Have you fallen for any pranks yet today? On April Fools’ Day, a little extra vigilance goes a long way. As the saying goes, a fool and his money are easily parted, but it can often be our own bad habits, careless spending and quiet complacency that do the most damage. Joanne Hunt asks some financial experts for their top tips on how not to be a fool with your finances.
Hopefully, those sensible approaches will include the Government’s promised new savings scheme from next year, which promises to feature only a low flat rate of tax and no additional taxation on capital gains. Joe Brennan reports on additional details disclosed by Minister for Finance Simon Harris, with the promise of fuller details in the budget later this year.
It is difficult to see a silver lining to the war in the Middle East, writes John McManus. But if there is one, he says, it might be that the spike in energy prices will inject some realism into the debate around the building of a terminal in the Shannon estuary to import liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Irish hotels increased their average room rate modestly last year despite a fall in the number of overseas visitors and fewer domestic travellers, according to a new report from Fáilte Ireland. Ian Curran reports.
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And Boston-based health wearables company Whoop has attracted a who’s who of sporting stars in its $575 million funding round, including golfers Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry, footballers Cristiano Ronaldo and Virgil van Dijk, and basketball player LeBron James. Singer Niall Horan is also among the backers, writes Ciara O’Brien.
Figures from the Central Bank show motor insurance premiums rose by an average of 4 per cent in the first six months of 2025, more than double the rate of consumer price inflation over the same period, with the industry saying falling personal injury costs were more than offset by higher damage claims on their vehicles. Ian Curran has the details..
Most builders expect to increase residential construction this year, or to match 2025 levels, the Goodbody Stockbrokers’ 2026 Irish Homebuilder Survey says. However, the report warns that the industry now highlights lack of available land as the “number one factor” holding up new house construction. Barry O’Halloran reports.
The retail park at Liffey Valley, adjacent to the shopping centre, is up for sale with the Eir workers’ pension fund, which owns it, looking for around €60 million, writes Ronald Quinlan.
Grafton Street is getting close to full occupancy with 25 new store openings since 2020. Colliers’ Kate Ryan examines rents, new occupiers and the changing profile of the streets’ property ownership.
Former Aer Lingus and British Airways boss Willie Walsh is getting back to the front line, with his appointment to lead IndiGo, India’s biggest airline which accounts for almost two-thirds of India’s domestic air travel, but has been hit by scheduling problems.
Pretax profits at the main Irish subsidiary of iPhone maker Apple increased by 6 per cent last year to $81 billion (€70.5 billion), writes Gordon Deegan, in another record year for the business. A note with the accounts said that dividends of $69.4 billion were paid by the group to its ultimate parent, Apple Inc, during the year.
Finally, Irish manufacturers reported a sharp increase in the price of key inputs last month, as the US-Iran war began to bite. However, writes Ian Curran, strong demand meant factories were able to pass on those higher costs to their customers.
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