Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou last night survived a crucial confidence vote by 155 to 143. EU leaders were insistent that Mr Papandreou’s new cabinet secure support for new austerity measures that are a condition of the latest instalment of financial aid for the country. MPs will now have to approve the next round of [...]
There were further fears for debt-stricken Greece today after the country’s central bank, the Bank of Greece (BoG), said economic growth will fall this year by 2%, worse than the Government’s forecast of between 1.2% and 1.7%. According to the BoG: “The Greek economy has fallen into a vicious circle with only one way out: [...]
The euro tumbled again today after Greek Prime Minister, George Papandreou, warned that Greece might have to seek help from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The currency fell to 1.3648 dollars, before recovering to 1.3692 dollars, however it was still down from 1.3735 dollars late in New York yesterday. Today, Mr Papandreou told the EU [...]
Greek unions have today vowed to strike on Wednesday to protest against the Government’s austerity measures. Last week, Greek Prime Minister, George Papandreou, announced tough austerity measures to tackle the country’s spiralling debt. Measures include a public sector pay freeze, a hike in taxes and an increase to the retirement age. Spyros Papaspyros, president of [...]
In an attempt to reduce its high levels of debt, Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou, has unveiled tough measures which include a public sector pay freeze and a hike in fuel taxes. Further measures to reduce debt levels include a 10% cut in social security spending, as well as a massive 90% tax on the [...]
Figures from Eurostat have today revealed that the number of people unemployed across the euro zone grew to 15.8 million in December. The latest figures mean that the unemployment rate across the 16 countries that use the euro is 10% – the highest rate since 1999. Analysts believe that the unemployment rate will continue to [...]
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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