China has surpassed Japan and become the world’s number two economy and could pinch the top spot from the US in the next 15 years. In an interview with China Reform magazine, Yi Gang, China’s chief currency regulator, said: “China, in fact, is now already the world’s second largest economy.” He added: “China is still [...]
The reported decline in UK unemployment figures last month gave sterling an extra boost, pushing the euro/sterling rate towards the €1.20 mark, exchange rate analysts observed. Unemployment fell to 7.8% in June, down from 8.0% in April. Exchange rate specialist Caxton FX said the rise in employment shows employers are willing to recruit, and represent [...]
A report issued by the US has said China’s yuan remains undervalued but welcomed the loosening of the currency peg. The US Treasury’s semi-annual currency report, which originally was due on 15 April, comes after mounting pressure on the People’s Bank of China to make its exchange rate more flexible against the US dollar. The [...]
Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), has said that China’s yuan was still too low, despite a pledge by the People’s Bank of China to make its exchange rate more flexible. The US has previously expressed dissatisfaction that China is keeping the value of the yuan low to help its exporters [...]
Stock markets in Asia have gained today after comments by China’s central bank about its currency policy this weekend. Policymakers had pledged to make the yuan more flexible but then just 24 hours later the central bank’s website said: “There is at present no basis for major fluctuation or change in the [yuan] exchange rate”. [...]
Chinese inflation continued to increase last month on the back of rising house and food prices. According to China’s statistics bureau, consumer prices in May were up 3.1% on an annual basis – up from April’s rate of 2.8% and exceeding the Government’s target of 3%. A spokesperson for the bureau admitted that the pressure [...]
Influential think tank, the National Institute of Social and Economic Research (NIESR) said the UK economy expanded by 0.5% in the three months to April. The Institute is expecting the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to upwardly revise its initial first quarter growth estimate. Last month, the ONS said the economy grew by just 0.2% [...]
Brits taking their summer holiday abroad this year will spend £73 million on debit and credit card fees, it emerged this week. Research by Abbey Credit Cards found that British holidaymakers pay an average of 3% in conversion fees every time they use an overseas ATM or spend money on their card in a foreign [...]
Currency exchange provider FairFX is offering one of the cheapest deals available on US dollars. The website is currently the only provider offering a rate of $1.50 for £1. Stephen Heath, FairFX.com chief executive, said the rate is “good news for anyone planning a trip to the states”. Heath said that because of the current [...]
British holidaymakers are being misled into believing that a ‘commission free’ exchange means they are getting the best deal for their holiday money. Online currency provider FairFX said many Brits are unaware that the exchange rate is just as important as the commission fee in determining how much of a foreign currency they’re getting for [...]
The British pound plunged to a 7½ year low against the US dollar yesterday amid concerns about the state of the UK banking sector. Plummeting to below $1.40, the pound hit its weakest rate against the dollar since 2001. Analysts suggested the latest bail-out of British banks prompted a pound sell-off, whilst others blamed the [...]
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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