Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), has expressed his concern for a currency war. According to Mr Strauss-Kahn, if Governments across the world use exchange rates as a policy weapon, there could be a serious risk to global economic recovery. His comments come ahead of the IMF and World Bank annual [...]
Official data has revealed the value of British exports grew by just 0.05%, or £28 million, in the final three months of 2009 compared with the same period a year earlier. The figures were a surprise since a weak pound should make UK goods cheaper abroad. Analysis of Government data by Close Treasury revealed that [...]
The use of the cheque book continues to decline as consumers opt for quicker payment methods. Major retailers such as Tesco and Sainsbury’s no longer accept cheques, arguing that phasing out the use of cheques in stores resulted in quicker service and improved security for consumers. Under controversial plans being devised by bankers, the cheque [...]
British retailing giant, Marks and Spencer (M&S), has reported flat profits for the six month period to September 28 and said it is cautious about the year ahead. While profits were at the top end of analysts forecasts, profit before tax and one-off items was £298.3 million. In a statement Chairman Stuart Rose said: “We [...]
Abbey has been working out accommodation costs for potential first-time buyers currently in the rental sector and has discovered that for those living outside London, it is now cheaper to buy rather than rent. The good news is only for those who have managed to save a 25% deposit but nonetheless means that over than [...]
Discount clothing retailer Primark continues to buck the trend on the High Street after reporting a 9% rise in sales in the past six months at stores open at least a year. The results come as rivals such as Marks & Spencer, Next and Sweden’s Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) report declines amid the recession. H&M [...]
According to research from moneysupermarket.com, women get the best deal on car insurance while young male motorists are paying the most expensive premiums. A study by moneysupermarket.com has established that women pay 9% less for their car insurance than their male equivalents, with the average quote for a woman in her 20s being £320 compared [...]
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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