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 [...]
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has today revealed the UK economy grew by 0.7% in the July to September period – down from its previous estimate of 0.8%. On an annual basis, meanwhile, growth was also revised down to 2.7% from 2.8%. Both figures surprised economists who had expected quarterly and annual growth to [...]
According to economists, the Bank of England is widely expected to keep interest rates on hold for the medium-term. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will start its two-day meeting tomorrow and rates are expected to be kept at the historic low of 0.5% – where they have been since March 2009. In addition, analysts expect [...]
Economists have warned that interest rates could rise sooner than expected – and the warning came hot on the heels of a double dose of good news for the UK economy. Yesterday, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed UK economic growth for the third quarter slowed to 0.8%, albeit double the rate analysts had [...]
The Commerce Department has revealed a rise in US housing starts for the month of September, but building permits fell, giving mixed signals for the property market. According to the Commerce Department, construction of new US homes rose 0.3% last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 610,000 units – the highest level since [...]
Ireland’s Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today revealed the economy contracted by 1.2% in the April to June period – surprising economists who had forecast an expansion. Furthermore, the CSO revised first quarter growth figures down from 2.7% to 2.2%. Many analysts believed the economy to be on the road to recovery but today’s figures [...]
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has today elected to lift interest rates from 4.5% to 5% – higher than the 4.75% that economists had expected. It is the fifth such rise since March as the country battles to tame inflation. India’s inflation rate, which is the highest among the Group of 20 leading nations, [...]
Leading economists have said VAT will rise to 20% by the end of 2011 under the new coalition Government. According to a BBC survey, 24 out of 29 economists used by the Treasury expect the sales tax to rise, in order to try to pay back the UK’s fiscal deficit. Prior to the election, all [...]
The Bank of England’s monetary policy committee (MPC) will cut interest rates tomorrow, according to a poll of industry economists. Of the 11 experts polled, nine predicted a rate cut, whilst two said current economic conditions make it too close to call. Economists polled included representatives from HSBC, Barclays, the Centre for Economics and Business [...]
Consumers have shrugged off the current economic climate and rushed out to the shops after a record level of retail spending was recorded last month. Figures from the Office for National Statistics showed that British retail sales soared in May, increasing at the fastest pace of growth since the series began in 1986. The news [...]
The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has met this morning and decided to keep UK interest rates on hold at 5%. Most City analysts had predicted that rates would remain unchanged but with a cut to 4.75% in June. Ian McCafferty, chief economic adviser to the CBI business group, said the latest data [...]
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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