Author: Editor
Drivers may expect relief at the petrol station when global oil prices fall. Yet the price displayed on the forecourt can remain stubbornly high, leaving motorists wondering why cheaper oil is not translating into cheaper fuel. The explanation lies in the journey from crude oil to the pump — and in the taxes, refining costs and retail margins that shape what drivers ultimately pay. What’s Actually True About Falling Oil Prices? Crude oil is only one part of the price of petrol and diesel. Before fuel reaches a UK forecourt, it must be refined, transported, stored and distributed. Each stage…
UK company directors need to prepare for a major Companies House compliance requirement: identity verification. The process became mandatory on 18 November 2025, and existing directors are being brought into the system during a 12-month transition period that runs into November 2026. Companies House identity verification is a legal requirement designed to confirm who is setting up, running, owning or controlling a UK company. Directors must verify their identity and provide their unique Companies House personal code when required. Simply completing an identity check is not enough if the code has not been linked to the relevant company role. Here…
The idea of a banker receiving a bonus worth 25 times their salary sounds extraordinary, and for some of Goldman Sachs’ highest-performing London staff, that is the maximum ratio the bank has set. But the headline needs some context: 25 times is a potential bonus ceiling, not a payout that every Goldman Sachs banker receives. The change reflects the UK’s decision to remove the post-financial-crisis cap on variable pay and has helped reshape how some of the City’s highest earners are compensated. What’s actually true? Goldman Sachs removed the previous bonus limit for certain UK employees in 2024, allowing bonuses…
Millions of UK households will see energy pricing change from Thursday, 1 October, but the headline figures do not tell the whole story. Ofgem is raising its price cap by 4%, while the Government is simultaneously removing VAT from domestic electricity bills. For a typical household paying by Direct Debit, Ofgem’s annualised price-cap figure will rise from £1,663 to £1,723. But that does not mean every household will receive a £1,723 bill, and the VAT cut means the impact is different depending on how much electricity and gas you use. What’s actually changing on Thursday? From 1 October to 31…
Truro’s annual Bonfire Night and fireworks display will not go ahead in 2026, leaving some residents disappointed after last year’s cancellation. The decision has prompted questions about why the event cannot simply return with tighter crowd controls — and whether new terrorism-safety legislation is effectively making community fireworks displays impossible. The council’s explanation is more complicated than that. Safety, crowd management, affordability, traffic arrangements and the requirements being considered under Martyn’s Law have all formed part of the planning process. (Truro City Council) What’s actually true about Truro Bonfire Night Truro City Council confirmed on 22 September that its 2026…
A Walt Disney World holiday can cost thousands of pounds once flights, park tickets, accommodation and food are added together. So the news that guests can receive $50 for every night of their hotel stay is bound to catch the attention of families planning a Florida trip. But which hotels are included, and does the offer mean UK visitors can genuinely save money? The promotion applies to three hotels in Disney World’s EPCOT resort area. Here is how the deal works, what restrictions matter and what British holidaymakers should check before booking. What’s actually true: The three hotels included Walt…
WASHINGTON, September 17 — The United States Federal Reserve has raised its benchmark interest rate for the first time since 2023, signalling a sharp policy shift as inflation refuses to loosen its grip on the world’s largest economy. The Federal Open Market Committee, the central bank’s policymaking body, voted 12-0 on Wednesday to raise the overnight funds rate by a quarter of a percentage point, bringing the target range to 3.75–4 per cent. The increase undoes one of the three rate cuts delivered last year. (CNBCCNN) The decision marks the first major move under the new Fed chairman, Kevin Warsh,…
For anyone planning an extension, renovation or major home repair, the biggest worry is often not the work itself but what happens after the money changes hands. A new government-backed crackdown on so-called cowboy builders is now being rolled out, with measures designed to make it harder for homeowners to lose money when building work goes wrong. But there is an important catch: despite the headlines, this is not a new compulsory licensing system for every builder. Instead, the government is backing two schemes intended to give consumers more information and greater control over payments. What is actually changing? The…
The closure of a family-run haulage business that had been operating since 1968 has highlighted the mounting financial pressures facing smaller transport firms. VG Mathers Limited, based in Kintore, Aberdeenshire, has ceased trading and entered liquidation, with seven employees losing their jobs. For customers and other small businesses, the story raises a wider question: why are established haulage companies still struggling, and could more transport firms face the same problem? What’s actually true VG Mathers was founded by Vic Mathers in 1968 and was later run by his son Colin Mathers. The Kintore business provided haulage-related services as well as…
The Netherlands has moved part of its gold reserves out of the United States and Canada and into London, raising an obvious question: is this a sign that European countries no longer trust America under Donald Trump? The reality is more measured. De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) says the move is about crisis preparedness, liquidity and geographical diversification, rather than an announcement that Dutch gold is unsafe in the US. But the decision does underline how geopolitical tensions are changing the way central banks think about their reserves. What’s actually true Between March and August 2026, DNB transferred around 86 tonnes…