In its latest assessment of the UK economy, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said growth will be around 1.5% this year. The Washington-based Fund warned that stubbornly high inflation continues to be a threat to the economy and is forecasting inflation to remain well above the 4% mark in 2011 before falling to 2% [...]
Following the 8.9 magnitude earthquake and tsunami on 11 March, the Japanese Government has today downgraded its growth forecast for the economy. The twin disasters have caused billions of pounds worth of damage and is set to impact on the country’s economic growth. As a result, the Japanese Government has downgraded its assessment of the [...]
The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) is predicting that the housing market will remain subdued in 2011, due to uncertainty surrounding the economy and the ongoing mortgage rationing by lenders. Over recent times, demand has been weak as many buyers have adopted a “wait and see” approach as uncertainty continues to surround the economy and [...]
Business group, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), said the UK economy is in for a “sluggish” recovery this year, predicting growth of just 1% in 2010 and 2.5% in 2011. The forecasts are slightly below the Government’s target of 1.25% this year and 3.5% for 2011. Richard Lambert, director general of the CBI, comments: [...]
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is forecasting that the UK’s recession will end in this year but said recovery is likely to be “weak and fragile” for some time. The OECD is forecasting that output will decline by 4.3% this year, revised upwards from its March forecast of a 3.7% fall. The [...]
Stock markets in Asia have experienced a fall in today’s trading after yesterday’s World Bank report provided a gloomy assessment. Both the US and Europe experienced declines yesterday following the report which predicted that the global economy would contract by almost 3% this year – revised from an earlier forecast of 1.7%. London’s FTSE 100 [...]
In its latest Quarterly Inflation Report, the Bank of England has issued its gloomiest assessment for the UK economy so far. The Bank warned that the UK is “in a deep recession” and forecast that the economy may contract by 4% from mid-2008 to mid-2009. The Bank’s Governor, Mervyn King, said rate cuts may no [...]
M&S Money launches 3% cash ISA
M&S Money has launched an Advantage Cash ISA paying 3 per cent, and which allows transfers in from other ISAs. It can be opened with a minimum deposit of £100 lump sum followed by minimum monthly deposits of £25. The 3% rate is variable, but there is no short-term bonus so the return won’t plummet [...]
Google suspends UK Compare Mortgages site
Google has closed its UK mortgage comparison site which it launched in July last year, after it proved to be less popular than expected. Mortgage comparison sites are designed to allow visitors to compare mortgages quickly and easily without having to visit each lender’s individual site. Google was competing with several well-established comparison sites, including [...]
AA launches ‘black-box’ policy for young drivers
The AA is launching an innovative car insurance policy called Drivesafe which could help younger drivers save up to £850 a year. Younger drivers already pay substantially higher premiums than other motorists and these costs are increasing. A new study by Confused.com suggests insurance costs for younger driver have gone up by 5.7 per cent [...]
ATOL scheme updated to protect online bookers
ATOL, a financial protection scheme managed by the Civil Aviation Authority, is being extended to protect up to six million more holidays a year. The scheme ensures that holiday makers do not lose out financially if a travel company collapses, and that they are not stranded abroad. An increase in the number of holidays booked [...]
Home repossessions lowest for four years
The number of UK homes repossessed fell to 36,200 in 2011, significantly below the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ forecast of 40,000, and lower than 2010 when 37,100 homes were repossessed. With interest rates remaining low and lenders adopting a sympathetic attitude to customers in financial difficulty, repossessions fell to their lowest level since 2007. However, [...]
Monthly pay lasting just 17 days
Workers are running out of money just 17 days after receiving their monthly pay, according to new research by the Halifax bank. This means that the average UK worker spends half the month worrying about money. The study, based on the responses of more than 2,000 adults, found that 10 per cent of workers start [...]
Women disadvantaged by auto-enrolment changes
Government proposals to increase the auto-enrolment threshold to £10,000 could put 1.8 million women at risk of missing out on a pension, the TUC has warned. Under the auto-enrolment scheme, which will be phased in from October, private sector employers will automatically enrol workers between the age of 22 years and the state pension age, [...]
Emergency household repairs company Homeserve is taking longer than expected to get back on track after its operations were suspended last October. The company expected customer numbers to fall by 5% this year but it has increased this estimate to 8% and announced the loss of 200 jobs. It estimates that renewal revenue in 2013 [...]
Sale rumoured for Yorkshire and Clydesdale banks
There is growing speculation that National Australia Bank (NAB) may sell Yorkshire Bank and Clydesdale Bank after the Australian parent company announced a strategic review of the two banks’ operations. The Australian economy is performing well and NAB reported strong profits for the final quarter of 2011 but with the UK economy at a virtual [...]
More women experiencing debt difficulties
Women in Debt, which offers female-focused debt advice, has warned that the number of UK women facing serious debt has grown significantly over recent years. The organisation believes that more women will need advice on solving debt problems in the future because they are building up an unsustainable level of indebtedness. Women in Debt’s director, [...]
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