Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA) has warned that rising oil prices pose a risk to the global recovery by reducing spending power and fuelling inflation. The agency is urging oil producers to increase supplies to avoid “derailing the economic recovery”. The agency said it is seriously concerned that “there are growing signs that the rise [...]
Mexico’s finance minister Ernesto Cordero believes the economy is on target for growth between 4% and 5%. Speaking in London yesterday, Mr Cordero said there is also a “strong possibility” that last year’s 5.5% growth rate could be surpassed – which represented its fastest annual rate in 10 years. However, he cautioned that surging oil [...]
According to the latest Confederation of British Industry (CBI) distributive trades survey, retailers are concerned about consumers tightening their purse strings amid rising inflation. The CBI’s survey established that the sales balance fell to +6 this month from +37 in January – far below expectations of a +30 reading. Furthermore, retailers expect sales growth to [...]
Figures published today revealed a slowdown in industrial output in India – which fell to a 16-month low. India’s statistics office said output grew 4.4% on an annualised basis in September – less than expected and down from August’s 6.9% growth. Federal finance minister, Pranab Mukherjee, described the industrial slowdown as a “matter of concern” [...]
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 [...]
In its half-yearly health assessment of the financial system, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said it is concerned about the global financial system. The crisis in the European sovereign debt markets has meant the prospects for global stability have been pushed back, said the IMF. The crisis is Europe has recently been exacerbated by [...]
Figures from the Bank of England today revealed that British households opted to repay loans and overdrafts last month. The figures are evidence that consumers are concerned about the uncertainty surrounding the economy and massive spending cuts, opting not to go further into debt. According to the Bank of England, consumers repaid a net £120 [...]
The Irish Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today revealed the jobless rate dipped to 13.7% in September, down from 13.8% in August. However, the rate remains a concern and compares with a rate of 10% for the euro zone and 7.8% for the UK. In the meantime, the CSO said there was a fall in [...]
The Bank of Japan’s (BoJ) closely watched quarterly Tankan survey has revealed business confidence continues to rise, despite concerns about a strong yen. The Tankan index revealed business confidence among major manufacturers had picked up for the sixth consecutive quarter, rising to a better than expected reading of 8 in September, from 1 in June. [...]
Troubled lender, Anglo Irish Bank, has today had its debt rating slashed by credit agency Moody’s, sending the euro down against the US dollar. Moody’s cut the bank’s senior unsecured debt by three notches to Baa3 – just one notch above junk status. It also downgraded Anglo Irish’s subordinated debt by six notches to Caa1. [...]
Government data has today revealed a further slowdown in Japanese exports in August – the sixth consecutive month in which they have eased. The figures raise concern that the economic recovery is faltering. Exports rose 15.8% in August to 5.22 trillion yen on an annual basis – well below the 45.3% high seen in February. [...]
Official figures show that the number of US workers filing new claims for jobless benefits rose unexpectedly last week to a high not seen since April. The figures show that initial jobless claims rose more than 4% to 479,000 in the week ended July 31, according to the Labor Department. Analysts had expected a fall [...]
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) today said its Pending Home Sales Index fell by 18.6% in June on year. On a monthly basis, the index fell by 2.6% to 75.7 points based on contracts signed in June compared with May. As a result, the index fell to the lowest level since records began in [...]
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has again elected to leave interest rates on hold at 4.5% after a series of aggressive rate hikes since October. It is the third consecutive month in which rates have been at this level but economists say the central bank will only leave rates on hold for the short-term. [...]
The finance ministry has today revealed Japanese exports continued to rise in June, albeit at a slower pace. Exports grew 27.7% to 5.87 trillion yen in June – the seventh straight monthly rise. However, not only did the figure fall short of expectations of a 23.1% rise, it was also below May’s increase of 32.1%. [...]
Economic think tank, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), has today said unemployment remains a concern in rich economies. In particular, the OECD has expressed concern for the UK economy, after the Government axed investment for job programmes. It believes the unemployment rate will hover around the 8% mark for at least the [...]
From today, the Nationwide Building Society will attempt to reduce its queues by making customers with cash cards withdrawing less than £100 to use the branch cash machine. The Nationwide said the change, which was announced in April, is essential and the move is aimed at speeding up transactions and freeing up staff time to [...]
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has today revealed the UK’s trade gap widened in March, due to a surge in imports. According to the ONS, exports rose by 1% in March, but imports accelerated 5.2% in the month – the fastest rate since September 2009. The surge in imports meant the trade gap rose [...]
Business group, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), is calling for an overhaul of public sector pensions as concerns over the affordability of pensions for workers in the state sector, including nurses, teachers and the police, is growing. The CBI is urging the next Government to establish an independent commission within weeks of being elected [...]
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) has today revealed a further fall in sales of previously owned homes in the US for the month of February. The industry body said sales fell 0.6% in the month to an annual rate of 5.02 million units (an eight-month low), down from 5.05 million the previous month. February’s [...]
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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