Coutts withdraws free banking for those with less than £250,000 in their account Coutts, the bank which boasts the Queen as a customer, has withdrawn free banking to customers with less than £250,000 in their accounts.

Becoming a next generation finance director The role of the finance manager is fundamentally changing. During the recession, the emphasis has shifted from managing business growth to imposing tighter financial control. But organisations are still hamstrung by manual purchasing processes and a delegation of authority across the business which is making strong cost control hard to achieve.

The tools you need to raise money “The closest real-world analogy to raising money, whether you are seeking it from venture capitalists, angel investors, or the three Fs (friends, fools, and family), is speed dating. That’s right: In five minutes, people decide if they are interested in you, just as in bars and nightclubs. This isn’t right, and it isn’t fair, but it’s reality.” —Guy Kawasaki, "Reality Check"

What The budget means for you and your family We highlight a few of the stand-out points of The Budget which affect you and your families pocket.

4.5Million Brits to transfer credit card balance as New Year resolution More than 4.5 million Britons (10 per cent) are planning to move in excess of £3.2 billion pounds between credit cards in the first three months of 2010, to take advantage of introductory balance transfer periods, new research from Santander Cards has revealed.

Self employed motorbike commuters can save 40% tax Motorcyclists can save up to 40% on the price of a bike following a quiet change to tax law, experts have said.

Buried in the recent Finance Act is a change which makes motorcycles used for work 100% tax deductable, according to leading accountants.

Cheques to be phased out by 2018 Cheques will be phased out by October 2018, as long as there are adequate alternatives developed by that time, the body that oversees payments strategy has said.

Are you ready for the VAT rate rise? It is just a year since the Government rushed through, in a matter of days, a reduction in the VAT rate to 15%. We were told that this would stimulate the economy - whether it did or not is one for the political commentators - but the thirteen month temporary reduction is now almost at an end and we must prepare ourselves for a return to 17.5% VAT on 1 January 2010.

Cut out the excess fat on your costs A recent study by the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development concluded that making job cuts should be the last resort in the current economic downturn, after revealing that the cost of laying off an employee could be more than £16,000. Against this another study revealed that 69% of Financial Directors feel under pressure from board colleagues to find more ways to cut costs.

UK business missing major cost saving opportunity New research reveals businesses could do much more to reduce their business expenditure as it isn’t just MPs and Cabinet Ministers that should have an eagle eye on their expenses. The same goes for businesses throughout the UK.

New Year is crucial time for cashflow With the countdown to the New Year underway, new research reveals businesses are in for a tough time during the first quarter of next year. Bibby Financial Services is calling on business owners and managers to ensure they have their finances in order to help them avoid recessionary pressures and making cuts to their business.

Irish start-ups given an essential first step A new scheme has been launched in Ireland called Outvesting to give new start-up businesses with an essential €5,000 of seed capital from investors all pulled together via Twitter.

Looking for a complete online solution? PayPoint.net, the leading online payments provider, and ePages, the foremost provider for online shops and website solutions in Europe, have joined forces to offer a comprehensive, scalable shopping solution for small and medium-sized online merchants.

Give your business a ‘cost healthcheck’ A recent study by the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development concluded that making job cuts should be the last resort in the current economic downturn, after revealing that the cost of laying off an employee could be more than £16,000.

Against this another study revealed that 69% of Financial Directors feel under pressure from board colleagues to find more ways to cut costs. With Britain now officially in recession, how does a business keep costs in check to maintain a healthy bottom line without necessarily making redundancies?

10 tips for effective haggling Many people and business owners remain reluctant to haggle, but the credit crisis means many more of us might need to learn new tricks when trying to make our money go further.

Business owners bang on the money with employee claims As MPs continue to face the aftermath of the expenses scandal, new research has highlighted that small businesses are well ahead of the government when it comes to transparency and expenses claims. More than eight out of ten (84%) business owners say they have always closely scrutinised expense claims forms and will continue to do so.

Businesses in ER With insolvencies rising at their fastest rate for 18 years, these are good times for one group in the economy – the turnaround investor.

Small businesses find some relief in budget The chancellor introduced a boost to credit insurance and extended the scheme that allows businesses to offset tax incurred in boom times against leaner years

Business in ER With insolvencies rising at their fastest rate for 18 years, these are good times for one group in the economy – the turnaround investor.

Green today gone tomorrow It’s a special occasion and you’ve decided to spend your hard-earned cash on a hot air balloon ride for you and your true love. As you float through the sky without a care in the world, you feel calm, entirely protected by the glorified wicker basket which holds you aloft. It’s a picture of romantic bliss, complete with chocolates, strawberries and a bottle of Dom Pérignon chilling in a bucket for later. But whatever you do, don’t look down!