November 7th, 2008 piotr zukowski
For much of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, the medieval city-states
of Tuscany – Florence, Pisa and Siena – were at war with each other or with
other Italian towns. This was war waged as much by money as by men. Rather
than require their own citizens to do the dirty work of fighting, each city
hired military contractors (condottieri) who raised armies to annex
land and loot treasure from its rivals. Among the condottieri of the
1360s and 1370s one stood head and shoulders above the others. His
commanding figure can still be seen on the walls of Florence’s Duomo - a
painting originally commissioned by a grateful Florentine public as a
tribute to his “incomparable leadership”.
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November 7th, 2008 piotr zukowski
The financial crisis that began in August 2007 and reached its crescendo in
the past month has seen all kinds of asset plummet in price: houses,
mortgage-backed securities, shares in banks, corporate bonds, not to mention
commodities. Panicking investors have turned instead to gold, cash - and
hyperbole. “The end of the world.” “Armageddon.” “Apocalypse now.”
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November 7th, 2008 piotr zukowski
The pound’s fall against the dollar is now so steep that its impact on
consumers can no longer be ignored. In the past year sterling has tumbled
from $2.10 to the pound to $1.64 to the pound - a drop of more than 20 per
cent.$
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November 7th, 2008 piotr zukowski
The Government says that billions of pounds is being spent on helping
consumers struggling to pay their gas and electricity bills, with discounted
tariffs and energy efficiency measures being offered to the most vulnerable
households.
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November 7th, 2008 piotr zukowski
Households keen to cut their energy bills and save the planet are taking
matters into their own hands and finding innovative ways to generate their
own electricity.
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November 7th, 2008 piotr zukowski
Last summer Helen Thompson and Matt Duncan arrived back from holiday to find
that severe flooding had wrecked the ground floor of their two-bedroom
terraced home in Hull.
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November 7th, 2008 piotr zukowski
A rare thing came out of Planet Finance this week - some good news. Last
Tuesday BP told its shareholders about a 148 per cent increase in profits.
Then, on Thursday, its hydrocarbon sister brought a smile to the face of its
investors. Earnings at Royal Dutch Shell jumped 74 per cent. Shares in BP
rose as it served up its good news, helping the FTSE 100 to jog through most
of the earlier part of the week in calm, and even with a little cheer.
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November 7th, 2008 piotr zukowski
Few will have been able to resist a little Schadenfreude this week when the
hedge fund industry took huge losses after the share price of Volkswagen
soared.
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November 7th, 2008 piotr zukowski
Domestic gas and electricity bills may be at record levels but a report last
month from Ofgem, the energy regulator, indicates that millions are clueless
when it comes to finding the best deal. Switching energy provider or package
might seem a headache, but it is painless and could save you hundreds of
pounds a year. Here is Times Money’s guide to the market.
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November 7th, 2008 piotr zukowski
Lloyds TSB was criticised this week for introducing a ban on borrowers
switching to cheaper interest-only deals, which can reduce monthly payments
on a £150,000 mortgage by more than £200.
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