Author: Jordan

North Wales entrepreneur Rhian Mostyn Jones explains why a frustrating banking experience prompted her to invest in physical gold. Demand for physical gold bars and coins reached a 12-year high in 2025, according to the World Gold Council[i], as investors increasingly looked to diversify their wealth amid ongoing economic and geopolitical uncertainty. Among them is North Wales entrepreneur Rhian Mostyn Jones, who says a frustrating experience trying to access her own savings prompted her to rethink how she protects her finances. Rhian, a tour guide and businesswoman from Llanfairfechan, North Wales, also manages PR for her husband, well-known Welsh hill…

ToplineFIFA’s decision to suspend a red card against U.S. men’s national team striker Folarin Balogun has drawn criticism from the American team’s Round of 16 opponent, Belgium, and other soccer experts who questioned the fairness of the decision after reports said that President Donald Trump had spoken with FIFA president Gianni Infantino on the matter.Folarin Balogun attends a training session ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match against Belgium.FIFA via Getty ImagesKey FactsThe Royal Belgian Football Association said it was “astonished” by the decision, noting FIFA’s disciplinary code states that a red card results in an…

Beijing has unveiled new measures to keep its tight grip on lithium prices, in a move that may give it an edge over the US in the key material vital for electric vehicle and energy storage.Following mining endeavours worldwide to secure supplies, Chinese authorities announced they would allow offshore industrial players to trade lithium carbonate onshore to cement its pricing power.Effective July 3, the Guangzhou Futures Exchange, one of China’s major commodity bourses, began allowing miners, battery makers and traders outside China to trade lithium carbonate futures and options.Foreign investors were permitted to use US dollars as margin, but the…

Investors pulled $17 billion from U.S. equity funds last week, marking the second consecutive week of outflows, while Indian equities witnessed foreign outflows of $580 million, according to a report by Elara Capital.The report said U.S. equity funds witnessed a second straight week of outflows, a relatively rare occurrence last seen in January 2026 and February 2025. The latest redemptions follow $8 billion of outflows in the previous week and come just three weeks after U.S. equity funds attracted a record $120 billion in inflows.According to Elara Capital, the reversal indicates that the strong momentum behind U.S. equity allocations, fuelled…

Gold prices were at risk following successive sessions of gains after hitting a multi-month low. The metal remained in an overall downtrend since the beginning of the year as the US dollar and Treasury yields strengthened over the same period. Looking forward, gold could find some relief if inflation concerns recede and monetary policy expectations soften. In the United States, Treasury yields remained under some pressure following Thursday’s weaker-than-expected non-farm payrolls report, which led market participants to scale back interest rate hike expectations to just one increase this year. This week’s FOMC minutes could prove pivotal in shaping the near-term…

GB Bank has cut its 65% LTV buy-to-let rates by an additional 0.30% across its 2, 3 and 5-year fixed rate products, sharpening pricing for intermediaries working with landlord clients. The refreshed range gives brokers a choice of pricing and fee structures: 2-year fixed rates from 4.39% with a 5% fee, or 5.39% with a 3% fee 3-year fixed rates from 4.77% or 5.77% 5-year fixed rates from 5.53% or 6.13% Rates at 75% LTV remain unchanged. The cuts also apply to GB Bank’s bespoke proposition at 65% LTV, which is priced on a case-by-case basis for…

The American Express Platinum Card® has an $895 annual fee (see rates and fees). I don’t know about you, but that’s about $800 more than I’m willing to pay for a single credit card.Luckily, there’s a great alternative: The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees), which costs $95 a year and doesn’t sacrifice strong perks, a valuable welcome bonus, and more.Here’s why I recommend the Chase Sapphire Preferred over the Platinum Card® for most travelers. Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Platinum Card®: A head-to-head lookHere’s how the two cards stack up on the numbers that actually move the needle:…

According to rates from the Zillow lender marketplace, current purchase rates are higher than refinance rates. The current 30-year fixed-rate purchase loan is 2 basis points higher at 6.40%. The 15-year fixed-rate purchase is also 2 basis points higher at 5.86%. Finally, the 5/1 ARM purchase is 19 basis points higher today at 6.52%. Read more: Weekly survey of mortgage lenders with the lowest rates: 6% is back (without fees) Today’s mortgage rates Here are the current mortgage rates today, Monday, July 6, 2026, according to the latest Zillow data: 30-year fixed: 6.40% 20-year fixed: 6.29% 15-year fixed: 5.86% 5/1 ARM:…

Highlights: Exploration permit. The permit sets the stage for a planned 20,000-metre drill program, over two phases, to test XXIX’s updated geological interpretation and support a future mineral resource update. Phase one will begin in early July. Drilling returns to Thierry. Thierry’s first systematic drilling on the property in over 40 years. Ontario’s largest primary copper resource. 100%-owned, royalty-free and Thierry pairs the near-surface, bulk-tonnage K1 zone with the high-grade, past-producing K2 zone. Modern geological data. XXIX has rebuilt and reinterpreted Thierry’s 210,000-metre historical diamond-drilling dataset into a modern, validated geological model. A materially new interpretation. K1, historically read as…

Together has reduced rates across both residential and commercial products, alongside a criteria enhancement aimed at first-time buyers. All two-year fixed rates have been reduced by 25bps and all five-year fixed rates by 10bps, with five-year rates now available from 7.70% for consumer buy-to-let first charge products, 7.89% for residential first charges, 8.54% for buy-to-let first charges, and 8.99% for semi-commercial first charges. Together will also now accept the Scottish First Home Fund as a valid deposit source. The new fund was launched by the Scottish Government in June this year to get more first-time buyers onto the…