The bank of England is expected to launch another round of quantitative easing (QE) this week, in the hope of preventing the UK falling into another recession, after the economy contracted by 0.2 per cent at the end of last year. The bank is likely to pump at least £50 billion into the economy by [...]
Inflation fell to 5 per cent in October helped by a price war between major supermarkets, with food and petrol prices being slashed as they competed with each other. The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show a 5 per rise in the consumer-price index in the 12 months to October, compared with [...]
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) will today publish economic growth figures for the January to March period. The figures are much awaited by analysts after the economy suffered a shock contraction in the last three months of 2010 – attributed to bad weather at the end of the year. GDP is expected to expand [...]
Confidence among chief financial officers (CFOs) has fallen to the lowest level in 18 months. According to accountancy group Deloitte, confidence among these executives fell for the third consecutive quarter. More than a third of those surveyed said there is a risk that the economy will fall back into recession. Margaret Ewing, of Deloitte, said: [...]
Employers’ group, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), has revised its growth forecast for the UK’s economy. It is now predicting the economy will grow by 2% in 2011, not 2.5% as forecast earlier this year. Its downward revision is due to the massive spending cuts, introduced by the Government - deemed necessary in order [...]
Credit rating agency Moody’s has today said the UK’s top-ranked AAA credit rating is safe, as a result of the tough austerity measures, introduced by the coalition Government. Despite slower economic growth, the rating agency said the outlook for the UK’s public finances remained stable. There have been fears that the tough measures, announced by [...]
It has been announced that the tough austerity measures introduced by the coalition Government are set to lead to industrial action following a trade union gathering in Manchester today. At the annual Trades Union Congress (TUC) meeting, union leaders urged delegates to “stand up and fight” against the massive spending cuts. The motion was supported [...]
The latest Beige Book report, published by the Federal Reserve, has revealed widespread signs that the US economic recovery is slowing. The Fed reported “continued growth in national economic activity” in the six weeks to the end of August, “but with widespread signs of a deceleration.” The most recent official figures revealed the US economy [...]
The US Institute for Supply Management (ISM) has offset fears of a double dip recession in America by reporting a rise in its index of factory activity, to 56.3 in August, up from 55.5 in July. A reading in excess of 42%, over a period of time, generally indicates an expansion of the overall economy [...]
US Federal Reserve chairman, Ben Bernanke, has said the outlook for the world’s largest economy remains “unusually uncertain”. The US housing market, in particular, has experienced a double-dip in activity after the expiration of a Government incentive. Furthermore, higher unemployment and a slowdown in manufacturing have sparked fears of a “double-dip” recession. However, Mr Bernanke [...]
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, [...]
Younger generation shunning credit cards
Consumers are shunning credit cards in favour of debit cards, digital payment and payday loans, according to a new report from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). Although UK households paid off some unsecured debts in 2011, the average debt was around £7,900 at the end of the year. The Ernst & Young Item Club has also reported a [...]
Bank of England to launch £50bn economic stimulus
The bank of England is expected to launch another round of quantitative easing (QE) this week, in the hope of preventing the UK falling into another recession, after the economy contracted by 0.2 per cent at the end of last year. The bank is likely to pump at least £50 billion into the economy by [...]
3.19% five-year fixed mortgage launched
Chelsea Building Society has launched a five-year fixed-rate mortgage at 3.19 per cent. The deal is available on a maximum loan-to-value (LTV) of 70% with a fee of £1,495. The building society’s product manager Jemma Smith said the product “is the lowest five-year fixed-rate mortgage ever to come to the market which is great for [...]
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Asian shares recover after Fed comments
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke yesterday allayed investor fears after saying the US economy appeared to have enough momentum to avoid a “double-dip” recession. Mr Bernanke also said he believes European leaders are taking the right steps to ensure the survival of the euro. “European leadership is strongly committed to doing whatever is necessary to [...]