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Jonquil Lowe

Senior Lecturer in Economics and Personal Finance, The Open University
Also a personal finance practitioner, working with a variety of independent, consumer-facing organisations and financial services providers, including the Money Advice Service and Which?, carrying out consultancy, commissioned research, authoring financial capability materials and creating interactive financial capability tools.

Past head of Money Research Group at Consumers' Association/Which? and past editor of research journal, Consumer Policy Review (Blackwell's/Consumers' Association).

Some pensioners are pretty well off. But how many can afford to lose the winter fuel payment?

Sep 16, 2024 07:17 am UTC| Insights & Views Life

The governments plan to restrict pensioners winter fuel payment to households getting pension credit has been easily if grudgingly passed by parliament. This was despite a strong case for delaying the move to explore...

The Conservatives are pledging a ‘triple lock plus’ for UK pensioners – here’s what it means

Jun 04, 2024 06:31 am UTC| Politics

If re-elected, the Conservatives have pledged to introduce a triple lock plus that the party says would pull millions of pensioners out of paying tax. Their plan would ensure that pensioners tax-free personal allowance...

Budget 2024: experts react to the UK government’s last roll of the economic dice ahead of a general election

Mar 07, 2024 09:24 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy

The spring budget of 2024 was widely seen as a chance for UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to inject some economic optimism into British politics ahead of a general election. Would he or wouldnt he cut income tax? (He wouldnt.)...

Six ways the upcoming autumn statement could affect your personal finances

Nov 19, 2023 05:55 am UTC| Politics

The UK chancellor Jeremy Hunt will have limited room for manoeuvre when he makes his autumn statement about the governments financial plans on November 22. The government is committed to supporting the Bank of Englands...

Pensions: how yours may have been affected by recent market turmoil

Oct 21, 2022 06:19 am UTC| Business

The early signs are that the financial markets have been appeased by the governments October 17 decision to reverse two-thirds of its September mini-budget tax cuts. Yields on gilts which represent long-term borrowing...

National insurance rise: what do upcoming tax changes mean for me? An expert explains

Mar 27, 2022 14:16 pm UTC| Economy

April 6 marks the start of the new 2022-23 tax year and the day most workers start to pay a new tax: the health and social care levy. For one year only, the levy will take the form of a 1.25 percentage point increase in...

Five top tips for managing your personal finances during coronavirus

Aug 01, 2020 14:58 pm UTC| Investing

When it comes to money, coronavirus has split the nation. Financial stress dominates for many of the 9.5 million employees on furlough, potentially facing unemployment as the scheme unwinds, and for those whose small...

Economy

China Opens Door to Stronger U.S. Trade Ties Amid Rising Tensions

China has signaled a willingness to deepen economic and trade cooperation with the United States, as Commerce Minister Wang Wentao met with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on the sidelines of a World Trade...

U.S. Stocks Tumble as Iran Peace Deal Uncertainty Spooks Markets

Wall Street closed sharply lower on Thursday as conflicting signals over a potential U.S.-Iran peace agreement rattled investor confidence. President Donald Trumps ambiguous remarks about whether Washington was willing or...

Oil Prices Slip as Middle East Tensions Ease, Heading for Weekly Loss

Oil prices declined during Asian trading on Friday, putting both major benchmarks on course for a weekly loss of more than 4%, as signs of diplomatic progress between the United States and Iran reduced the geopolitical...

Dollar Strengthens as U.S.-Iran Peace Talks Send Mixed Signals

The U.S. dollar gained ground on Thursday, rising 0.3% to 99.90 on the US Dollar Index, as conflicting signals surrounding U.S.-Iran peace negotiations renewed demand for safe-haven assets. Investors looking for stability...

Gold Prices Drop Amid Iran Peace Talk Uncertainty and Stronger Dollar

Gold prices fell sharply on Thursday as mixed signals from President Donald Trump regarding Iran peace negotiations rattled investors, while a strengthening U.S. dollar added further downward pressure on the precious...

Politics

Israeli Airstrike Targets Building in Beirut's Southern Suburbs Amid Ongoing Hezbollah Conflict

Early Friday morning, Israeli forces launched an airstrike involving three missiles aimed at a building located in the southern suburbs of Beirut, according to security sources familiar with the situation. Details...

Ukraine-Russia War: Frontline Updates as Spring Offensive Looms

Tensions along the Ukraine-Russia front line are escalating as both sides report territorial shifts in eastern and northeastern Ukraine. Russias Defence Ministry claimed Thursday that its forces seized the village of...

Russia Accused of Helping Iran Target U.S. Forces, European Powers Tell G7

European nations have formally accused Russia of providing military intelligence and drone technology to Iran to help target American forces in the Middle East, raising the issue directly with U.S. Secretary of State Marco...

G7 Summit 2026: South Africa Excluded Amid U.S. Pressure, Kenya Invited Instead

France has officially denied that South Africa was dropped from the G7 leaders summit guest list due to pressure from Washington, stating that Kenya was chosen as Africas representative ahead of President Emmanuel Macrons...

Trump Pauses Iran Strikes as Peace Talks Stall Amid Military Buildup

President Donald Trump announced a 10-day pause on U.S. strikes targeting Iranian energy infrastructure, pushing the deadline to April 6, 2026. Trump attributed the extension to a direct request from Tehran, though peace...

Science

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Technology

SMIC Allegedly Supplies Chipmaking Tools to Iran's Military, U.S. Officials Warn

Chinas top semiconductor manufacturer, SMIC (Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation), has reportedly been transferring chipmaking equipment to Irans military industrial complex, according to two senior Trump...

Reflection AI Eyes $25 Billion Valuation in Massive $2.5 Billion Funding Round

Nvidia-backed artificial intelligence startup Reflection AI is in advanced discussions to secure $2.5 billion in fresh funding, with negotiations pointing to a staggering pre-money valuation of $25 billion, according to a...

Nanya Technology Shares Surge 10% After $2.5 Billion Private Placement from Sandisk and Cisco

Shares of Taiwan-based memory chip manufacturer Nanya Technology soared to their daily limit of 10% on Thursday morning following the companys announcement of a major $2.5 billion private placement deal backed by prominent...

SK Hynix Eyes Up to $14 Billion U.S. IPO to Fund AI Chip Expansion

South Korean memory chip giant SK Hynix has submitted a confidential filing for a U.S. stock market listing in 2026, with sources indicating the move could raise as much as $14 billion. The company intends to offer...

Meta Ties Executive Pay to Aggressive Stock Price Targets in Major Retention Push

Meta Platforms made a significant move this week by granting restricted stock units and stock options to several of its most senior leaders, including Chief Financial Officer Susan Li and Chief Technology Officer Andrew...