Bloomberg The expansion of financial services in an economy can reduce income inequality — but beyond a certain point it tends to have the opposite effect, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Better access to banking and credit can help close income gaps by allowing people to save and invest more, the Washington-based fund said in a staff discussion …

Bloomberg Add a shocking slump in retail sales to the list of reasons why the Bank of England may cut interest rates in less than two weeks. Instead of showing evidence of a much-anticipated post-election bounce, the release exposed how British shoppers, the mainstay of growth the past few years, reined in spending during the crucial Christmas season. The pound …

Bloomberg The cost of Ghana’s financial sector clean-up risks escalating to 20 billion cedis ($3.5 billion) as the government weighs increasing the guaranteed payback for some depositors, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta said. The West African nation has approved funding of about 16.4 billion cedis since 2017 to help recapitalise the industry and safeguard depositors’ funds after the central bank revoked …