Dive Brief: Google’s revenue derived from advertising sales increased 33% year-on-year in the fourth quarter to $61.24 billion, buoyed by traction for its bets in commerce around the holidays, according to an earnings release from parent company Alphabet. Total services revenue for the period hit $75.3 billion, a 32% YoY […]
holidays
PepsiCo speeds up shift toward streaming, digital as holidays loom
PepsiCo has sped up shifting marketing investments away from linear media and toward streaming and digital platforms as the coronavirus pandemic wears on, executives said during a livestreamed discussion at Advertising Week. It’s not a particularly surprising pivot: Cord-cutting, having picked up steam for years, exploded in recent months as […]
High-cost lenders use exotic holidays to tempt borrowers into taking on debt
The City watchdog has taken aim at high-cost credit firms who try to tempt struggling borrowers into taking out large, expensive loans. In some cases, lenders have enticed customers into borrowing more by suggesting they could use the additional cash to go on exotic holidays. The Financial Conduct Authority has […]
City watchdog signals end of mortgage payment holidays
Homeowners should not be offered further payments breaks if they are still struggling to pay their mortgage, the City watchdog has said. Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, customers with mortgages, credit cards or personal loans have been able to ask their bank for a three-month repayment break if […]
landlords punished for taking mortgage holidays
Mark Webb, 49, a Bristol landlord, helped his tenants by passing on the payment holiday he took on one of his eight properties. However, he has since had mortgage applications for other properties repeatedly rejected. He feared he would be left paying higher interest rates as a result of helping […]
City watchdog looks to extend payment holidays on high-cost credit
Customers unable to keep up with high-cost credit payments may not have to pay anything until November under new guidance from the City watchdog. The Financial Conduct Authority has proposed to extend payment freezes due to end this month for a further three months to October 31. The extension will cover all companies that offer […]
Mortgage payment holidays extended to October as fears grow for household finances
Homeowners struggling to pay their mortgage can now ask their bank for a further three month payment holiday. The Treasury and the City watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), announced in March that all mortgage borrowers could ask for a three month payment break if they were struggling with the […]
Cottages.com fails to pay refunds to customers who lost holidays to coronavirus
When Britain went into lockdown, Cottages.com customers were emailed with details of an e-voucher that could be used within the next 12 months but had to be booked by 31 August 2020. There was no mention of cash refunds and customers found it impossible to contact the firm to request […]