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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

Myanmar Rebels Disrupt Global Rare Earth Supply, Challenge China's Control

In October, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), an ethnic rebel group in northern Myanmar, seized control of the countrys rare-earth mining belt, disrupting global supply chains and challenging the military junta and...

Oil Prices Hover Near 1-Month Highs Amid U.S. Tariffs and Tight Supply

Oil prices held firm near one-month highs on Friday, eyeing a third straight weekly gain, driven by tightening global supply concerns. U.S. sanctions and tariffs targeting oil exports from Venezuela and Iran have injected...

Asian Stocks Slip on Trump Tariff Fears, Tokyo Inflation Jitters Shake Markets

Most Asian stocks fell on Friday, extending losses as investor anxiety grew over U.S. President Donald Trumps aggressive tariff plans. Japanese markets led regional declines, with the Nikkei 225 and TOPIX sinking over 2%...

US Halts WTO Contributions Amid Trump’s Global Spending Review

The United States has paused its contributions to the World Trade Organization (WTO) as part of President Donald Trumps broader review of funding to international organizations. This move aligns with Trumps America First...

RBA Set to Hold Rates Steady Amid Inflation Concerns and Cautious Outlook

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) is expected to keep its official cash rate unchanged at 4.10% during its April 1 policy meeting, according to a Reuters poll of 39 economists. As inflation begins to ease but core...

Politics

Zelenskiy Urges Strong Western Response After Deadly Russian Drone Strikes

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has called for a strong international response following a wave of Russian drone attacks across Ukraine. In his nightly address on Saturday, Zelenskiy emphasized that Russias...

Ecuador President Daniel Noboa Replaces Vice President Amid Election Tensions

Ecuadors President Daniel Noboa has appointed Cynthia Gellibert, secretary general of public administration, as interim vice president, replacing elected Vice President Veronica Abad. The move intensifies ongoing political...

U.S. Defense Chief Calls Japan Vital Ally in Deterring China’s Regional Aggression

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth emphasized Japans key role in countering Chinese military assertiveness, calling it essential for establishing credible deterrence in the Indo-Pacific, particularly across the Taiwan...

Finnish President Stubb Meets Trump in Florida, Discusses Icebreaker Deal and Ukraine

Finnish President Alexander Stubb made an unannounced visit to Mar-a-Lago on Saturday to meet U.S. President Donald Trump. The surprise meeting, held at Trumps Florida estate, focused on strengthening U.S.-Finland...

Trump’s Executive Order Sparks Outcry Over Smithsonian Exhibit Restrictions

Ernest, a longtime Washington D.C. resident, stood near the National Museum of African American History and Culture on the National Mall, reacting to President Donald Trumps recent executive order targeting federally...

Science

Sanofi’s New Hemophilia Drug Qfitlia Gains FDA Approval with Breakthrough Bimonthly Dosing

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Qfitlia, a groundbreaking hemophilia treatment by French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi (NASDAQ: SNY). Designed for patients aged 12 and older with hemophilia A or B,...

FDA Vaccine Chief Peter Marks Resigns Amid Controversy Over Transparency

Peter Marks, the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) top vaccine official, has resigned after reportedly being forced out by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), according to The Wall Street Journal....

What are the chances an asteroid will impact Earth in 2032?

For a few days in mid-February, headlines around the world buzzed about the potential for an asteroid to hit the Earth in 2032 specifically, asteroid 2024 YR4. The chance of this impact rose to a high of 3.1 per cent on...

A new study reveals the structure of violent winds 1,300 light years away

The planet WASP-121b is extreme. Its a gas giant almost twice as big as Jupiter orbiting extremely close to its star50 times closer than the Earth does around the Sun. WASP-121b is so close to its star that tidal forces...

What’s the shape of the universe? Mathematicians use topology to study the shape of the world and everything in it

When you look at your surrounding environment, it might seem like youre living on a flat plane. After all, this is why you can navigate a new city using a map: a flat piece of paper that represents all the places around...

Technology

CoreWeave Slashes IPO Size and Price Amid Investor Caution Despite Nvidia Backing

CoreWeave, a leading AI cloud infrastructure provider backed by Nvidia, has significantly downsized its U.S. IPO. The company cut its offering by 23.5%, now aiming to raise $1.5 billion by selling 37.5 million shares at...

Alibaba Stock Gets Boost as Mizuho Touts AI Potential and Hikes Price Target

Alibaba Group (NYSE: BABA, HK:9988) surged in investor interest after Mizuho raised its price target on the Chinese tech giants U.S.-listed shares from $140 to $170, maintaining an Outperform rating. The bullish update...

SK Hynix Sees Chip Order Surge Ahead of Possible U.S. Tariffs, Eyes AI Memory Boom

SK Hynix, the worlds second-largest memory chipmaker, revealed that customers are rushing orders in anticipation of potential U.S. semiconductor tariffs. Speaking at the companys annual shareholder meeting, Lee Sang-rak,...

Former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger Joins Playground Global to Drive Chip Innovation

Pat Gelsinger, former Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) CEO, has joined venture capital firm Playground Global as a general partner, marking a major move in the semiconductor and deep tech investment space. Alongside this role,...

North Korea Unveils AI Suicide Drones and Airborne Radar in Military Upgrade

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has overseen the test of new suicide drones equipped with artificial intelligence (AI), declaring that unmanned systems and AI technologies must be prioritized in modern military...