Former aide warned Gordon Brown not to abolish 10p tax band
One of the Prime Minister’s closest aides advised him not to raise taxes for the lowest-paid workers in the country, more than a year before the decision became a political crisis.
Spinster sisters assured there will be no evictions
A government minister has told the House of Lords that two elderly British sisters who lost their case in the European Court of Human Rights over inheritance tax will not be evicted when one of them dies.
Euro court: sisters can not have the same tax benefits as civil partners
Two elderly British sitters have lost their case in the European Court of Human Rights to allow them to avoid inheritance tax when one of them dies. They argued that British law treats them less favourably than a lesbian couple in a civil partnership.
80% of insurance companies failing gay men
New research has found that many leading insurance providers in the UK are still sending gay men for unnecessary HIV tests.
In a survey insurance company staff were all asked to provide their company's limit at which an applicant would be sent for an HIV test.
Two companies, Royal Liver and Bright Grey, were praised for their industry-beating limit of £1,000,000 of cover without HIV testing for gay men within a civil partnership.
Mortgage rates to drop by 0.25%
The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee today cuts rates by a quarter of one per cent to 5 per cent, a further attempt to reduce the impact of the global credit crisis hitting Britain.
It's the third cut since December, earlier this week it was shown that house prices had fallen by 2.5% in a month, the worse drop since 1992.
A mortgage of £100,000 will fall by £17 a month if lenders pass on the cuts in full.
Tax company under fire for gay discrimination
H R Block, America's leading tax preparation company, has said it is "evaluating alternatives" after it emerged that their online services refuse to accept legal civil unions.
Connecticut gay couple Jason Smith and Settimo Piscu were attempting to use their "Tax Cut" service but a message told them: "We don't support Connecticut civil union returns."
Through its website, the company said the couple would have to work with one of their professionals, by phone or at one of their office locations, which would be more time consuming and cost an additional $150 (£75).
Interest rate fall good news for homeowners
LGBT homeowners will benefit from another reduction in interest rates by the Bank of England, the second in three months.
The Bank's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted to reduce rates by a quarter of one percent to 5.25 per cent.
An average £100,000 mortgage will only reduce by £16 and not all mortgage holders will see a reduction.
The US Federal reserve last month slashed rates by a total of 1.25 per cent.
Gay.com parent company up for sale
Shares in one of the largest gay media companies in the world, PlanetOut, fell 23.4% yesterday to $4.75 (£2.42).
A spokesman for the NASDAQ-listed company confirmed they are looking for potential buyers. It has been a rocky year for the company. It is now trading at 13% of its value in January 2007.
In May high operating costs and declining sales resulted in a considerable first-quarter loss and a resulting slide in share price.
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A guide to loan providers..
PinkNews.co.uk has selected a number of personal loans providers.It's a list of where to get a loan, from lending companies we've checked out. We've reviewed their services and ensured that they do not discriminate against the LGBT community. If you find that they do, email news@pinknews.co.uk and we'll investigate the company.
Before you visit any of the sites, think carefully before securing a loan or other debts against your home. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage or any other loan that is secured on it.
From the Blog