![](\"https://multiply.ghost.io/content/images/2020/12/image-1.png\")
The 1-minute read to get the money news you need.
Talks between the UK and the EU have restarted in a final push for a deal. There’s still time to finalise negotiations - but not much. With less than a month to go until the end of the transition period, the same sticking points remain: fishing, competition rules, and enforcement of the new rules.
Shoppers hit the high streets over the weekend after lockdown restrictions were lifted in England. Shops are pinning their hopes on a lucrative Christmas shopping season. But footfall was 30% lower than over the same weekend in December 2019, as many people switch to buying online.
Retail mogul Mike Ashley is in last ditch talks to rescue failing department store chain Debenhams. The House of Fraser and Sports Direct owner is trying to seal a deal that could save at least some of the 12,000 jobs that are at risk.
The north is facing unemployment levels not seen since 1994, according to a new State of the North report by a leading thinktank. The report also warns that there is a growing divide between the north and the south, in pay, poverty, and even life expectancy. The report calls on the government to make good on its pledge to “level up” northern towns and cities.
","url":"https://multiply.ghost.io/final-days-of-brexit-talks/","uuid":"badc40d5-49e1-44b3-86db-29027653279e","page":null,"codeinjection_foot":null,"codeinjection_head":null,"codeinjection_styles":null,"comment_id":"5fcdebf02ec20600394ce869"}},{"node":{"id":"Ghost__Post__5fca07fac803e80039a720e6","title":"UK winning emissions race?","slug":"uk-winning-emissions-race","featured":false,"feature_image":"https://multiply.ghost.io/content/images/2020/12/Multiply-minute-3.png","excerpt":"Boris Johnson has promised that the UK will outdo other major economies in cutting greenhouse gas emissions.","custom_excerpt":"Boris Johnson has promised that the UK will outdo other major economies in cutting greenhouse gas emissions.","created_at_pretty":"04 December, 2020","published_at_pretty":"04 December, 2020","updated_at_pretty":"04 December, 2020","created_at":"2020-12-04T09:57:14.000+00:00","published_at":"2020-12-04T09:59:06.000+00:00","updated_at":"2020-12-04T09:59:06.000+00:00","meta_title":null,"meta_description":null,"og_description":null,"og_image":null,"og_title":null,"twitter_description":null,"twitter_image":null,"twitter_title":null,"authors":[{"name":"Annie Mellor","slug":"annie","bio":null,"profile_image":null,"twitter":null,"facebook":null,"website":null}],"primary_author":{"name":"Annie Mellor","slug":"annie","bio":null,"profile_image":null,"twitter":null,"facebook":null,"website":null},"primary_tag":null,"tags":[{"name":"#feed","slug":"hash-feed","description":null,"feature_image":null,"meta_description":null,"meta_title":null,"visibility":"internal"},{"name":"multiply-minute","slug":"multiply-minute","description":"The 1-minute read to get the money news you need with expert adviser commentary","feature_image":null,"meta_description":null,"meta_title":null,"visibility":"public"}],"plaintext":"The 1-minute read to get the money news you need.\n\nNew climate targets\nBoris Johnson has promised that the UK will outdo other major economies\n[https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/03/uk-vows-outdo-other-major-economies-emissions-cuts-by-2030] \nin cutting greenhouse gas emissions. The new target to cut emissions by 68% by\n2030 commits the UK to going further and faster. It’s designed to nudge other\ncountries into action ahead of Boris Johnson co-hosting a virtual climate summit\nof world leaders next week.\n\nMystery missing cash\nThree quarters of all bank notes in existence, worth around £50 billion, are\nmissing. A committee of MPs has said the Bank of England should track them down\n[about:blank]. The notes are not used in transactions or held in savings - they\ncould be overseas, tucked under mattresses, or being used in the shadow economy.\n\nPrimark takes a bit\nAutumn lockdowns have delivered a £450 million hit\n[https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-primark-reveals-430m-lockdown-sales-hit-as-it-refuses-to-go-online-12150653] \nto Primark’s sales. The shop is still ruling out selling its clothes online -\nand it’s even expanding its physical retail space this year.\n\nFraud warning\nChristmas shoppers have been warned to watch out for cyber fraud when buying\nonline. Last year, the average loss per incident was £775. The top tip to avoid\nfalling victim to fraud? Use a strong separate email for your password. The\nother 5 tips are here [about:blank].","html":"The 1-minute read to get the money news you need.
Boris Johnson has promised that the UK will outdo other major economies in cutting greenhouse gas emissions. The new target to cut emissions by 68% by 2030 commits the UK to going further and faster. It’s designed to nudge other countries into action ahead of Boris Johnson co-hosting a virtual climate summit of world leaders next week.
Three quarters of all bank notes in existence, worth around £50 billion, are missing. A committee of MPs has said the Bank of England should track them down. The notes are not used in transactions or held in savings - they could be overseas, tucked under mattresses, or being used in the shadow economy.
Autumn lockdowns have delivered a £450 million hit to Primark’s sales. The shop is still ruling out selling its clothes online - and it’s even expanding its physical retail space this year.
Christmas shoppers have been warned to watch out for cyber fraud when buying online. Last year, the average loss per incident was £775. The top tip to avoid falling victim to fraud? Use a strong separate email for your password. The other 5 tips are here.
","url":"https://multiply.ghost.io/uk-winning-emissions-race/","uuid":"9ea427a1-d680-4bf1-b721-939fde0a93e0","page":null,"codeinjection_foot":null,"codeinjection_head":null,"codeinjection_styles":null,"comment_id":"5fca07fac803e80039a720e6"}},{"node":{"id":"Ghost__Post__5fc8bb3884ea340039fccd05","title":"Supermarkets hand back help","slug":"supermarkets-hand-back-help","featured":false,"feature_image":"https://multiply.ghost.io/content/images/2020/12/Multiply-minute-2.png","excerpt":"Tesco, Morrison’s, and Sainsbury’s have handed back hundreds of millions they received during the pandemic.","custom_excerpt":"Tesco, Morrison’s, and Sainsbury’s have handed back hundreds of millions they received during the pandemic.","created_at_pretty":"03 December, 2020","published_at_pretty":"03 December, 2020","updated_at_pretty":"03 December, 2020","created_at":"2020-12-03T10:17:28.000+00:00","published_at":"2020-12-03T10:19:34.000+00:00","updated_at":"2020-12-03T10:19:34.000+00:00","meta_title":null,"meta_description":null,"og_description":null,"og_image":null,"og_title":null,"twitter_description":null,"twitter_image":null,"twitter_title":null,"authors":[{"name":"Annie Mellor","slug":"annie","bio":null,"profile_image":null,"twitter":null,"facebook":null,"website":null}],"primary_author":{"name":"Annie Mellor","slug":"annie","bio":null,"profile_image":null,"twitter":null,"facebook":null,"website":null},"primary_tag":null,"tags":[{"name":"#feed","slug":"hash-feed","description":null,"feature_image":null,"meta_description":null,"meta_title":null,"visibility":"internal"},{"name":"multiply-minute","slug":"multiply-minute","description":"The 1-minute read to get the money news you need with expert adviser commentary","feature_image":null,"meta_description":null,"meta_title":null,"visibility":"public"}],"plaintext":"The 1-minute read to get the money news you need with expert adviser commentary.\n\nTax relief returned\nTesco, Morrison’s, and Sainsbury’s have handed back hundreds of millions\n[about:blank] they received during the pandemic. Supermarkets have been slated\nfor accepting over £1.9 billion in government support while their sales were\nbooming during lockdown. 3 of the big 4 have now paid back the business rates\nrelief.\n\nShoppers hit high streets\nFootfall rose 87% [about:blank] in shops across England yesterday, as\nnon-essential shops reopened after lockdown. It’s a bigger bounce than we saw at\nthe end of the last lockdown. Experts reckon that’s because of “lockdown\nfatigue” and the pull of Christmas shopping.\n\nGreen offers £50m\nSir Philip Green’s family is going to pay £50 million\n[https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/dec/02/minister-asks-watchdog-to-examine-conduct-of-arcadia-group-bosses] \ninto the pension fund of his collapsed retail empire. Arcadia went into\nadministration earlier this week, leaving a deficit of £350 million in its\npension scheme. There are still concerns about whether the pension scheme will\nbe able to pay out - so there’s going to be an investigation by the Insolvency\nService.\n\n\nPremium Bond cheques to stay\nNational Savings & Investments has delayed plans to phase out prize cheques\n[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/personal-banking/savings/nsi-carry-sending-premium-bond-cheques-savers-revolt/]\n* after they were met with resistance. The prize “warrants” are currently sent\nby post, but were due to be replaced by online transfers. However, although a\nmillion savers have made the switch, others have struggled to register their\nbank details online.\n\n*this article may need a subscription to read","html":"The 1-minute read to get the money news you need with expert adviser commentary.
Tesco, Morrison’s, and Sainsbury’s have handed back hundreds of millions they received during the pandemic. Supermarkets have been slated for accepting over £1.9 billion in government support while their sales were booming during lockdown. 3 of the big 4 have now paid back the business rates relief.
Footfall rose 87% in shops across England yesterday, as non-essential shops reopened after lockdown. It’s a bigger bounce than we saw at the end of the last lockdown. Experts reckon that’s because of “lockdown fatigue” and the pull of Christmas shopping.
Sir Philip Green’s family is going to pay £50 million into the pension fund of his collapsed retail empire. Arcadia went into administration earlier this week, leaving a deficit of £350 million in its pension scheme. There are still concerns about whether the pension scheme will be able to pay out - so there’s going to be an investigation by the Insolvency Service.
National Savings & Investments has delayed plans to phase out prize cheques* after they were met with resistance. The prize “warrants” are currently sent by post, but were due to be replaced by online transfers. However, although a million savers have made the switch, others have struggled to register their bank details online.
*this article may need a subscription to read
","url":"https://multiply.ghost.io/supermarkets-hand-back-help/","uuid":"9dd69ba9-fd9b-4093-88b4-d78b0bba49e8","page":null,"codeinjection_foot":null,"codeinjection_head":null,"codeinjection_styles":null,"comment_id":"5fc8bb3884ea340039fccd05"}},{"node":{"id":"Ghost__Post__5fc75f155ab1650039ee0359","title":"Vaccine coming next week","slug":"uk-approves-vaccine","featured":false,"feature_image":"https://multiply.ghost.io/content/images/2020/12/Multiply-minute-1.png","excerpt":"Regulators have approved Pfizer and BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, making UK the first to give jab the green light","custom_excerpt":"Regulators have approved Pfizer and BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, making UK the first to give jab the green light","created_at_pretty":"02 December, 2020","published_at_pretty":"02 December, 2020","updated_at_pretty":"02 December, 2020","created_at":"2020-12-02T09:32:05.000+00:00","published_at":"2020-12-02T09:33:59.000+00:00","updated_at":"2020-12-02T09:44:23.000+00:00","meta_title":null,"meta_description":null,"og_description":null,"og_image":null,"og_title":null,"twitter_description":null,"twitter_image":null,"twitter_title":null,"authors":[{"name":"Annie Mellor","slug":"annie","bio":null,"profile_image":null,"twitter":null,"facebook":null,"website":null}],"primary_author":{"name":"Annie Mellor","slug":"annie","bio":null,"profile_image":null,"twitter":null,"facebook":null,"website":null},"primary_tag":null,"tags":[{"name":"#feed","slug":"hash-feed","description":null,"feature_image":null,"meta_description":null,"meta_title":null,"visibility":"internal"},{"name":"multiply-minute","slug":"multiply-minute","description":"The 1-minute read to get the money news you need with expert adviser commentary","feature_image":null,"meta_description":null,"meta_title":null,"visibility":"public"}],"plaintext":"The 1-minute read to get the money news you need.\n\nJabs before Christmas\nRegulators have approved the coronavirus vaccine\n[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55145696] from Pfizer and BioNTech, making\nthe UK the first country to give the jab the green light. The first 800,000\ndoses are set to arrive within days. Immunisations are due to start next week,\nwith first dibs for NHS workers and care home residents.\n\nWild Wednesday\nShoppers have overwhelmed the Debenhams website\n[https://news.sky.com/story/debenhams-website-inundated-as-shoppers-try-to-grab-bargains-from-collapsing-chain-12148738] \nin search of bargains, resulting in long online queues. The collapsing\ndepartment store has slashed prices to clear stock ahead of store closures. With\nmany shops reopening today for the first time in a month as England emerges from\nlockdown, there are fears of a “Wild Wednesday” on high streets across the\ncountry.\n\nLab-grown meat\nThe world’s first lab-grown meat\n[https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/02/no-kill-lab-grown-meat-to-go-on-sale-for-first-time] \nwill go on sale in Singapore after being approved by regulators. The “chicken\nbites” are produced in a bioreactor, with no real birds in sight. Dozens of\nfirms are working on similar products, with the aim of making cleaner, drug-free\nand cruelty-free meat that has less of an impact on the environment.","html":"The 1-minute read to get the money news you need.
Regulators have approved the coronavirus vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech, making the UK the first country to give the jab the green light. The first 800,000 doses are set to arrive within days. Immunisations are due to start next week, with first dibs for NHS workers and care home residents.
Shoppers have overwhelmed the Debenhams website in search of bargains, resulting in long online queues. The collapsing department store has slashed prices to clear stock ahead of store closures. With many shops reopening today for the first time in a month as England emerges from lockdown, there are fears of a “Wild Wednesday” on high streets across the country.
The world’s first lab-grown meat will go on sale in Singapore after being approved by regulators. The “chicken bites” are produced in a bioreactor, with no real birds in sight. Dozens of firms are working on similar products, with the aim of making cleaner, drug-free and cruelty-free meat that has less of an impact on the environment.
","url":"https://multiply.ghost.io/uk-approves-vaccine/","uuid":"e09d597c-54af-4aa8-a986-44c77988ac42","page":null,"codeinjection_foot":null,"codeinjection_head":null,"codeinjection_styles":null,"comment_id":"5fc75f155ab1650039ee0359"}},{"node":{"id":"Ghost__Post__5fc615100086c500394c5b5f","title":"Arcadia's £350m pensions gap","slug":"arcadias-350m-pensions-gap","featured":false,"feature_image":"https://multiply.ghost.io/content/images/2020/12/Multiply-minute.png","excerpt":"Arcadia went under yesterday, leaving the future of Topshop, Miss Selfridge, Burton, and others, in doubt.","custom_excerpt":"Arcadia went under yesterday, leaving the future of Topshop, Miss Selfridge, Burton, and others, in doubt.","created_at_pretty":"01 December, 2020","published_at_pretty":"01 December, 2020","updated_at_pretty":"01 December, 2020","created_at":"2020-12-01T10:04:00.000+00:00","published_at":"2020-12-01T10:11:57.000+00:00","updated_at":"2020-12-01T10:11:57.000+00:00","meta_title":null,"meta_description":null,"og_description":null,"og_image":null,"og_title":null,"twitter_description":null,"twitter_image":null,"twitter_title":null,"authors":[{"name":"Annie Mellor","slug":"annie","bio":null,"profile_image":null,"twitter":null,"facebook":null,"website":null}],"primary_author":{"name":"Annie Mellor","slug":"annie","bio":null,"profile_image":null,"twitter":null,"facebook":null,"website":null},"primary_tag":null,"tags":[{"name":"#feed","slug":"hash-feed","description":null,"feature_image":null,"meta_description":null,"meta_title":null,"visibility":"internal"},{"name":"multiply-minute","slug":"multiply-minute","description":"The 1-minute read to get the money news you need with expert adviser commentary","feature_image":null,"meta_description":null,"meta_title":null,"visibility":"public"}],"plaintext":"The 1-minute read to get the money news you need with expert adviser \n\nTopshop turmoil\nArcadia went under yesterday, leaving the future of Topshop, Miss Selfridge,\nBurton, and others, in doubt. The collapsed retail giant has left a £350m hole\n[https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/business-55132315] in its\npension fund, meaning it can’t cover all its future payments to the estimated\n10,000 Arcadia employees with a defined benefit pension. Pension protections\nwill make up the difference for most people affected.\n\nDebenhams going down\nIn yet more high street strife, Debenhams is also set to close [about:blank] \nafter rescue talks broke down. All 124 of its shops will have to stop trading,\nmeaning 12,000 employees are likely to lose their jobs. JD Sports had been a\npotential buyer for the 242-year old department stores, but it pulled out.\n\nNo lockdown for property\nNovember was a bumper month for the housing market. Prices shot up by an annual\nrate of 6.5%\n[https://www.cityam.com/uk-house-prices-grew-at-fastest-rate-since-2015-in-november/] \naccording to Nationwide’s house price index. That’s the fastest growth the\nmarket’s seen since 2015. Mortgage approvals also soared to their highest level\nsince 2007.\n\nGreat scotch egg debate\nDoes a scotch egg count as a substantial meal? It matters: pubs under tier 2\ncoronavirus restrictions will be allowed to reopen tomorrow, but only if they’re\nserving their drinks up alongside “substantial meals”. One government minister\nhas said a scotch egg probably does count\n[https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-what-is-a-substantial-meal-minister-says-scotch-egg-counts-as-pubs-brace-for-tier-change-12143814] \n- but he was later overruled by his spokesperson who said it doesn’t.\n\nDeck the halls\nThe Christmas tree business is booming [about:blank] as people decorate early\nfor the festive season. Wholesales to businesses are already 24% higher than\nthis time last year as people flock to independent sellers as well as\nsupermarkets and garden centres. UK farms are expecting to sell 10 million trees\nin total - up from their usual 8 million.","html":"The 1-minute read to get the money news you need with expert adviser
Arcadia went under yesterday, leaving the future of Topshop, Miss Selfridge, Burton, and others, in doubt. The collapsed retail giant has left a £350m hole in its pension fund, meaning it can’t cover all its future payments to the estimated 10,000 Arcadia employees with a defined benefit pension. Pension protections will make up the difference for most people affected.
In yet more high street strife, Debenhams is also set to close after rescue talks broke down. All 124 of its shops will have to stop trading, meaning 12,000 employees are likely to lose their jobs. JD Sports had been a potential buyer for the 242-year old department stores, but it pulled out.
November was a bumper month for the housing market. Prices shot up by an annual rate of 6.5% according to Nationwide’s house price index. That’s the fastest growth the market’s seen since 2015. Mortgage approvals also soared to their highest level since 2007.
![](\"https://multiply.ghost.io/content/images/2020/12/image.png\")
Does a scotch egg count as a substantial meal? It matters: pubs under tier 2 coronavirus restrictions will be allowed to reopen tomorrow, but only if they’re serving their drinks up alongside “substantial meals”. One government minister has said a scotch egg probably does count - but he was later overruled by his spokesperson who said it doesn’t.
The Christmas tree business is booming as people decorate early for the festive season. Wholesales to businesses are already 24% higher than this time last year as people flock to independent sellers as well as supermarkets and garden centres. UK farms are expecting to sell 10 million trees in total - up from their usual 8 million.
","url":"https://multiply.ghost.io/arcadias-350m-pensions-gap/","uuid":"284caa19-3243-46b0-8040-8c9b85f26437","page":null,"codeinjection_foot":null,"codeinjection_head":null,"codeinjection_styles":null,"comment_id":"5fc615100086c500394c5b5f"}},{"node":{"id":"Ghost__Post__5fc4b3aaded36800394f977d","title":"Arcadia facing collapse","slug":"arcadia-facing-collapse","featured":false,"feature_image":"https://multiply.ghost.io/content/images/2020/11/Multiply-minute-18.png","excerpt":"The Arcadia retail group could collapse today, with no rescue deal in sight.","custom_excerpt":"The Arcadia retail group could collapse today, with no rescue deal in sight.","created_at_pretty":"30 November, 2020","published_at_pretty":"30 November, 2020","updated_at_pretty":"30 November, 2020","created_at":"2020-11-30T08:56:10.000+00:00","published_at":"2020-11-30T09:00:24.000+00:00","updated_at":"2020-11-30T09:00:24.000+00:00","meta_title":null,"meta_description":null,"og_description":null,"og_image":null,"og_title":null,"twitter_description":null,"twitter_image":null,"twitter_title":null,"authors":[{"name":"Annie Mellor","slug":"annie","bio":null,"profile_image":null,"twitter":null,"facebook":null,"website":null}],"primary_author":{"name":"Annie Mellor","slug":"annie","bio":null,"profile_image":null,"twitter":null,"facebook":null,"website":null},"primary_tag":null,"tags":[{"name":"#feed","slug":"hash-feed","description":null,"feature_image":null,"meta_description":null,"meta_title":null,"visibility":"internal"},{"name":"multiply-minute","slug":"multiply-minute","description":"The 1-minute read to get the money news you need with expert adviser commentary","feature_image":null,"meta_description":null,"meta_title":null,"visibility":"public"}],"plaintext":"The 1-minute read to get the money news you need with expert adviser commentary.\n\nArcadia entering administration?\nThe Arcadia retail group could face collapse today [about:blank], with no rescue\ndeal in sight. Sir Philip Green’s retail empire is owner of Topshop, Burton, and\nDorothy Perkins, and its collapse will put 13,000 jobs at risk. It’s facing a\nhuge cash shortfall after the pandemic hit sales.\n\n90% mortgages return\nMortgage deals for homebuyers with a 10% deposit are making a comeback\n[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/personal-banking/mortgages/relief-first-time-buyers-90pc-mortgages-trickle-back/]\n*. There are now 80 different 90% mortgages available, up from just 56 at the\nstart of the month. Lenders such as TSB and Yorkshire Building Society are\nputting 90% deals back on the market, but there’s a long way to go - back in\nMarch, there were 779 to choose from.\n\nShown the Huawei out\nHuawei will be banned from the UK’s 5G network [about:blank] from September 2021\n- that’s earlier than many people expected. Telecoms providers will not be\nallowed to install equipment made by the Chinese company. Why? The government\nconsider Huawei to be a potential security risk because of its link to the\nChinese state.\n\nSome news from us\nSavers can get 1.5% interest on their deposit savings with the Unity Mutual\nLifetime ISA. And if you open the account through the Multiply app [about:blank]\n*, you’ll also get an exclusive welcome bonus worth £62.50. It’s a\nmarket-leading deal for first-time buyers.","html":"The 1-minute read to get the money news you need with expert adviser commentary.
The Arcadia retail group could face collapse today, with no rescue deal in sight. Sir Philip Green’s retail empire is owner of Topshop, Burton, and Dorothy Perkins, and its collapse will put 13,000 jobs at risk. It’s facing a huge cash shortfall after the pandemic hit sales.
Mortgage deals for homebuyers with a 10% deposit are making a comeback*. There are now 80 different 90% mortgages available, up from just 56 at the start of the month. Lenders such as TSB and Yorkshire Building Society are putting 90% deals back on the market, but there’s a long way to go - back in March, there were 779 to choose from.
![](\"https://multiply.ghost.io/content/images/2020/11/image-18.png\")
Huawei will be banned from the UK’s 5G network from September 2021 - that’s earlier than many people expected. Telecoms providers will not be allowed to install equipment made by the Chinese company. Why? The government consider Huawei to be a potential security risk because of its link to the Chinese state.
Savers can get 1.5% interest on their deposit savings with the Unity Mutual Lifetime ISA. And if you open the account through the Multiply app*, you’ll also get an exclusive welcome bonus worth £62.50. It’s a market-leading deal for first-time buyers.
![](\"https://multiply.ghost.io/content/images/2020/11/image-19.png\")
The 1-minute read to get the money news you need.
Several high street names are choosing to opt out of the Black Friday sales phenomenon. Although research by Lloyds bank suggests that two thirds of customers have delayed purchases in the hopes of bagging a deal, Next, M&S, Wilko and B&M have all said they will not take part. The commercial event has typically been used by companies to boost their pre Christmas sales, but the actual benefit for consumers has been debated.
A committee of MPs has found that Britain’s handling of its nuclear waste facilities is a “sorry saga” of incompetence and failure. The body with oversight for the sites, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, was found to have poor knowledge of the state and safety of the sites it manages, which has led to spiralling costs of decommissioning. The UK has a poor track record here: a previous group responsible for decommissioning the Sellafield nuclear plant came under fire after its executive expense claims included a £714 bill for a “cat in a taxi”.
With five weeks to go before the Brexit transition period reaches its end, businesses are racing to stockpile products imported from the continent. This has been driven by the ongoing uncertainty about what will happen when the temporary trading rules with Europe come to an end. The last minute dash has sent logistics prices soaring as customs services try to keep up with the demand.
Privacy experts are unimpressed with Microsoft’s new “productivity score” feature, which allows managers to monitor their employees working from home. The score tracks a number of activities such as sending emails, turning on your camera during video calls or contributing to group chats. Research has found that 16% of employers use similar tools to track their employees remotely, and as companies adapt to a future in which more people work from home, that number looks set to rise.
","url":"https://multiply.ghost.io/sitting-out-black-friday/","uuid":"a9ac84fd-7f4c-46d3-bda5-3248f7179bf4","page":null,"codeinjection_foot":null,"codeinjection_head":null,"codeinjection_styles":null,"comment_id":"5fc0e44629af830039010279"}},{"node":{"id":"Ghost__Post__5fbf8477cd632100395318a7","title":"Rishi buys now, pays later","slug":"rishi-buys-now-pays-later","featured":false,"feature_image":"https://multiply.ghost.io/content/images/2020/11/Multiply_minute.png","excerpt":"Rishi Sunak’s Spending Review unveiled increased spending for jobs support, the NHS, and the military.","custom_excerpt":"Rishi Sunak’s Spending Review unveiled increased spending for jobs support, the NHS, and the military.","created_at_pretty":"26 November, 2020","published_at_pretty":"26 November, 2020","updated_at_pretty":"26 November, 2020","created_at":"2020-11-26T10:33:27.000+00:00","published_at":"2020-11-26T10:35:17.000+00:00","updated_at":"2020-11-26T10:35:17.000+00:00","meta_title":null,"meta_description":null,"og_description":null,"og_image":null,"og_title":null,"twitter_description":null,"twitter_image":null,"twitter_title":null,"authors":[{"name":"Tim Elder","slug":"tim","bio":null,"profile_image":null,"twitter":null,"facebook":null,"website":null}],"primary_author":{"name":"Tim Elder","slug":"tim","bio":null,"profile_image":null,"twitter":null,"facebook":null,"website":null},"primary_tag":null,"tags":[{"name":"#feed","slug":"hash-feed","description":null,"feature_image":null,"meta_description":null,"meta_title":null,"visibility":"internal"},{"name":"multiply-minute","slug":"multiply-minute","description":"The 1-minute read to get the money news you need with expert adviser commentary","feature_image":null,"meta_description":null,"meta_title":null,"visibility":"public"}],"plaintext":"The 1-minute read to get the money news you need with expert adviser commentary.\n\nAn economic emergency\nRishi Sunak’s Spending Review unveiled increased spending\n[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2020/11/26/rishi-sunak-unveils-comprehensive-spending-review-key-points/]\n* for jobs support, the NHS, and the military. The pandemic will have shrunk the\neconomy by 11.3% this year - tax rises will come later; but for now, borrowing\nis set to increase to the highest levels ever seen in peacetime. A consolation\nis that this borrowing is more affordable\n[https://www.cityam.com/sunaks-tough-choices-a-sobering-assessment/] than it was\nin 2008.\n\n\nAnd that’s optimistic\nThink tanks are saying Rishi’s Spending Review is optimistic. No COVID-related\nspending has been budgeted for after next year, and non-COVID department\nspending saw £10bn cut from previous plans. The leading Institute for Fiscal\nStudies (IFS) thinks he’ll need to spend more\n[https://www.cityam.com/ifs-says-sunak-likely-to-end-up-spending-more-than-planned/]\n. \n\n\nPrivate pensions to lose £96bn\nThe Spending Review also revealed that the government will stop using the retail\nprices index (RPI) measure of inflation in 2030. The new measure is currently\n0.4 percentage points lower, which means lower returns for investors in\nindex-linked bonds\n[https://www.theguardian.com/money/2020/nov/25/uk-private-pensions-rpi-inflation-rishi-sunak-spending-review]\n, which includes pension funds.\n\n\nAdviser Comment - This has been expected for some time - it could be viewed as a\npositive that the start of this has been pushed until 2030. This further\nhighlights the need to be proactive with saving for your retirement.","html":"The 1-minute read to get the money news you need with expert adviser commentary.
Rishi Sunak’s Spending Review unveiled increased spending* for jobs support, the NHS, and the military. The pandemic will have shrunk the economy by 11.3% this year - tax rises will come later; but for now, borrowing is set to increase to the highest levels ever seen in peacetime. A consolation is that this borrowing is more affordable than it was in 2008.
Think tanks are saying Rishi’s Spending Review is optimistic. No COVID-related spending has been budgeted for after next year, and non-COVID department spending saw £10bn cut from previous plans. The leading Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) thinks he’ll need to spend more.
The Spending Review also revealed that the government will stop using the retail prices index (RPI) measure of inflation in 2030. The new measure is currently 0.4 percentage points lower, which means lower returns for investors in index-linked bonds, which includes pension funds.
Adviser Comment - This has been expected for some time - it could be viewed as a positive that the start of this has been pushed until 2030. This further highlights the need to be proactive with saving for your retirement.
The 1-minute read to get the money news you need with expert adviser commentary.
Today, the chancellor Rishi Sunak will lay out the government’s spending plans for the months ahead. So far, he’s promised £4.6 billion to tackle unemployment and £3 billion to help the NHS get through a backlog of delayed operations. He’ll also talk about the state of the economy in the wake of the pandemic, and spending cuts and tax rises to claw back the costs of coping with it.
Completed home purchases have risen 6% in the capital, compared to last year. In most other places in the country, completions are down 6% - which is still an improvement from the 15% drop that was predicted. Annual price growth is a bit lower in London than elsewhere though, at 2.7%.
![](\"https://multiply.ghost.io/content/images/2020/11/image-13.png\")
The housing market is usually sleepy in the run up to Christmas - but this year it’s unlikely to get a break. The stamp duty holiday ends in March so many buyers are keen to get offers accepted before Christmas. Zoopla expects 100,000 extra completions* before March, but has warned that half might not make it in time.
![](\"https://multiply.ghost.io/content/images/2020/11/image-17.png\")
A no-deal Brexit could disrupt delivery of medicines and vaccines, including the coronavirus vaccine. The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) says the industry has been stockpiling some medicines, but the new year will be a critical time for getting the new coronavirus vaccines out to the public.
","url":"https://multiply.ghost.io/rishis-time-to-shine/","uuid":"cf6e3103-8cae-464e-9837-cd7b84a25306","page":null,"codeinjection_foot":null,"codeinjection_head":null,"codeinjection_styles":null,"comment_id":"5fbe2fb36551bb00392b595a"}},{"node":{"id":"Ghost__Post__5fbcd1562969bd0039fa7b14","title":"Travel ban lifted","slug":"travel-ban-lifted","featured":false,"feature_image":"https://multiply.ghost.io/content/images/2020/11/Multiply-minute-16.png","excerpt":"Travel restrictions will be lifted on 15th December to allow people to visit relatives for Christmas. ","custom_excerpt":"Travel restrictions will be lifted on 15th December to allow people to visit relatives for Christmas. ","created_at_pretty":"24 November, 2020","published_at_pretty":"24 November, 2020","updated_at_pretty":"24 November, 2020","created_at":"2020-11-24T09:24:38.000+00:00","published_at":"2020-11-24T09:34:00.000+00:00","updated_at":"2020-11-24T09:34:00.000+00:00","meta_title":null,"meta_description":null,"og_description":null,"og_image":null,"og_title":null,"twitter_description":null,"twitter_image":null,"twitter_title":null,"authors":[{"name":"Annie Mellor","slug":"annie","bio":null,"profile_image":null,"twitter":null,"facebook":null,"website":null}],"primary_author":{"name":"Annie Mellor","slug":"annie","bio":null,"profile_image":null,"twitter":null,"facebook":null,"website":null},"primary_tag":null,"tags":[{"name":"#feed","slug":"hash-feed","description":null,"feature_image":null,"meta_description":null,"meta_title":null,"visibility":"internal"},{"name":"multiply-minute","slug":"multiply-minute","description":"The 1-minute read to get the money news you need with expert adviser commentary","feature_image":null,"meta_description":null,"meta_title":null,"visibility":"public"}],"plaintext":"The 1-minute read to get the money news you need.\n\nFlying home for Christmas\nTravel restrictions will be lifted on 15th December to allow people to visit\nrelatives for Christmas. Travellers arriving in the UK from high-risk countries\nwill still have to quarantine, but can end it early if they test negative after\n5 days. The test won't be free though - estimates say it'll cost around\n£130-£180.\n\nCladding chaos\nThe government should foot the bill for removing flammable cladding from\nhigh-rise buildings, according to a group of MPs. The Commons housing committee\nsays the £1.6 billion fund set up after the Grenfell Tower fire is not enough to\ncover all the costs. Some leaseholders are being forced to pay for essential\nwork to remove the cladding from their homes.\n\nDebt and tax strikes\nExtinction Rebellion has declared a campaign of financial disobedience to expose\nthe economy’s role in the climate crisis. The campaign group has urged its\nmembers to stop paying taxes and making debt repayments, and to take their\ncustom away from banks that finance fossil fuels projects.","html":"The 1-minute read to get the money news you need.
Travel restrictions will be lifted on 15th December to allow people to visit relatives for Christmas. Travellers arriving in the UK from high-risk countries will still have to quarantine, but can end it early if they test negative after 5 days. The test won't be free though - estimates say it'll cost around £130-£180.
The government should foot the bill for removing flammable cladding from high-rise buildings, according to a group of MPs. The Commons housing committee says the £1.6 billion fund set up after the Grenfell Tower fire is not enough to cover all the costs. Some leaseholders are being forced to pay for essential work to remove the cladding from their homes.
Extinction Rebellion has declared a campaign of financial disobedience to expose the economy’s role in the climate crisis. The campaign group has urged its members to stop paying taxes and making debt repayments, and to take their custom away from banks that finance fossil fuels projects.
","url":"https://multiply.ghost.io/travel-ban-lifted/","uuid":"ec2076c9-b569-43f2-b2a8-fe06e7bced14","page":null,"codeinjection_foot":null,"codeinjection_head":null,"codeinjection_styles":null,"comment_id":"5fbcd1562969bd0039fa7b14"}},{"node":{"id":"Ghost__Post__5fbb86f7f089c700397c422d","title":"Vaccine hat trick confirmed","slug":"vaccine-hat-trick-confirmed","featured":false,"feature_image":"https://multiply.ghost.io/content/images/2020/11/Multiply-minute-15.png","excerpt":"The Oxford coronavirus vaccine has announced that it’s 70% effective.","custom_excerpt":"The Oxford coronavirus vaccine has announced that it’s 70% effective.","created_at_pretty":"23 November, 2020","published_at_pretty":"23 November, 2020","updated_at_pretty":"23 November, 2020","created_at":"2020-11-23T09:55:03.000+00:00","published_at":"2020-11-23T09:56:10.000+00:00","updated_at":"2020-11-23T09:56:10.000+00:00","meta_title":null,"meta_description":null,"og_description":null,"og_image":null,"og_title":null,"twitter_description":null,"twitter_image":null,"twitter_title":null,"authors":[{"name":"Annie Mellor","slug":"annie","bio":null,"profile_image":null,"twitter":null,"facebook":null,"website":null}],"primary_author":{"name":"Annie Mellor","slug":"annie","bio":null,"profile_image":null,"twitter":null,"facebook":null,"website":null},"primary_tag":null,"tags":[{"name":"#feed","slug":"hash-feed","description":null,"feature_image":null,"meta_description":null,"meta_title":null,"visibility":"internal"},{"name":"multiply-minute","slug":"multiply-minute","description":"The 1-minute read to get the money news you need with expert adviser commentary","feature_image":null,"meta_description":null,"meta_title":null,"visibility":"public"}],"plaintext":"The 1-minute read to get the money news you need.\n\nThird vaccine success\nThe Oxford coronavirus vaccine has announced that it’s 70% effective\n[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55040635], with one particular dosage showing\nup to 90% effectiveness. It’s great news for the UK - we’ve already pre-ordered\n100 million doses of this one. It still needs to be approved by regulators, but\nit could be ready to roll out next month.\n\nWinter Covid plan\nThe government will tell us today how we’re going to tackle the cold months\n[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/22/mass-coronavirus-testing-to-be-rolled-out-in-england-to-head-off-tory-revolt]\n. We’re bursting into tiers again at the end of England’s national lockdown on\n2nd December, with gyms and shops allowed to reopen. Rules will vary for pubs\nand restaurants. There will be mass testing throughout all 3 tiers to support\nthe looser restrictions, such as is currently being trialled in Liverpool.\n\nMade in Britain?\nUK factories could be making up to £4.8bn more goods\n[https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/nov/23/covid-and-brexit-could-see-uk-manufacturers-bringing-it-all-back-home] \nfor British retailers in the next 12 months according to a new report. Food,\nfashion, DIY goods, and homewares could all be made in Britain, after\ncoronavirus and Brexit shocks prompt retailers to bring production back on home\nturf. Shoppers and investors are also demanding more sustainable options, so\nshipping goods for thousands of miles is falling out of favour.\n\nGhost town\nBuilding work on new London offices has fallen by 50%\n[https://uk.reuters.com/article/UKNews1/idUKKBN28300H] in the six months to the\nend of September. Many development projects have been put on hold or cancelled,\nwith no companies wanting to commit to renting new office space. Working from\nhome seems to be here to stay - putting the future of the city’s skyscrapers in\ndoubt.","html":"The 1-minute read to get the money news you need.
The Oxford coronavirus vaccine has announced that it’s 70% effective, with one particular dosage showing up to 90% effectiveness. It’s great news for the UK - we’ve already pre-ordered 100 million doses of this one. It still needs to be approved by regulators, but it could be ready to roll out next month.
The government will tell us today how we’re going to tackle the cold months. We’re bursting into tiers again at the end of England’s national lockdown on 2nd December, with gyms and shops allowed to reopen. Rules will vary for pubs and restaurants. There will be mass testing throughout all 3 tiers to support the looser restrictions, such as is currently being trialled in Liverpool.
UK factories could be making up to £4.8bn more goods for British retailers in the next 12 months according to a new report. Food, fashion, DIY goods, and homewares could all be made in Britain, after coronavirus and Brexit shocks prompt retailers to bring production back on home turf. Shoppers and investors are also demanding more sustainable options, so shipping goods for thousands of miles is falling out of favour.
Building work on new London offices has fallen by 50% in the six months to the end of September. Many development projects have been put on hold or cancelled, with no companies wanting to commit to renting new office space. Working from home seems to be here to stay - putting the future of the city’s skyscrapers in doubt.
","url":"https://multiply.ghost.io/vaccine-hat-trick-confirmed/","uuid":"830a6c09-b583-4779-b0aa-065477b1f373","page":null,"codeinjection_foot":null,"codeinjection_head":null,"codeinjection_styles":null,"comment_id":"5fbb86f7f089c700397c422d"}},{"node":{"id":"Ghost__Post__5fb7861e87179400390737ad","title":"UK debt pile grows","slug":"uk-debt-pile-grows","featured":false,"feature_image":"https://multiply.ghost.io/content/images/2020/11/Multiply-minute-14.png","excerpt":"UK national debt grew by £22.3 billion in October, as public spending to support jobs and livelihoods continued. ","custom_excerpt":"UK national debt grew by £22.3 billion in October, as public spending to support jobs and livelihoods continued. ","created_at_pretty":"20 November, 2020","published_at_pretty":"20 November, 2020","updated_at_pretty":"20 November, 2020","created_at":"2020-11-20T09:02:22.000+00:00","published_at":"2020-11-20T09:04:31.000+00:00","updated_at":"2020-11-20T09:04:31.000+00:00","meta_title":null,"meta_description":null,"og_description":null,"og_image":null,"og_title":null,"twitter_description":null,"twitter_image":null,"twitter_title":null,"authors":[{"name":"Annie Mellor","slug":"annie","bio":null,"profile_image":null,"twitter":null,"facebook":null,"website":null}],"primary_author":{"name":"Annie Mellor","slug":"annie","bio":null,"profile_image":null,"twitter":null,"facebook":null,"website":null},"primary_tag":null,"tags":[{"name":"#feed","slug":"hash-feed","description":null,"feature_image":null,"meta_description":null,"meta_title":null,"visibility":"internal"},{"name":"multiply-minute","slug":"multiply-minute","description":"The 1-minute read to get the money news you need with expert adviser commentary","feature_image":null,"meta_description":null,"meta_title":null,"visibility":"public"}],"plaintext":"The 1-minute read to get the money news you need\n\nGovernment still borrowing\nUK national debt grew by £22.3 billion in October\n[https://news.sky.com/story/public-sector-net-borrowing-hits-22-3bn-in-october-12136885]\n, as public spending to support jobs and livelihoods continued. The cost of\nborrowing is currently very cheap. But chancellor Rishi Sunak has warned that in\nthe long term, the country’s finances must be “put on a sustainable path”.\n\nPublic sector pay freeze\n5.5 million public sector workers could see their pay frozen\n[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55011477] next year to save money. However,\nNHS workers are likely to be exempt to recognise their work throughout the\npandemic. We’ll get more details in chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Spending Review\nnext week - it’s thought he’ll make the case that wages have actually fallen in\nthe private sector this year.\n\nRush for turkey crowns\nSupermarkets are seeing huge demand for festive food\n[https://inews.co.uk/news/consumer/supermarkets-uk-festive-food-christmas-staples-sell-out-2020-765859] \nand some items are already selling out. With big get-togethers off the cards,\nsmaller centrepieces like turkey crowns are going like hotcakes. There’s also a\nshift upmarket - Waitrose and M&S are particularly busy, with delivery slots\nbooking up well in advance.\n\nAldi on Deliveroo\nEager shoppers across the UK can checkout at Aldi and get their groceries\nwithin\n20 minutes\n[https://www.cityam.com/aldi-extends-deliveroo-service-across-london/], thanks\nto its new trial with Deliveroo. The budget supermarket is now offering the\nservice from 130 stores across London, Cambridge, the East Midlands, and Greater\nManchester.","html":"The 1-minute read to get the money news you need
UK national debt grew by £22.3 billion in October, as public spending to support jobs and livelihoods continued. The cost of borrowing is currently very cheap. But chancellor Rishi Sunak has warned that in the long term, the country’s finances must be “put on a sustainable path”.
5.5 million public sector workers could see their pay frozen next year to save money. However, NHS workers are likely to be exempt to recognise their work throughout the pandemic. We’ll get more details in chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Spending Review next week - it’s thought he’ll make the case that wages have actually fallen in the private sector this year.
Supermarkets are seeing huge demand for festive food and some items are already selling out. With big get-togethers off the cards, smaller centrepieces like turkey crowns are going like hotcakes. There’s also a shift upmarket - Waitrose and M&S are particularly busy, with delivery slots booking up well in advance.
Eager shoppers across the UK can checkout at Aldi and get their groceries within 20 minutes, thanks to its new trial with Deliveroo. The budget supermarket is now offering the service from 130 stores across London, Cambridge, the East Midlands, and Greater Manchester.
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