Peter Clokey, the independent valuer who will decide whether B&B’s shareholders and bondholders are entitled to compensation, has written to the holders of “perpetual subordinated notes” to tell them that they do not qualify. The holders are largely pensioners who bought the bonds when the buy-to-let mortgage [ Read More → ]

World’s largest solid gold brick weighing 220kg (485lb) Photo: AFP/Getty There are both headwinds and tailwinds influencing the gold price, but the positives combined with the degree of investment demand from wealthier investors – should outweigh the negatives. We believe this is likely to force a peak that is nearer $1,300 [ Read More → ]

Banks could end up paying some borrowers mortgage Photo: GETTY With National Insurance (NI) rates set to rise next year, salary sacrifice is becoming an increasingly attractive way to boost your pension contributions. That is why experts are advising employees to sign up to salary sacrifice if their company [ Read More → ]

View full sizeIn the world of Web-friendly mobile phones, retailing regains a certain level of mystique. It’s not enough to simply sell something, making it fast and easy to boot. The 60 or so retailers with mobile applications, better known as “apps,” know they must deliver some fun and flash, [ Read More → ]

Banking regulators closed Sun American Bank in Boca Raton, one of several bank seizures Friday, and turned over its operations to First-Citizens Bank & Trust Co., a Raleigh, N.C.-based bank. Sun American was the fourth bank in Florida to fail so far in [ Read More → ]

NEW YORK — Not every letter from a credit card company is bad news these days. While millions of card users received notices of interest rate hikes and new fees in recent months, a select portion learned they’re getting new perks. Citigroup Inc., for example, let certain customers with cards [ Read More → ]

European equities markets were higher Friday, at least partly owing to news from the US Labor department that the US economy lost only 36,000 non-farm jobs last month rather than the 50,000 decline that had been expected. The FTSE 100 was up 1.31 percent to 5,599.76 in London, while the FTSE [ Read More → ]

The licence, allowing Metro Bank to take in customers’ money, was granted late on Friday afternoon after an uncomfortable 18 month wait to prove to the authorities its soundness. Metro Bank intends to open from 8am to 8pm, as well as all weekend, and offer its customers old-fashioned [ Read More → ]

Losing out: Melanie Wright, pictured with her sons Alex and Theo, has been waiting 13 weeks for child benefit for her younger boy Photo: HEATHCLIFF O’MALLEY Child benefit can be claimed by anyone with a child under 16, or if they are over 16 and in full-time education or registered for [ Read More → ]

Photo: HOWARD McWILLIAM Fears about Britain’s public finances mean the pound has lost about a third of its value against the euro and a fifth against the US dollar during the past three years, creating misery for holidaymakers, retired expats and those with property abroad. But last week the [ Read More → ]