Bank of England Governor, Mervyn King, believes Britain is in the midst of the “most serious financial crisis ever”. The Governor was speaking after the central bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) elected to keep interest rates on hold at the historically low level of 0.5%. Interest rates have now been at this low level since [...]
A report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has warned that households will be squeezed for the next decade as they suffer from the harsh spending cuts introduced by the Government. It said households are suffering one of the worst attacks on their finances since the Second World War and that the impact of [...]
The Independent Commission on Banking’s (ICB) final report has been published today and is recommending that UK banks should ring-fence their retail banking operations. According to the report, ring-fencing would protect banks from riskier investment banking divisions and would “make it easier and less costly to resolve banks that get into trouble”. The ICB, which [...]
The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has today elected to keep UK interest rates on hold at the historically low level of 0.5%, as widely expected. Interest rates have now been at this low level since March 2009 – when the economy was in the midst of recession. Recent figures show the economy [...]
Recovery of the UK economy is to remain sluggish, with GDP slowing to 0.2% in the June to August period, the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) predicts. This compares with a 0.6% rate in the three months to July. The influential think tank believes if the weakness continues, the Bank of England [...]
Speaking in the House of Commons today, Chancellor George Osborne has warned that the UK can expect a long and tough recovery. His speech came as he defended the Government’s tough spending cuts, which many have been critical about – even suggesting they could push the UK back into recession. However, the Chancellor believes that [...]
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has today revealed UK public sector borrowing rose last month. According to the ONS, public sector net borrowing rose to £14 billion last month compared with £13.6 billion June 2010. The figure was higher than analysts’ expectations and was attributed to a fall in income tax receipts. The figure [...]
At last night’s annual Mansion House speech, Chancellor George Osborne received some support for his suggestion to ring-fence banks’ retail operations so they are protected from losses from investment banking. After the speech, Barclays Chief Executive Bob Diamond said: “Retail ring-fencing would not be our first option, but we can see ways it would work, [...]
In his Mansion House speech later this evening, Chancellor George Osborne is to announce plans to sell off state-owned Northern Rock. The crisis-torn bank, which collapsed on the eve of the credit crisis, is expected to be auctioned off and will raise around £1 billion. The Chancellor will say he hopes to find a buyer [...]
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has today published its annual assessment for the UK economy and is estimating growth of 1.5% this year, down from 1.7% in April. The estimate is roughly in line with other forecasts for the UK economy with the British Chambers of Commerce expecting growth of 1.3%, the Organisation for Economic [...]
Some of Britain’s top economists are calling for Chancellor George Osborne to come up with a plan B for the UK economy. It has been suggested that the Chancellor’s massive spending cuts are too harsh for the fragile economy and a plan B on economic policy is required. The comments come shortly after the OECD’s [...]
In today’s Budget, Chancellor George Osborne confirmed that the new flat-rate state pension will be brought in but will take many years to come into force. According to the Government, the new pensions system should make pension planning easier to understand – stripping out the current complex means-tested payments system and will move towards a [...]
Chancellor George Osborne has delivered his Budget speech today, what he has described as a “Budget for growth”. Firstly, Mr Osborne unveiled a scheme aimed at helping 10,000 first-time buyers purchase new-build flats and houses. The buyer would have to fund 5% of the cost, while the Government and home builder would both put up [...]
Chancellor George Osborne will deliver his Budget speech today at 1230 GMT, which will be aimed at boosting growth amid the fragile recovery. Mr Osborne is describing it as a “budget for growth” despite the tough austerity measures which threaten to push Britain back into recession, according to some economists. However, many believe the Chancellor [...]
A report by the Ernst & Young Item Club has suggested the Government could be in line for an £8 billion windfall this year due to a rebound in tax revenues and a cut in public spending. The Item Club is estimating public borrowing for the financial year to the end of March to be [...]
There is speculation that the Government may delay the 1p rise in fuel duty – planned for next month. The move is believed to be announced in this week’s Budget and comes as the price of petrol has surged to more than £1.30 a litre, due to concerns about the ongoing civil unrest in Libya [...]
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) is urging Chancellor George Osborne to provide a “relentless focus” on economic growth and job creation when he presents his annual budget later this month. In a letter to the Chancellor, the business lobby group said action must be taken in order to boost the economic recovery. Over recent [...]
Presenting today’s Quarterly Inflation Report, the Bank of England’s Governor, Mervyn King, said inflation will continue to stay high in the first half of 2011. Mr King warned inflation might even reach 6% but it will fall back next year. The Bank’s report comes just a day after the Office for National Statistics (ONS) announced [...]
After weeks of tense negotiations, Britain’s largest banks have agreed to lending targets and pay restraints. Chancellor George Osborne today announced that under the so-called Project Merlin, banks will lend around £190 billion to businesses this year – including £76 billion to SMEs. Last year, banks loaned £179 billion to businesses. The four financial institutions [...]
Chancellor George Osborne has confirmed he is maintaining the levy on banks, raising an additional £800 million this year and £2.5 billion in the coming years. In a radio interview, he said he wants to ensure “banks make a fair contribution to closing the deficit”. Initially, Mr Osborne said the Government’s new bank levy would [...]
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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