The Bank of Thailand has opted to keep interest rates on hold at 3.5%, despite the worst floods the country has seen in decades which are set to hamper growth. Thailand, which is South-East Asia’s second largest economy, is expected to see growth of just 2% this year as a result of flood damage, compared [...]
According to the World Bank, soaring food prices have pushed more than 40 million people into poverty in the last year. Worryingly, a further 10% increase in food prices would push 10 million below the extreme poverty line – defined as an income of less than $1.25 a day. Robert Zoellick, World Bank president, was [...]
Australia has posted its first trade deficit for 11 months in February after flood and cyclone disasters led to a fall in coal and agricultural exports. The Australian Bureau of Statistics published a deficit of AUS$205 million (£131 million), from a downwardly revised surplus of AUS$1.433 billion the previous month. Analysts were shocked by the [...]
The Treasury department has estimated that the disasters that hit Australia earlier this year will cost the economy AUS$9 billion (£5.8 billion). The figure is considerably higher than a previous estimate of AUS$5.6 billion. Australia, which is one of the few developed economies not to have fallen into recession like its counterparts throughout the world, [...]
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has today reported the economy grew by 0.7% in the October to December period, boosted by private spending on machinery and equipment, and inventories. However, the figure was slightly lower than the 0.8% growth expected by analysts. According to the ABS, the quarter-on-quarter figure was up from a revised [...]
Chinese inflation continued to increase last month as devastating floods drove up the price of food as crops were wiped out. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the closely-watched consumer price index rose 3.3% in July against 2.9% in June. A spokesperson for the Bureau said the rise was primarily due to “dramatic [...]
There is further evidence today that China’s economy is cooling after two official independent surveys revealed a slowdown in manufacturing activity. Firstly, the HSBC China Manufacturing purchasing managers index (PMI), fell to 49.4 in July from 50.4 in June. As a result, manufacturing contracted for the first time in 16 months as any reading below [...]
February has already seen the most severe snow storms in 18 years as well as over 100 flood warnings – highlighting the importance of adequate property insurance. “Recent events highlight how important it is to have the right level of cover in place to protect both your home and your belongings,” said Emma Baunach, manager [...]
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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