A new five year contract has been agreed between the Alliance and Leicester and Payzone, a 17,000 site network where consumers can pay water bills.
Estimated figures for the year are that around 6 million transactions will be processed by the Alliance and Leicester on behalf of Payzone, consumers using either a booklet or credit card style payment card. The relationship between the two companies began in 2007 so this five year deal shows the belief they have in each other now.
The commercial side of Alliance and Leicester works with around 1,500 businesses to collect payments from consumers, with most utility companies signed up as well as 8 out of 10 local authorities.
82 percent of households in Britain are changing their behaviour in response to rising costs and future economic concerns say Legal and General.
With Summer holidays topical right now it is revealing to see that over a quarter of households have changed their holiday plans because of their uncertainty about the future. Lots of people have also cut down on how often they go out, with nearly 40 percent of people saying they now spend more time at home.
One of the biggest concerns from the Legal and General survey was the fact that about half the households spoken to are cutting back on food in order to manage their finances, with over a quarter of them also looking at selling possessions in order to manage. Lets hope the government sees the survey and does something about it, starting with fuel taxation, something that affects the cost of everything in the UK.
HSBC is continuing its progress towards acquiring the sixth biggest lender in South Korea, KEB, as it signs an agreement with the labour union.
The bank has already offered USD6.3 billion to KEB for a controlling interest, with this offer set to expire at the end of July. The HSBC has promised to retain all the staff and identity of the Korean bank and is hopeful that this latest agreement with the union will enable them to move forwards.
HSBC has always been seen as a global bank and this latest position highlights that fact. The bank really understands the needs of different cultures, aided by the fact that they work with the existing staff.