reuters Today: Fed rains on New Year's parade
Jan. 4 - Fed minutes revealed several officials favoured slowing or stopping bond purchases before the end of 2013, putting pressure on stock markets......
FACTBOX: China's car industry stuck in neutral
Jan. 4 - After years of stunning growth the world's biggest auto market has slowed to a crawl -- but the pain isn't hitting all brands equally......
Asia Week Ahead: Japan CEOs speak out on prospects for 2013
Jan. 4 - 2013 could be an inflection point for Japan Inc with one hundred yen to the dollar a key focus for CEOs. And China trade data may squash bullishness over the nation's economic recovery......
U.S. Morning Call: Investors looking for upbeat jobs report
poll predicts nonfarm payrolls to tick up to 150,000 for December and the unemployment rate to remain at 7.7 percent......
Transocean agrees $1.4 bln oil spill
Jan. 4 - Rig contractor Transocean has agreed to pay $1.4 billion to settle U.S. government charges for its part in BP's massive 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, as the firm admitted that its crew on the Deepwater Horizon was partly responsible. Hayley.....
Market Pulse: Sacre Bleu! UK yields higher than France's
Jan. 4 - A bad day for UK data and markets. AAA-rated Britain's borrowing costs rise above AA-rated France's, and its service sector shrinks dramatically. A much better day for the dollar though......
Sunday Interview: Business minister Michael Fallon says heavy regulation from Brussels must come to an end
Business minister Michael Fallon tells Kamal Ahmed that Brussels must follow through on cutting red tape, why talk of leaving the EU is premature, and that Vince Cable really is pro-enterprise .<img width='1' height='1' src='http://telegraph.feeds.....
Shell rig grounding 'could delay Arctic drilling programme'
Royal Dutch Shell could be forced to delay its entire drilling programme in the Arctic this year unless its grounded Kulluk rig can be repaired in time, the City's top oil analyst has warned.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://telegraph.feedspor.....
US Army joins battle to save stricken Shell rig
The US Army has been called in to help with the battle to salvage Royal Dutch Shell's stricken Kulluk Arctic drilling rig, which has now been beached in environmentally delicate waters for nearly a week.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://telegr.....
Voice of Business: We can be proud of our tech innovators
For so many reasons, 2012 exceeded our expectations as a nation.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/568300/s/273a285d/mf.gif' border='0'/><br/><br/><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/151540.....
Alex: It's A Wonderful Crisis - part 14
Can the irascible banker find redemption?<img width='1' height='1' src='http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/568300/s/273a285e/mf.gif' border='0'/><br/><br/><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/151540307467/u/3/f/568300/c/3.....
Late payers strangle small companies
Forum of Private Business chief executive Phil Orford, writing in the Telegraph, decries 'morally questionable' late payment practices of many large companies.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/568300/s/273a2.....
Growing fury as late payments climb past 36bn
Calls to put a stop to late payments from large companies are surging after small business owner Steve Sutherland gave up 5m of his company's turnover in a public protest against the practice at Balfour Beatty.<img width='1' height='1' src='http:/.....
Government 'going to war' over 37bn late payments to small companies
The government has given all businesses in the FTSE 350 one month to sign up to new rules on paying their suppliers promptly or face being "named and shamed".<img width='1' height='1' src='http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/568300/s/273a26.....
This 2013 share rally has nothing to do with the time of year
It usually comes later in the month, but I wasn't surprised to be asked the question this week. After a barnstorming start to the year, can markets keep up the pace?<img width='1' height='1' src='http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/568300/s.....
Barack Obama fires warning over debt ceiling
President Barack Obama has warned of the "catastrophic consequences" that would follow a failure to raise the US national debt ceiling.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/568300/s/2738fd1b/mf.gif' border='0'/&.....
'Just getting to work is an unaffordable luxury'
Rail fares have just gone up by more than inflation, while the price of petrol has been rising too.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/568300/s/2736624c/mf.gif' border='0'/><br/><br/><a href=.....
Save a trolley load at the till with seasonal fruit and veg
Fruit and vegetables have undoubtedly become more expensive, but there are ways to keep healthy and keep your own costs down<img width='1' height='1' src='http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/568300/s/273637af/mf.gif' border='0'/><br/&.....
High street banks could teach with branded materials in schools
High street banks could be invited into schools to help teach financial education under plans to improve children's understanding of the subject.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/568300/s/2736c042/mf.gif' bo.....
Alex: It's A Wonderful Crisis - part 13
Can the irascible banker find redemption?<img width='1' height='1' src='http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/568300/s/273473c4/mf.gif' border='0'/><br/><br/><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/153442838786/u/3/f/568300/c/3.....
S&P 500 closes at five-year high
The Standard & Poor's 500 closed at its highest in five years on Friday after a report showed that hiring held up in December, giving stocks an early lift.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/568300/s/27348.....
Anglo American to sell 70pc stake in Brazilian mine
Mining giant Anglo American has agreed to sell its 70pc stake in the Amapa iron ore mine in Brazil to Zamin Ferrous, bringing the total raised from its disposal programme since 2009 to more than $5bn (3.1bn).<img width='1' height='1' src='http://t.....
Goldman Sachs seeks $7m legal fees from Rajat Gupta
Goldman Sachs is seeking nearly $7m from a former board member convicted of insider trading to cover its legal fees and expenses, following a judge's description of the bank as a "victim" of the crime.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://telegrap.....
Reader's Digest UK facing administration
Reader's Digest UK, the staple of doctors' waiting rooms, is facing administration less than three years after being rescued by private equity veteran Jon Moulton.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/568300/s/2.....
Congressmen attack Shell over 'alarming blunders' in Arctic
Royal Dutch Shell should be investigated for a "series of alarming blunders" in its Arctic drilling campaign, a group of US congressmen said, as salvage workers battled the weather to try to reach the oil major's grounded drilling rig off Alaska.<.....
We may soon need Europe more than Europe needs us
For as long as I have been in work I've been writing about Europe's single currency in one way or another, from the Exchange Rate Mechanism to a eurozone break-up.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/568300/s/2.....
Miners hit but FTSE 100 climbs higher
Falling precious metals prices hurt miners early in the session.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/568300/s/27338895/mf.gif' border='0'/><br/><br/><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/153442.....
UK mortgage approvals hit ten-month high
Mortgage approvals have reached a 10-month high, adding to evidence that lending to the housing market is improving.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/568300/s/27338897/mf.gif' border='0'/><br/><b.....
Triple-dip threat rises as UK service sector shrinks
Britain's services sector shrank for the first time in two years in December, increasing the likelihood that the country is "triple-dipping" back into a recession.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/568300/s/2.....
Lloyds sells Admiral Pubs, crystallising a 500m loss
Lloyds Banking Group has crystallised a 500m loss after selling Admiral Pubs, which has been undergoing a three-year restructuring programme, for 200m.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/568300/s/27338b12/mf.g.....
Lloyds sells Admiral pubs, crystallising a 500m loss
Lloyds Banking Group has crystallised a 500m loss after selling Admiral Pubs for 200m.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/568300/s/2733889a/mf.gif' border='0'/><br/><br/><a href="http://da.fe.....
