Pramod Thomas is a senior correspondent with Asian Media Group since 2020, bringing 19 years of journalism experience across business, politics, sports, communities, and international relations. His career spans both traditional and digital media platforms, with eight years specifically focused on digital journalism. This blend of experience positions him well to navigate the evolving media landscape and deliver content across various formats. He has worked with national and international media organisations, giving him a broad perspective on global news trends and reporting standards.
GLOBAL money transfer firm MoneyGram International has partnered with Tesco Bank to launch a new international online money transfer platform.
Launched on Wednesday (23), the new service allows customers of both the firms to set up their transactions online and then pay by cash or card at Tesco stores.
With no paperwork in-store and reduced process time money can be sent abroad easily, a statement said.
Already available in 810 stores, the new facility will be offered in 129 more Tesco Express stores across the UK.
The company plans to launch the facility in all 1,500 stores across the country in 18 months.
Richard Meredith, head of UK key partnership at MoneyGram, said:
“This solution is a key milestone in our ongoing collaboration with Tesco Bank in being able to offer a seamless, digitised experience for customers.”
“There are millions of people across the UK sending money abroad to help loved ones with everyday needs or in times of emergency," said Sigga Sigurdardottir, chief customer officer at Tesco Bank.
"Our goal is to help Tesco shoppers manage their money a little better every day, and this enhancement to our partnership with MoneyGram lets customers send money overseas even more efficiently than before.”
MoneyGram enables people to send money in more than 200
countries and territories, with more than 75 countries now digitally enabled.
Tesco Bank helps to make banking and insurance easier for Tesco customers.
£1.3m needed to join Britain’s top 10% of wealthy families
Average worker would need 52 years of savings to match elite wealth
South East wealth nearly triple the North East
Rising wealth divide in UK
British families now need total wealth of £1.3 million to enter the country’s wealthiest 10 per cent, according to new research that highlights the growing financial divide in post-pandemic Britain. The Resolution Foundation’s ‘Before the Fall’ report reveals that Britain’s stock of wealth continued to grow during the pandemic, reaching a new record high of 7.5 times GDP.
Whilst relative wealth inequality has remained high, the absolute wealth gaps between rich and poor families have grown sharply following the unprecedented mix of economic shocks and policy interventions during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The report reveals that a typical worker would need to save 52 years’ worth of their earnings to join the wealthiest 10 per cent. This shows how building wealth has become nearly unachievable for ordinary workers, with riches now concentrated amongst those who already own homes and have large pension pots. The wealth gap between the richest and middle-income households now stands at £1.3 million per adult, showing how the distance between rich and poor has grown dramatically.
Regional wealth divide
The wealth divide extends across regions, with stark disparities between the prosperous South and struggling North. Median wealth per adult in 2020-22 stood at £290,000 in the South East, compared to just £110,000 in the North East – a gap of £180,000.
This regional inequality reflects decades of uneven economic development, with London and the South East benefiting from higher property values and greater access to high-paying jobs, whilst northern regions continue to face lower house prices and fewer economic opportunities.
Wealth concentration persists
Molly Broome, senior economist, at Resolution Foundation said, “Soaring wealth and an acute need for more revenue has prompted fresh talk of wealth taxes ahead of the Budget next month. But with property and pensions now representing 80 per cent of the growing bulk of household wealth, we need to be honest that higher wealth taxes are likely to fall on pensioners, Southern homeowners or their families, rather than just being paid by the super-rich,”.
The findings paint a picture of a nation where wealth accumulation has increasingly become concentrated amongst those who already own property and have pension savings, making it harder for younger generations and those without existing assets to climb the wealth ladder.
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