The Royal Bank of Scotland is placing 300 free-to-use cash machines in poor communities to improve their access to cash. Andrew Partridge reports
Many of the most deprived communities in the UK currently have restricted access to free-to-use cash machines, with many people in those areas forced to use machines that charge for withdrawals.
 
Citizens Advice […]

Spending on plastic has soared in the first half of this year, demonstrating that the way UK consumers use cards is changing. Pauline McCallion reports
The introduction of chip and pin and the general ease of use and availability of credit and debit cards may explain the huge jump in the number of people using […]

Centrica, owner of British Gas, plans to raise gas bills by 12.4% for its 10.7 million customers in the next few months.
This will be supplemented by a 9.4% rise in its electricity prices for 5.8 million customers, a situation blamed by the company on “unprecedented high wholesale energy costs”.
“The rises are absolutely scandalous […]

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has said that manufacturers’ order books improved marginally in July from 11% to 12%, with +13% of manufacturers expecting an export-led boost in the next three months.
“This looks like a healthy situation, with exports particularly attracting the eye,” said City analyst Colin Perry. “They are forecast to rise […]

Train operator EuroStar posted record sales in the first six months of 2006, as people flocked to the locations used in The Da Vinci Code and headed off to Germany to follow England’s progress in the World Cup.
Sales of £259.9m were up 6% on 2005 and customer numbers improved by 11%, figures that prompted […]

Endemol, the Dutch television production company responsible for hit show Big Brother, has recorded a 23% rise in half-year turnover to £354m (517m euros) in the first six months of the year.
The company, majority-owned by Spanish communications giant Telefonica, also saw its net profit improve by 20%, although it is still believed to be […]

Northern Rock has announced a 14% rise in half-year profits, powered by good performance across all sectors of its business.
Pre-tax profit in the six months to the end of June totalled £274m, up from £239m a year earlier.
However, the figure was below market expectations of £277m and Northern Rock said it was raising […]

Profits at Amazon.com have tumbled as the world’s biggest online shopping company spent heavily on new technology and invested in its new toy business.
Net income in the three months to 30th June fell 58% to $22m (£12m) from $52 (£30m) a year before. Sales rose 22% in the quarter to $2.14bn but the shares […]