Personal Finance News 30 December 2025

2026 IRS tax brackets hit paychecks now — what the new standard deduction and deductions mean for refunds

WASHINGTON, Jan 6, 2026, 07:31 EST U.S. workers are starting 2026 with higher income thresholds for federal tax brackets and a larger standard deduction, shifts that can change how much tax employers withhold from paychecks, the Internal Revenue Service said.

6 January 2026

Personal Finance

Mortgage Refi Rates Hover Near 6.24% as 2026 Starts—Here’s What’s Driving the Numbers

New York, Jan 6, 2026, 07:19 EST U.S. mortgage refinance rates stayed in the mid-6% range early Tuesday, with the average 30-year fixed refinance rate at 6.24%, Zillow data showed. Jumbo refinance loans, which exceed conforming loan limits, averaged 7.29%,

6 January 2026

Housing Market·Interest Rates·Personal Finance

You Could Be Owed Cash: NSW Flags A$300 Million Sitting in Unclaimed Money Pool

Sydney, January 6, 2026, 21:47 AEDT New South Wales residents are being urged to check whether they are owed a share of about A$300 million sitting in Revenue NSW’s unclaimed money pool, the state government said. The register includes more

6 January 2026

Government Policy·Personal Finance

UK consumer borrowing jumps as mortgage approvals dip — what the Bank of England data shows

London, January 6, 2026, 07:36 GMT British consumer borrowing rose by the most in two years in November, while mortgage approvals for house purchases edged lower, Bank of England data showed on Monday. Consumer borrowing grew by a net 2.08

6 January 2026

Banking News·Financial Analysis·Personal Finance·UK Economy

HSBC cuts UK mortgage rates to start 2026 as refinancing wave builds

LONDON, Jan 4, 2026, 20:13 ET HSBC UK is cutting mortgage rates across a range of residential and buy-to-let products from Jan. 5, including reductions on two-, three-, five- and 10-year fixed deals, mortgage trade publication The Intermediary reported. The

5 January 2026

Mortgage Rates·Personal Finance

Student loan wage garnishment notices start Jan. 7, risking up to 15% paycheck hit for defaulters

WASHINGTON, Jan 2, 2026, 08:47 ET The Trump administration plans to send about 1,000 notices to student-loan borrowers starting the week of Jan. 7, signaling a return of wage garnishment for people in default, a local U.S. television report said

2 January 2026

Financial News·Personal Finance

Lloyds Bank closures start this month as 17 UK branches set to shut in January 2026

NEW YORK, January 2, 2026, 05:38 ET Lloyds Bank will close 17 branches across Britain in January, according to closure notices posted on the lender’s branch locator website. The first closures are scheduled for Jan. 8, including the bank’s branch

2 January 2026

Banking·Personal Finance·UK News

India opens NPS pension funds to banks as new fee slabs start April 2026

NEW YORK, January 2, 2026, 05:26 ET India’s pension regulator has cleared scheduled commercial banks to sponsor and independently set up pension funds under the National Pension System, in a move aimed at boosting competition in the retirement savings market.

2 January 2026

Banking·Investment News·Personal Finance·Retirement Planning

India freezes PPF, SCSS and Sukanya Samriddhi rates for Jan–Mar 2026 — what savers earn now

NEW YORK, December 31, 2025, 14:17 ET India’s finance ministry kept interest rates unchanged on a range of post office small-savings schemes for the January–March 2026 quarter, a decision that preserves returns on some of the country’s most widely held

31 December 2025

Interest Rates·Investment Tips·Personal Finance

Last day for India taxpayers: Aadhaar–PAN linking and revised ITR deadline collide on Dec. 31

NEW YORK, December 30, 2025, 22:59 ET India has set a Dec. 31 deadline for a subset of Permanent Account Number (PAN) holders to provide their Aadhaar number to tax authorities, according to a government notification. ( Notification No. 26/2025)

31 December 2025

Personal Finance

UK savers with £5,001 in the bank get a fresh warning as Yorkshire Building Society flags 12 million low-rate accounts

NEW YORK, December 30, 2025, 16:40 ET Yorkshire Building Society said new research shows more than 12 million UK current accounts hold balances of £5,001 or more while paying interest of 1% or less. GB News The warning lands as

30 December 2025

Interest Rates·Personal Finance

Canada’s 2026 TFSA limit is $7,000 as tax brackets rise: key CRA dates ahead

NEW YORK, December 30, 2025, 11:34 ET Canada’s federal income tax brackets for 2026 will rise 2% with inflation and the lowest federal rate will be 14%, Canada Revenue Agency payroll tables show. The first bracket runs to C$58,523 and

30 December 2025

Canadian Economy·Investing·Personal Finance·Retirement Planning

Personal Finance News 30 December 2025 - 6 January 2026